The needs are great!

Last week Bob sent out our Newsletter so I hadn't written for awhile (we don't want you to have to read stuff twice). If you didn't receive his newsletter and want to then please drop us an email and we will be sure to add you to our mailing list (roatanbob@gmail.com).

As you can see from that newsletter our lives are full in many ways. In all honesty I barely have enough time to write in here! We are busy visiting, praying with people and helping to meet needs on the island here. I was happy to help with worship last Sunday and Bob was able to preach. Our days are full and we are grateful!

That is Sheryl (our Spanish teacher) playing the drums, Jergen leading and me helping to singBob is sharing about how the Father in the prodigal son story was so happy to have his son home.. He eagerly awaits us to return and when we do His arms are open wide!

This is a team of young people from the Mainland that have come to the island to share His love, pray with government officials, the police etc. and basically to shine the light into this place. We were impressed with their joy, their commitment, and enthusiasm. We couldn't speak much together but the pastor spoke fluent English and we had a great evening together sharing the awesome things that He is doing! It was a highlight for me so far.


Yes it is very exciting being down here. I was marveling the other day how easy the transition has been for us to be here. In fact it may be one of the easiest moves we have made. YET there was a time back in Vernon when I didn't want to go to Roatan; I didn't want to make another move; I didn't want to leave the kids back in Canada; I didn't want to deal with all the changes; I just didn't want to go!! I was sitting at the table a few days ago and I said to Bob, "Imagine if I had said NO to coming". That is a possibility. I could have allowed my fears, lack of trust and unwillingness to get in the way of what God wanted for us here. It was sobering to think what we would have missed!! It is a rather scary thought... so don't allow fears and unwillingness to rob you of the blessings He has in store for you. I remember the day everything changed for me regarding Roatan. It was interesting because I was just walking through the dining room (back in Vernon) and suddenly this amazing sense of excitement overtook me. Suddenly the idea of going there was so APPEALING!!! I believe that day the Lord revealed His heart to me regarding this place. He gave me a taste of what GOOD thing lay ahead for us. I am so glad we came!!

We got some terrific news yesterday from our lawyer Cristiana that our application for Residency has finally been submitted. Practically, that means we can now keep renewing our Visa to stay on the Island, and go ahead and get a ministry/business under way!! We are excited about that because now it is legal to work here and we wanted to make sure we did everything above board. So now we are in the process of forming our corporation (which Bob highlighted in his newsletter). Things are happening quickly for us. We thank God for our lawyer .. she goes above and beyond for us. She went to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras to get an extension on our tourist pass for the car (which we also have now) and ended up staying 2 extra days in order to get our papers in order.



Speaking of that, here is an interesting story of God's miraculous intervention for us! The other night we wanted to go to French Harbour to go to church with Dugard and his daughter Sharon.
(that is Sharon.. isn't she so beautiful? I think this may be one of my favorite photos)

Anyways as we drove away I realized we didn't have our registration papers or Bob's passport since our lawyer that taken those to the mainland (yes we trusted her with his passport and he now has it back). She had given us photocopies of those but we had left them at home. I was a bit concerned about driving without those important papers but Bob felt that the Lord would protect us. So we went to church, no problems (it was wonderful btw.. reminded me a lot of the 'big' sounds of worship at City Heights Church in N.S.) BUT on the way back there was a road block, not just the local police but the cobras (special forces) blocking the road and checking cars. What that would mean for us would be paying a HUGE fine. So, of course we prayed. Bob asked God to see us through it, and I asked God that He would blind their eyes to us and wouldn't even see us! So there they are in the middle of the road, it's dark, no one is around, they have guns, and they are stopping the cars. As we got closer, all 5 of them turned their backs to our vehicle and stood there as if they were looking at something. What??! We don't know.. there wasn't anything there to look at. They just stood there with their backs to us and we drove right on through!! Praise God! Huge sigh.

