While finishing up painting classrooms at Grace Baptist Church, the Fresno Team was able to start to reflect on their trip.

Read past blogs from Fresno Bible Church and other teams at Team Updates – Many Hands Impact

A few days ago we started painting the Grace Baptist Church Preschool. Today, we arrived on the scene early and got to work. With the gathered effort of our entire team, we were able to finish painting most of the interior of the preschool. Pastor Shawn Robins and his wife, Jackie, were so grateful and generously provided some ice-cold sodas. While we were working, I had the opportunity to speak with a few locals who had stopped by to use the water spicket. They were not long or super deep conversations but the conversations allowed me to communicate with people of a different culture. The tragedy that this island has faced over the last few years has devastated its people. There is still debris that can be seen, and the sight of the stripped Abaco Pine trees is gut-wrenching. But you can tell that these people are hopeful. The locals are such a joy to talk to and seem very optimistic about their future.

Living on the beautiful island of Great Abaco for the past week has been a life-changing experience. The Many Hands team has done an excellent job to make us feel right at home, while still pushing us out of our comfort zones. I love waking up early every morning to watch the sunrise over the ocean. The time that I have spent bonding with my team in the water, and exploring “Dwayne the Rock” (a big rock in the ocean), has been such an enjoyable experience. The city of Marsh Harbour has a similar vibe to that of my hometown, and something that has taken some getting used to is driving on the left side of the road.

I would recommend this trip to anyone, it’s such a great way to immerse yourself into a very different culture, without venturing too far from America. I can’t wait to attend church tomorrow morning.