For July - October, 2000
October 27, 2000
Greetings from lush and beautiful Carriacou! This is probably the most
comfortable and beautiful time of the year for the Southern Caribbean except for the
mosquitos and hurricane threats. We are still hoping for much more rain before the
hurricane and rainy season officially ends on November 31. Some of the ponds on Carriacou
are still down considerably, and some peoples cisterns are not as full as they would
like for this time of the year. Yet, we have been getting enough showers to keep things
fairly green. Please pray for the Lord to provide the needed rain over the next six
weeks or so.
I apologize for the length of this report, which is about twice the
size of our regular ones. We mailed out the last hard copy mailing of the Robinsons
Herald right before we returned to Carriacou back in April of this year. I have
sent out a few e·mail updates from Carriacou since then, but I am composing this letter to
fill in the gaps on what has been happening since then.
Our copier is still down!
First, we are still limited to sending out e·mail versions of our
reports due to our copier being out of order. Some of the local schools and the telephone
company do allow people to make copies, but they dont like to do it, especially for
large runs. Perhaps this is one reason they charge (as I recall) about 38 cents (US$) just
for one side of each copy. Please pray for me to get the time and to have insight as I
seek to diagnose and repair our copier.
Our website is up and running!
While still in the US during the month of March I spoke with a man in
Cross Lanes, West Virginia, who had a mutual interest in computers and technology. I
mentioned to him that I had a desire to develop a website. He told me that he and his
brother happened to have their own Internet Service Provider company. He also told me that
I could get some web space from them to host my site.
A couple of month after we returned to Carriacou, in June, I took the
plunge and purchased my own Internet domain (for about $35.00). I then began to develop
the site on days that I did not feel like doing much of anything else. Some three months
later I have finally launched the site and it is up and running. I am also hoping that
others will contribute appropriate articles that I can supply in some of the various
sections that have been set aside for this very reason. The site is "Last Chance Ministries"
(LCM), and it is located at www.lastchanceministries.com.
The site is rather extensive (over 100) pages) and is still growing. LCM
has loads of photos of our work and Carriacou in general. Just click on the "Windward Bible Church"
link at the top of the home-page to read more detailed information about our work. Click
on "About Carriacou, Grenada"
to read more about Carriacou and take a photo tour! In the Windward Bible Church section
you can click on "Prayer
Letters" to see our most recent and back issues of the Robinsons Herald.
Click on "Prayer Requests"
to keep abreast of our prayer needs. If you forget the name of our domain just go to any
of the popular search engines such as Yahoo, Mamma, NBCi, Excite, etc., and search for
"Last Chance Ministries, "Windward Bible Church," or "Walter
Robinson II" to find us.
We are very thankful to the Lord and the people who are graciously
providing the web space for LCM. I am also indebted to a good friend, Andrew Berger, who
graciously provided Microsofts excellent FrontPage 98 Internet development and
maintenance software package.
It is my hope that many of our supporters and friends will regularly
visit our site to keep better updated on what the Lord is doing through our work here on
Carriacou. It is also my hope and prayer that we will be able to reach people around the
world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and other important biblical teachings and
perspectives in a time of increasing darkness. Please pray for LCMs development
and for it to be used to reach the lost and those seeking Biblical truth.
Hurricane season is still here!
Those who have been getting our e·mail updates already know that we had
a couple of days when we thought we were going to have to face a hurricane named Joyce.
Our Father was merciful though, and she was downgraded to a tropical storm before she
passed through our region. All she brought us was some much needed rain, some brief gusty
winds, and appreciated cooler weather. Hurricane season does last through the end of
November, and late last year one hurricane, Lenny, caused considerable damage on parts of
Carriacou from freaky rough seas. Please continue to pray for our continued safety from
the hurricanes.
Transportation Ministry
Of the individuals and family that attend the services of WBC, most
live over one mile from our meeting place and have to be transported to and from services.
As of October 2000, we have people attending services from all of the following villages
or communities on Carriacou:
Many of the above areas are depicted in
an "Interactive Map"
on LCM on a page entitled "Carriacou
Points of Interest."
Carriacou is about 3 miles by 7 miles and it is very hilly and
mountainous. We have many small children and some adults above 65 that attend our
services. Most do not have vehicles, thus transporting our congregation is indeed a
ministry in itself.