Things in general have settled down on the island for which we are grateful. No more angry road blockades, which were regularly taking place around the time when they have to pay their electric bills, so we are praying that everyone will remain level headed. The cruise ships have said they will not return to the island this season if there is one more disruptive roadblock. If the cruise ships stopped coming it would be devastating for the people who depend on that business. Tourism is the main source of income .. no tourist means no money for them!

One thing that has been really breaking my heart lately is seeing so many needs around us! I want to help everyone but I can't. It is hard to see. Many of our friends are suffering daily without enough money to provide for their family. It is one of those times when I wish I were so rich I could help them all!




We are getting to know the people who come to the Sonrise Church too. Many live up in the Colonia in very desperate situations, living in small lean-to's, many of them haven't eaten in days, they aren't clothed properly, they don't have blankets, or even shoes! My heart breaks in the biggest way!! It is very sad!
This house, by the way, would be considered a very nice home here. I don't have any pics from the Colonia yet.

I met a girl in a shop yesterday who is collecting toys and clothing for children who live around Hottest Sparrow, farther upIsland. There are people who provide Christmas for some of the kids on the island but no one is ministering up there. So I am going to go out and get some things for these kids. That is one thing I love about this island is that people see a need and do something. She said she and her friends have been going up there and have organized a medical and dental team to go up there. Each time they go they take some food and clothing.



If you would like to help in some way then please email us (roatanbob@gmail.com) and I will let you know very specifically what you can do to provide for a family here. Bob will be listing specific needs on our Website in the new year. Bob and I can only do so much and we are happy to help and be in their lives but if you want to partner with us in any way then we'd be pleased as pie to have you stand in practical ways to minister to the needy on this beautiful island.

We have been taking Spanish lessons from a young woman here and that has been wonderful! Not only is she teaching us but we are really enjoying getting to know her and hanging out together. We like the same type of music so whenever she comes over, the music is cranked and we have such fun together. I have often said that truly I am about 27 years old inside. Many of my dearest friends are around that age. I love their enthusiasm, their willingness to learn and grow and their gratitude for the simplest of things (such as a good home cooked meal) Sheryl is from the Mainland but moved to the island a year ago and is recently helping at the Sonrise Church as a translator. She is such a wonderful person. I love spoiling her! She just got a part time job and is saving up to get her license (costs about $25US) and is excited about a car that Sonrise gave her to use. Needless to say she loves 'tooling around' in our car with us, walking the beach, listening to music, sharing about His goodness, uploading songs from our computer. We just switched MP3 players since mine had more gigabytes then hers. She was thrilled. She is a believer who recently has dealt with some hard issues in her past and I am so proud of her for her willingness to forgive, her longing to be free, and her love for the Lord. Having her in my life regularly blesses me.

One thing we are working on is trying to get her some medication from the States, but a Honduran doctor can't write a prescription to a doctor in the US. It is just that her medication is very EXPENSIVE on the Island, and in short supply. If you want to help with that then let me know. I could write pages and pages and pages about the needs that we see daily. It makes me very grateful for the privileges we have enjoyed in life!

Tomorrow we are excited to be flying to Florida for a month to visit with Bob's Mom and also to have the kids join us for Christmas there!! It will be wonderful to be together again!! I will write while I am there.

Thanks again for standing with us in this journey..onwards...
Blessings....

From His Word, and His heart

I have always been a morning person. I like that time of day. I seem to wake up here around 5:30 everyday. This morning I snuck out to the livingroom, turned on the light, made myself some dark rich coffee and sat and watched the new day dawn.


I have decided that once a week I will share something from His Word with you all. (oh oh a little american slang coming out!) Today I read in the 3rd chapter of Ephesians. That is a letter that Paul wrote to the church of Ephesus while he will in chains due to his faith in Christ. I sat there thinking that I am not in chains but I am far away from you all and it would be wise from time to time to express some of the truths that He impresses on me.

Power. That is the word for today. What comes to your mind when you hear that word? I often associate it with strength or energy. The passage I read this morning speaks about power. In fact the heading at the top says "PRAYER FOR STRENGTH". Alrighty I thought as I began to read. I need that for sure!

But I love the way the Lord tweaks my understanding and gives deeper insight into His truth.
Let me just share Paul's prayer with you so you know where I am coming from.

