Author: Jayne Lawson

Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”

In spite of weather forecasts for rain, we awoke this morning to calm seas and partly cloudy skies as we approached Antigua. Golden rays announced the rising sun in the eastern sky, and the only sound was the quiet hum of the ship’s engines. Opening the sliding door, I was greeted with a beautiful view of the island! To think God simply spoke all this beauty into creation is so incredibly amazing! The vastness of the sea, its deep blue waves in rhythmic harmony as marshmallow clouds hang suspended in a sky blue firmament. Wow! How great Thou art! Read more

Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”

St. Lucia is definitely a gem of the Caribbean! It is an island of verdant forests, volcanic black sand beaches, brilliantly painted flowers, and very friendly people. As we approached, we saw houses nestled within the rainforest adding splashes of contrasting colors to the tapestry of green woven over the island.

Before we reached our first destination, we had several places where we stopped for photos as we ascended into the rainforest. Our first stop provided us with an amazing panoramic view of the azure blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. From this vantage point, we could look down on Castries, the capital, and also, our ship at the dock. Our next stop was overlooking Marigot Bay. A beautiful inlet that often shelters boats during hurricane season, this spot was known for several films made here. Each overlook had a few locals selling their handmade wares, but all we took back with us were pictures.

Finally, we arrived at the Tet Paul Nature Trail. This was a precarious hiking trail that would take us between the Pitons, two peaks that seem to be rising right out of the sea! Made of hardened lava, they rise to an elevation of approximately 2,000 ft. above sea level. I managed to stumble my way up the trail without a spill, and was rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Pitons! Once we made the trek back down, we were rewarded with crispy fish fritters (so delicious!), the sweetest Valencia bananas (I think 1 ate 3 of them throughout the day!), and guava (my first time)!

Our next stop was brief as we made our way to a local waterfall. Most of the folks there were jumping in and taking their photos under the falls, but we chose to stay dry and snap a picture from the sidelines. From here, we went to have lunch at a restaurant on the beach. It was buffet style and had several local selections: plantains, fried bread, cabbage slaw, breadfruit pie, boiled green bananas, lentils, saffron rice, creole chicken and whitefish. Yum!

On the ride back to the ship, I had the opportunity to think about the variety of cultures that we’ve been able to experience. It is so mindboggling to think about the creative mind of God. Our world is diverse in so many ways, and yet it all came from His mind alone. Never mind the incredible process of creation that occurred simply from His spoken word, but just the profound assortment of plants, animals, topography He designed takes your breath away! Amazing doesn’t even begin to describe it!

Next stop: Antigua

1 Kings 8:60 “That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.”

The diversity of the Caribbean islands always amazes me! Although the indigenous history of the islands is similar, the countries that eventually colonized them differed greatly. St. Kitts was fought over by the Spanish, British, and French, but the British and French eventually shared the island in the early 1600s, with Britain eventually taking full control later.

Known for its sugar, St. Kitts’ economy depended on sugar cane until recently, when it no longer became profitable to produced sugar. Now, tourism is the backbone of the economy. On our recent excursions, heat and humidity have been our constant companions, so I finally got wise and brought a cloth and a sweatband! Yoohoo! I was ready to go! By the time we got back to the ship, my sweat band was soaked, but I had a great day!

We visited Romney Manor, once owned by an ancestor of Thomas Jefferson. This estate was beautiful! Surrounded by rainforest, the estate had a plethora of colorful flowers and lush green plants. We strolled around the grounds, enjoying the tropical garden and the shade of a 400-year-old saman tree, whose canopy covered 2/3 of an acre! An added treat was visiting the batik fabric crafts factory on the grounds where we watched a woman make the designs as she explained the process of creating the materials.

Afterwards, we went to the Brimstone Hill Fortress, which is the largest fort in the Caribbean. It was quite a climb to the fort itself. Probably due more to the heat and humidity, but by the time I got to the grounds of the main part of the fort, my muscles were protesting! However, I wasn’t going to quit! I had a fort to explore with John! Cannons were all around, and we were able to roam around checking out the old barracks, ammunition rooms, and officers’ quarters. I found it quite interesting that we could climb all over this multi-leveled fort and there wasn’t a single protective rail on the upper levels! If you weren’t paying attention, it would be a very long drop!

Being at the fortress and hearing about the battles between the French and British for the island reminded me that our battle as Christians is not against a mortal enemy. Ephesians 6:12 says “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We must be equipped at all times in the full armor of God to fight our adversary, for Satan is formidable and seeks to destroy anyone who loves the Lord. As God’s Word tells us in 1 Peter 5:8, “… the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Therefore, I must be battle-ready at all times, so that no matter what I face in this life, with Christ, I can “withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

Next stop: St. Lucia

Isaiah 42:12 “Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.”

Today, we arrived at St. Thomas. It is the second largest island in the archipelago known as the U.S. Virgin Islands. At 31 square miles, it has approximately 50% of the USVI population, and is home to Fort Christian, a U.S. National Landmark, and the oldest standing structure in the Virgin Islands.

St. Thomas was one of the first islands we ever visited in the Caribbean, so this time, we decided to set out on our own. Charlotte Amalie, the capital, is a beautiful place for walking around, especially along the water’s edge, but we started our day by strolling through the town. Of course, we took the requisite photos by the oversized postcards in the port plaza before heading out to the main street. Throughout the plaza there are lots of places to shop, so it can take a bit of time to get from the ship to the main part of town. Once there however, it’s only a short walk to the St. Thomas Skyride, which takes you to Paradise Point high above the city. You don’t have to wait until you reach the top to get great views. Skimming above the treetops in a cable car, you ascend up the hillside getting an amazing panoramic view of the port, the town and some of the offshore islands. When you reach the top, you can walk around, grab a snack, and even do a little souvenir shopping!

Charlotte Amalie is known for its Danish colonial architecture, and many of the streets have Danish names since it became a Danish colony in the late 1600s. There are two houses of worship that are historically important and worth visiting to get a photo or two. Both are two of the oldest structures of their denominations in the Western hemisphere. One is the St. Thomas synagogue, and the second is the Frederick Lutheran Church. A little more exciting is the pirate history of the area. Charlotte Amalie was reputed to be a place often frequented by two famous buccaneers: Blackbeard and Bluebeard. Both pirates have a castle on this island built by the Danes.

Walking along the waterfront, there are shops all along the pathway leading back to the pier where the cruise ships dock. There were places to sit and enjoy the view or take memorable photos. If you look carefully, you may even see an iguana basking in the sun on the rocks along the shore!

One of the most striking things that came to my mind was that despite the differences in geography, flora and fauna, and cultures, God remains the same no matter where I go. Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever,” but He is also the same here, there, or anywhere else! There is such comfort in knowing that my God is always with me, always aware of what is happening in my life, and always cares for me no matter where I may be!

Next stop: St. Kitts and Nevis