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The Robinsons’ Herald
E·mail version for October 2003
Greetings from ‘Next to Heaven’
in Carriacou, Grenada, West Indies!
It has been much more comfortable
here the last week or so. It is has cooled off a bit, 84 – 87 degrees as
opposed to the 89 – 90 degrees we had been having since we returned the
first part of September. We have also had some nice rain (four inches plus!)
that topped off our cistern a week or two back. Praise the Lord with
us for the much needed rain, and pray that we will have many more days of
rain before the dry season arrives in December. Pray also for us to be
spared of any tropical storms that are still forming the Atlantic until
hurricane season ends the beginning of December.
Physically,
we are all doing okay right along through here. The latter part of August I
contacted a cold while in the states that stayed with me as we returned to
Carriacou. Once we arrived back home it blossomed into something more like
the flu that kept me laying around and mostly in bed much of the next two
weeks. I had drainage from my head, a low grade temperature, a sore throat,
and coughing that made it very difficult for me to rest the majority of the
time. However, it only kept me out of services for one Sunday—by God’s
grace.
Once I began feeling better, I
began doing some work around the house to get caught up on jobs that have
needed doing for quite some time. I put a piece of downspout for our
guttering back up that had fallen down while we were in the states in
August. We really needed this up as soon as possible because it directed
about half the rain that fills our tank. Its location was in a precarious
place that made it very difficult to get to with the ladder. We accomplished
it with much trembling and prayer.
In the process we took out
several old banana trees, which only bare one bunch of bananas and then hang
on just taking up space. We also had to remove part of a philodendron tree
and killed two snakes. Snakes? Yes, two snakes! They apparently lived
in the banana trees and were very unhappy with us for cutting down their
homes. They tried to bite us, but after a couple of screams, a couple of
jumps back, and a couple of whacks with the cutlass (machete), the two
reptiles’ heads were looking up to serpent heaven—without the rest of their
slithering bodies! That is exactly the way I like my snakes. Thankfully,
there are no poisonous snakes on Carriacou; at least that is what
they claim here. But these two had heads that sure looked like vipers to me.
(?)
During
September I moved my home office into another room in the basement that was
graciously made available to us the latter part of July. It took me about
two weeks to get the room cleaned up, painted, wired, and the air
conditioner installed in a frame that I specially built for one of the
windows. Whew! That was job! But the room is much bigger (12.5’ X 13.5’)
than the old one (9’ X 9’). The new office also has TWO windows, which are
two more that my old room had! I have also built a few shelves and other
little projects for the office and other needs around the house. I now need
to replace some old wiring from the meter to the house and from our
generator. We also need to paint two rooms, hopefully before Christmas as we
are able. Our car (1987 Dodge Colt Vista with 135,000 miles) still needs
much work and has not been on the road since August. Our bus (1991 Toyota
HiAce with 320,000+ miles on the chassis) also has much rust and needs other
work. Please pray with me as I look to the Lord for wisdom in seeing
to these needs.
About four
weeks back, Jeshua came down with some kind of nasty bug. It also seemed
like some sort of flu, but the symptoms were very different from what I had.
He had a dangerously high temperature, (104+) that alarmed us for a few
hours until it came down to a safer level. He also vomited several times and
was down in the pants on the other end—if you catch my drift. He became so
week the first day he literally passed out and fell on the floor in our
living room. Thanks to the Lord, he did not get hurt and was back in the
‘pink’ in three to four days.
However,
saying that he was ‘back in the pink’ is a poor choice of words. A week or
two later he came down with a bad case of ‘pink eye.’ Here they call it
‘red-eye.’ Grenada and Carriacou have been suffering an epidemic of this
affliction for the last month or so. A day after Jeshua contacted it, and
after a Wednesday night service, Linda also came down with it. Man, they
looked like they had been on a two week drunk! They were very uncomfortable
for two to three days. The same time, others in our congregation, and one
who also helped to transport our folks to and from services, also came down with
it, as well as his youngest daughter. That Sunday I drove our bus to cover
both routes, and had to make two trips for each service. But the Lord gave
us good services with good attendances. We did missed the piano
playing, but and a young lady
filled in and taught children’s Sunday school in Linda’s absence.