"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power with His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge --that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

The first thing I noticed this morning is that the kind of strengthening that He wants to provide isn't only physical, but it goes deep, down very deep into our inner being. So it isn't like a caffeine jolt that wakes us up in the morning. It is a deeper, lasting strength that goes to the core of who we are. This power comes from His Spirit! It helps us to know that He indwells us. I think that is key. Often we think that we need strength to do certain things.. no we need strength to know WHOSE we are and out of that knowledge the strength to live as we ought to.

Then he goes on to ask God to give us power. Power for what?? This is incredible... power to know His LOVE. I don't know about you but one of the hardest things for me to grapple with (and yes I am being honest) was that the Father could truly love me. I thought that maybe if I did enough, or was spiritual enough then He would love me but Paul is asking that we would begin to GRASP (implying that this is a tricky concept for our feeble minds) how wide, how long, how high and how DEEP is the love of Christ.

Why does it take power for Him to impart this truth to our souls? Because it is the kind of love that surpasses knowledge!!! It isn't a head kind of knowledge that says 'oh yeah, I kinda think He likes me some of the time" No, His Spirit wants to strength us with power to KNOW the surpassing love of God! Once we understand that truth deeply and profoundly we will never be the same again. Never. Only His Spirit can impart this to us.

Without this revelation of His love for us, we struggle with a sense of value, self worth, confidence and purpose. We do things for approval, recognition or admiration. But when we begin to see and know HIS love it changes us on the inside (the inner being) and we become free to love others as we ought.

So... I pray along with Paul that you would be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, and that you would have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ for YOU. Open up your heart. It won't hurt. :-) But it will begin to set you free and empower you to relax, live, love and reach out to those around you who have either forgotten and don't know the love of the Father.

May He quiet you with His love (Zeph. 3:16)

Some sunny day shots.

I haven't written for a week because the weather has been fabulous and we have been out and about alot. Our days are filling up with meeting with people, having lunches and dinners out, visiting, and exploring the island. It was wonderful because the days were sunny and hot, and it was great to be a break from the rain. But it is raining today and maybe that is a good thing since I am more inclined to get some things done on the computer. Here is a collage that I made



We went to Sundancer to look at a house, and there were some sweet children out on the dock. Their mother was fishing, and they caught a few fish, a conch and some crabs.

It is actually against the law to catch conch but the islanders have been doing it for years so who can really stop them. Especially when it will be a main meal for the day. Here is a little boy proudly holding the conch that his Mom caught



Every evening we still go out on the dock to see the sunset, well a few days ago I turned around to see the moon rising behind us! It was remarkable! Here is Bob giving me the 'moon'! Sweet guy huh?!


I woke up the next day at around 5:00 am and even though it was dark I went out, braving the bugs, the bats and any stray wild dogs out there to get the following photo. I think it was worth it!!

There is a new exciting opportunity coming to the island. God is really leading and there is soon to be a girls home on the island. Unfortunately many girls here are victims of sexual abuse so this will be a safe place for them. We went to an information meeting and are looking forward to helping in any way we can in the days to come.

After that was over we walked around Gumbalimba Park and here are some photos of us 'monkeying around'
The monkeys are very tame and friendly. They have about 20 of them that live there. They also have birds like macaws and parrots. I asked why we don't see them flying around free on the island and he said it is because people try to catch them and so they keep them in this refuge.

They are soooo beautiful! It is quite funny to have a picture of Bob with 2 birds on his shoulders since he isn't really a 'bird guy!'


I want to share a few pictures of what it is like to shop on the island. Yes we do have stores but many people either push their wares or wear their wares!!


He is selling lychees. I have tried them. They have a very spiky red shell that you rip open and there a grape like fruit inside. I thought they were rather tasteless and wouldn't buy them again. Well maybe if you come for a visit..I will buy some and you can see if you like them!!
Watch? Sunglasses? Good price!!! :-)

This guy was determined to sell me something. I said no. And then I thought.. hey Christmas is coming so I went back and looked again. He quoted me quite a high price and then I said, No touristo, and he gave it to me for half the price! It pays to live here!!

