Journal Entry for Sunday, June 20, 1999
    The Chapel

Photos from my first Sunday at the chapel on Upper Cay, also called Jewel Cay.  400 - 500 people live on this key and the one to which it is joined by a bridge, Lower or Pigeon Cay.  You have to take a boat to get to the keys from the main island of Utila.

The Chapel.  Seats about 60, I'd say.  Worship begins at 10:00a.m.

Blakey (pronounced "Blikey") is a regular.  Usually he goes to the Church of God first for 9:00a.m. Sunday School with the boy who he belongs too.  Today the boy is off the island so Blakey's waiting for church to start at the Methodist Chapel.  (Sunday School at the chapel is at 2:30p.m.  The Church of God kids come here, then.)

Reverend Bennett, checking out the pulpit.  (Everyone calls me Reverend Bennett or simply "Reverend.") I look spiffy in one of those collar shirts, don't you think? Thankfully they didn't want me to wear a robe out at this church.  It was hot! (Temperatures outside my house run to 95 in the day time, and drop to around 84 at night.)

As the church bell rang you could hear a dog singing in the distance.  Pretty soon Scrappy came running.  She's a regular, along with Blakey.  She also attends 9:00a.m. Sunday School at the Church of God. In addition to the two dogs we had 18 or 20 people, more than usual.  Some of the Baptists and Church of God folks had come to check out the new preacher.  I'm told that 6 - 12 is typical attendance.

The service over, it's time for me to suit up for the boat ride back.  My predecessor, Rev. Elmer Dickson, warned me that the salt spray wreaks havoc on dress clothes.  I felt a bit ridiculous.  At first. (There's one of these sailor suits here for you too, Jill.)

The dory is about 18' long.  Bucky was the pilot; his friend Hilbrandt is untying us.  Bucky looks to be about 16.  He did a fine job as skipper.

Oh sure, it looks calm at the beginning...  The ride over took not much more than 10 minutes, but with a fierce east wind the ride back took 30 minutes! I've never been bounced around so much in my life.  On airlines they say "Your seat cushion may be used as a floatation device."  Next time I'm using my flotation device as a seat cushion. My bottom was sore for two days!   (I missed just walking across the church parking lot to Saint Paul's.)

No pictures of the rough stuff.  The salt spray was pretty bad and I could easily have lost the camera.   I was SO happy to see the harbor and then the dock.  I'm also glad I'm not prone to seasickness.