Finding God again

Article by Claire, March 2006

continues from part 1...

Having begun our spiritual journey, it was time to start our physical one too. Jack had invited us to his house for Thanksgiving, so we headed towards Guanaja (pronounced ‘Gwan a ha’), stopping at the Cayos Cochinos islands and Roatan on the way. At sea there is time to think. I feel more spiritually aware when we are sailing along. Just the concept of the boat moving along being powered only by the wind is enough to get me thinking. Here are some of my thoughts:

Believing is something we feel and I can’t help but use a nautical analogy to try and explain it. (It’s the way we are wired I guess; always trying to explain things and not just accepting it!)

Kilifi The boats body represents our body, it has an engine which needs fuel to work, just as we need food to live and power us. The boat has a soul, spirit or personality; the little quirks and personal things, its idiosyncrasies. The boats mind is of course the Captain, he can steer her in any direction and decide where to take her. For years the boat will move along happily using only her engine, she can travel around from place to place, but the Captain often feels like there must be more to life than this, he feels like something is missing, that maybe the boat isn’t reaching her full potential.

The wind blows and the wind is like God, we can’t see it, but we can see the effect it has. We feel it. The Captain feels it but isn’t sure what to do with it. Does he really believe that that the wind alone will move the vessel? Some Captains will never try, but others will dare to believe and try it. Her sails are hoisted; they flap for a moment, unsure. The engine is quiet and slowly the wind fills in, the sails billow and fill with the wind. She becomes alive, moving along through the waves, sailing along with natural grace and beauty. It’s a magnificent sight! She is powered by something we can’t see, but something we feel with all our heart.

As I have accepted God back into my life, that’s how I feel. Empowered. So much that some days it feels like it will surely burst out of me. That doesn’t mean I won’t have down days, or won’t suffer. Actually the opposite is true. I have to accept suffering will be part of my life, and through my weakness I will be made stronger.

Ok, back to the story. We arrived in Guanaja which is a gorgeous island. The absence of roads gives it a genuine tropical island feel together with the numerous little cays (islands) all fringed with coral reefs. The mainland is mountainous and the biggest settlement is a cay called Bonacca where most the houses are built on stilts, resembling a mini Venice. The locals are welcoming and there is a large ex-pat community too. We met yet more missionaries. Firstly Paul and Martha who run the First Baptist Church we attended. Both originally from the States and then lived in Grand Cayman for 17 years although we never met them when we lived there. They felt they had a calling after Hurricane Mitch and are continuing to do great things in the community. Back in Texas Paul was involved with a Biker Church, and had attended Cowboy Church. We were learning that Christianity was diverse across all peoples.

They were telling us how many of the locals didn’t know basic CPR and First Aid and how a young girl had drowned that month because nobody knew how to resuscitate her. Pete and I are both CPR instructors and we offered to run some courses for them. We taught the local firemen, nurses and many members of the community. It was very rewarding to get involved with the locals like this and to feel like we were contributing to their safety.

Julie and Jim We also met Jim and Julie Nelms (left), (also missionaries from the states) who live and work at the other end of the island in Savannah Bight. Julie is extremely strong in her faith, growing up in a Christian household and working for the church all her life. Jim didn’t become a believer until he was 32. They work closely with those who have addiction problems. They feel this is their calling; after all Jesus himself hung out with the needy, those with the social problems. As Brennen Manning said in his book The Ragamuffin Gospel,

“Church is not a museum for saints but a hospital for sinners.”

Julie and Jim have a wonderful website with all their stories and can be contacted for a password to read in more about the work God is doing in their lives and the lives they touch. They certainly touched ours and we will be forever grateful to them.

Josh's Kay Our days in Guanaja turned into weeks. Jack, Elizabeth, Annie and Samuel all made us feel part of their family. We spent almost everyday with them. Jack talked to me about baptism, directed me to various places in the Bible to learn more and asked me if I wanted to be baptised. I had been Christened and then Confirmed, but I felt that it had been such a long time ago that I accepted Jacks offer. I recommitted my faith to Jesus at Josh’s Cay. I was fully submerged in the waters just off the beach on the 1st December 2004. Being ‘born again’ was just an expression or so I had thought, but I was overcome by a love and a peace I had never experienced before. I absorbed myself in the Bible, fuelled by a longing to know more, to catch up on all this wasted time. My enthusiasm spilled into our website newsletter and I know I had some surprised friends and family! Of course some just sat back and smiled, already knowing the wondrous ways of God!

