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Thursday, January 27th 6:00PM (Kansas)

We are back and the site has been totally updated. Thanks to Bill for all his hard work setting this up.

We had a great end to the trip. We had a relaxing time in St. George's doing a little souvenir shopping. We spent a few hours scouring the market for things to bring home to our families, prayer partners, and supporters.

After this, we went to the Grand Anse Beach. The beach was much more gentle than the beaches we had been to on the north side of the island and it was relaxing to float and enjoy the beautiful green water. It rained some while we swam which was a cool effect.

After supper Friday night, we had our final group devotion time. It ended with an impromptu singing time that lasted about 45 minutes. One person would begin singing a hymn or chorus and the whole group would join in. It was a precious time of worship together.

On Saturday morning, we were up early (about 5:30am), to gather our things and head to the airport. We went through customs, had breakfast, and then said our goodbyes to LaVern. Sparrow even met us there to see us off.

The plane trips home were good and we were all excited to get home. We had some opportunities to share our trip with others as well as talk to other believers. One was a flight attendant with a nephew who is 4 years old and has cancer. She wanted prayer for him and we were happy to pray for Joshua.

When we arrived in Wichita, our wives (and some of our kids) surprised us by being there to great us. It was great to be reunited and we split up with our families and made the three hour drive home to Meade.

God has been very good to each of us and has challenged us to follow Him 100%, seeking to see what He is desiring us to do in every situation and actively looking for opportunities to share Christ with others. May He find us faithful to apply what He has taught us.

Thanks for praying for us,

For the Meade EMB 2005 Grenada Team, Pastor David M. Cummings

Friday, January 21st 10AM (Grenada)

NOTE: Bill is having trouble uploading pictures, so we may not have anymore pictures until we get home. We are sorry for this inconvenience! Maybe God wants to save some surprises for when we get back:)

Well, God continues to be good to the team and we thank you so very much for your prayers. As we enter our last day here in Grenada, we cannot help but to reflect on the variety of this trip and the variety of the things that God has taught us. Your prayers have been so important to us.

Since Bill wrote last, we have moved camp from Sauteurs to St. George's. We completed the church in Sauteurs on Wednesday evening. The men worked exceedingly hard and were exhausted, but the task was completed.

In the evening, the church had a little thank you party for us. We prayed and sang together and they served us a huge meal. They had been expecting about three times the number of people than they had that evening, so they piled the food on the plate. It was quite the experience. They served a rice dish as well as a few types of salad and two choices of drink - sorrell (a drink made from a flower) and another that was a type of tea made from a tree bark.

We packed and hit the sack early on Wednesday night, because our transportation to Sauteurs was supposed to pick us up at 7:00am. We didn't get picked up until about 8:15am. That's Grenada time, mon.

The drive down to St. George's was beautiful and very revealing about Hurricane Ivan. We left Sauteurs and drove down to Grenville and then across the island through the Grand Etang National Park, which is a rainforest. For those of you who were in Ecuador, you can appreciate what a rainforest looks like. What was striking about this was that the Grand Etang after Ivan looked nothing like a rainforest! It was just some battered and twisted sticks sticking up and laying all around. A rainforest that used to be so dense that you could not see 20' into it, now was laid down and you could see all the way through it. It was very sad. The force of that hurricane must've been incredible. I have been through lesser hurricanes growing up on the Texas Gulf Coast but I cannot begin to fathom what this must have been like.

We stopped for a bit at the Grand Etang Lake, which is a lake in the crater of the volcano that forms Grenada. We haven't seen a lake on this island that is as big as Meade State Lake. This one was small as well. They say it is very deep since it is the volcano's crater.

The view coming in to St. George's from up off the mountain was beautiful. Again, we were reminded how St. George's was hit so much worse than the north part of the island. Upon our arrival to Bailey's guest house (our home for the next two nights), we unloaded and got settled in. The guest house is high up on a hill with a steep road with deep potholes. The car bottoms out alot on the trip.

I called the husband of the flight attendant we met who needed help with his roof. We wanted to send a few guys over to help him get it done. He told me that he had not been able to get the materials yet, so we wouldn't be able to help him. He was very appreciative for the effort and the desire to help.