At least once a week we drive to West End to go see this guy (I can't remember his name) who sells the best vegetables on the island. Very fresh, and since we are regulars.. very cheap too!!!
He gets them from the mainland and oh boy are they good!! Tangerines, cantaloupe, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, apples, onions, peppers.. that is what we bought that day! YUM!

You never really know how things will unfold each day here. I have said that several times. Well we had gone out to the EastEnd of the island to see the Friendship Village. It is a conference centre (very rustic) where many islanders go for weekend retreats and it is a time of spiritual renewal for many. We wanted to meet with the gentleman who runs it just to hear first hand what is going on. It is very exciting that many people are coming to know the Saviour and being set free from addictions and pain. After we left there we stopped in at "The View" restaurant for a light lunch. I noticed how beautifully it was decorated so I took a few pictures of the decor. I went and asked a lady what is going on and she told me it was going to be a VIP party for Nikki Beach Resort. I complimented her on the decorating and showed her a few of the pictures that I took. She asked if I want to come and photograph the event. I must admit I was a bit nervous since I hadn't done anything like that before but it went well. It was basically catching candid happy, beautiful shots!
Bob took this picture of me at the event.

I don't feel right about posting the pictures I took there since they are for Nikki Beach Resort.


Who knows what will come out of this event. Perhaps I will do some more shoots. You never know. I do prefer the more creative aspect of photography but I am open to whatever He has for me....

God knows. Our lives are in His hand.

remembering

I am sitting here this morning in a reflective mood. Today on Nov. 11 we remember the men who fought in the war for freedom. My Dad fought in that war. I have seen a photo of him in uniform and I have seen his metals, but I can't imagine that intensity, the fear, the smells, and the uncertainty that everyday held. It is good to remember those who fought for us, who literally gave their lives for their country.

This past week my sister Bonnie wrote about remembrance day and I wanted to quote part ofher email because it is so well written.
"Remembrance Day has really been pulling at my heart this year as well. Dad has been on my mind and I find myself walking thru the large field between Clark and Mark St schools, past the back of the theater, down the back lane past the Atikokan Clinic over to the old Legion, Mom and all seven of us kids (dad way off in front). Standing in the cold at the Senitaf, as they laid the wreathes and the sound of the lone bugler giving me goosebumps and a lump in my throat. There was an awareness and respect for the ceremony behind Remembrance Day back then,
but I guess the veterens were still fairly young men and we were only half a generation removed from the war. I can't even imagine what must have gone thru their minds as they stood there remembering."


These men were self-less, fearless and willing to die for the sake of their country. It is good to honour them and remember them. Many are suffering even to this day, with dreams and trauma, wounds inside and out. Take time today to remember them, pray for them or if you can, sit down and listen to their stories and thank them face to face.

I am also remembering my Mom on this day. She died from a heart attack and stroke 3 years ago. I know she is in heaven, completely whole and that one day I will see her again. But I have to say that losing her was the hardest thing I ever faced! It took me along time to come to terms with her death. I was basically ticked at God for taking her so soon after we had moved to BC. It seemed unfair. But I finally had to come to accept that at least I had 4 months with her nearby me and that time was truly precious. So today I remember her fondly.

I remember her wit, her love for people, the way she scurried around fussing over everyone, her love for animals, the way she made me laugh, her ackwardness and shyness, and her faith in the living One. I miss the sound of her voice and the smell of her lotion as she hugged me hard....I know I will see her one day but in the meantime I will remember the things she taught me like how to get by with little and still live large inside, how to laugh when others aren't, how to believe when others don't, and how to care about people when most only care about themselves. It is a tradition amongst us girls to go out and have french fries and gravy in honour of our Mom because she loves to stop at a restaurant and 'have some fries and gravy'.

