Becoming a Townie

After we unpacked ourselves and claimed our spaces in our new home, and then had a good night's sleep in our his-n-hers rooms, it was time to enjoy the morning ebb and flow from a shaded lounge chair on the upstairs porch overlooking the harbor and the main drag.  This was Sunday and not a busy day 'round these parts.  The scene:  one jammie-wearing wannabe local lady with a monogrammed insulated cup of fresh hot coffee, a handheld VHF dialed in to channel 68 for the Cruisers' Net, my iPhone at the ready for snapping pictures of random happenings, one small dingy white dog, an equally ratty looking dog woobie draped over the footrest of aforementioned lounge chair, my trusty laptop hooked up to speedy wifi access, a slight breeze, and one candy cane striped lighthouse overlooking the whole thing.

During the two hours I sat there, I watched several ferry boats pass.  As far as I could tell, they were all "Donnies".  The sound of the engine rumbling back and forth became somewhat of a marker to me saying, "Look up from your laptop.  Greet the day...marvel at the new arrivals, snapping photos of the lighthouse, excited to start their vacations and be thankful for the crew of workers who make this daily trip just like state-siders do riding the city bus to get to their job sites.  Be present, woman!"

Albury ferry boat returning to Marsh Harbor.

The view from this upper porch is of the mooring field in the harbor.  There are catamarans and sail boats twisting and turning with the winds and the tides.  People mill about on their deck space, having their coffee, and going through their daily morning routines.  Dinghies motor through the maze, making their runs with ease.

The mini coconut grove on the right side of the view acts as a type of frame for this idyllic picture, the fronds wave and rustle just enough to give me a gentle reminder that this is real life and not just some Tripp Harrison poster hanging in front of me.

Although this home fronts Bay Street, one of only two roads that lead through town, it is not busy.  This is Sunday in Hope Town.  The expression, "Slow down you're in Hope Town!" is an especially true statement since most businesses are closed and there are at least SIX church services for this little village of 458 (according to the 2010 census).

View of intersection of Bay and Russell Streets from upper porch.

On the other side of the mini coconut grove and across the harbor is the Elbow Reef Lighthouse.  (Click here for their Facebook page to learn more about this iconic structure!  Or here or here to read my other blog posts about the lighthouse.) 

And then I spied a bird's nest and a mockingbird making trips to and fro.  The babies must have just hatched.  Their tiny beaks were almost imperceptible against the tangle of brown leaves, vines, and the wavering of the palm fronds.  Despite the quietness of the Sunday morning, I could not hear any little peeps out of them.  Every few minutes the mama bird would fly up to the nest.  Only a few millimeters of tiny tan colored beak was visible above the edge as she leaned over to feed them.   After just a quick moment of tending to her babies, the mama was off again, getting more for their hungry little bellies.

Baby birds in their nest.

Mama Mockingbird always on the go!

I could have just sat there on the upper porch forever, what could be better?  I had coffee, wifi, a harbor view and a happy dog.

My own personal "loyalist".

But, I had to be a true townie and go to church.  As I said earlier, there are at least six church services in this tiny place.

• St. James Methodist Church has 9:30 and 11:00 services
• Lighthouse Ministries offers three times to worship at 9:45, 11:00, and 7:00 PM
• Catholic Mass (under the tree in the playground at Jarret Park) at 12:45

I chose St. James with its hilltop beach-front location.  This is the church that plays its chimes daily at noon and 6:00, plus as I jogged through town last Sunday, I was tickled and tempted by all the folk I saw walking to service.  As a "local" and a child of God, I knew this was the place for me!  I fixed myself up as much as I could:  flip flops, no make-up, and a sundress...and walked myself down Back Street to church.

9:30 "Family Service" for one, please.

Palm trees, yellow shutters, seaside location...  God is good!

Entrance with the morning sun highlighting the cross.

I opened the door, took a leaflet, and walked in, did my genuflect, and crossed myself as I greeted the holy space.  I chose a pew about mid-way up on the left, did another genuflect, and looked for a kneeler...  Nope.  So, I scooted up to the edge of the seat, folded my hands, and prayed/eavesdropped.  This was a chatty bunch, very casual, and clearly different than what I am used to at my strict/stuffy church in Tampa.  As I sat back in my pew and scanned the leaflet and walls for the page numbers of the hymns and sections of the Book of Common Prayer that would be used...  Nope.  The leaflet had what appeared to be four sets of song lyrics typed out.  (None of which I was familiar with.)  Next, I fumbled about with my Bahamian $5.00 bill that I brought for my offering.  Ah!  Something I recognized...the envelope!

