Minister for Grand Bahama, Dr. the Hon. Michael Darville, addressed the students of Grace Christian Academy during their Thanksgiving Service on Thursday. Shown during the service are Pastor Audley Swain and Mrs. Swain. (BIS Photo: Philip A. Curry)
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FREEPORT, Bahamas – Minister for
Grand Bahama, Dr. the Hon. Michael Darville, on Thursday encouraged students of
Grace Christian Academy to strive for excellence and believe in themselves. The
Minister addressed them during the school’s Thanksgiving Service.
He opened with a poem
written by a nine-year-old:
First we give thanks for the food that we are given
Then we give thanks for the homes that we live in
Then we give thanks for the sky, sun and moon above
But mostly we give thanks for the people we love!
He said the poem expresses what the
child is thankful for, and Thursday, a day of Thanksgiving, was important to
give God thanks for his many blessings.
“Each of us,” he said, “are alive and
healthy, have food, clothing, family, friends and teachers who love us, and for
this we are to be thankful.”
Minister Darville then took the children
through an exercise of thanking Him for their parents and grandparents, sisters
and brothers, uncles, aunts and cousins, pastors, principal and teachers,
neighbours and friends, doctors and dentists, for a roof over their heads, a
good education, their playground and school, clothes, shoes and food, for
keeping them safe, health and strength, long life, for their toys, pets,
Christmas presents, and for all His blessings. After each thing, the children were encouraged
to respond, “Thank you Lord.”
The Minister then thanked the
administrators of the school for contributing to the lives of the children of
Grand Bahama, but particularly those in the Pineridge Constituency. He said, “I
admonish you to continue to educate and mold our precious children for ‘life
affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege than the raising of the
next generation’.”
In the spirit of giving thanks for their many blessings, a presentation was given to Ms. Brenda Bethel of Burrows House (second from left) during the Thanksgiving Service of Grace Christian Academy. Also shown from left are Pastor Audley Swain; Mrs. Betty McCartney, principal; and Minister for Grand Bahama, Dr. the Hon. Michael Darville.
(BIS Photo: Philip A. Curry)
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The students were then urged to strive
for excellence and to believe in themselves. “Always remember that ‘whatever your
mind conceives and your heart desires, you can achieve.’ I urge you to be
actively involved in your school, church and community, and to make a positive
difference. The best way you can show God, your parents, teachers how much you
love and appreciate them is to make the right decisions, and be the best person
that you can be.
“We are depending on each of you to be
that bridge to a better and brighter future for our country.”
