March 31, 2013
On Friday we went to the Children’s Home and Chapel in Old Bight for a Good Friday service and today we went to Easter Sunday service at Zion Baptist Church in Old Bight. Our journey to these places is somewhat of a story. This is a bit long, but hang in there for an interesting story – at least I think so!
Shortly after we arrived at Cat Island we were at the New Bight Market and wanting to go to a restaurant at the Regatta Park, about a mile away. There was a van parked at the market marked as C&O Taxi, so we asked the woman driving if she could take us to the restaurant. She said sure and declined to be paid when we arrived as noted in a previous blog entry. That woman was Olive King, who also operates Olive’s Bakery in New Bight. We later called at her bakery to buy some bread and met her husband Chris. On that visit we learned then he was the principal of the primary school in Old Bight.
After we had moved down the bay to Old Bight for better protection from the predicted south winds, we met several women on the beach scaling fish for the Good Friday fish fry being put on by the Old Bight Anglican Church. The women invited us to attend. In talking with them about churches, we learned that Chris Smith was also the pastor of Zion Baptist in Old Bight. Subsequently, we talked to Olive again and she invited us to their Good Friday and Easter services, which we said would love to attend. She offered to give us a ride to both; we accepted her offer for Easter, but since we planned to have a rental car on Friday and wanted to also go to the fish fry, we said we would drive ourselves on that day.
Previously we had met a woman in Exuma that told us to look up here brother Alfred Moss who, with his wife Cindy, run the Children’s Home and Chapel in Old Bight. We had stopped by the home the same day we talked to the women cleaning fish, but they were not there. A few days later, when we had a car, we finally managed to connect with them at their store in Smith’s Bay. They also invited us to their Good Friday service, but we declined explaining that we had committed to go to Zion Baptist’s service that day. They understood, but also invited us to stop by to join them for their Good Friday lunch which we also declined in that we had already committed go to the Anglican fish fry. They also understood, but said just stop by, which we said we would love to do.
So now the social calendar on Friday is packed: Good Friday service at Zion Baptist; fish fry at the Anglican church; stop by the Children’s home for a visit.
So on Friday we dinghy ashore, do our ‘superman/woman’ change into church clothes and fire up the rental car. After a few hundred feet, it just didn’t feel right so I pulled over - observation – nearly flat right rear tire. We headed back to the service station where we rented the car, but of course they were closed on Good Friday. Maybe their air compressor is on and we can refill the tire – nope – no air. OK, maybe we have time to change the tire. I opened the trunk and found a spare, but NO jack. Then a couple pulled in trying to return a car – she was a Cat Islander visiting from Nassau. They had a jack and her companion, ‘Pinder’, helped me with the tire change. Crank up the jack, remove the flat tire, good so far. Try to put on the spare – Houston we have a problem – apparently the borrowed jack is not raising the car enough. ‘Pinder’ and I then search behind the station for some wood to put under the jack. OK, now the car is up high enough to put on the spare. Lower the car – might still have time to get to Old Bight. New problem – the spare is nearly flat. It now appears that we are not intended to go to Good Friday services on Cat Island.
Then we see the van from the Children’s Home heading south. I flagged them down and asked if they could give us a ride. It seemed clear that we would be attending services at the Children’s home today. Chapel services were wonderful. We learned that the children are from Nassau and it is a great ministry to get them in a more wholesome environment. Alfred delivered a great sermon and afterward we had a wonderful meal, described more fully in a previous post.
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| Alfred and Cindy Moss on the right |
On Easter Sunday, we rode to Zion Baptist with Olive and Chris, and after a lively service and good message they invited us to a luncheon at the church with chicken, fish, peas & rice, and coleslaw.
We have enjoyed Cat Island a lot. The people are very friendly, gracious, and giving. Thank you to all our Cat Island friends.
Our only 'complaint' - for most of our trip we have been losing some weight - Cat Island has reversed this trend :-)
We will return to Cat Island!
Tom
Anchored New Bight
Cat Island Bahamas
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