This post contains details about the work we did on Abaco Island, as well as the fun half day we spent enjoying the beautiful nature.
We split into three different work groups during the week to clean, tear down, and help with reconstruction. On Monday and Tuesday, I was part of the group that helped rebuild the school. Most buildings in Marsh Harbour used dry wall, which crumbled during the hurricane. The locals took into account the possibility of future storms and decided to use plywood coated in primer for new walls at the school. Consequently, we painted 350 pieces of plywood for two days.
Painting for Days
We had six paint stations set up inside the chapel where we went to church on Sunday, and people took turns carrying painted plywood outside on palettes to dry and bringing new pieces/pieces that needed to be painted on the second side. It wasn’t glamorous or exciting – in fact, pretty mundane and repetitive, with no end in site (the plywood just kept coming and coming and coming…). The only things that informed us of progress was time and the ground filling up with white boards.
They're Drying
We Got Paint on Ourselves
Near the end of the week, the groups switched jobs. On Thursday, I went to Mr. Weldon’s house to do clean-up. He is planning to move back and rebuild his house, so we were just there to help give him a jumpstart.
It’s gut-wrenching to see the insides of Dorian-destructed houses. It’s not a pretty sight.
There Are No Descriptions
We wore long pants, gloves, protective glasses, and N-95 masks. Why the masks? Everything you see is wet FROM SIX MONTHS AGO. Imagine all the mold, cockroaches, and bacteria (and frogs too) that thrive in this ecosystem. We saw it all, except the bacteria.
It’s humbling, shoveling EVERYTHING a family owned into the dumpster. Furniture. Clothing. Toys. Books. Kitchenware. All of it a wet, matted mess. Some of the boys had to throw out the refrigerator, full of flood water and rotting food. And then they drained a clogged sink. The water was black. Imagine the stench (please don’t).
All I could think about was Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moths and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal.” The entire verse unfolded before my eyes. The few days after the hurricane, all the houses were looted, and people broke into other people’s homes for valuables. Rust ate away at everything metal. There weren’t moths, but other insects made all other “treasures” undesirable. It was overwhelming to throw everything away, and I can’t imagine a family, who would have emotional attachment to it all, going through their belongings and doing this work.
When locals said they lost everything, they mean everything.
Everything Had to Go
Before vs. After
Now for the fun part. We took Wednesday morning off from the physical labor and went to Cherokee Shores. It’s one of those locations that are advertised everywhere. This poster was in the waiting area in Marsh Harbour Airport:
Cherokee Long Dock used to be 770 feet, the longest wooden dock in the “Commonwealth of the Bahamas.” As you can see below, Hurricane Dorian left its mark and no one has fixed it.
The Long Dock Now
But nature still has its charm. The water is crystal clear all the way past the dock, and the sand is soft and smooth. Waves break far out, so the ripples that come in are quiet and calm. It’s pretty amazing to be in places like these – definitely not a typical beach, but what a stunning location. And big bonus: we had Cherokee Shores all to ourselves! I can only imagine how crowded this place would be with locals and tourists on a typical summer day.
All the Sand is Underwater
I'm in Love
We found lots of conch (pronounced KONK) shells that a lots of the students collected and brought home. Warnings from my mom to leave nature be rang in my ears, so I left all the ones I found, including this one! It’s still alive (as in, the conch is still in the shell), and I put it back in the ocean.
It's Alive
We also ate some natural coconut. Pretty delicious J
After Cherokee Shores, we drove to Blue Hole, a natural spring in the middle of nowhere. Some locals drink the water, but we just swam and jumped in it. We ate our lunches here and enjoyed the clean, blue hole.
Blue Hole
That's most of the exciting activities. More to come! Hope you're not going stir crazy at home and loving your family well :)
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