A Look at the Bahamas—Through the Eyes of a Traveling Minister
THE Bahamas. There was a time when those words conjured up in me dreams of lying on beautiful sandy beaches beneath gently swaying coconut palms or swimming in crystal-clear turquoise waters. Indeed, to the thousands of vacationers who visit the Bahamas each month, such visions become a reality. And no wonder, for the climate on these tropical islands is enjoyable, with an average temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21° C.) in winter and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29° C.) in summer!
Now, though, the Bahamas mean much more to me than just soaking up the warmth of the tropical sun as a vacationer. They have become my assignment as a traveling minister of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Come with me and see the Bahamas through my eyes.
The Out Islands
Only about 20 of the 700 islands and cays are populated, and the majority of the Bahamians live in the capital city of Nassau on the island of New Providence. Nassau is known as a port of call for ocean cruise ships and has a number of large hotels for vacationers. Maybe you have stayed at one of them. But have you toured the other islands?
A large number of Bahamians live on the Out Islands, which are also called Family Islands. These islands surround Nassau, the farthest one being over 300 miles (480 km) away. On a few of these Out Islands, you can enjoy all the modern conveniences of Nassau, but others are not as developed. For example, some do not have electricity or running water. On others, you can still see people cooking on wood fires in their thatched-roof kitchens or grinding corn in hand mills.
How I Travel
All the Out Islands can be reached from Nassau by boat or airplane, but their remote location may present a challenge to persons with a profession such as mine. In a procedure similar to that followed by first-century Christians, a traveling minister, or circuit overseer, will visit congregations and small groups of Jehovah’s Witnesses to strengthen and encourage them spiritually.—Acts 15:36; 16:4, 5.
I remember a group of only three Witnesses that I was to visit on one of the Out Islands. This group had not been visited by a circuit overseer for over three years. I wrote to them from Nassau, notifying them of the dates for my visit. But when I arrived by boat, no Witness met me at the dock. So I asked if anybody could help me find one of the Witnesses. I was directed to a certain woman, and as I introduced myself as the circuit overseer, she got so excited that she ran off to tell the other Witnesses about my arrival. She left me standing there with my luggage. Those Witnesses had never received my letter, and they were surprised and delighted by my visit.
The return trip to Nassau was by means of a small freight-and-mail boat. The voyage took more than 30 hours through rough seas, but the time passed quickly, at least for me. I seized the opportunity to preach to some of the passengers. Sometime later, one of the crew members began studying the Bible and is now attending meetings at one of the congregations in Nassau.
Another way to visit the Out Islands is by airplane. However, only small planes can land on some of the island airstrips. These are usually quite safe, but sometimes there are frightening experiences. On one occasion, I became very nervous when I saw smoke fill the cockpit of the plane as it lifted off the ground. The plane quickly returned to the airstrip. The cause of the smoke? A rodent’s nest built in the heating and ventilation air duct next to the engine!
What About the People?
While traveling in the Out Islands, I have found many persons who desire Bible literature. But for some of them, even the low cost of the literature is beyond their means. For example, on one extremely hot day, five of us were preaching on a remote island when I met a woman who showed keen interest in the publication My Book of Bible Stories. She did not have any money to contribute toward its cost, but what she did have in her refrigerator was just what we needed—five cans of a cool beverage. We traded the book for her cool drinks, which made everyone happy.
The Bahamians have a real love for the Bible. This makes it a joy to bring them the “good news” of Jehovah’s Kingdom. (Matthew 24:14) Often when calling at a home, you will find the householder reading the Bible. At one home I visited, the mother proudly had her three-year-old daughter recite to me the names of all 66 books of the Bible in their proper order.
During the past few years, the Out Islanders have enjoyed seeing slide presentations on Bible subjects prepared by the Watch Tower Society. On one island, no hall was available, so we made arrangements to show the slides outside on a newly painted white wall next to a small food store. About 60 people gathered around—some standing, others sitting.
