Gone Fishin'
(Editorial - March 1999)
A plan, a reality
The effort began in 1991, when it was reported: "There are presently four
Christadelphians living on Antigua; Sis. Esther Worrell (Hamilton, ON) visited them in
October, 1991, in conjunction with a preaching effort. Lord willing, the 1992 effort will
be headed up by Bre. Joe Badlu and Clive Solomon, former Guyanese brethren who live in the
New York City area...The possibility of eventually extending these activities to the
neighboring islands of Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts and St. Lucia is also being
considered. So far as we are aware, the Truth has not been preached in these places as
yet, and Antigua could be a base for starting work there if it is God’s will"
(Tidings, 4/92, pg. 150).
Seven years later we receive news a meeting hall is to be inaugurated this spring in Gray’s Hill, Antigua, and Bro. David Andrews of Georgetown, Guyana, is to be established as resident missionary for Antigua and the surrounding area.
Good news, brethren, a job well done!
As the annual invitations have indicated, the bulk of the work preparing for this development has been done on vacation time. True, Antigua is one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever see and preaching there is done in delightful surroundings. But, as we well know from personal experience, preaching in these circumstances is still work and is not all sun and games on the beach. Good job brethren for going fishing on your vacation -- fishing for the responsive among mankind.
We have also noted the backbone of the Antigua effort has been former members of Caribbean ecclesias who have immigrated to the States or Canada. (While lying on the northern coast of South America, Guyana is closely connected culturally and politically to the Caribbean islands.) Given their backgrounds, these brethren had the interest, the means and the knowledge to be ideal vehicles for sowing and watering the seed of the gospel. What they needed to do was use some of their money and vacation time to the Lord’s work, and they did it to good effect.
On Cayman Brac
There is also news in this issue of a preaching campaign in Cayman Brac, another
beauty spot in the West Indies. Having been there, we again enjoyed the flavor of the
place captured in the report by Bro. Russ Dawes. The Brac is a quiet, unspoiled island
where people obviously place great importance on the Bible and, evidently, some already
understand essential elements of the Truth.
The campaign group consisted of five Caribbean brethren and a retired couple from Canada, with the latter being able to stay on longer for some additional follow-up work. Retired couples have been the backbone of mission work in Africa, India, the Pacific Islands, eastern Europe and the Caribbean. With the advantage of early retirement, this community resource has become more numerous in recent years. That’s good, because many times preaching work requires wisdom to apply principles to challenging situations, and more experienced brethren are often well equipped in this regard.
Using retirement well
We sometimes look forward to retirement as a golden opportunity to take it easy and
enjoy activities that couldn’t be done in our working years, to hang out the "Gone
Fishing" sign on a permanent basis. Thankfully, many brethren don’t
overemphasize relaxation and use their new-found time in the service of the Lord.
The Cayman Brac effort is a case in point; another is the Petersburgh, Virginia domestic mission program where a series of retired couples have participated for one or more months. Made possible at the initiative of the Washington D.C. Ecclesia, this effort shows promise of great benefit in the general area of Richmond, Virginia.
Many retirees have opportunity to travel, but some have combined enjoyment with visiting isolated brothers and sisters and small ecclesias across the continent. Others have provided critical transportation and loving care for cases of dire need. Well done!
To those with no understanding of the Truth, retirement is the final opportunity for rest and enjoyment before, inevitably, death takes over. For us, however, the rest we long for is in the kingdom and retirement is a last opportunity for labor and service in the vineyard of our Lord. We rejoice to see this occurring in the brotherhood.
An opportunity when young
For many young people, there is a time between school and starting a family when
opportunity exists for a variety of optional activities. In last month’s magazine,
extensive reports appeared on the travels of five young Christadelphians who put such an
opportunity to good use, by traveling to sometimes remote places, helping proclaim
God’s word and assisting those new to the faith. They are representative of many
others who are doing the same in the Pacific Islands, India, Central America and
elsewhere. What an excellent way to combine the excitement of travel with doing God’s
work.
There is an added benefit to travel in the Lord’s service. One sees people the way they really are -- in their homes, with their families, in the routine of their daily lives. And our young people find themselves being welcomed into the hearts of brothers and sisters in faraway places. No other community in the world has this same family spirit. No other community gives us the same opportunity to see other parts of the world from the standpoint of those who live there.
Closer to home, many of our young people know a similar experience through a summer spent studying and preaching the word in the Truth Corps. Again towns are seen from the neighborhood level, not from the tour bus; again, family and ecclesial life is experienced as the young people are welcomed into homes and meetings.
Seeing the good points
We have problems in our community which should not exist in the household of faith.
But there are also some sterling examples being set and good work being done. When we see
vacations, holidays, retirement and youthful freedom being used for service to God instead
of in self-indulgence, we can only say, Thanks brothers and sisters, and may the Lord
richly bless the efforts to His honor and glory. And may our own "gone
fishin’" sign frequently mean we’ve gone fishing for men.
Don Styles