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BY CARRIE STEELE

Tucked away in the eastern Caribbean, just north of the small island of Grenada is an even smaller island called Carriacou. There?s no mention of it in high school geography books. You?ll have a tough time finding it on a map, and your travel agent has probably never even heard of it.

But on that tiny island of just 13 square miles and 6,000 people is the Bogles Methodist Church, where I and 13 others lived and served for one week on a Volunteers in Mission trip in October.

From Oakdale-Emory UMC in Olney and Emmanuel UMC in Laurel, we came some 2,000 miles to see how we could help. For one week we immersed ourselves in a completely foreign culture, allowing God to direct us while spending time in fellowship with God?s children from another small piece of the Earth.

These brothers and sisters lived on the shores of aquamarine waters and bold blue skies; breathed air humid and thick with heat, and probably thought it strange how we considered neighboring goats, pigs and sheep like foreign attractions.

We went to Carriacou expecting to repair hurricane damage, but upon arriving found that God had different plans. What Grenada needed was for us to help renew Bogles Methodist Church.

Our team fortified the small church, strengthening its stance in the community with hopes of attracting new members to the congregation. We provided fresh coats of paint and varnish, new windows and doors, and made a new sign. It felt like we were planting seeds we weren?t sure how to grow.

At the beginning of the week, the assignment seemed insurmountable. Tasked with painting the entire building, inside and out, we stood looking at the ceiling pitched to 20 feet at the apex, wondering how we would manage to finish the job. With makeshift scaffolding of boards threaded through trusses and teamwork, paintbrushes covered every inch of the ceiling.

Plus, there was tough work, like chiseling cement and less glamorous work, like sweeping and gathering stray nails. There were gutters to replace and furniture to repair.

As we worked, we were blessed with the company of new friends we met at the work site.

There we met Lynessa, who spent every workday with us, and on the last day, braided my hair into some 40 tiny braids. She and a few others helped prepare a huge, special meal of local foods, coocoo (made with cornmeal and coconut milk), pigeon peas and pork, made in cast iron pots over rocks and blazing hot fires. One of her 11 children, 22-year-old Asha, came out to the work site most days and helped varnish the wooden cross in the front of the church.

There was also 15-year-old Kendell who worked side-by-side with our team all week. And Florina, a church leader, whose daily visit often meant fresh guava juice for us. And there were other friends who made us feel welcome.

At the daily Bible school we led for the kids, we offered Bible stories, activities and themed talks about sharing, caring and being fishers of men. Seeing the joy of kids coloring and listening to stories felt great.

With so many youth attending the church, we recognized so much potential, and we constantly encouraged the kids to stay involved with the church.

The church service lasted for two-and-a-half hours on our last day in Carriacou.

Uncomfortably warm in the still, stifling air, we shared tattered canticle booklets on hard wooden pews and made room for more and more latecomers. I admired the work we had done in the sanctuary, recalling everything from sweeping to reading Bible stories to exchanged smiles with teammates and residents. There wasn?t an organ, stained glass or candles on the altar, but as the voices of the congregation swelled and rose in unison for 'Majesty,' I knew there was genuine Spirit and love bursting from that small church.

And I hope that it stays that way.

I like knowing that I was part of the boost that we were able to give Bogles Methodist Church.

Best of all, I met a community of welcoming people whose friendship began and flourished in one week, but who are now people whose faces are etched in my mind.

Carrie Steele is a member of Oakdale-Emory UMC in Olney.