Pete called Jack his shepherd and he certainly was that. Pete was happy for me, but still didn’t feel he was ready to believe. However, he did feel that every service, every film, every Bible reading was all aimed at him! Jack gave him a similar analogy to that of the elastic band. That Pete was a fish, and God is the fisherman. Sometimes Pete runs…but the line is long, very long…sometimes God pulls…sometimes Pete resists and runs again… or he lets himself be brought close to the boat. But God won’t pull you in. You have to willingly jump into the boat yourself.

God has his own plan. All in his own time, there is only the perfect timing of God. We don’t see that at the time of course and I delved into the Bible for advice on how, as a wife, I should react. Since I’ve been reading my Bible daily I am in awe of the way God talks through it. I have learnt there is no such thing as coincidence. When I asked Elizabeth what to read in the Bible, she told me to pray for guidance and that I will know where to turn and when! She was right. I found how to act as a wife with a non believing husband. I learnt that I have to be patient and not make it an issue.

We can only ever look back at God’s plan and be in awe. Prior to it all we are thankful and simply wait. Peter had his own time with God one evening after our hike to the waterfall. See the news item ‘Our good reason for leaving has gone’

I prayed for Peter that night. If you were to ask him, he thought he was going to die. The following morning he asked for Elizabeth’s Bible and made some promises of his own. That day we watched the film, ‘The Passion of Christ’. Actually I couldn’t watch it all, it upset me too much. (I recommend this film to anyone who has any questions regarding Jesus.) That evening Pete and Jack spent some time talking and two days later Peter announced to Jack that he was ready to commit his life to the Lord! The sunset that evening was glorious (I think God was very happy!)

Pete at sunset

Peter chose his Baptism to take place up at the waterfall, so 11 of us (and Jacks 2 dogs) hiked up and found the perfect spot. The jungle vines trailed down, the waterfall was raging, and the sun beamed down.

After Jack read from Romans 6, Pete, Jim and Jack entered the pool and Jack asked Pete if he was ready to make Jesus the Lord of his life. If he believed Jesus died for us and if he was ready to be forgiven for all his sins. Pete answered ‘Yes’ to them all!

Jack and Jim then held either side of him and fully submerged him in the fresh water.

As he came up out of the water he was glowing, radiant with the Holy Spirit. He is so full of life; it’s a joy to witness.

Leaving Guanaja was hard. But we knew it was time for us to sail away.

On Saturday morning, the last day of 2005 Jack, Elizabeth, Elisa, Annie, Sam and his friend Hannis, Jim, Julie, and the dogs, boarded Kilifi for our send off.

Jack spoke of his pleasure in watching us grow in Christ and being delighted seeing God grow in us. He blessed us and the children we are yet to have and told us that we are part of Gods greater plan. He believes we are to do God’s work as we travel in Kilifi, not quite knowing how this will unfold, but feeling that God has an agenda for us.

I was teary eyed by now and I knew it was to get more powerful. Jack had some olive oil from Israel and as he passed a little to everyone onboard, he started praying for us and anointing us with it. Everyone laid their hands on us and started praying, blessing us and the boat. Tears were streaming down my face and I could feel the Holy Spirits presence within me. It was a moving experience. Julie prayed that we remember to put on ‘The Amour of God’ everyday and be strong in our relationship with each other. Jim anointed Kilifi’s tiller (the part we steer her with) and asked God to keep away evil spirits away from her and to keep her strong.

I began a prayer of thanks, blessing all those present, and being in awe of Gods power, then I choked up and just managed a tearful ‘Amen’! We hugged everyone and hauled up Kilifi’s anchor. It was sad to say our goodbyes after spending almost 6 glorious weeks in Guanaja, but great to fill Kilifi’s sails once again and get underway.

God only knows what he has planned for us, watch this space!

Jack, Alisa, Annie, Pete and I, Elizabeth (with Teeny) and Samuel

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me:
clairehughes05@yahoo.co.uk , or use the guestbook!

S/V Kilifi > Finding God again

Article by Claire, March 2006

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