We began work on the St. George's Evangelical Church about 11am. The roof is kind of like a Pizza Hut (yummmm...) roof and the guys began tearing off the top cap. We are so grateful for the safety the Lord continues to give. The sun was intense and sapped the energy out of the men. When lunch came, all were ready for a break. For lunch we had sandwiches and Grenada Orange juice (which is orange juice with added water and sugar). It was all delicious.

I went to see a doctor for my sand fly bites. I have between 500-800 on each leg with about 25 on each arm and few here and there. They itch like poison ivy. Some of the men get a few without any itch..others must be more sensitive or allergic. Lyle got some first, but seems to be through with them. Myself, Jerome, and Buck are fighting them still. The doctor gave me a shot and some Allegra and some lotion. For all of that plus the office visit the cost was about $135 EC ($50-55 US). Pretty cheap. I was very thankful for a good night's sleep last night.

After work the guys walked up the hill to the guest house. The cold showers felt good and the local church provided a delicious meal (no ground up bones!). We had our devotional time but everyone seemed worn out and were less talkative. We all went to bed about 9:15 - even Darwin! Pray for Darwin as well as he had been under the weather the last few days.

We all seemed to have a good night's sleep and woke up to the smells of Bill making breakfast. Today, the plan is to work until about 11am on the church roof. After that we are going to come back to the guest house and get our tools split up for the trip home. Then we are going to do a little sight-seeing, souvenir shopping, and go to the Grand Anse Beach - the nicest beach in Grenada. Then, tomorrow morning bright and early, we will go back to the States!!!

This will be the last journal entry for the trip. We have had a great time and can't wait to get home and share our stories with you! Again, thanks for your prayers, financial support, and phone calls to us and our family at home.

Remember than on Sunday night, February 4th, I believe, we will be giving a trip report at our church at 6pm. Please join us for this!

Until we see you again,

For the Meade EMB 2005 Grenada Team, Pastor David M. Cummings

Wednesday January 19th 1:30PM (Grenada)

Good Afternoon from a rainy Grenada today!

This is Bill, filling in for Pastor David at this time. It has been an adventure since Monday trying to actually get on the internet. I spent about 2 and a half hours uploading pictures to the web server, and then right before I went to publish them, the power went out, and all was lost. The Lord keeps us humble in all things. I understand that a few pictures made it on, and I am thankful for that.

We are all doing well, and even as I write this to you, I have lost my connection once again. Since Monday, it has been a little bit of that old Army game we used to play when I was serving, "Hurry Up and Wait". Things slow down in Grenada to sometimes an incomprehensible rate for us who are so used to having everything on demand, and if we don't, either running into town to get it, or heading to Dodge or Garden to retrieve. That is not the case here in Grenada.

For the last 3 days, we have been working steadily on the Sauteurs Evangelical Church. We have replaced T-111 Ceiling paneling, re-wired the lighting and fan system, treated for termites (which are a major problem here),re-bult some rafters, and primered and painted. Last evening, the tin, or galvanized, as Grenadians call it, finally arrived about 8 in the evening from St George. The galvanized is in 20 foot long sections. Work began this morning, and is progressing well, as of this writing, half of the roof is done, but a rain shower is slowing things down right now. When it rains, you have to rush to cover everything back up with an elaborate blue tarp system, which interestingly enough, were provided for the church by Samaritans Purse, Franklin Grahams Relief Organization.

Our days are filled with much spontaneous singing and worship, the men, for me, are all truly a blessing to work with. The Spirit of the Lord is so evident in everything that is done.

Monday evening we enjoyed fried fish for dinner, along with rice and beans. Tuesday morning breakfast was pancakes, some bacon I had secured in town Monday afternoon, and some scrambled eggs. With the heat and humidity that is so evident here, we have found that the Grenadian diet is sometimes lacking in Protein for us . So we have made it a high priority to eat a good breakfast each morning. Tueday evening dinner was Noodles nad beef, with some vegetables. This Wednesday morning, I prepared some French Toast, and some Cheese Omeletes, Lots of Protein!

