Christmas Newsletter

Just Imagine

 

 

Living in a heavenly place where love abounds, perfect in all its glory. Revelation 21:23

 

Looking down below to the earth and the people you created. Wars, broken relationships, sickness, poverty, etc abound. These people need someone to intervene and save them.

Genesis 1:1 and Romans 3:23

 

Leaving the glories of heaven to be born in a stable in Bethlehem. The sounds and smells are a sharp contrast to where you came from. Luke 2:11

 

Living there among your people, teaching them and showing them the way to life everlasting.

John 3:16 and John 14:6

 

Loving those who have rejected you and hung you on a cross to die. Luke 23:34

 

Lifting upward to heaven, leaving your loved ones behind with the hope of your return.

Acts 1:8-11 and John 14:1-4

 

Looking and waiting for the voice of God to signal for the time for your return to the earth to gather your own. Matthew 24:36

 

Lord Jesus, what you must have gone through for me and how much you must love me.

 

 

 

 

Our fall newsletter is later than usual and has a temporary new look. Our computer had a crash during November and the hard drive cannot be fixed. We thought shipping a new laptop with 3 day priority mail would help us stay on track. However, because of the lithium battery it had to go by ship which takes a lot longer time. It has been quite challenge to use our smart phone for business and ministry communicating! But praise God we are up and running again.

We have found these last few months to be a time of testing and trusting the Lord in much deeper ways. Billy continues to teach the adult Sunday School class and Cecilia does the church bulletin. She is also focusing more on home and ministry and is no longer working at the school.

Also during November Billy's car broke down on the way home from work. We had it towed to a garage after leaving it beside the road overnight. We emptied out all his tools in case it was vandalized or broken into. Thankfully it was there in the morning. After tearing the motor apart, ordering parts, etc we were able to get it back after 6 weeks. It is still not running right and is back in a different shop. Keep in mind we are living on an island and repairs and ordering parts are not the same as in the states. Patience!

Through all this we both have seen how God has met our needs, sustained us with one operating car (which stalls quite often), and encouraged us to persevere under difficult situations. As humans we question God's plans but we know He is ultimately in control which helps when life throws you a curveball!! We thank you for your prayers and support.

Most importantly we want to honor God with our lives, especially as we approach this Christmas Season. Time seems to be drawing near for His return and we need to be busy about His work.

May you and your family have a Blessed Christmas!

 

Love

Billy & Cecilia

 



Summer Newsletter 2014

 

Stateside Ministry

Early Tuesday morning, June 10 we jumped out of bed, closed up our St. Croix apartment, and traveled through 4 airports, over 2000 miles, and 16 hours later to climb into our bed in our cabin in Maine! It is always good to go back home.

 

Many people said "Hope you have a good vacation!" Little did they realize that ministry does not stop on the mission field. Our schedule was to become packed with carpentry work, painting, cutting down trees, clearing up brush, as well as sharing our slide presentation to churches and individuals of our ministry here on St. Croix.

We also spent time reacquainting ourselves with family and friends. The youngest grandchild is still a little slow in reaching out to her grandparents.

We also spent time shopping for supplies needed. Prices are less expensive in the states so we purchase non perishable items and ship them.

We did get to see some familiar Maine sights and some we had not seen before, as well as kayak on the lake. We saw deer, eagles and loons. Spent some time swinging on our porch swing and listening to the call of the loons across the lake.

Time came to say our goodbyes to Ryan & Nicole and their family.

 

 

Seven weeks later we found ourselves back on a plane again but this time we headed to Atlanta for a couple of days to spend some time with Darrin & Charlie.

 

 

 

 

We arrived back home to St. Croix on July 31. Although it was good to get away it was good to be back home on our island.

 

Tropical Storm Bertha

We arrived back to the island on a Thursday night and Tropical Storm Bertha arrived on Friday night. We found ourselves scrambling around getting groceries, gas for the generator, and picking up lightweight items around our home. Bertha welcomed us home with some winds and rain, and some power outages.

 

 

 

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

Isaiah 43:2

 

Ministry at Altona Baptist church

 We continue with our ministry at Altona Baptist Church. Billy will be teaching some in the adult Sunday School as well as assisting in the worship service. Cecilia will continue with the weekly church bulletin and assisting in the worship service as needed.

 

 

The Dorans are active in church leadership and members. They just celebrated 45 years of marriage.

Happy Anniversary!

 

Carpentry & Construction Projects

 

God has provided carpentry/maintenance projects for Billy to supplement our monthly support. Those are opportunities to build relationships and meet new people. With this flexible schedule Billy is able to spend time with Bible study in preparation for more preaching opportunities.