I am also remembering all of you. No distance can ever come between true friends and genuine love. The mountains, or the sea, or the praires cannot diminish the connection that is there. The other night we met a new couple on the dock and had them over for dinner here. As you get to know people it is natural to talk about our past together. We are so thankful that the Lord has given us such a HUGE FAMILY. In each of the churches that we have pastored we are blessed with people that we love and that remain in our hearts long after we have left. Love has been mined in our hearts like gold and it remains strong over the years. Thank you all for your continued friendship, prayers, and commitment. Daily we thank God for you. Truly.

















Each day that passes here on the island the Lord is defining and redefining why He has brought us here. This is the simple version and calling: He has called us to love people and help them love Him. Simple. Beautiful. We went to Flower's Bay the other day with Dugard and I am posting some pictures of that as well as some pictures taking at church. The elderly lady is Dugard's Mom.. such a wonderful women named Miss Gloria
















Today is a busy day for us. We are going out for brunch with some Canadian friends we met here (ya Canada!! that is another thing altogether that I am adjusting to.. I miss my 'own kind of people') then I am meeting with a lady that I am mentoring, and this evening we are going out to a dinner theatre with 2 other couples. Each day unfolds with people to care about, help and love.



It is good to stop to remember. I hope you take some time today to stop to think about what really matters to you. It is so easy to get 'going full speed ahead' in life and just caught up in the busyness without thinking about what matters most. Stop. Pray. Listen. Do it.































I saw this two school years sitting on the sea wall at Flower's Bay. Do you have someone to share secrets with? I hope so.

















You see alot of women walking around with curlers a few days before church.. gettin' ready!!















These boys were swimming in Flower's Bay and I took alot pics of them jumping in the water and then this one group shot. Oh how He loves them!! My heart is warmed everytime I see this photo!


Sending lots of love and prayers your way today. I have said it before but I will say it again, if there is anything you need prayer for in particular please drop us a line.Our life here right now is simple. We have lots of time here for that. Let us know what we can do for you. I believe He is able to do even more then we can ask or imagine. It's true. Oh no... I am now late and better go have my shower!! (some things never change!!) :-)

We have been without power for the last couple of days but not due to storms but due to another strike. They set up in front of Reico, the electric company and anyone who passed was in danger so therefore the workers were unable to get to work. They are protesting a high increase in their power bills. They set up roadblocks all around the island which meant we stayed pretty close to home.

Here is a quote from the internet describing the situation here:
"Residents of Roatan, the most popular of Honduras’ Bay Islands, are in an uproar over a significant increase in the price of electricity provided by the island’s utility company and have been demonstrating widely, blocking roads, including the roads to the airport, cruise ship port, downtown and other areas. Protesters set up road checkpoints and threatened at least one U.S. citizen with violence. The U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa advises Americans not to try to pass through roadblocks because violent incidents have occurred in the past."

We did go out Wednesday night to the Sonrise Church since they had this amazing trumpet player from the States visiting. We were able to avoid the roadblock by going on a little road on the beach for part of the way. It isn't really a road like we think of a road it is more like a wide path and I am happy that our little Versa was able to navigate it!! That Bob is such an awesome driver!!

We had a wonderful time but things got quite intense close to the church with the protester's throwing rocks at any car that passed nearby and threatened to break windshields. There was quite a rowdy gang out front. We decided it wouldn't be safe to go home on the road but instead we stayed at Miss Peggy's for the night. It was very LOUD all night. I barely slept a wink. I wasn't fearful, it was just TOO LOUD! They shouted, drummed, hollered and basically were in an uproar all night. I think they must have come in 'shifts' because it went on until 5:30 am when the police broke it up.

