The Des Moines Christian School (DMC) impact team poses together under the entrance sign at Central Abaco Primary School (CAPS) during a youth mobilization and education trip with Many Hands.
Impact Team: Abaco

Porches, Paint, and Plenty of Diapers

By May 30, 2026August 4th, 2026No Comments

Ryan and Caleb

An early morning prayer time by the ocean brought unexpected blessings when the team spotted a sea turtle and other marine life swimming just off the rocks. The Des Moines Christian School Impact Team carried that peaceful energy into a full day of service, framing a new front porch for Davia’s house and unloading a massive shipment of donated supplies for a local church ministry. Read the full update from Ryan and Caleb to see how the grateful hearts of local pastors reminded the team of the beauty of partnership! 

Today started with the disappointment of not being able to see the SpaceX launch at 7 am, but the consolation was spending time in prayer and seeing a sea turtle, fish, and a shark. After sitting on the rock, our french toast and eggs made by the lovely Ms. Lula & Ms. Doreen were delicious. After breakfast, we headed to our jobsite for the day, where we were able to serve Davia by painting the trim on her house and building out the frame for her new front porch. It was an amazing experience because Pastor Stephen, who used to live on the island before the hurricane, was able to visit the jobsite. His joy and excitement at seeing the investment of our team in the future of Abaco made our small service today completely worth it. 

Volunteers and local partners work together to frame out a new timber front porch at Davia's house, advancing hurricane recovery and sustainable infrastructure development with Many Hands.

We were also able to divide our team and make some runs to the lumber yard as well as visit the local public school to play with the students during their lunch and recess. Caleb’s PB&J was excellent!

The Des Moines Christian School (DMC) impact team poses together under the entrance sign at Central Abaco Primary School (CAPS) during a youth mobilization and education trip with Many Hands.
A DMC impact trip volunteer bends forward to interact with a circle of local Bahamian students seated on the grass during recess at a public primary school.
A teenage student volunteer holds hands and runs across the playground with local primary students during a school recess visit focused on community connection.

Our afternoon was spent grabbing a quick lemonade at a local favorite, “The Drink Machine,” before blessing a local church that has a thriving Care/Compassion ministry with a storage unit worth of donated materials, including soap, shampoo, diapers, curtains, and bedding. The greatest blessing (besides a line of people to transport a van-full of diapers from the parking lot into the church in the pouring rain) was hearing from Tato, the pastor of the church. His heart for seeing these materials go out to be a blessing in their community, that not only meets the needs of the community, but also ensures the Gospel is proclaimed in Abaco!

DMC student volunteers form a human assembly line down a school hallway to unload a shipment of donated diapers, partnering with a local church's compassion ministry in Abaco.
Many Hands volunteers from Des Moines Christian School take a quick break to support a local business, raising their glasses together at 'The Drink Machine' pavilion in Abaco.

– Ryan & Caleb

Impact Participant

This profile represents the collective voice of our Many Hands Impact teams. The reflections shared here are written by everyday individuals, from students and parents to local community members, who have traveled to Haiti and Abaco to experience the mission firsthand. They are not full-time staff. They are volunteers stepping out in faith to be love in action. In these posts, you will read raw, unpolished stories of personal transformation. Our guest writers document the shared humanity discovered while working alongside local leaders on safe structures, education initiatives, and community development. Impact trips are designed to change the participant as much as the community they serve. Through their words, you get a front row seat to the exact moments people discover their purpose and learn to live with intention.

Cart
Checkout - $0.00
  • 0
  • 1
Skip to content