The latter part of September we were having a lot of trouble with our
Vista. It sounded and drove as though the suspension was about to fall out from under it.
To make matters worse our hired transport had numerous breakdowns and
oversleeping episodes that really hindered our attendance. Thus, I could not
take the Vista out of service to work on it at the time because we desperately needed to
use it.
As most of you know, we had been searching for another vehicle since
arriving on Carriacou, but could find nothing suitable. What was affordable was in such
poor shape that they were not worth the money. Those in good shape were way out of our
price range.
Thankfully, on October 2 we were able to purchase a 1991 Toyota HiAce
minibus. It is designed to carry eighteen passengers plus the driver. It has a 2 liter
engine that was replaced last year that looks clean and dry, sounds good, has good power,
and does not use nor leak oil. Even though the body has 316,000 miles on it, it and the
interior looks pretty good. There are a few rather minor mechanical items that demand some
attention, some wiring quirks to correct, and a few small areas of under-body rust that
need to be cut out and replaced with new metal as soon as possible. We also need to have
the upholstery covered with clear vinyl as soon as possible to protect it. Overall it
seems to be in good shape. I already have most of the parts I need to replace, i.e.,
axle bearings and seals and hand-brake cables. I already know that having the rust
repaired and the upholstery covered will cost about $400.00 (US$).
We had a full 18 passenger load the first Sunday we used the bus!
Linda had been running that same route with the Vista, which is only designed to carry
seven including the driver. Moreover, the very Sunday we put the Toyota in
service our regular bus driver informed us that he was going to stop running for us the
beginning of November! You can see photos of both the newer bus and the Vista
by going to the "Transportation
Ministry" page in the "Windward Bible Church" section of LCM.
In our previous Robinsons Herald I related how I
had already replaced a slew of the Vistas parts shortly after we returned to
Carriacou. The middle of October week I replaced one front half shaft and both McPherson
strut assemblies. I then took it out to test drive it and the brakes suddenly went out! A
rear brake line busted! Thankfully, the front brakes held some when I pumped them and I
was able to nurse it home.
I am trusting that the Lord will supply funds to completely restore the
Vista. Even with the bus, it is still needed desperately. Restoration is not a hobby
venture option, but a real necessity due to the inherent cost of replacing the vehicle in
the country of Grenada.
With the recent purchase of the Toyota bus I hope to be
able to take the Vista out of service and restore it as funds are provided to do so. I
estimate that we can do the complete job for about $4000.00 to 5,000.00 (US$). Simply put,
to replace it we would have to pay some 75% of a vehicles value and shipping cost to
get it into the country if it is one to four years olds. Over four years old the duties
are 152%! If you do the math you can see that the estimated cost of restoration for the
four-wheel-drive Vista is practical and economical for this type of multipurpose vehicle.
For sample replacement costs you can click on Sample Vehicle Costs on
the Other
Special Information page in the About Carriacou, Grenada section of LCM.
I believe restoration is the only option we have if we plan to continue
to use the Vista in our ministry. Optionally, we could sell it and look for another bus.
New Location for Windward Bible Church!
We have already mentioned this exciting news in a brief
e·mail update
that was sent out on July 7, 2000. Most who have been following our work know that we have
been looking for a meeting place in the Windward area since Windward Bible Church first
began back in 1992. Praise the Lord, we finalized a lease on July 5 and began renovations
a week or so later! It is located dead smack in the center of Windward at a prime
location! (You may see photos of Windward and the new facilities on LCMs website by
going to the "Photo Gallery"
page in the Windward Bible Church section.)
In addition to more space and a more user-friendly layout,
there are other advantages to this new location. One is the natural air-conditioning.
About five feet behind the rear wall (directly behind the pulpit) the Caribbean laps
graciously at the shore, and the trade-winds provide a nice comfortable and cool breeze
that keeps the building fairly comfortable most of the time. The previous location did not
have this benefit.
Also, with the Caribbean being literally at our back door, we have a
ready made baptistery that requires no filling, draining, and cleaning. This place also
has a plywood substrata under the galvanized roofing material. This is both much cooler
when the sun is high in the sky, and also much quieter when the rain comes down heavily
during the rainy season (runs from June through November).
