Travel: Sandals Resort, Bahamas - The place where God lives
by: ellis j. still
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February 1st, 2011 marks two and a half years that Tina and I have been married. When I think back on the past 2.5 years, I can truly say that I have been having the most fun I have had my entire life. Tina and I are not just husband and wife, but we are also best friends… partners in crime so to speak. Sure – we both have friends that we have known for many years, but there is nothing like the friendship that my wife and I share.
But I digress… this post is about reflection on our honeymoon. Sandals, a couples only resort, is a great brand, and is known for its exceptional customer service. They certainly lived up to their expectations when we went to visit. Upon arriving at the Bahamas Airport, a Sandals representative picked us up in a Rolls Royce town car. That pretty much set the tone for the entire ten days that we were there.
Everyone that was there had a pleasant demeanor, and the butler that was assigned to us managed to anticipate our needs before we even knew what they were. Knowing that securing dining reservations were a challenge, she made dinner reservations for us at all of the fine dining restaurants for our stay. She assisted with any questions or needs that we had, both on the resort and for off resort excursions. She would also scope out a shaded spot on the beach for us in the morning and reserve it for us.
We had all an all inclusive package, so every night we would order burgers at 2am (the burgers were ridiculously good by the way) and they would bring it to us (no charge and no tipping allowed). The dining was 5 star quality both in taste and in presentation, and included dinners on the beach and on the marina. All of the meals in general were excellent which surprised us (I have had my share of bad resort food). There was a mixture of passive and active activities, and the resort has a separate private island that you have to charter a boat to get to. The grounds were impeccably maintained and kept clean, with winding paths that takes you on a journey of discovery through the colorful flowering of vegetation
It was incredible how openly Christian the Bahamas Island was. The bus driver played Shekinah Glory Ministry, Fred Hammond, Kim Burrell, Karen Clark Sheard, Israel Houghton and the like on the bus loudspeaker system, with many people nodding and worshiping along with the songs being played.
Wow.
The atmosphere was incredible… on a city bus, no less.
Likewise, we were curiously surfing radio stations in our resort suite when we noticed that there were many many public FM gospel radio stations for our listening pleasure, as opposed to one per regional market (if any) in the United States.
It seems like the entire Bahamas Island attends church on Sundays. We inquired to our butler as to how do we get to Mount Tabor Baptist Church, whose pastor, Bishop Neil Ellis, had preached at our church in New Jersey not long before. Our butler was surprised at our request. She explained that going to church is commonplace for people who live in the Bahamas, but tourists seldom have such requests. It was easy to get a ride to the church, with one of the ministers finding someone who lived near the resort who gave us a ride back.
So in conclusion, it seems like our great experiences at sandals Bahamas was noteworthy because of the customer service at sandals Resorts. Yet also, the Spirit of the island as a whole (in which the resort was also covered) also played a significant role in our honeymoon experience as well. However, I am not naïve to think that seediness does not exist in any given place, and I am sure that the Bahamas is no exception, but it is refreshing and reassuring to know that there are places where Christians are not only free to worship out in public, but where people are not afraid or embarrassed to openly pray and worship in public out of their desire for more of Him and without care of others. Dr. Myles Munroe who pastors Bahamas Faith Ministries International also came to visit in New Jersey once said “I am From Nassau, Bahamas, the place where God lives”.
Maybe those of us in the United States should take field trips to the Bahamas in order to witness a demonstration that faith does not end and begin with Sundays.
“I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” Romans 1:16
Question: Where are you going on your honeymoon or next vacation? Are you taking Christ with you?
© 2011, Ellis J. Still. All rights reserved
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
Posted By: Ellis Still
Wednesday, January 26th 2011 at 8:08AM
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