Mission Trip Update

Mission Trip Update

The first order of business was to run temporary water lines from the library/chapel building to the ladies dorm where two water pumps provide water to students and staff.

Then 30,000 gallons of water were drained overnight from the cistern. Many people would gasp at this thought. Why? Water is such a precious resource on the islands and water is never wasted. The good news is that we were there in the rainy season so the cistern would easily fill again.

Once the cistern was drained, it had to be cleaned, and a 32 inch wall built to divide the area. 

Student Help

Grafton Jack, a second year student, would help with cleaning, carrying blocks, building the wall, and plastering. It is very warm inside the cistern and masks were needed because of the strong odor of the plaster. Dr. Bellew, the interim president, as well as Pastor Whyte and Pastor Saunders also had their hands in the work at times. At the end of the day clothes had to be hosed off before they could be washed. 

Gravity

Once the cistern was done, some water was drained from the library/chapel building up the hill down to the dorm building. Gravity, one of God's forces, made that job easier!

Since there was some time and since we did not have to buy water, we purchased additional plaster and did half of the cistern in that building.

The final days found us cleaning up and packing away supplies. The PVC pipe will come in handy for the next project.

The picture below shows the new wall built in the cistern. This will help the next time it is cleaned. The water will have to be drained from only one half of the cistern rather than wasting all the water.

Billy also did some work on some of the dorm windows and did some major weed whacking. The picture below shows just a taste of the type of hilly terrain there is on the college campus. It is a challenge to keep it mowed and cut as the rain and warm sunshine make it grow very fast!

We have found that since coming home, flooding rains have come to the west end of St. Thomas so the cisterns are filling up once again!

Our trip was from October 25 to November 17. While on St. Thomas we had the opportunity to worship with our church family at Grace Baptist Church. We had truly missed the people there and again it was hard to say good bye to them.

Billy faced some health issues that made it quite a challenge. A dry socket from a tooth extraction required pain meds and antibiotics for two weeks, and then a severe cut in the cornea from a piece of concrete caused him to be on antibiotics another week. But God gave him the strength and endurance to finish the project and then some.

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19

We would like to thank those who gave and prayed for this trip to Bluewater Bible College. Your generous gifts made it possible for a much needed project to be completed and now the students and staff have a fresh, clean cistern for water.

Blessings,

Billy & Cecilia

Summer-Fall Newsletter 2016

What's Happening

Spring found us finishing up a work project for YES Ministry, visiting several different churches in Central Florida, and packing up our belongings and moving them into storage for our journey home to Maine. After visiting our sending church in Tennessee, we traveled several days to reach home. For the first time in a long time we were cold, experienced Spring and saw our family. 35 degrees sure feels different in real life than seeing it on TV!

Celebrations!

We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary on June 1st. Where has the time gone?

Our first shipment of clothing for the children in the Caribbean was mailed to St. Croix for distribution in early June. God continues to provide cloth for Cecilia to keep busy sewing!

Mission Project

Billy started tearing apart a 100 year old camp near ours.A missionary couple, who will be retiring in the near future, needed their small camp repaired and updated.

Heavy clothing was needed the first few days as the weather was cold and blustery. It has since warmed and the building has progressed nicely.

News Of Faith

After a 1500 mile road trip from Maine, we are settling into a place in Kissimmee, Florida. We praise God for safety as we traveled and for this nice place to live. Billy is working for a family here on some renovation projects and Cecilia is busy unpacking and sewing clothes for needy children in the Caribbean.

Our hearts are still in the islands though our primary residence is in the states. We believe this is where the Lord wants us at this time. Our connections with churches and individuals will help in raising awareness of the needs of Bluewater Bible College.

We sense the Lord would have us to do some short term mission projects and our first one is scheduled!

"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here an I; send me."

We leave October 25th for a 3 week trip to Bluewater Bible College on St. Thomas. The first much needed project is working on a 30,000 gallon cistern which provides water for the women's dorm and 5 apartments. It needs to be drained, cleaned, repainted, and filled with water. Once that is done, if there is any time left, we will work on other small projects. 

