That right, I don't have any pictures of Kevin today.

So here is the rest of the family. I am so blessed to be able to wake up and walk around and I see my buddies. They sure bring a smile to my face. Oh that right I have not given you up a date on my problem I had a while back? All the that happen back then has been repaired. That right I have my big smile back and my eyes are working correctly. I want to say thank you for your prayers. 

We all need to thank our Lord Jesus Christ for all that we have each day. You know our health, how I take it so grant. Look at yourself in the mirror today and say thank you Lord. I know we can complain about this or that. But over all we have another breath in our lungs and let us go out and praise Him for that alone. 

Alright another project moving forward.

That right we are redoing the banister around the Nature Centre. Over the years there has been many students and teachers walk by them. It really is neat to see how well made they were made. So as we do the repairs on them. We are replacing spindles and what ever is needed to make them look as good as they did many years ago. 

Stephen finished up on the pressure washing. So now we need to finish this one up. Today I hope to get the three other sides done. Over all I am very blessed to see how much we as a team are moving on. I think I told you about Joel? Will he here to help us out. After the Summer Camp program is done in the morning. He comes over and is willing to do what ever is needed. 

Tomorrow is the day Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, Fl will be coming in. I have not looked at the weather as of yet today. But my prayers are that the rain that has been coming our way will go around us. The reason I say all this is, this group will be the ones that repainting the front wall. You know the wall we have been getting ready for the last three weeks or so? So please if you think of this, say a prayer for not raining. If it does, plan B. Not sure what that will be as of yet? 

A couple of days ago, I was telling you about this family, The Slaters

This is Billy and his wife Lea. They are all on there way to the states to get away and just enjoy sometime off the island. They told me about all the neat places they will be visiting, but over all going to see family and friends. I ask for prayers for their trip and safe way back home here. 

Another project done.

Yesterday, Sean went out and bought a pallet of sod.($318.00) That is another project Joel helped with yesterday. Laying the sod down. It was Sean and the boys plus Joel. Hey Joel has a landscaping business back home in Chicago area. That right we are going to try to grow grass in this area. It you remember a while back. That is why we put this duck pond here? The grass would not grow here.Too many trees, to much shade.  But as the 20th anniversary is coming close. Pastor Chet asked Mark to put down some sod in this area. He wanted grass there for that week-end. So if we keep watering it, it might look good by then. 

Guess what Stephen is doing?

Folks this is a lot of wall to pressure wash. If you ave been checking my blog out for  last couple of weeks. We have been trying to get this wall cleaned and ready for the group that will be coming in this Thursday afternoon. Our plans are to make sure this is cleaned and ready for them. Then on Thursday, God willing. Calvary Chapels group Icon will be here to paint the whole wall, Both side and front and back. Now if you have been watching the weather. There has been a storm out in the ocean. Dorian. Prayerfully she will be pass us by then. It was down grade yesterday to a depression. Hopefully the rain will go by fast and clear up by then. 

Remember this wall is 20 years old too. Now we have painted it over the years and tried to keep it looking good. But now it is time to redo the paint job. You know pressure wash the old paint off. Get rite of the mildew. 

Please say a prayer or two, about the rain coming. Thank you in advance. 

Have a new helper this week, Joel

The banister around the porch on the Nature Centre has been over looked long enough. So Joel and I took the one side off. Replaced the bottom rail and some of the spindles too. Just think about how many people have seen this over the years? I have been telling you about our 20th anniversary. Well I am not sure when this was built, but it sure needs some loving care. We are doing it right too. The reason I say that is, I have replaced the spindles before. But now it will be done correctly. Today we will do the other side, after we paint this one. 

I little story about Joel. He brought his whole family here to do a mission trip. During the morning time, they are helping out with the Summer camp. Then after lunch he will be helping Stephen and I. It really is neat to hear about families that come over here. He was telling me that they as a family never took a mission trip before. He heard about the ALC from his cousin Lee. Which Lee is part of out broad of directors. Lee was sharing one day at the church Joel and his family go to. So they decided to come on over and helps us out. It really was a God timing. The reason I say that is. last week some of our staff and volunteers. Have gone back to the states. The students that were getting paid by the government, that stopped too last week. God timing is always so prefect. Plus Joel has some skills too. Looking forward in working along side. 

Hey guess who this is?

