March 16-25 I (Sean) was back “home” in the Turks and Caicos Islands! In all my trips back since we lived there, it is always amazing to me how easy it is to pick back up immediately with where I left off. Turks and Caicos does truly feel like home, just as much as St. Kitts and Nevis still does. It is hard to explain, but there is simply no adjustment period, not even a temporary adjustment of the feeling of driving on the other side of the road anymore! From culture, to navigating my way around, to food, to local friends, to church family….it is seamless, just like if I was spending the week down in south Alabama at my parents house or something. It feels the same to me.
As before in previous years, we partnered with CEF of South Dakota to reach out to the public primary schools in four islands: Providenciales, North Caicos, Middle Caicos and South Caicos.
L-R Sean Miller, Kendra Baltzer, Hannah Cleveland, Bailey Pietz and Elijah Hamilton
However, what was very different about this year was that we had a local friend, Cathy Henfield, join us and teach alongside us! Everything we do as missionaries is centered on raising up local leadership in the Caribbean nations we serve, so this was a huge praise the Lord and answer to prayer for someone local in TCI to do this.
We went to four primary schools in Providenciales, including Precious Treasures International School that Maddy attended for Kindergarten!
Two schools in North and Middle Caicos
and we returned to our friends in South Caicos!
It was surprising to see the extent of the great needs still there in Turks and Caicos stemming from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. To be clear, the nation is fully open for tourism but the primary schools and many local homes still have great repair needs that will take months to rebuild.
During the hurricanes we kept in close contact with the school principals and CEF contacts there in TCI, and we sent nearly 1,000 Do You Wonder Why? CEF booklets to various schools in TCI after Irma and Maria. These were used in conjunction with other disaster recovery efforts and each of the principals expressed great appreciation for how the booklets helped the children emotionally and spiritually process the great destruction to their island home.
Being there in person to share in the classrooms and with after-school Easter Party Clubs was encouraging to the teachers and principals, as we stood with them during the storm, we went to each school and prayed over the school and the teachers, and we continue to come to reach out to the children.
CEF is not a flash in the pan ministry, nor do we believe in drive-by evangelism nor believe in any sort of Americanized short-term ministry that does more harm than help. We have long-lasting relationships with schools, local leadership and local churches that we network together for the sake of the children. We have firmly planted national leadership in nearly every country of the Caribbean, and in nations like Turks and Caicos we are working hard towards there being a thriving national chapter established with a national CEF office and local board of directors.
Every Child, Every Island, Every Day!
Here is a short story about a trusty barrel that has been back and forth five times between three countries over five years.
It’s a little corny, but I had to say goodbye to this barrel as it fulfilled its final purpose of bringing over 200lbs of CEF materials to be cleared in Turks and Caicos that was distributed freely to local churches. Just a reminder of the life we have lived in three different nations and all the emotions that go along with it.
We held a teacher training for Turks and Caicos churches and distributed a year’s worth of brand-new CEF curriculum for them to use in Good News Clubs and in their local church’s children’s ministry! That evening 41 people were trained from 13 different churches and during the week we were on island a total of 20 different churches received a full set of curriculum!
All in all, by God’s grace and for His glory 1,830 kids were reached, with 444 of those 1,830 children coming to an after-school Easter Party Club. In total there were 9 of the Easter Party Clubs that took place in 8 of the schools.
Last but not least, two other cool “God” stories to share!
First, I met Tammarra Forbes! She was part of the class of Spring 2008 at Moody Bible Institute (where I graduated with my undergrad May 2015 and currently attend for my Master of Divinity). She teaches 3rd and 4th grade in North Caicos, she saw CEF on our t-shirts and remembered CEF from her time in Chicago, IL!
Second, our first Sunday at Harvest Bible Chapel – Turks and Caicos Islands, TCI the church prayed for HBC-Orangewalk, Belize! One of the four CEF teams served there just a few weeks ago and HBC Orangewalk was one of the local church partners!
It is such a small world and these connections with all our friends across the Caribbean is one of the many things we love about what we get to do!
“Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare His praise in the islands.” Isaiah 42:12
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