We are asking you to pray along with us as we seek the Lord for the $2000.00 needed.

The college is a mission school so our responsibility is to bring money for what projects we do. We will also be looking for individuals, couples, or small groups to so with us on some projects there in the future. If this is something you feel the Lord would have you do, contact us and we will make plans. The work is hard as you will notice in the picture below, but the rewards and blessings are too numerous to count!

Gifts for the project can be sent to:

Billy & Cecilia Stone

PO Box 700933

St. Cloud, FL  34770

We will update you on the project when we return or follow along on our blogspot. Thank you for your prayers! Hope to see you on a mission trip in the future!

Blessings,

Billy and Cecilia

340-643-0820 Billy

340-643-0821 Cecilia

www.CaribbeanMission.blogspot.com

Packing Once Again!

Packing Once Again

We find ourselves in a familiar place once again. Packing up our things and ready to head out on a mission project in Maine. Does this get weary? To be honest it sometimes does. But then again the excitement of the next adventure makes it worth it all. 

The Lord brought us back from the Caribbean for a season. He provided a good truck for transportation, a roof over our heads (though the small efficiency apartment was tight at times), a time of visiting family, friends and connecting with many new people and churches here in Central Florida. 

But now it is time to move on. Our lives, as follows of Jesus Christ, mean we are on a journey and home hasn't arrived yet. We know there is a place far greater than our imagination can take us. Is it real? Yes, Yes and Yes! The Bible clearly states that when Jesus left this earth, He plans to return for those who have put their trust in Him. He is preparing our Heavenly Home and to be honest at times, can not wait until that day. Until then, we will keep on packing, moving along on our journey until the Lord says to stop again.

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
John 14:2-3

Winter 2016 Newsletter

Stateside Ministry

For the first time in over five years we were able to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with some of our family and friends. What a blessing!

The property we are staying in, which belongs to YES Ministry President, is for sale so we have been busy with painting, cleaning and repairs. We have visited several churches and Billy has had the opportunity to preach several times on Sundays and Wednesday evenings. We have also shared our slide presentation to some churches.

A mission project we helped with was fun as well as a lot of hard work. Seedline Ministry came to a local church and we helped with putting together over 50,600 Spanish books of The Gospel of John and Romans. They will be going to churches in Mexico and then distributed to the people there.

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." 

Isaiah 55:11

Cecilia has been busy sewing children's clothing for the needy children in the Caribbean islands.

Christmas packages were sent to the students at Bluewater Bible College. A big THANK YOU to New Beginnings Baptist Church for all their gifts to help fill those 8 boxes!

Community Project

Just before Christmas, a group of us spruced up a family's yard with mulch, trimmed bushes, mowed the lawn and hung Christmas lights. One of the women in the house spoke with the associate pastor and accepted Christ as her Savior. All the hard work was worth it to see her become part of the family of God!

Never Too Old To Learn

Both of us have had a desire to learn Spanish, but always thought we were getting too old to learn. Surprise! We are NOT too old and with beginner books, flashcards and Apps for the computer we are slowly grasping basic words. We don't ever expect to be fluent but hope we will be able to communicate as we interact with those who do speak Spanish.

Adios!

What's Next??

In late Spring we will secure or belongings here and drive to Atlanta to visit family, then to our sending church in Tennessee to share our ministry. It has been 4 years since we have seen them so it should be a great time of fellowship! Then we drive to Maine after a brief visit with family in Massachusetts and Vermont. We will be at our cabin for awhile this summer. We will be helping out a missionary couple from New Tribes Mission. They are nearing retirement and need their cabin fixed upso will be working on that. Since it is as old as ours (over 100 years old) it will require some major work. We also will visit family (two years is too long a time in between hugs from grandchildren!) and supporting churches and individuals. We are open to speaking engagements as they arise so it will be a busy time for sure!

Praises & Prayer Requests

Praises

Opportunities to Share our Ministry

Health & Safety

Mission Projects Here in the States

Prayer Requests

Opportunities to Present Ministry Needs

Safety as We Travel

Spanish Studies

Lord's Direction After Maine Ministry

Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support. They truly are a blessing and encouragement!