This is my old friend Billy Slater. That right, Kevin and I were invited over for dinner last night. So while sitting there eating we talked about all that has been going on at the Camp and Centre. Then after dinner, Bill always has a devotion. So during this time we sat there and listen and afterwards Billy would ask every one a question about what he just read. The sad part was, my question I got wrong. I was listening, but I just forgot who the two guys were in the story. They were cousins. Not brothers?

Okay Billy is looking up my blog here after we did devotion. It is so funny how I tell people about how many look at my blog each day. They look back at me a say WHY? I really don't have the answer for that. I just know you guys out there look at this almost everyday. I guess there are people in this world that really don't have much to look at while their on the web. I am very honored to see how many really do look at this. 

Billy does smile sometimes. I just caught him off guard. Plus I forgot to take a picture while we were eating .The little ones went off to play.  That is why you only see him. Maybe next time I will get the family? Oh that right this next Tuesday after noon they will be flying back to the states, I have the chance to drive them there. I will make sure I get a shot of them then. 

That right, we had a time at the Jaws Beach

This is Kevin's sister, Vanessa,A.J.Vanessa and Kevin. It really was a beautiful day to go to the beach. The water was even a lilttle chilly. Not really. While driving out there I had a chance to talk with Vanessa. She was telling me that she has never been on this side of the island. She was born here and the island is only 21 mile across and 7 miles deep. It comes back to if her family or people she hung out with had a car or not. I have talked with many Bahamians about even getting down near where we live. South Beach. They have never been there. Well the beach had some people on it, but not over crowded. All the way down there was a party going on. They had their generator running and the music was rocking. Plus you could smell the food cooking too. Over all a great time. Scooby went swimming a couple of times. The sad apart was he drank some salt water. Last night he was not feeling to good. At the time Scooby and I were swimming down around the corner where I didn't have his fresh water. That was back where Kevin and them were hanging out. This morning he is doing much better. 

Jingles is having a fit.

There is this door stopper I have on main entrance. It seems like once of twice a week Jingles love to fight with it. I am so blessed to have Scooby and Jingles. Over all I really enjoy watching those two and just seeing how happy they are to see me at the end of the day. 

I know they can not replace Kevin, but it sure nice to come home and see their smiling faces. 

Saying good by to another camp group. This church's name is Peace Church.

I had the opportunity yesterday to take them back to the airport. I really don't have that much time with these groups as I did before. I have told you many times that we now have a Camp director and his wife. So they pretty much hang out with them now. I am not saying this is bad. No, I now can put my main focus on the stuff that is falling apart or building. Which to me is why I am here. Since Tim and Mindy have been here, I really believe I have gotten so much more done. Plus like I have shown you, Stephen too has been a blessing. 

Getting back to why I was driving yesterday? Well I try to help out if I can. You know pick up at the airport, drop off. I even have been helping driving them back and forth to the job sites too. So my time with them is short but I still get to see them and have small talk too So it is s win win for me. I do miss being the main guy at the Camp. But like I said before, I am getting so much more done now. 

If you have ever been to see our Planetarium Show, you might remember this?

This star ball has been part of our Planetarium room for many years. Mark and I have been thinking about what we should do with it? The reason is is stopped working about two years ago. We have had people come in and look at it and could not find the problem. Mark does know it needs a new bulb, which is $1,500.00. So how can we buy the bulb and find out it still not working. It really is a neat looking machine and the stars that come out of it, are beautiful. They really look real and the neat thing is you can set the date you want on it and that will be what the night looks like that night. 

Please I ask for prayer on two thinks , should be repair it? Or who can we give to, or even sell. Maybe on Ebay? I can tell you this, if our front office space was bigger. I would love to in case it in plastic and show it off  as a display. 

These are our VERY special young ladies.

The top picture is Sam. she has been part of our staff for many years. On and off, she had a chance a couple of years ago to go to Patmos. Which she did well at. Since she has come back, she has been the one to keep our staff in line. Just willing to do her best every day she is with us. I am very blessed to be able to call here a good friend. 

The next young lady you see Sharmaine. She use to be on staff with us a couple of years ago. The she went out and got a paying job on the island here. The sad part is the company she was working for shut down back in Nov 2012. So she has bene out of work since. We have been very blessed to have her back and every morning I see her, she has a BIG smile on her face too. Just like Sam above. So folks I ask for prayer for both these girls They both are helping us out for FREE since they don't have a paying job now. So their funds are provided by God, just like mine. So say  prayer or two for them. Thank them if you see them around. 