On another occasion, 120 people assembled. They relished the slide program so much that when the lights were turned on, no one left. I remembered that I had brought along another set of slides on a different Bible subject. So off went the lights again, and the second set was shown—to the delight of the crowd.
Sometimes problems can spring up. On one island a group of people gathered in the local schoolhouse to see our slide program. As I turned the projector on, the bulb burned out. I did not have an extra projector bulb, and one was not available on this Out Island. Needless to say, the crowd was disappointed. However, by quickly taking the projector apart and making a few adjustments, I was able to use an ordinary household bulb as a fair, but somewhat dimmer, substitute. The audience did not care. They enjoyed the program anyway.
Tarantulas, Mosquitoes, and “Fried Cats”
Making regular visits to the Out Islands calls for some adaptations to the tropical conditions. I remember the first time I saw a tarantula. The spider was crawling across the floor and seemed as big as my hand! I stood frozen—terrified. I am thankful that the householder came to my rescue. With one swift blow from his machete, the “enemy” was dispatched. The householder was an 82-year-old man. Formerly, he had bitterly opposed his wife’s efforts to serve Jehovah. But in time he began attending the meetings at the Kingdom Hall and studying the Bible with her.
Because of the warm climate, mosquitoes may pose a problem. At times they are so numerous that, as you speak, one may fly right into your mouth. Of course, many other living things are a joy to behold, like the beautiful pink flamingos living in the midst of their natural habitat of lush tropical plants and fruit trees.
Learning about local foods can be quite a revelation. On one island, I spotted what looked like an orange tree full of that juicy fruit. I asked the lady of the house if I might pick one or two of her oranges. She cautioned me. They were not oranges but sours. Nevertheless, I could help myself, she said. Well, I figured that I knew an orange when I saw one. So I picked a nice fat one and took a bite. What a surprise! My mouth puckered. The fruit was extremely sour, like a lemon. The woman laughed, but I learned that although the fruit of the sour “orange” tree looks like an orange, it surely does not taste like one!
I thought I was adjusting to island life quite well until a trip to one of the islands not long ago. I was staying with an elderly widower as I served the congregation. Upon arising the first morning, he invited me to join him for breakfast. My mouth watered in anticipation—until he mentioned the menu. “Fried cats”! As I entered the kitchen and was about to decline the offer, I saw him flipping pancakes. “Where are the ‘fried cats’?” I asked. He pointed to the pancakes. I heaved a big sigh of relief, and we both broke out laughing. He thought that I knew that pancakes were called fried cats on that island.
Rewards of Traveling
Because of the remote location of some of the islands, there is a great need for more ministers to help in spreading the good news of God’s Kingdom. This need is not only to reach the English-speaking people of the Bahamas but also to contact the Haitian immigrants who speak French.
Being a traveling minister in the Bahamas is an exciting challenge that calls for some adjustments to the island way of living. But there are also great rewards. One is the inestimable joy of seeing people respond to the Bible’s message. Another is the fine privilege of spiritually stimulating the scattered congregations and isolated groups.
We in the Bahamas delight in the beauty of beaches sparkling with pink sand and white sand and the enchanting coral reefs gorgeously arrayed with fish. But we are especially delighted with what is now taking place here and around the globe. As Jehovah’s Witnesses, we see Psalm 97:1 being fulfilled. It says: “Jehovah himself has become king! Let the earth be joyful. Let the many islands rejoice.”—As told by Anthony Reed.
[Blurb on page 27]
I became very nervous when I saw smoke fill the cockpit of the plane as it lifted off the ground
[Blurb on page 28]
The Bahamians have a real love for the Bible. This makes it a joy to bring them the “good news” of Jehovah’s Kingdom
[Blurb on page 28]
I remember the first time I saw a tarantula. It was crawling across the floor and seemed as big as my hand!
[Blurb on page 29]
I asked him, “Where are the ‘fried cats’?”
[Map/Picture on page 26]
(For fully formatted text, see publication)
FLORIDA
BAHAMAS
ATLANTIC OCEAN