May 30 - June 5, 2015
NEWS 11
TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS
REAL TALK
Pass the baton
Pastor Bradley Handfield branches off into the publication of children’s book ‘The adventures of Fannie, Mattie and the talking potatoes’
Local pastor writes children’s storybook BY DAISY HANDFIELD PASTOR of the Community Fellowship in Providenciales, Bradley Handfield, is preparing for the launch of his first children’s storybook. A press conference was held on the church grounds on Leeward Highway on Wednesday (May 27) to elaborate on the milestone. The book titled ‘The adventures of Auntie Fannie, Mattie and the talking potatoes,’ is a children’s book which tells a story about how Auntie Fannie comes in contact with the cat, Mattie and the mystery behind the talking potatoes. Handfield said that the idea for the book was a result of his upbringing in Bottle Creek, North Caicos. “I grew up in Bottle Creek, North Caicos, and I grew up at a time when we didn’t have electricity. “In fact, we got electricity when I was 12-years-old and so for the most part of my time spent in North Caicos, our pastime was storytelling. “We would sit around in the evenings when it was dark, around the kerosene lamp and our older siblings would tell stories.” He said that he would tell these same childhood stories to his children, who were always enthused to hear them, until it got to a point where he ran out of stories to tell them, and so decided to create his own. The official launch of the book is scheduled to take place at the Gus Lightbourne Sport Complex in Providenciales on Tuesday (June 2). Copies of the book have been donated to the two Government libraries in Providenciales and in Grand Turk. The pastor said that his goal was to distribute the book around the Islands, including gift stores, schools and bookstores so that people could read it. He recently conducted a book reading at the Turks and Caicos Islands International School and at his church’s school, Community Christian Academy. Handfield said that he considers the book a comedy and a mystery which caters to children between the ages of seven and 11. “I hope this book will help to open up the imagination of children,” he said. “Let them see that there’s a life, a real world that can be born in their own imagination.
“That they can be creators, they can create people, characters, and they can create life through storytelling. “I hope that parents would see this as an opportunity to show their children someone local who is writing and who is doing something that is imaginative, and that is not just going to be something local, but something international,” Bradley said. At the launch books will be presented to schools in the Islands, and Bradley will conduct a brief reading and book signing. The retail price of the book is $24.75 and will be available for purchase at the Unicorn Bookstore in Providenciales, on Amazon.com and BarnesandNobles.com.
A FEW months before his death, Dr Myles Munroe shared a dream he had with the people of the Bahamas. In the dream he was at a funeral for an athlete and he watched mourners walk up to the casket and try to pull an object out of the dead athlete’s hand, but each mourner failed. Dr Munroe said that in his curiosity he walked up to the casket to see what the mourners were trying to pull out of the athlete’s hand and he realised it was a relay baton. Here it was, a celebrated champion lying in his casket still clutching to his relay baton. Dr Munroe believed that the interpretation of his dream was symbolic of what he believed was taking place in the Bahamas and the wider world today – older and accomplished leaders wanting to die in leadership without passing the baton on to the next generation. Leadership is very similar to a relay; each leader has a leg to
By Jas Walkin
BIOGRAPHY: Jas was born with a physical disability and diagnosed with a mild form of muscular dystrophy. His early childhood was characterised with trying to fit in in a regular school environment unequipped to cater to special needs students. With support from family, teachers and the community he graduated as valedictorian of Raymond Gardiner High School and has been a graduate teacher for the past last nine years.
run and when they have finished, they need to pass the baton to the next leader in order for the relay to continue and eventually be successful. There is no purpose in holding on to the baton when you have finished running your leg. All you are doing is destroying your labour and the labour of those before you. Leaders should not be like the athlete in Dr Munroe’s dream, clutching to leadership even in death. When the sun is setting on your leadership let it rise in someone else. Like the mourners in Dr Munroe’s dream, too many young
potential leaders are forced to pull the baton from dying leaders’ hands. This scenario is devastating to any organisation. Moreover sports has taught that a relay has four legs for a reason; each one is as important as the next one. One of the reasons this country has suffered from a lack of transformative milestones and life changing leadership is because too many leaders want to die with the baton. They forget that the most important element of effective leadership is the development of successive leaders, and hence forget to pass the baton.
COMMENTARY
God has a plan WHEN you have lived long enough you come to appreciate the way God works. He has an infinite number of options that respond to how we handle our lives. This applies to individuals, business, and governments. Anything man has created or corrupted are subject to God’s rules not man’s. You can ignore God’s rules but they still apply. You can do voodoo or other pagan rituals but that draws the earlier attention of God. The TCI has had more than its share of personal greed and Obeah but now we march towards retribution. When it will be, we do not know. God’s mills grind slow they say. However, possibilities are now showing up. Cuba, in the control of atheist communism by the government is now given the chance to return to Christianity. Popes have visited Cuba and
the USA president. Now President Obama opens the door to Cuba. US airlines are beginning flights. Soon the opportunity of an investor driven Cuban economy will emerge. Cuban prices are much lower than the TCI. Cuba is bigger and better in terms of things to see and history to be revealed. Cubans have kept their 1950s cars running and historic buildings standing. Our progressive Government habitually preaches we are an upscale destination as they tip their wine glasses high. Meanwhile everyday TCI Islanders drink Kool-Aid. One thing this senior knows is rich folks make money by spending less. The upper middle class of younger families use their 401 programmes to justify credit card TCI spending. The stock market has been overpriced because of the US Federal Reserve. Move the
By David Tapfer
David is a retired mobile hydraulic engineer and business executive. He has been married to Middle Caicos native Yvette Robinson Tapfer for 25 years and has lived in Conch Bar, Middle Caicos, since 2002. David formerly served as branch chairman of the PDM from 2008 to 2011
prime rate up two points and the stock market will make a serious downward adjustment. The world’s upscale folks will be looking for bargain vacations. Cuba will fill the need. Cuba is one fifth the distance from the USA and the Cuban girls and boys will make spring break a new ethic for American college graduates. Cuban history has San Juan Hill, the Battleship Main, sunk, Russian missile sites and the Bay of Pigs. Hundreds of years of Spanish history in Cuba is close to the eastern USA, the home of our
visitors. The TCI’s top resort now is advertising 65 percent discounts for summer bookings. Think about it! If we lose one third or more of our hotel visitors, ministers may have to take a cut in salary. The InterHealth contract might not get paid. FortisTCI may sell out to PPC and Lime could go back to ‘All Talk’. Living the ministerial high life could soon be in jeopardy. Reform was up to us, but perhaps it is too late. The future has always and forever been up to God.