That is correct, our Summer is almost over.

We do have one more week of camp here at the ALC. But the students that have been helping us, their time has come to a end. The reason is these students that are helping us, are getting a pay check from the government here. So that was set up for five weeks only. During their time , we have had a lot of stuff going on. Just keeping the campers in line was a blessing alone. So over all this Summer has been a HIT. Like I said, one more week left. 

Our staff too  will be leaving at the end of next week too. I will write about them then. 

The last picture you see a guy sitting there in the blue shirt, he will be leaving this afternoon, Saturday. I forgot to get a single shot with him. He is from Switzerland. His name is Nicoli, he has been the sports guy. Every day I saw him out there, I saw a big smile on his face. What a blessing we have when people from around the world come to serve along side of us. Thank you and hope to see more come and help. Over all like I said before in my blog, these are the kind of students and people that makes my job not a job, a ministry. 

Yes you can see my buddy, Stephen is still kicking around here

It is so neat to see how much we have been getting done around here. It is not just because Stephen is here. No it is the help of many and I am so blessed to be able to say. We are still in the moving forward mood. Hopefully by next Monday or Tuesday was can say this is done too. By Thursday of next week, there are a round 20 students coming in to help us. They are from Calvary Chapel Ft Lauderdale, Fl. They will be working with us on Thursday the day they come in and Saturday too. So the plains I have for them is to prime the walls and white picket fence. That is if we have time to paint them too. We will see what happens. If you have been watching the weather, there is a storm out there called Dorian. It is only a Tropical Storm now, they say it might even go down to a depression, by Tuesday the 30th of July. We will see what Our Lord has planned out for these guys? 

Porcupine Area is FINISHED

Ad least on my end. Oh we do need to finish painting a couple of tings. The Gate an just touch up. Hey Mark was asking me about if we have a paint sprayer? We do and I tried to use it yesterday. It just would not spray. I was going to spray the gate on this area. But I put it all back together and noting. The last time O used it was many years ago. So I guess we will have to paint it by hand? 

You can see the five tyres we saved from the junk yard.

Now if you look real close you can see we have a very new tyre that has a slice in it. Now look at the arm on the cement mixer, okay I was told this is how the tyre got sliced. One of our staff we backing up into the bus's spot. Then they heard a big bang. So on of the tyres we saved was used the same day. I still not sure how the tyre got sliced. He should have hit the tent or something like that to get the tyre in that area. Like Mark told me that day. God blessed us with the five tyres. So we have a back ups now. The reason I only saved five, was the sixth one was dry rotten. 

Oh one more ting, there are four  (4) 10 X 20 tyres, the one I used on the New Solar Bus was a 10 X 22.5 which is the correct size. Thank you Lord. Now let me let go of the anger I have for this guy that distorted the tyre. 

I love writing TYRE, I think it is so neat how the English spell some of their words. I was taught to spell it TIRE. Oh one more word I like to use. TING. Now I am trying to say, THING. Now the Bahamian people spell and say ting. I have been corrected by some of my old friends, for my spelling skills. If any one out there knows my spelling skills, THANK GOD FOR SPELL CHECK. Oh that right He didn't make it, If He didn't give some one wisdom to do computer skills. So I guess He did? 

Look at what can happen in one day?

Hey now this is a chop shop. Yes this is where old buses go to rest. A couple of days ago, Stephen and the guys above and I dragged our old Solar Bus to the junk yard. They stripped her so fast and just cut her up. The real neat thing is Mr Barrows,(owner of the yard) gave us $503.00 for the scrap metal.Now that money went right to ALC. Plus Mark had us save tyres too. So we really did good on making some money and saving some too. 

I need to give Ion a apology.

The reason I say that above, since Ion has been here I have written two times about these guys. The first time I called him Luke. The next time I really thought I had his name right, Erin. But I have been telling you all out there his wrong name. 

The picture on top is of ION, TANNER AND STEPHEN. 

Oh just a note. These guys have been through Patmos. So the next picture you see is how they can keep up and do so much. I have a good friend back in Fort Lauderdal, Fl. Every time I would see him, he would have one in his hand. Most the time they were Monsters. The energy drink. Oh the last time I saw him he told me he has cut back a lot on these drinks. Now he take the 5 hour shot.