Billy & Cecilia

Contact Info

Billy 340-643-0820

Cecilia 340-643-0821

www.CaribbeanMission.blogspot.com

StoneJuicePlus@aol.com

Temporary Mailing Address

1715 Jersey Avenue

St. Cloud, FL  34769

Tax deductible contributions may be made online at

www.YEServants.org

or mail to

YES Ministry

PO Box 700697

St. Cloud, FL  34770

Fall 2015 Newsletter

Fall Is The Time For Leaves!

Having come from the state of Maine we know the beauty of God's creation when the leaves change color in the fall. Bright reds, yellows and oranges adorn a variety of trees. Our favorite are those set against the white birch trees. It has been a long time since we were in New England to see the miracle of this transformation but our memories still carry those beautiful sights.

However, there comes a time when the weather changes and the leaves drop from the tree and allow the tree to go through a time of rest and renewal. During those bleak winter days there is still life left in the tree. Energy stored up from the summer helps it to survive harsh winters. New life appears in the spring when buds produce green leaves that will eventually change color later in the fall season.

Just as it always seems too early for the leaves to fall from the trees, it seemed too early for us to leave St. Thomas and Bluewater Bible College. But without a doubt we believe God said it was time to go. We feel truly blessed to have had this opportunity to get to know the students and our church family at Grace Baptist Church.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Transition Time

Once the plans were made to return to the states for awhile, we began to sell most of our belongings. The day after the car was posted for sale, we had a cash buyer; other items too large to ship were sold and we packed up the rest and shipped them to our location in St. Cloud, Florida (just south of Orlando). We arrived home on October 23 without a car and long term place to stay. Friends let us use their truck and within three days God had provided a pickup truck we bought from a cousin headed on a mission trip to Colombia. After a few days of staying in our parents mobile home, we were able to move into a 400 sq ft studio apartment that is owned by the YES Ministry president. God has truly proved His faithfulness once more in providing for our needs. The people have loved on us and taken good care of us. The first few days of driving in heavy traffic on the right side of the road made for a time of intense prayer. Who would have thought driving could have been so scary!!

What Next??

We are seeking the Lord's guidance for what we should do next. We ask that you pray with us as we seek His will. Since we know this is God's will for us right now, it makes leaving the Caribbean for a time much easier. Only in time will we know God's plans. Meanwhile we both are looking for some employment to help supplement our support as we are at about 35% of what we need. We are taking opportunities to help out with some maintenance of the apartment where we are staying. We also are connecting with churches and individuals here as well as eventually in Tennessee and Maine as spring and summer approach.

We thank you for your prayer and financial support. Your faithfulness has truly been a blessing and an encouragement.

Billy & Cecilia

Praises & Prayer Requests

Praises

Safe Trip Home

Health & Safety

Transportation and Housing

Prayer Requests

Opportunities to Present Ministry Needs

Bluewater Bible College Students Needs

Employment

Health & Safety

Transition to Stateside Living

Attendance at West Indies Baptist Fellowship Conference in January in Ft. Lauderdale

Contact Information

Billy 340-643-0820

Cecilia 340-643-0821

www.CaribbeanMission.blogspot.com

StoneJuicePlus@aol.com

Mailing Address

1715 Jersey Avenue

St. Cloud, FL  34769

Tax deductible contributions
may be made online at:
www.YEServants.org
or mail to:
YES Ministry
PO Box 700697
St. Cloud, FL  34770

Summer 2015 Newsletter

In Five Short Months

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.."
Ecclesiastes 9:10

At The Baptism

We have found our hands can be used for many things here on St. Thomas. On May 31st we joined Grace Baptist Church with welcoming hand shakes along with lots of hugs. We have grown to love Pastor Whyte and the people here.

Pastor Whyte

Grace Baptist Church

We shared hands of congratulations with a young man baptized in the Caribbean Sea. What a beautiful day!
We share in the responsibilities of cleaning the church monthly. Billy is helping with the song leading and Cecilia is doing the church bulletin.