 

Ministry at Free Will Baptist Christian School

 

Cecilia returned to school in August. She continues to be the school nurse and work on government grants for the school. In addition to this she is teaching 25 fifth graders their Bible class every day.

Billy will be able to do some construction projects on the school when needed.

 

Island Economy

Unemployment continues to be high here on St. Croix. Hovensa, the closed oil refinery, is up for sale. There seems to be some interested parties in purchasing the property. Re opening the oil refinery would be a big boost to the economy here. This seems to be taking longer than the government expected and only time will tell if the sale goes through.

 

Praises & Prayer Requests

Praises

Ministry opportunities

Employment in these tough economic times

Prayer and financial supporters

Currently at about 30% of monthly support needed

Good trip to Maine & Atlanta

 

Prayer Requests

Ministry on St. Croix

Continued employment

Opportunities to share the gospel

Health & Safety

Wisdom & Guidance

 

Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support for the ministry here on St. Croix/

 

Billy & Cecilia

 

Contact Information

Billy  340-643-0820

Cecilia 340-643-0821

www.CaribbeanMissionBlogspot.com

 

Tax deductible contributions may be sent to:

YES Ministry

PO Box 700697

St. Cloud, FL  34770

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Spring 2014 Newsletter

Easter Sunrise Service

&

Baptism

 

Easter weekend is a time when many people from the island camp out on beaches. Several people from Altona Baptist Church camp out at Cramer Park on the east end of St. Croix. Traditionally the Sunrise service has been held there. Billy had the privilege to give the message. There were about 35 people present, many of whom were young people.

 

 

He also assisted with a baptism. This was especially nice as the 68 year old woman had accepted Christ as her Savior a few months ago when he had preached.

 

 

 

God splashed a rainbow across the sky just before the Sunrise Service!

 

Movie Night

 

In March we showed the movie "The Passion of The Christ." We had a good turnout that night. This was the first time seeing this movie for several people. Although it was a difficult movie to watch, it was one that we all agreed touched us in many ways.

 

 

 

Chapel

Cecilia told the Easter Story during chapel services at the elementary school. The children loved the "Resurrection Eggs" and were eager to see what symbol of Easter was in each colored egg. The favorite was the last one which was empty...just as the tomb was on that Resurrection Sunday.

 

 

"And the angel answered and said unto the women, fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

Matthew 28:5-6

 

Ministry at Free Will Baptist Christian School

 

Blessings come along when you serve the Lord that you could never imagine. Cecilia was able to coordinate and accompany the fifth grade class on a field trip on the historic Roseway Schooner. World Ocean School, based out of Camden, Maine, comes to St. Croix each winter.

 

 

Students on the island learn navigational skills, as well as history, math, science and teamwork as they sail in the Caribbean. Three hours a day for a week they climbed aboard and were sailing partners with the staff of the Roseway. Rough seas at times were a challenge but overall the children and their teachers loved it! It was Amazing!

 

 

 

Carpentry & Construction Projects

Billy worked with another missionary at the school repairing roofs, painting and building some new shelving for the library and physical education equipment.

 

 

 

Construction has begun on the new addition at The Way of the Cross Baptist Church. Billy was able to stop by and help when the concrete floor was poured. He will be helping out with the roof once the block walls are finished. What a blessing to see this happening as construction had been delayed when Hovensa, the oil refinery, closed.

 

 

Stateside Ministry

We leave St. Croix June 10 for seven weeks. It will be a working, seeing family & friends, sharing ministry at churches, and SOME much needed vacation time. The end of the trip we fly to Atlanta to see Darrin & Charlie...three years is a long time without seeing them. That visit will be brief as we head back to St. Croix on July 31.

 

Praises

&

Prayer Requests

Praises

Ministry Opportunities

Trip to Maine

Employment in these tough economic times

Prayer and financial supporters

 

Prayer Requests

Speaking engagements in Maine

Quality family time

Health & Safety

Wisdom & Guidance

Return to island July 31

 

Thank you so much and we look forward to seeing some of you this summer!

Billy & Cecilia

 

Tax deductible contributions may be sent to:

YES Ministry

P O Box 700697

St. Cloud, FL  34770

or

www.YEServants.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Newsletter Winter of 2014

2014 Agricultural Fair

 

Each February, St. Croix hosts an agricultural fair. People from nearby islands come to the three day event, displaying their harvest, plants, animals, as well as booth after booth of crafts, services, and or course delicious island foods!

 

Parents with their children stopped by the WIVH booth. This radio station, managed by a missionary family, broadcasts Christian radio over the airwaves of the Virgin Islands.

Billy and "Kenya" attracted some little ones who wanted to touch the puppet and have their picture taken.