The size and layout of our new facilities also enabled us to set up one
room to be used as a Sunday School room for the youth and special occasions. We have also
set up a small office. Both were needed very much. You may see photos of the new
facilities on the LCM website by going to the "Current Meeting Place"
page in the Photo Gallery area of Windward Bible Church section.
One of our men, one lady, and some children in our congregation helped
us from time to time to remove old floor tiles as we prepare to paint the floor.
We moved in and had our first service on August 2, 2000. I have
erected walls to enclose the office and Sunday School room. I have also been installing
wiring to meet our needs. We will need to paint the facility inside and out, as well have
the wiring inspected and approved by a government representative in order to get our own
power meter. We have also had a phone installed, which was truly needed.
Since moving in we have had numerous visitors of both adults and
children to walk in from the village of Windward. Our highest attendance to date has been
37! Most of the feedback I have received so far from the community is positive.
I am already planning a series of special meetings to hold just as soon
as we get the building painted and I get the wiring finished. Some services will utilize
tapes from our growing video library about end time themes, creationism verses evolution,
and various cults. We showed a few tapes about three years ago in our previous location
and had very good responses with some attendances in the high nineties.
I am also planning to begin holding separate Bible studies for the men
and teenage boys as soon as I get the work done on our building and vehicles. Since I
suffered the stroke last year I have learned to not take on too much at the same time. My
doctors also told me to limit my stress, thus, I do what has to be done as I can.
Our being blessed with the use of this new location is nothing short
of a miracle and a great spiritual victory! This is the first non-Catholic church to be
established in Windward since Carriacou was first settled hundreds of years ago!
God is Good, and He is Sovereign! Please pray as we endeavor to
finish the renovations and reach out to the people of Windward with the Gospel of Jesus
Christ that offers salvation by grace through faithapart from works.
More Needs to be Done
With recent purchase of the bus, and the purchase of materials for the
renovations at the new location we have basically depleted the funds we had on hand. We
still need to purchase the materials to paint the building inside and out and also paint
the floor. We also need to have rust and old paint removed from the security bars on all
windows and have them repainted with the proper kind of paint. Please pray with us as
we endeavor to finish the renovations on the building at the new location in Windward that
we believe will glorify God.
The People of Windward Bible Church
We are excited and thankful for the additional vehicle and the building
in the new location in Windward. However, our ministry is not directed to buildings and
vehiclesthey are only a means of ministry. Our ministry is to people.
We have had a few children and teens to make professions of faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ since we returned to Carriacou this past April. A number of teens
continue to show genuine spiritual interests, growth, and devotion.
Linda has been getting the older children and teens together on
Thursdays and it is attended well. She is also holding Friday Bible studies for the ladies
and teenage girls. Please remember to pray for our children and teens to be kept pure
and to grow in their walk with Jesus Christ. Pray that they will also be bold to stand for
the Lord in school and among their lost friends.
There are also a couple of new young ladies that have begun attending
WBC. One is a believer from Belvedere. The other is not a believer yet, who is from
Harvey Vale. Both are in their early twenties.
The one that is not yet a believer is suffering from some type of
malady that causes her to sometimes experience dizziness, weakness, or even faint. She
recently took a trip to Barbados to undergo several diagnostic procedures including a MRI
and Cat-Scan. Thankfully, nothing wrong was revealed, but the cause of her problems
remains unknown. Please remember to pray for this young ladys health and
especially for her to see the need for Jesus Christ.
The brief update I sent out in July also including information about a
young man that finally acknowledged his sin before the church and sought forgiveness. The
folks of WBC lovingly forgave him and have been reaching out to him. But, he has been very
iffy in attending services and has also lost his full time job. As of the composing of
this prayer letter I have not seen him for three weeks and have not been able to contact
him. He has been seen riding buses, and some say that they believe he has been working in
another area of Carriacou. But he has not even phoned to let us know where he is and how
he is doing. Please pray for this young man to learn to put the Lord first in his life.
There are also several professed new believers that have yet to follow
the Lord in believers baptism. Please pray that all will come to see their need to
obey the word of God in taking the first step in becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. I
believe that taking this step is paramount for the continued spiritual growth and
maturity. Please pray for the many teens and a few adults to follow the Lord in
believers baptism.
