Sand between your toes, crystal clear water and no worries. Imagine a world where you can’t tell where reality ends and dreams begin. For many, this is the quintessential idea of the Bahamas. It is like no other place on earth, a paradise for one and all…or is it?

Ninety-five percent of the residents of the Bahamas live on incomes below the US poverty rate, with high unemployment, and many social ills. The average family income per year is around $11,000, while the average cost of a small house is between $125,000- $140,000. In the U.S. the average affordable home price is 2.5 times our gross income, while for Bahamians that figure is at least 12 times their gross income for decent housing. Despite the picturesque locale and illusion of wealth created by sprawling beach resorts, the reality is that the island chain is full of substandard housing for native Bahamians. For many locals, "home" is the delipidated shack whose only water supply is a shallow well out front covered by a piece of plywood. For many, "home" is a collection of four rickety, wooden walls that most Americans would swear is absolutely uninhabitable.

Starting August 2009, LaDonna and I, along with our 2 girls, will uproot from our hometown of Albany, GA to live for a year on the island of Eleuthera (considered one of the out islands of the Bahamas; it's 110 miles long and 2.5 miles in width at it’s widest point., with a population of approximately 8,000). While on Eleuthera, we will be missionaries at Bahamas Methodist Habitat in the settlement of James Cistern. Our activities will include volunteer coordinator, finance director, leading mission groups into the community to work on disaster relief and eliminating substandard housing, creating art and music programs for the schools, helping in the development of a children’s home on neighboring Current Island, and everything else in between.

During our time on Eleuthera, Mission:Change will have opportunities for you and/or your group to help out our Bahamian brothers and sisters. For example, school supplies we take for granted such as pencils, crayons, paper, ink cartridges for printers, books, etc… are always in short supply and high demand on Eleuthera. So once we head down in August, we will let you know how you can contribute in a way that will improve the lives of these beautiful people. Also, if you are interested in mission trips, we would love for you to check out www.methodisthabitat.org and join us for a week that will give you a whole new perspective on life.

Peace-

Todd