The congregation consisted of about 20 or so people:  older couples, singles, moms and families with kids and a guy in the second or third pew back wearing shorts and flip flops who looked like he might be somewhat in charge.  He spoke to a little boy to ask if he was comfortable doing the reading.  They reviewed it together and decided it was going to be his turn.  I couldn't help but just grin at this whole scene even though it was so not what I had anticipated...it was so much better!

I didn't want to take pictures during the services, so I'll have to describe it.  The guy, who I thought might be in charge, stood up and addressed us, "Hi, guys!  Let's come together to pray."  And, we did. I can't remember what he said but I do remember that it brought another smile to my face.

After the very casual prayer (that sounded just like I had overhead some well put together string of consciousness... not formal and full of archaic speech or umpteen ways to say, "God"), we were asked to stand for the first song.  The man in charge took off what appeared to be his wedding ring, tucked it into his shirt pocket, and sat down at a bongo.  A little girl, who I later figured out was named Journey, (←CUTE name!) stood at a mic next to a tallish blonde lady with a guitar who also had her own mic.  Up from the back of the church came sprinting another man who picked up a guitar and stood at the mic stage alter left.   And then, they started to play music and sing "My Own Flame", a song that I didn't know at the time but quickly learned due to the repeating verse and chorus.  The blonde gal sang with such presence!  She strummed the guitar, closed her eyes, and smiled as her praise for the Lord grew within her and filled the entire space.  Her smile was one of those smiles that just comes from deep inside...just the perfect physical representation of how God lives in her.  Breath-taking!

We remained standing for "the peace".  It was at that time that I learned that the little boy who was chosen to do the reading was named, Reed.  His mother, Ericka, is the woman we had been using as our contact at Elbow Cay Rentals.  Reed was also the little boy who found one of my painted rocks that I put on the wall in front of Lantana Cottage - our rental house in the settlement.  I was thrilled to meet him, as I had had such a great time watching that lil guy stop his bike and holler to his parents, "I found a rock!"  (I haven't written about my painted rocks yet.  But, you can visit their Facebook page here.)

There were more prayers and more songs and a mystery stocking.  The mystery stocking (as best as I could tell) is a knitted Christmas type of stocking that has an item placed in it by one of the children.  The "preacher" reveals the object and then shares a scripture that is metaphorical.  "God is like this yo-yo because He...."  The stocking was passed to another family for them to fill for next week's lesson.

Then all the children were called to sit on the communion rail kneelers for a story that was read by the blonde smiling woman.  She knelt in front of the kids, showed them an illustration of a woman pouring expensive perfume on someone, and read them a few paragraphs about that.  She asked the kids questions about what they thought this meant.  One child responded with something like, "She didn't waste her fine perfume, just like we are not wasting time here in this church."  At that, I started to get misty eyed.

Story time

The sermon was about God, the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.  The preacher shared that this verse was the overarching statement that guided the mission trip he had just returned from last night.  Next Sunday the kids from the mission trip will be speaking at the service.  I'll be coming to hear that!

There was no ceremonial recession, no quasi-forced awkward hand-shake at the exit, just kind of like..."Go in peace, guys"  And then they began to pack up their instruments.  Out of habit (and in this case true desire), I walked up to the man who lead the service, shook his hand, and honestly thanked him for a wonderful experience.  The blonde gal was engaged in conversation with someone else and I felt too awkward waiting around to tell her how much I enjoyed her voice and smile.  I figured that I'd do that next week.

After I was filled with the spirit (and lunch), Summer and I decided to go to the beach to look for sea glass.  We took the most direct route to the beach, next to the cemetery.  And stopped for a selfie.

"Mommy!  It's too bright!"

The beach!

Overcast, but still a good beach combing day.

The path to the beach ends with a ladder.

Summer and I did not have much success with the sea glassing expedition.  So, we chose to walk on, up and over the rocks next to Hope Town Harbor Lodge and then down Back Street to our house.  The following photos are a bit of what we saw.

Waves hitting the rocks as the tide rises.

Summer walking out to the farthest possible point.

Interesting survey marker on the rocks.

Aloe farm?!?

Quintessential Bahamas

I never get tired of the bright colors and shutters.

If you've ever been to Hope Town, you've got this Lizard Lodge in your photo collection.

Warning sign near Lizard Lodge

Despite having a full day, I hadn't yet done any actual exercise.  So, I headed out for a quick north end loop jog and a visit to my secret sea glass beach.

Enjoying the shade of someone's house and the seat from their sea wall.

Secret beach sea glass yield.

Shawn and Nicholas went to Hope Town Inn and Marina for a swim and some dinner.  Summer and I stayed in and enjoyed the sunset over the lighthouse while playing gin at the kitchen bar.

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Dear God,

Thank you!

Can I please live here forever?