We were able to drive home without incident around 8:00 am and I have to say I was incredibly thankful to get back to our little quiet haven by the sea. So what do we do when the power is out and you can't go anywhere?? We read mostly. Go out on the dock, lay in the hammock and read or chat with whoever is on the dock. We find the dogs rather entertaining as they play together and harass the big land crabs. One fortunate thing is we have a gas stove so we can still cook. For light we use candles and hurricane lanterns. I hang the lamp over the cupboard door by the stove so I can see what I am cooking. We have bottled water to drink. In order to wash and flush we use water from the sistern which we gather in buckets and carry to the house. It is a lot of work but there isn't anything else to do so each task you just do. I don't have any pictures of the time with no power since my camera batteries died and well.. you can't recharge without electricity!! :-)

Patti and I went for a long walk on the beach. It was wonderful to get exercise. One thing we realized is because we don't have TV, people gathered together and exchange stories. We are all like 'little mini reporters' sharing any news that we have heard about the situation here. This strike was more intense then the others. They wouldn't let anyone pass and one local man was shot by trying to get through. Unfortunately he died. My heart ached that night while laying in bed (awake!) as I thought of his wife and family. Please join us in prayer that the issues would be resolved, that the violence would stop, and that peace would come again.
We believe the Lord has called us to the island. You have to take the good with the bad. We are trusting His LIGHT to come to many people's hearts and there will be more peace then strife. Thanks for standing with us.

Please don't worry about us. I don't share this to cause concern but to let you know to pray. We have peace. We do.

Even yesterday I believe God worked things out for us to avoid the possibility of someone stealing our kayaks. Bob had gone out for a paddle yesterday (I was too sleepy and opted for the couch and a book!) and then our friends from Coxen Hole came over and as we were coming in from the dock I showed the young boy our kayaks and asked if he'd like to go for a paddle one day. It was then that I noticed that the padlock wasn't there and the chains (yes we need to chain up our stuff or people will steal them!) I went inside to let Bob know that he forgot to put on the lock and he told me that he DID put it on. That meant that someone came by in the day and broke the lock, with the plan to come in the night (no power, no lights) and steal the kayaks. Fortunately we had a heavy duty lock and locked them up again. If someone came in the night we didn't hear them and the kayaks were there in the morning. I don't think it was a coincidence that I showed Jordie the boats. It was divine intervention once again.

We are safe in His hands. All we are and all we have belongs to Him. We start each day quietly before Him reading His word and prayer.(sorry about the blur.. i didn't quite make it in time for the timed exposure)

We are thankful for His watchful care over our lives!! And thanks for standing with us.. we appreciate your support and prayer too. Blessings xox

Flowers Bay and Possibilities

On Saturday we took a drive over the hill to the south side of the island, to Flower’s Bay to see our friends Elizabeth and Lee. It is very different from our side. We have sandy beaches, and jungle, and spectacular views. The south side has a winding shoreline, open to the sea with more of a rocky shoreline called iron shore, made of volcanic remnants.

The reef is scattered which means that the surf is able to pound up against the rock and the waves are beautiful with lots of spray. I have always loved that area. When we go there I feel like I am experiencing true ‘island life’. It isn’t very touristy. No resorts, restaurants, Americans, or shops. You see island people walking along, clothes blowing on the line, children playing in the surf and small colourful homes of all sizes and shapes. It is a taste of real life. When we were visiting Elizabeth I told her my thoughts about this side of the island and she said it is because this is where the islanders live. It is culturally more untouched by the North American ways. I like that. They live up at the top of a long hill and although there was a road there is NO WAY we could have driven our car up there, especially now in rainy season. In fact I don’t think we could have even driven a 4 wheel drive up there. Their idea of a road and our idea of a road are vastly different. I wish I had pictures to show you of that day but although I brought my camera I forgot my memory card.

We had such a wonderful visit with them. We seem to be really connecting with the true local people. Each time we visit they are impressed with our unassuming ways, our willingness to learn of their culture, and that fact that WE CARE. I can only thank God for that because it is truly Him who gives us this kind of heart.

One of the concerns here on the island is that there is little for the teens to do (sound familiar!!). Even more than many places, the use of drugs and alcohol are prevalent here and unfortunately many are falling into that path. We were talking about how wonderful it would be to have a community centre where they could play basketball or even indoor soccer. Right now we see the needs but we can only trust that the Lord will unfold His plans for such things. There are many people on the island who have property…but would someone actually donate it so a centre could be built?? Please pray with us. At this point we are mostly dreaming and praying. We see the needs and are trusting Him to show us what our part is in making Christ-followers a reality for the island people.