 

 

Movie Night

The Power of Forgiveness

 

Movie night continues, though attendance varies. Many of the people don't want to drive after dark because of the poor road conditions and high crime rate. Nevertheless, we continue to bring Christian movies to Altona Baptist Church. Most recently we showed "The Grace Card." The message on the power of forgiveness touched all of us. Unforgiveness creates hatred, bitterness, and eventually causes a sad, angry individual. This spreads to those around and causes difficult situations for all. Jesus is the only one who can change the unforgiving heart. If you haven't seen this movie you will want to very soon!

 

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

1 John 1:8-9

 

 

A Little Fishing Fun!

 

One Sunday afternoon we took 4 boys from Billy's Sunday School class fishing. They caught lots of fish as well as an eel!

 



 

 

Ministry at Free Will Baptist Christian School

 

Billy and Ken Lane, built a set of stairs in the gym at Free Will School. He will be working on some other carpentry/maintenance projects at the school.

 

 

Cecilia continues as the school nurse, monthly chapel devotions in the elementary school, and works on grants to help keep the financial costs down at the school. She recently took an overnight trip to St. Thomas to exchange grant information with their administration. This new relationship has opened doors for future ministry opportunities.

 

 

Morning Message

 

During Christmas, our pastor and his wife, at Altona Baptist Church, were away so Billy had the privilege to preach the Sunday morning message. He spends many hours in Bible study to be prepared.

 

 

Opportunity to Help WIVH, West Indies Voice of Hope,

The Local Christian Radio Station

 

Jon and Tiffany Bowman manage and run WIVH out of their home. They also home school 4 young children as well as connect with local churches on the island. They are in need of some hurricane shutters. During hurricane season, while trying to keep the radio on the air, they also have to put large, heavy sheets of plywood on their windows. It protects the windows but it is  time consuming and exhausting work.

Not only would this help WIVH but it would be a great place to come on a mission trip!

 

Praises & Prayer Requests

 

Praises

Ministry opportunities

Housing

Employment in these tough economic times

Prayer and financial supporters

 

Prayer Requests

Ministry opportunities on the island

Hearts open to a relationship with the Lord

Health & Safety

Wisdom & Guidance

 

 

Thank you so much for your prayer and financial support. We welcome anyone who is seeking a short term mission trip to contact us. You never know how the Lord could use you and your talents!

 

 

Billy & Cecilia

 

Contact Information

Billy 340-643-0820

Cecilia 340-643-0821

 

 

Tax deductible contributions may

be sent to

YES Ministry

P O Box 700697

St. Cloud, FL  34770

or

www.YEServants.org

 







 

 



 

 

 

 



A Still Small Voice

 

The times that you know God is speaking to your heart are times you want nothing else but Him. Life in its busyness keeps us from hearing Him more often. I am guilty of that many times. But even then God still desires to speak to me.

Today God has brought back to mind a time not so long ago..four years this month. I was working full time as a school nurse in Tennessee. It was a good job, good people to work with and a good secure income. But deep within my heart I sensed God told me it was time to leave that position. Nothing was wrong, it didn't make sense...I just knew that He said it was time. So I gave my two week notice, not knowing why or what was going to happen. Within that week my mother became hospitalized. Thursday they diagnosed her with kidney failure. I knew that I would need to make a trip to Maine. Friday morning about 3 am, I was awakened from my sleep, called the hospital, talked to the nurse and her advice was to come home. I called the airport, found a 6:00 flight, and was packed and out the door to the airport at 5:00 to catch my flight. All this happened as a big snowstorm was coming.

My connecting flight was in Atlanta and as I hurried to my next gate I got the call from my sister that my mother was gone. All alone...my God did not fail me. He placed a big young man next to me on the plane with a heart of gold. He asked me where I was going and I told him. He gave me a big bear hug. I don't remember his name but I do know the One who sent him and planned for him to sit beside me on that early Friday morning flight home. That was precious! Although I did not get to see her again, I know God had a reason and I trust Him. In His timing I will see her again in Heaven.
January 29, 2010 is the day the Lord called her home.

As we were seeking God's direction with our lives, we sensed He wanted us to be full time in missions. Billy felt the need to return to St. Croix where he had served four months on a short term mission trip in 1989. It did not make sense to us as our finances were limited. But in February we booked our flights to St. Croix and followed the leading of the still small voice. In April we stepped on the island of St. Croix and without a doubt knew that's where God wanted us to serve Him. Although there have been some difficult times, there have also been some tremendous blessings.

I'm writing all this to say had we not listened to the still small voice, where would we be today? And even more importantly  I know that I have missed many blessings for not listening for that still small voice. My desire is to make more time...deliberately choose more quiet times. Others may not understand this but there is nothing more precious than knowing God wants to spend time with me and have that personal relationship.

"And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice."  1 Kings 19:12