Upon another island....

Sunday evening again, and a new week. It has rained off and on today, and raining now. The little
“ko-KEEs” love it and are singing loudly. It is so warm and humid that every time I've gotten out of our air-conditioned car my glasses steam over!

But what I really wanted to write to you about is the past week! Monday and Tuesday have already faded away out of memory, but Wednesday we flew to the neighboring island of St. Croix. It is only a 20 minute flight – a whole lot less time in the air than it takes to go through all the “hoops” in the airport, wait for take off, and deplane upon arrival at our destination.

St Croix is one of three United States Virgen Islands. It's size is about 28 miles long by 6 or 8 miles at the widest point. The terrain is quite similar to Puerto Rico, but there the similarity stops. One wonders how they can be so close and have a history and a culture so very different! I didn't realize that they speak English there, and so in trying to pack light, I didn't bring my English Bible and hymn book. Interesting – as a Gospel Meeting had been arranged for about an hour after we landed. So, I had to borrow and quickly find and bookmark verses I had marked in Spanish.

I don't know how to put into words the feelings of the following two days. How to describe the soft, velvet darkness of a Carribbean night? The noise of the breeze moving the fronds of the big palm tree silhouetted against the night sky....stars above bright enough to tell the constellations....and distant lights of the town covering a hillside. In the cool of early morning we sat on the patio to read and meditate – with my eyes often lifting to the view of the sea.

Yes, that was special....but far more special was our visit and fellowship with the couple who so willingly shared their small home with us. Katie grew up in Texas; Michael grew up right there on the island. Little Rylon Philip joined the family in August. Their testimoney, their story, is so encouraging, so heartwarming. There are several chapters in their lives that come before the decision they made – moved by prayer and the hand of God – to return and make their home on this island.

Perhaps the highlight of our stay was the weekly Bible Study meeting one morning when we met together with the three black ladies who are living on the island. We – all from different states and islands and backgrounds and races and cultures sang together “Come Unto Me”, “Sweet Words of Jesus” and “Teach us Lord Our Days to Number”. We prayed together and shared our meditations on the study – Psalm 89 – in a precious unity of Spirit.

I really did enjoy getting a tour around the island and often a view of the sea at every turn. On the hillsides one can see the old sugar cane mills still standing from another era. The highway curves around Point Udall, which is the easternmost point of the United States. I had to actually see it on a map to visualize that.

Friday afternoon we boarded JetBlue again for the brief flight back to Puerto Rico and our Spanish world here. It is good to be back, good to see again today those I've grown to love here, but I will never forget the days on that other island – where, by the way, they drive on the left side of the road – and the friends and fellowship we shared there.