While the president and his wife were away (no, the mice did not play) Billy drained, cleaned and painted the cistern under their house. Unfortunately no rain came to fill it up so we had to have a truck of water delivered. Now with a freshly painted roof, a clean, full cistern, they should be set for awhile.

Since mission teams and summer camps were coming for June and July, there was lots to do in preparation for that to happen. Cleaning apartments, moving some furniture around, locating supplies, etc. all took up our days. We will have to admit that occasionally on our runs to the dump we would stop on the way back for a quick swim in the Caribbean to cool off!

Summer Camps

Seaside Adventure Camp ran for two weeks in June. Two mission families came a week ahead to help get the dorms cleaned and bunks ready, kitchen cleaned and stocked with food for about 75 people each week. Overall it was a good time for all. One major crisis for the boys was a broken water pump that took a couple of days to get it completely running at full power again. Shuffling boys and girls around to share the showers made it a little rough but they managed!

Camp Fortuna ran for four weeks in July. The camp director came in from the island of St. Vincent and everyone seemed to have a great time. Nothing like hearing songs of praise from the children in the mornings!
The water pump caused no problems for them but on Sunday morning, the day after the campers left, the pump in the girls dorm came crashing down after the shelf broke. We had no water for awhile. Thank goodness the dorm has two pumps so we were able to shower in the dorm downstairs and carry buckets upstairs for dishes, etc. And the van the director was using had a flat tire that morning to make things more interesting!







Mission Team Coming!

We have a 10 member mission team coming from New Beginnings Baptist Church in St. Cloud, Florida. They arrive November 6th for a week of work and ministry. Several from this group came to St. Croix a couple of years ago and were a tremendous blessing to us and Altona Baptist Church. Needless to say we can not wait to see them again and enjoy the fellowship of old friends and making some new ones!

Practical Ways To Help In This Ministry

Since people have asked how they can help us we have provided a list of some practical needs we have:
1. Auto registration in August $75
2. Ink for printer for doing bulletins/newsletter
3. Stamps for mailing newsletters and letters
4. Driver's license renewal for both of us $100
5. Passport renewal for both of us $220.00
6. Cecilia's nursing license renewal $250
7. Gas money
8. Auto insurance renewal in November $700
9. Auto repairs as car not running $????

Our financial support takes care of what we need for groceries each month and our phone as well as our payment for Christian Healthcare Ministries. We have no health or dental insurance policies. We are trying to get by with as little as possible over these next few months so we can finish the year of commitment we made here at Bluewater Bible College.
God is and always has been our Provider. He works through people to meet our needs. We thank those who have prayed and given so faithfully. It is very much appreciated!

Billy & Cecilia

Contact Info
Billy 340-643-0820
Cecilia 340-643-0821
www.CaribbeanMission.blogspot.com
StoneJuicePlus@aol.com

Tax deductible contributions
may be made online at
www.Yeservants.org
or mail to
YES Ministry
PO Box 700697
St. Cloud, FL  34770

Horse Sense

 

 

These Days We Could Use A Little Horse Sense! 

 

 

 

Horses are my favorite animal. They are strong and beautiful. I love horseback riding, though it has been a few years since I have done that. They are fun to watch even as they graze in the pasture, their new little one playing in the summer sun. The sound of their whinny when they see you coming with a bright red apple brings joy to my heart.

Horses are used for pleasure as well as for work. I always found it interesting when I saw them with blinders on. It takes away from their beauty! After I did a little research I learned that the blinders are used to keep them on course so they remain focused. Their peripheral vision tends to distract them from their work. When plowing a field they could easily get off track and make a crooked row, when in a parade become distracted by another horse or people, or get skittish when a dog or snake comes along.

I find that in my Christian walk I need to wear "blinders". Not that I want to stick my head in the sand like an ostrich oblivious to what is going on around him. No, I need to be aware but I need to stay focused. My "peripheral" vision of ungodly world wide events tends to distract me and make me ineffective for the purpose God has for my life.

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."  Hebrews 12:1

So if you see that my vision is focused on God and the teachings of the Bible, know that, though not perfect, my heart's desire is to stay obedient to my Master and follow Him. The "blinders" are a good thing and they provide the protection I need to stay focused on the Work of the Lord.