We have arrived! by Emily Morley | July 16, 2016 4:00 PM
Both groups made it safely to the Bahamas! We are settled into the camp where we will be staying. We even got to celebrate Taber's birthday!
Meeting with Rev. Stubbsby Emily Morley | July 16, 2016 7:42 PM
Tonight we got to meet with the reverend of the church we will be working with. We had a great question and answer session and learned a lot about the Bahamas.
All in all, it was a great first day on the island! We are excited to see what this week holds and how God uses us for His glory.
Family Photo Opby Emily Morley | July 17, 2016 2:39 PM
With church held at the beach today it was a perfect opportunity for family photos! We love that we can serve alongside our parents, siblings, and children.
Goofy "Family" Photoby Emily Morley | July 17, 2016 2:42 PM
Our personalities are shining!
Church on the Beachby Emily Morley | July 17, 2016 5:13 PM
Today we were able to participate in a special beach service with St. Michael's Methodist Church. It was nice to meet the church community that we will be serving this week!
Dinner at Bahama Grillby Emily Morley | July 17, 2016 5:17 PM
Tonight we had a family style dinner at Bahama Grill. It was delicious!
Bahama Sunday by Emily Morley | July 17, 2016 6:35 PM
Today was a great first full day on the island! We were able to get to know the St. Michael's Church community, spend time on the beach, eat amazing food, and plan for VBS which starts tomorrow. We were all really excited to jump into ministry. Everyone enjoyed playing ball with the kids on the beach, too.
P.S. Chris says hello to Donna! Love you and miss you!
Lesson Time at VBS by Emily Morley | July 18, 2016 9:47 AM
Today is the first day of VBS! We were excited to jump right in and meet the kids. We started off with worship and a puppet show. These kids are getting ready for a Bible story with Mama O and the gang.
Enjoying the Morningby Emily Morley | July 18, 2016 9:54 AM
We had some time outside this morning with our new friends! We played soccer, football, jump rope, and made pictures with chalk.
Packing Foodby Emily Morley | July 18, 2016 3:54 PM
Today we bought and packed food to distribute to families in the community in need. We prayed over the bags for the families who would receive them. We are excited to partner with some of the members of St. Michael's to distribute the bags later this week!
Sharing Stories by Emily Morley | July 18, 2016 3:58 PM
This afternoon we had some time to sit with our team and share our life stories. It was cool to get to know people that we didn't really know and get to know people better who we did know. It is encouraging to hear how God is working in all of our lives!
Kickball! by Emily Morley | July 18, 2016 6:01 PM
We took some time to bond as a team after the short rainstorm to play some kickball! Brogan's team lost...
Ministry Mondayby Emily Morley | July 18, 2016 8:18 PM
Today we had our first full day of ministry! It was great to see the kids having fun at VBS! We also liked shopping for food and packing the bags for food distribution. In the afternoon, we talked with the reverend about our work project for tomorrow. It sounds like we are going to have a full day! Sharing our stories and playing kickball brought us even closer as a team. We are excited to see the relationships with each other and the kids build as the week progresses.
Thank you for all the comments! We loved hearing them at our meeting today and seeing the support we have around the world.
P.S. Brogan says hello to Pop Pop, Grammy, Kaycee, and Nonno! He says, "My favorite part so far is playing kickball!"
VBS worship by Emily Morley | July 19, 2016 8:06 PM
The kids really got into the songs at VBS today! They are really learning the words and actions! We played Mr. Fox during game time and practiced our balance on a tight rope during Bible Quest.
Bat Behind the Scenes by Emily Morley | July 19, 2016 8:14 PM
Behind the scenes with the voices and puppeteers of Beauregard the Bat
A Bunch of Nutsby Emily Morley | July 19, 2016 8:22 PM
Today we went to visit a children's home for kids who need a safe place to stay for awhile. We played basketball and soccer with some of the boys. The girls showed us an almond tree on the property and taught us how to open the nuts! First we had to find the brown ones and shake them to see if we could hear the almond inside. Then, we cracked them open with a rock on the ground. The almonds were smaller than the ones we normally have but they were still delicious!
Unitedby Emily Morley | July 20, 2016 7:36 AM
St. Michael's Church is hosting another mission team from Illinois this week. Tonight, we got together for dinner and a Bible study with Rev. Stubbs. Even though we have different projects this week, we are all working to support the church.
Terrific Tuesday by Emily Morley | July 20, 2016 7:53 AM
Tuesday was a full day! We started off with VBS just like Monday. We loved getting to know the kids better and seeing them learn more about Jesus.
We took some time around lunch to talk about misconceptions. A lot of people think the Bahamas are just a vacation destination. We have been learning this week that there is much more to a place and a people group than we may have thought before.
In the afternoon we went to the teen home and played with kids. The slack line and learning to open almonds were really fun!
The evening was filled with exciting conversations as we shared a meal with another mission team and learned about what they were doing on the island.
Thanks for all the continued support! We are excited for our next full day of ministry on Wednesday!
Good Morningby Emily Morley | July 20, 2016 7:58 AM
The best way to start a morning is hugs from some of our favorite kids!
VBS Loveby Emily Morley | July 20, 2016 8:32 AM
The kids look at us as an example whether it's worship, our attitudes, or how we treat others.
We Love Dancing Too! by Emily Morley | July 20, 2016 8:36 AM
It's not just the kids who get into VBS music!
Just hanging around by Emily Morley | July 20, 2016 5:45 PM
Chillin in a tree on a hot Bahamian afternoon
More Mealsby Emily Morley | July 20, 2016 5:51 PM
We were able to pack more meals for the community today! We are excited for the families to receive them. We prayed over the packs for the health, safety, and joy of the families.
Big Loveby Emily Morley | July 20, 2016 6:00 PM
This afternoon we went to the Emergency Youth Hostel. We met a lot of young people who needed a lot of love. Luckily we had a lot of time to love on them and get to know them. It was a great afternoon of playing and talking with the children at the hostel. They have big personalities!
Wonderful Wednesday by Emily Morley | July 20, 2016 8:57 PM
Today was another full day of ministry! It was our last day of VBS at St. Michael's. It was hard to leave the kids but we made many memories and helped these kids grow closer to Jesus which was our main purpose. This afternoon we visited the Emergency Youth Hostel. Playing with these children helped us remember the simple joys in life. It was great to love on them for an afternoon.
This evening we found out what our recreation day will consist of! Hint: we aren't going to a goat sanctuary. Stay tuned tomorrow!
Dancing on the Boat by Emily Morley | July 22, 2016 6:58 AM
We were so excited to head to Blue Lagoon for rec day! We couldn't help but dance on the ferry even though it was only 9:00 in the morning!
Blue Lagoon by Emily Morley | July 22, 2016 7:31 AM
Ready for a day of fun!
Affirmation Circle by Emily Morley | July 22, 2016 7:35 AM
Rev. Stubbs joined us for affirmations and prayer on our final night.
Thankful Thursday by Emily Morley | July 22, 2016 7:44 AM
It was our last full day on the island. We got to spend it in the sun and the sand! But more important than that, we got to pray with Rev. Stubbs for his church and his community. We know that when we leave, Rev. Stubbs will be here for the people we met. It makes us happy to know that we were able to help further the vision of St. Michael's Church.
Farewell by Emily Morley | July 22, 2016 10:04 AM
The team is at the airport to begin their journey home. It has been a fun and successful week!
