Lift High the Cross

I went to the Cayman Islands! 

I requested approval to go for three reasons: 

1. help host a short-term individual volunteer; 
2. "learn" Grand Cayman, so that next time a volunteer(s) serves there, I can take on the lion's share of the hosting duties; and 
3. practice driving on the left.  

The "volunteer" in #1 was my dad, and once I got the go ahead to book a ticket, my mom decided to come, too!

We had enough time for a quick walk to the harbor before that evening's soup supper and Advent service. 

And then...the unveiling. My dad's assignment had been to build an LCMS cross for the Safe Harbour Lutheran Church parsonage, which doubles as its sanctuary; worship is held in a glass-walled breezeway off the living room. The saga of said cross wouldn't be complete without including this picture my mom texted me in late October. My reaction: it's beautiful, but the LCMS logo has stripes of three different colors, not two. After fretting over what their reaction would be for weeks, I finally caved and forewarned missionary pastor Gerald Paul and his wife Heidi, who were gracious but understandably disappointed. 

But wait! The cross was packed in dad's suitcase in three pieces, so he fastened them together with T-brackets...

We made an early morning hardware store run to scope out our mounting options...

Our cashier had his taped to the protective plexiglass divider between where she sat and where we waited patiently in line. 

We used mental math to determine where the hooks on either side should go...

We measured twice and drilled once...

We picked out the most visible exterior wall...

We eyeballed how far down it should hang (27 in., consequently)...

We (dad) drilled into the soffit...

We (again, dad) made sure it was level..

And voilà, an LCMS cross! He claims I made him redo it. I made him do no such thing, but I couldn't be happier that he did, and I still can't get over how classy the final product looks. 

And that was all before 10 am! We filled the rest of Thursday with miscellaneous tasks around the parsonage: hanging a welcome sign, scrubbing rugs, washing windows recently devoid of their hurricane shutters, and refinishing a table used for Safe Harbour swag and free resources. Need something done? Ask a Mackenzie.  

The formerly off-white table is now, at my suggestion, Moody Teal to match some [not pictured] accent pillows. 

We had to make a 2nd trip to the hardware store for paint. I couldn't help but laugh at the shoppers gathered around the display model TV watching the World Cup!

We WALKED to a waterfront restaurant for dinner with a view, but I might like the one we came home to even better.

I'll skip Friday for now. Saturday morning, we (Gerald and Heidi and my parents and I plus a couple of church members!) volunteered at a women's shelter storage warehouse, sorting clothing by gender and type. 

Then and only then did we head to Grand Cayman's world famous Seven Mile Beach, but not for the sand or the sea. We went for the sky, or rather what was in the sky - an air show to commemorate 70 years of commercial flight on the island. We ate lunch at the parsonage and waited for the spectators to clear out, then made the 4 mi. drive back. 

Just before sundown, we braai-ed a braai - aka had a typical South African-style beach cookout (almost - we used a portable charcoal grill instead of building a wood fire). Heidi and I assembled two kinds of chicken kebabs on a folding table underneath a pop-up tent. 

Sunday, we had the tremendous blessing of joining the Safe Harbour congregation for Divine Service. The members are a microcosm of the island itself - at least 50% expats - and therefore a bit like Whack-a-Mole with off-island travels for work or to visit family. Nonetheless, the familial vibes are strong. Everyone noticed the cross as they walked in and couldn't sing my dad's praises enough once they learned its story. Instead of the traditional fellowship time after the service, Gerald did some more grilling and we all enjoyed burgers and a brief rite in honor of Cayman Thanksgiving (observed the first Monday in December), a nationwide pause to thank God for His protection throughout hurricane season. 

After everyone had gone home, we walked to "Heroes' Square," and then couldn't say no to one last Caymanian sunset. 

I was only there four days, but I have SO. MANY. PICTURES. Friday, Gerald and Heidi were kind enough to sacrifice their entire day driving us to some of their favorite places; join me as we circumnavigate the island in my next post. Teaser: I ate turtle and touched a starfish. 

Until next time, blessings in Christ!