We will be leaving Sauteurs tommorow morning at 7AM to head for St Georges, to do some work on 1 church there, and hopefully also, to witness and do some work on a flight attendant's husband's business, that was damaged in Ivan. We met this flight attendant on the Dallas to Puerto Rico leg of our flight down, throught the shirts we had on. We are hoping to be able to do this also, if it is God's plan. What a great opportunity to be an immediate answer to a non believer through Christ's provision.

I have about 20 minutes of time left here, so I am going to try to upload some pictures for your enjoyment!

Thanks for the prayers! Keep them coming, we are not home yet!

Blessings from the Meade EMB Grenada Team.

Fo the team,

Bill Lurwick

Monday, January 17th 10AM (Grenada)

We had a wonderful weekend of relaxation and worship. It was good for the team to enjoy some rest. After we left Grenville on Saturday, we went and spent the afternoon and early evening on Bathway Beach on the northeast side of the island. The waves were quite rough and dangerous, so the beach was basically ours.

The lifeguards were very concerned about our safety as some had been killed in the area. The Atlantic side of the island is quite rough. The swimming area was basically only about 20 yards deep and then there was a huge rock reef. You could not get close to the reef or you could get sucked out to sea. The area right past the rocks drops off dramatically and would suck you to the bottom.

We walked down the beach for a half a mile and it was good exercise. The sand - a mixture of our type of sand and black volcanic sand - is very soft and you sink about 5-6" with every step. It truly was a beautiful place!

We met a group from Phoenix at the beach that was doing the same thing that we are - rebuilding churches and homes for the Berean ministries. It would good to see anglo brothers and sisters in Christ and to share with each other what God has been doing.

That night we relaxed at the house. Our devotion times have been quite sweet and we thank God for that. Our discussions have improved with each passing day. I have seen each man grow closer to the Lord and truly develop a heart for the lost and a desire to share Christ with those that they may encounter. Our group will be coming home with a desire to put these same habits into place in Meade, Newton, and Ashland. God is really working in our lives to live for Him and eternity and to avoid getting caught in the snare of being driven by the temporal things of this world. We pray that we will be faithful in putting into practice that which we have learned here in Grenada so that we might be missionaries across the street as well as around the world!

We got a decent night's sleep Saturday night and we were thankful to be refreshed for the worship service.

We arrived at the church about 10:10am. We thank you very much for your prayers and we can assure you that our Lord provided a wonderful answer to them. The first part of the service was led by the local body. The Grenada church knew how to sing with all their heart. They sang loud and with great gusto - a bit different than the mumbly singing we tend to have in American churches. They sang many of same songs that we would sing in our church.

After some singing the Pastor here - Pastor Wilkie - turned the service over to us. LaVern said a few words and then introduced me (David). I in turn introduced the group as they came on stage to sing.

The Grenada Gorillas sang our two numbers (from our platinum selling album - "Gorilla Love"). First, we sang "Take My Life" and then finished with "The Mission." I have always enjoyed singing with men. One thing that was obvious as I looked at the church was that there are so few men. It is like many churches in America, where men have relegated and abandoned their posts and the faithful women of the community stand alone. I am thankful for a church that has many good men, especially in the area of leadership. So it is always special to me to sing out loud and with love for Christ with other men.

After we sang, I had asked Darwin to share why he, and our team, came. Darwin did an excellent job! He talked of how as a Christian he was compelled to come help his Grenadian brothers and sisters. He used I John 3:16-18 which talks about if a brother has the world's goods and sees his brother in need and does not help him - John asks - how does the love of God abide in him? Darwin drove home very well the truth that true biblical christianity is characterized by a love that in not merely lip-service, but also involves action. This is a point that seemed very important to make as we have not seen the local believers stepping up much and helping others or coming out to work alongside us - even though the invitation has been given. Prior to Sunday we had one man, Carl, come out. Today alone(Monday), there were four that came out! Praise God!

