Report on 1994 Activities

Antigua

Twelve brothers and sisters from U.S.A., Canada, UK and Guyana participated in the fourth preaching activity in Antigua held October 29-November 4, 1994. We were comfortably accommodated at the Beachcombers Hotel, eight minutes from the airport and 10 minutes from downtown St. John’s, the capital of the island.

Fellowship was very enjoyable. As has been done before, we prepared our own meals, with some of the brothers impressing us with their culinary skills.

Our daily activities included Bible reading and stimulating discussions, billing/canvassing, open-air meetings at the busy market area, contacting correspondence students and other interested friends and holding evening lectures in the hotel auditorium.

The theme of the lectures was “Family Life in the Lord” and they were very well attended. We were very impressed with the depth of questions raised and the keenness of some of the people who attended. The number of visitors ranged from 12 to 28.

St. Lucia

Four of us left Antigua on Friday, November 4 for St. Lucia for our first preaching effort in that island. We started in St. Lucia with a number of setbacks. First there was a five-hour delay in our flight, then one of our member’s baggage was lost, requiring further delay in filling out numerous forms. Upon reaching the guest house, it was not to the standard described in the tourist brochure. Since we were all new to St. Lucia, we had been forced to rely on the tourist ads. The owners tried their best to satisfy us, however, giving us the full use of the guest house at a cost that was within our depleting resources.

As was done in Antigua, we did our own cooking in an attempt to cut costs. Bro. Ray Arthur’s and his wife, who arrived the following night, effectively managed to rectify some of the problems and we soon settled down to our work.

On reflection, the setbacks encountered were nothing compared to what the apostles underwent, and I personally recall the severe privations which missionaries experienced while preaching in parts of Guyana. By comparison to those, our difficulties were “a piece of cake.”

On Sunday, November 6, we held our first breaking of bread on the island in a spacious room of the guest house. Bro. Jay gave an appropriately encouraging exhortation, preparing us for the task ahead. He reminded us that God’s ways are not ours, and that we should not despise the day of small things.

Activities in one village

Bro. Joe Badlu had contacted someone in the village of Anse-La­Raye in connection with arrangements for our activity weeks before our visit to St. Lucia. The contact proved to be very reliable and efficient. He had a comfortable and well-equipped hall already booked and had made arrangements with the village town crier to announce our meetings. Four of us were quickly able to distribute invitations in the small village. As we went about, the villagers showed us some of the extensive damage done to the island during the September tornado.

From what we have seen of St. Lu­cia, it is a beautiful place. Negotiating the hairpin turns going up to Anse-La­Raye in the face of oncoming traffic, however, was a hair-raising experience. But the scene from the top looking over the ocean and sections of the island is simply breathtaking.

Evening meetings were held in Anse-La-Raye from the Sunday through the Wednesday with Bible prophecy as the main theme. On the first night, there were about 12 visitors in the hall along with a number of people who listened from outside the door. Afterward, they came in to choose from the literature we had put out on a table by the door.

The visitors were not shy in asking questions, many of which were challenging. On some of the evenings, we had to close the formal question session in order for the hall to be re-arranged for daily use. We then continued conversing on an informal basis. We found that most of those who remained back to ask searching questions and have discussions were young men. Many requests were received for Bible correspondence courses and the Glad Tidings magazine.

On the Wednesday, a few of us departed with warm good-byes to our new friends in this village.

Other areas of contact

In addition to activities in the one village, leaflets were distributed around our guest house. Response was encouraging and we view this as a good area for preaching. The brethren remaining after our departure contacted the St. Lucia press and inquired about accommodations for our next visit, if the Lord delay.

An encouraging effort

All in all, the response in both Antigua and St. Lucia was very encouraging. We thank our Heavenly Father for granting us the privilege of contributing to His preparatory work in the establishment of His glorious king­dom. I consider this a great blessing which should not be taken lightly. As we continue our preparation off-site, let us do it with all our heart, in the right spirit, asking for His on-going help and support.

Our thanks to CBM for their support and assistance in providing transportation and literature, both of which were essential to the proclamation of the Gospel. Our thanks, too, to those other brethren who supported and encouraged us by their liberality in contributing financially to the work of the Lord and in willingly producing the handbills and brochures for distribution. We appreciate all those who otherwise supported us by their prayers and ask that you continue to help us in this manner.