Please pray for the continued good health of all who labor at Windward Bible
church.
The first
part of October we had our church’s meeting place painted. (See photos on
last page) All thinks it looks very nice. Our landlord liked what she saw
and had her side of the building also painted using the same color scheme.
It has dressed up our church location’s area of Windward, and a number of
nice remarks have been made about it. I was especially happy and pleased
because we were able to pay for the paint and labor from the church’s
treasury that has been showing some steady (however small) income for the
last year or two.
We now need
to make a sign and get started on putting in a septic tank so that we can
build a much needed indoor toilet! We also need to get our wiring job
finished so that we can get our own power meter. I had begun the job right
before I suffered the first stroke back in 1999. I had been leery about
getting on ladders and even swimming since. Now that the CardioSeal device
is in place and covered by new tissue to close the hole in my heart, I have
been more active in getting some things done. In any case, either I will
finish the wiring job, or we will hire someone licensed to finish the job.
Even if I do it, someone licensed will have to inspect it to make sure that
it meets government specs. There is always something to do here, but
considering what we had just four years ago; the Lord has been steadily
blessing us. Please pray for wisdom and provision as we look to the
Lord to get these projects finished in the near future.
Attendance
is holding steady right now, and is up over last year. We have two older
ladies that are waiting to be baptized, which I hope to get done before the
end of next month. A man that attends our church accompanies me as I strive
to go out each week (unless one of us is sick)
on visitation in and around the Windward area. We have been privileged to
witness to several, but to date, most have remained firmly attached to their
traditional church. They admit that they are counting on good works, keeping
their churches’ sacraments, and prayer to get them into heaven. When we show
them that God’s word insists that salvation is gained by grace through faith
or not at all, they too often remain resolute in their faith for their
church. It is sad. No church, not even Windward Bible Church or any other
true church can save anyone. It is grace through faith in Jesus and His
finished work that saves. (Ephesian 2:8–9) So simple. But the Enemy has made
salvation complicated and illusive to those he keeps in darkness and fear.
(2 Corinthians 11:3)
I say fear
because in the past a few here have acknowledged that they know their
traditional church teaches and practices a number of things that are
contrary to what the Bible actually teaches. But fear of being condemned by
the local priest and being ostracized by family and community keeps many
from accepting the loving Lord Jesus His way. (John 14:6) For
those who dare put their faith in Christ, it takes too many too long to get
the courage to follow the Lord in believers baptism—again because of fear of
what the traditional church, community, or family may do to them.
We have had
families and individuals begin to come, rejoice over the teaching, make a
profession of being saved, but later stop coming because the priest, the
family, or some in the traditional church have had words with them. Most
mature believers are able to stand up against such persecution and pressure,
but new babes in Christ too often do not fare as well. I had never seen such
a spirit of fear and bondage in action until we first arrived on Carriacou
in August of 1991. Please pray daily with me that the spirit of fear
and bondage over our location and some in our congregation will be
completely broken so that souls will be saved and grown in Christ.
As always, we are able to be here and reach
out to the wonderful people of Carriacou because you care, pray, and support
us. Thanks again for touching our lives—and the lives of the precious ones
here—with yours.
Still looking up for Him,
Walter for all the Robinsons on Carriacou
Windward
Bible Church
After Being Painted
This is northwestern corner.
(We have the left side of the building.)
Viewed from the
front.
A closer look at the
colorful bars.
As seen from the back.
We have the right side (last two windows). Notice our natural baptistery.
As you can see, this is a big improvement over the way
the building looked formally (see next photo).
Photo taken June 2000
We now hope to build a septic tank and a bathroom. Lord
willing, we plan to add it on the left side of the building (as seen from
the street at the front) and just behind the second window. We will need to dig the pit,
purchase materials, and pay the labor to have the work done.
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Revised: June 13, 2006.
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