Increased Cost for Living and Working on Carriacou
The increasing fuel cost world wide seems to have generally affected
those in the West Indies to a greater degree than those who live in the USA. For example,
our gasoline now costs about $3.00 (US$) per gallon, which is an increase of some 35% over
last year! The increased fuel cost has also caused our electric bill to increase some 20%.
The merchants and business are also having to adjust to the increased fuel cost and the
cost of many consumables has increased accordingly. For online sample prices you can visit
the About Carriacou, Grenada section of LCMs website and click on "Other
Specific Information" About Carriacou which supplies a table of "Sample Prices."
Before we returned to Carriacou this past April we thought we had a
monthly support level that was about 90% of what we actually needed. We now know that we
have promised support this is about 80% of what is needed. We also have medical bills
incurred when Linda had major surgery the middle of last year.
You can read more about our support needs on LCM at the Support for
the Robinsons area on the Current Prayer Request page in the Windward Bible
Church section. Please pray as we trust the lord to meet our support needs.
Visitors From Florida Minister to Us and the Folks of WBC
The first week of October we were blessed by a visit of some folks from
Florida. They are Bill and Ruth Stoll, who were accompanied by their son Will, who is in
his late twenties and lives in New York. They had learned of us being on Carriacou by
meeting Tabitha while she was at college last year. Bills late father had purchased some
property on Carriacou way back in the sixties. They had not seen the property, did not
know exactly where it was, but wanted to get it surveyed and see it for themselves.
The Lord graciously helped us to get it surveyed before the family
arrived on Carriacou. The Stolls helped us by bringing some items that we desperately
needed (including a microwave oven). They also ministered to our folks by preaching,
teaching, playing the piano, and singing for us in the Sunday morning and evening
services. They were a refreshing blessing for us in many ways and we were thankful for
their visit.
The Robinsons Health and Other Activities
I (Walter) have doing okay all things considered. I still suffer with
the chronic prostatitis and transient discomfort in lower part of my anatomy from time to
time, but the Lord is gracious and has kept the discomfort tolerable. I also am still
taking antibiotics to manage the prostate problem as my stateside urologist has instructed
me to do before I left the US back in April.
Along with work on the building, the vehicles, and the website, I have
also made some much needed shelves for the basement.
Linda and Jeshua have been doing fine health wise. They are also well
into the throws of homeschool, while taking some time out to do some house cleaning and
organizing before our guests arrived earlier in October. I also had my share to do, and
frankly, it was a real chore (pun intended). Yet, they have managed a few occasional trips
to the beach for a little R&R.
The third week of October was the first time I went to the beach with
them since we returned to Carriacou. The sunset was beautiful and I took several
picturessome I hope to post on LCM. Afterwards Linda talked me into taking the Vista
over a portion of Carriacou that we had never seen before. It was called Morne Jaloux
(morn jah loo) and it was very, very bumpy (Linda apologized) and difficult to
navigate at times, but exciting with breathtaking views in two or three places.
Spiritual Opposition
The material blessings, increased attendance, and the spiritual growth
of some of our flock are indicative of Gods grace and provision. But, we have also
had experiences that remind us how desperately and constantly we need Gods protection.
Over the last couple of months we have had a some unbelievable
experiences that have left us literally shaken at the times they occurred. I will not go
into any more detail in this letter, but I am asking for our friends to bear down in
prayer for our protection as we continue to labor here. Also pray that we will not be
hindered by fear as we continue to minister on the field to which we have been called.
Thanks and Salutations
The Lord has blessed us with a loving and faithful family of friends
and supporters. I trust that this letter will encourage them, and also challenge them to
pray more faithfully and regularly for us as we labor here on their behalf.
Thank-you for touching our lives with yours through your financial
support and special gifts. Thanks ahead of time for the increased prayer support that I
hope will began as soon as this letter is sent and received BY children of God all around
the world. God is sovereign and all powerful, and his children aint bad
either!
Still looking up for Him as your coworkers,
Walter Robinson II
Copyright © 2000 Last Chance Ministries. All rights reserved.
Revised: June 13, 2006.