After Darwin, Leon came up and led the congregation in a few songs. After that, I preached on Ephesians 2:1-10 - "The Prescription For Life":

I. The Diagnosis (vv. 1-3) - All men are spiritually dead apart from Christ.

II. The Medicine (vv. 4-7) - God's mercy because of His great love.

III. The Way The Medicine is Administered (vv. 8-9) - By God's awesome grace, through faith.

IV. The Side Effects (v. 10) - Good Works.

The congregation was very attentive and responsive. I had Bill share a bit of his testimony in the "but God" section. It is an animated style of worship. I enjoyed the time of sharing with them and really appreciate each of you who prayed for that service. God moved.

Leon came up after the message and closed us in a song "There is Pow'r In The Blood.". The service was about 1-3/4 hours long. After the service, we passed out some gift bundles to the kids and presented our sleeping bags to the church for youth camps.

We toured Sauteurs after the service and saw the town. We went to a place called Carib's Leap. This was a place where, about 400-500 years ago, the natives retreated to while being pursued by the colonizing groups. With their backs up against the north side of the ocean with a cliff of about 100' behind them and the enemy before them, the natives chose to leap to their deaths rather than to be enslaved.

We also looked around the bay below Carib's Leap - a very beautiful area. After this we headed back to our house for rest and some game playing. About 4:30, some of us rode down to the beach near Saureurs Bay and enjoyed playing in the ocean. The waves were very large and powerful but not dangerous like Bathway. We had a ball. Leon is like a kid at the candy store on the beach. I watch him play in the surf, and here is this guy who must be like 80, playing in the waves like a school boy. Awesome.

In Grenada, they do not have much of an evening meal on Sundays so we fended for ourselves. David Clawson had a great idea earlier and had bought some potatoes and onions. He and Lyle sliced and fried them in oil with seasoning then crisped them up. They also cut up some of Elizabeth's beef jerky and added it in (Wives - don't laugh, it was good..no, it was..really...). The potato thing was a huge hit with a taste of home. That, together with $60 (EC - $36 US) worth of ice cream we bought this afternoon made for a good and nutritious day. You should have seen the guys descend on the ice cream. I think Clint actually got caught in Buck's spoon and was ingested briefly. Buck coughed him up like a hairball and he is okay.

Again, Sunday night our devotionals were awesome. God is at work. Keep praying for these times as men digest what God is teaching them and we attempt to apply those truths to our everyday lives back in the US.

Island fever kicked in in the wee hours of the evening. We played Rook and sang oldies. We went through the alphabet from A to Z singing songs by groups whose names began with the appropriate letter. It was sick how well we did at this. A few observations: Buck would make a good Grenadian as he sings loudly and with all his heart; Bill and I know too many of these songs; and Darwin was doing pretty well too.

After a game of Baptist Rook, which Buck seems to always dominate in, we went to bed and slept well. The breezes have died down the last few days since the rains subsided and we miss them. It is hot, humid and very muggy. But we are sleeping well.

Continue to pray! Today we start work in full force on the Sauteurs Evangelical Church. We will be putting a new roof on as well as repairing the ceiling and replacing ceiling fans - and if time permits, we will paint as well. Pray for productivity and safety and good times working with some of the locals.

We love you. We miss you. We look forward to our return home.

For the Meade EMB 2005 Grenada Team, Pastor David M. Cummings

Saturday, January 15th 10AM (Grenada)

Thank you for all your prayers. We are seeing God answer them all. Let me update you on how.

Pray that our luggage arrives soon - God has answered this and we received our luggage Thursday night - Praise God! The same clothes for three days were getting a little stanky.

Pray that the men would continue to get good rest at night - even in light of all the snorers, all are getting sufficient rest. It is amazing how "hard work" trumps "tough sleeping conditions."

Pray that we each would have and take opportunities to share Christ with the locals - God has given us many opportunities to interact with the locals. I think each team member has been faithful in reaching out and showing Christ to others here. Keep praying on this one.

Pray that we each would draw closer to Christ through this and to each other - We are seeing God answer this request daily. The group devotionals at night have been great with all the men sharing. We are being challenged to live our lives totally sold out for Christ and to look at every situation and how God may be using it - We are trying to get in the habit of asking ourselves - "Why did God put me in this situation, with these people, at this time and what does He want me to do to further His work in it?"

Pray that we would live each moment for Christ and Him crucified! We are trying to do this and although none are perfect we are grateful for the forgiveness we have through Jesus Christ.

