The Sun Still Shines in St. Croix

A Beautiful Mess

We braced ourselves for major devastation and detached interaction due to trauma from the major hurricanes that hit St. Croix a few months ago, but our first week here has revealed some glimmering surprises of hope beneath the gritty debris.

First Impressions:

• We were not the minority on the plane to St. Croix. The island has pushed its tourism invitation to boost the economy, so we have noticed more 'main-landers' here than before.
• The relief effort has been successful in many visible ways with most street lights working, power restored to the base, curfew has been lifted, and gas/ food lines are back to 'normal'. The storm seems to have smashed some buildings with force, while other homes were barely touched.
• There is a fiery resolve in the eyes of those who recall the catastrophe and we are amazed to hear stories of God's faithfulness even in the mess.

Glimmers of Hope

After Trauma Informed courses in preparation for our return to St. Croix, I wondered if I should even ask residents about their personal experience with Hurricane Maria or if it was best to just listen, work, and pray for the healing process to happen (maybe a few art therapy projects could help:) But everywhere we went, people were openly processing with honesty and courage about their situation.

An 11 yr. old on base who had storm flashbacks at the sound of  New Years fireworks asked the base leaders the question everyone was silently wondering, "Why would God allow the hurricane to happen?" Her mom responded with shrugged shoulders to avoid a trite answer, "I don't know, but someday we will".

One of the marks of healthy processing though grief and trauma is to attempt to make sense or meaning of the loss. One neighbor recalled how she and her family (one already dealing with anxiety) laid down in the closet together praying through the night as they watched their roof heave 3" up and down off the frame with the gusts of wind. She claims she found supernatural peace from God that night and she literally beams with gratitude as her family has overcome the constant anxiety they were familiar with before the storm.

Many families had to make the hard decision to send their children stateside for school as many here closed down after Maria. One dad said he was so grateful for the opportunity his daughter had while she was tutored there as she learned valuable tools to overcome her reading challenges , "If THAT is the only good thing that came out of this whole thing it would be worth it!"

One woman we met at the beach shared how the wailing sounds of the storm triggered her veteran husband and ultimately forced him to get the treatment he needed for PTSD that he had been struggling with for years. She is learning to trust God fully as they are separated during his healing process.

Broken Pieces

While so many have found ways to rebuild their homes and lives, there are still many who are left confused and hurting. Many families left during the warning and haven't returned- some may never come back as jobs were lost as well. The Pastor at a local church joked with his congregation while preaching in jeans and a t-shirt (usually in a tie & suit coat) about his tiny tantrum because his dry cleaners STILL haven't reopened. He challenged them to be grateful even when they have to wait in line for 2 hours at the power company to pay their bill, and recognize the comforts we all cling to when under stress.

Even though the storm has created plenty of messes to clean-up, there is something beautiful about people coming together to rebuild.

Our Joy

We have been welcomed back with genuine honor and love here. Our base leader yelled from 30 feet behind the security doors at the airport "The Fishers are here!! The Fishers are here!" and almost tackled us to the ground with her hearty Puerto Rican hug. It has been a transition for sure adjusting to the heat, bugs, and community living, but we feel God's love poured out to us in huge ways.

The boys were excited to help bring home 2 new guard dog puppies for the base the second day we were here. The staff decided to name them Irma and Maria (after the hurricanes) as they have been making monuments for their victories through the storm and moving forward.

It was so good to reunite with some of our old friends from the government housing project and to find that Matt's garbage can he installed on outreach 9 months ago made it through the storm!

We are helping with maintenance, staff intercession times, and base ministries as we prepare for the Northgate Alaska team joining us next week. 

We can't wait to have NGA 'family' visit and work hard together to rebuild his kingdom here. Some of the projects the Alaska team may be working on include: Tearing down the old trailer and hauling it off, rebuilding the base fence, repairing the shower house, cleaning the pool, tree/ branch removal, and installing wood flooring to name a few.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support. When we finally got to the beach Saturday, we all agreed that the challenges here- the centipede in the boys room, the rat the size of a kitten on our stairs- all of it is worth it- to go exactly where God sends us. Thank you for partnering with us.