Six years after Hurricane Dorian, the island of Abaco is still rebuilding, but its people are full of joy. Read about how the Freedom Fellowship (Indianola) IMPACT team helped a family, the lasting impact of a community center, and the simple things that bring immense happiness to the Bahamian spirit.

Hello from the island of Abaco! Today we went and helped caulk and paint a two plex house where a family of five was living in one room that served as both their bedroom and kitchen. With all the many hands we had we were able to finish almost the whole exterior with one coat and the front half with two. Tomorrow we’re going to split up and some will go to the school to help with tutoring some of the younger students and the rest will go and finish painting.

For lunch we went to the Marsh Harbor Community Center, which is a certified hurricane shelter and the first building Many Hands built after the destruction of Hurricane Dorian. We ended our evening with laughter and paddle boarding alongside our Impact devotions.

I’ve noticed that even six years after the storm there is rubble and glass everywhere, people are okay living with wires hanging from their ceilings and half finished floors and yet their smiles are brighter than anyone I’ve seen. There was an employee at the grocery store who greeted us right as we pulled up and gave us fistbumps and he was so happy that we gave him one in return.

Through the last two days I’ve seen that the simplest things ,that we don’t think about, can give these people so much joy.

Please keep us in your prayers as we’re away from home.

– Lauren & Irelynn 🙂