We have had a very productive few days. On Thursday, we finished the first house (King Barry's) and it turned out very nice. After this we hauled our materials by hand about 75 yards to the house of a woman named Esther. Her house was very primitive with very little of our normal conveniences. It was about 18' x 20' and was the home for her and her husband, as well as their six children. The floor was rotted and termite infested and the roof was falling apart.

Esther is a godly woman and an example to us all. Although, we would consider her situation very tough by American standards, she lives for Christ. She is in deep poverty, her husband is a philanderer and she basically raises her kids by herself. But she loves the Lord dearly. Her wall decorations were Bible verses scrawled with chalk throughout the house. I remember as I was helping Buck cut a piece of lumber, I looked up and through her front window (with panes of glass missing and others broken) I saw Philippians 1:21 written - "For to me is Christ, and to die is gain" - I think she really means it!

At Esther's home we replaced the roof, repaired much of her floor and added some floor joists. Lyle and Leon also built a countertop for her kitchen complete with a backsplash.

By the end of Friday, we had also worked on two other houses. The first was up on top of a high hill. The view was an incredible 360 degree view of the surroundings including the ocean visible on two sides. The team replaced the roof on that home.

The other was a Janet house built after the last major hurricane hit Grenada in the 1955. They are small shacks and the guys replaced its roof in short order. Afterwards, the owner offered some of the guys a little refreshment - rum(!) which they quickly refused graciously. They are a generous people - Leon was offered some hash at a local shop he was visiting.

God has been very gracious in providing us good productivity in our work. After Friday, the heat and humidity had taken its toll so we decided to go to the Market in Grenville today and the beach later this afternoon. This is where I am updating you from.

We rented a bus (van really) to take us to Grenville which is about 30 mins South of Sauteurs on the east coast of Grenada. Since Grenada is the Spice Island, there are many spices in the market - nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, etc. There are also many other foods available. There was even a row of butchers cutting your meat to order before your eyes - pork, beef, etc. There are also shops and a dock in this town.

We were thankful to find this internet cafe to update you. If the spelling and wording is not the best, forgive me, we lost the first entry, and I have been in a rush to get you as much information as I can before the van returns for us. Don't forget to check the pictures that Bill is uploaded. The connection is dial-up so we wont have as many as last time.

The evenings have been awesome. We are enjoying our devotions together and the men are all sharing and seeking to follow Christ completely. We really want to use our lives to bring glory to Him and not just on a missions trip - but every day! Pray for us that we would process how this can play out in our everyday lives back home.

A quick update on the snore-a-thon. It's Lyle in the leading coming down the stretch, LaVern in a distant second with Buck closing. Bill has either stopped talking in his sleep or the noises that he is emitting are in an unknown tongue. We added LaVern Smith to the snoring room. This scared Buck quite a bit - I never knew he was so competitive. LaVern came in with a reputation - He has the title belt in Grenada. In the end it was no contest, Lyle is still the king in the absence of John Ross. You should hear it - I never though I could laugh so hard with my ears bleeding.

The food here has been sufficient and interesting. For breakfast Thursday, we had sardines and sauteed onions...hmmm... It seems that Bill is a prophet, because following that there was a coup in Grenada which resulted in a trip to the store for breakfast food. Jerome also enjoyed some pork from a street vendor yesterday. He got to a particularly tough part and asked what it was - it turns out it was the tail. Yum.

Continue to pray for us as we know you are.

Pray as we will be leading the service Sunday at the Sauteurs Church. Leon will be leading the music, Darwin will be giving a testimony, The Gorillas will be singing some numbers, Bill will be reading some Scripture and I will be preaching on Ephesians 2:1-10.

Pray that the men would continue to get good rest at night.

Pray that we each would have and take opportunities to share Christ with the locals especially as we interact with many in Grenville and the beach today.

Pray for continued depth in our thoughts and devotions as we seek to follow Christ totally in all things.

We are thankful for a church that prays for us, friends that uplift us and all of you who are a part of this mission. We love you all and look forward to seeing you soon!

For the Meade EMB 2005 Grenada Team, Pastor David M. Cummings

Thursday January 13th 10AM (Grenada)