Another concern here is the growing level of crime. Many people from the mainland of Honduras have recently come to the island and with them are bringing violence and crime. It is a shame because many of the islanders used to sleep with their windows open at night but now they are becoming more fearful. It isn’t easy to sleep without airflow, as it can get hot even in the rainy season. These are just a few of the changes that people are seeing happen here in just the last few years.

Some new opportunities:

I am planning to start a Bible study with some of the island ladies in the near future. My friend Zenola was thrilled when I said I would love to do that. I told her if she gathers the women and sets up the place I would love to teach them. They are hungry to know His ways but haven’t had a bible study in years. That is very exciting for me!!

Another thing is that we are hoping to help with worship at church. The worship leader has gone back to the States so we will step in and help in that way. We actually attend two churches. There is a church that meets every other week and we have been going there. We have wonderful fellowship with them and enjoy a very contempory style of worship. I leaned over to Bob last week and said, “sounds just like you honey” Pastor Larry has a very relationship style but boy he packs a punch when he needs to. Last week he gave the warning against judging one another. Each alternate week it is such a blessing to gather with them and be encouraged.

We went out for lunch after the service to the Blue Bahia and here is a picture of Bob and Larry's idea of a 'meeting'! :-)

The other weeks we meet at the Sonrise Church, which meets here in Sandy Bay. What I love about that is that there is a wonderful mix between North Americans and the locals who gather there. Often we sing songs in Spanish and I love that! We have enjoyed getting to know Pastor Chuck and his wife Tia. In fact, I will be meeting regularly with Tia on Tuesday afternoons and am sure that will be a tremendous blessing for us both.

Bob continues to encourage and share his wisdom with many people in many ways. Once again you never know why you meet certain people and what will come as a result of it. Bob got together with a local gentleman to look at property for sale (they all want to sell you land here!!) but we just sensed that it wasn’t the time for us to invest in that way. Over the course of them being together Bob had shared about the Lord with Dugard and just yesterday he called saying “Bob I would like to get together with someone with experience who can tell me how to be saved. Can we meet?” MOST DEFINITELY! J They are planning on meeting today or tomorrow. Please pray for him.

Another thing Bob is doing is helping Zenola write a book on natural remedies of the island. She was telling us how she shares these natural remedies with the people she gives tours to and they kept saying that she should write a book. Bob said you should do that, but she didn’t have a computer, so on Thursday he is going over to start typing out these remedies and begin the process of getting it into book form. Needless to say she is thrilled!! We figure that if we can help her to create some income then she will be able to help more people on the island herself. She is probably one of the most giving women I have ever met. She always has people in her home feeding them and taking care of their needs. She is a blessing to many. Even on my birthday she came by and brought me a beautiful seashell necklace.

So this is a bit of what is happening for us. Please pray for us that we will continue to be His hands and feet on this island. We are excited! In the future we are hoping to be able to have teams come down to help us. Perhaps you would want to be a part of that. We trust Him to unfold all the details of how that will come to pass. Bob is building the infrastructure (his word) for it and should have a website soon. He is calling our company “Roatan Connections”…connecting people with Island needs (Mission Teams)…Island Vacations (Property Management)…and Island beauty (my Photography).

Nothing is too difficult for Him.

I believe it, do you?

Blessings. xo

Dealing with Disappointment

In the last blog I wrote I mentioned a piece of property we were looking at up on the hill in Sandy Bay with incredible views, natural jungle all around and beautiful trade winds blowing. It was a place that I really could see us living...perhaps for a long time. Well we went to visit them and walked around the property. It was all very exciting until they told us the price they wanted for their land. They were very willing to help us.. even with the financing but it is just too much for us.

I came home feeling discouraged. You know how that is when we want something so bad and then it doesn't work out. It just seemed that all week every place we looked at didn't work out. It was either a great house, but a bad location, or a great location and crappy place or... in the case of the property we wanted...just too expensive!!!

Then I remembered something I read along time ago and I will share it with you. In order to get beyond disappointment you just need to change the 'd' to an 'h'. When you do it changes from disappointment to "His appointment!"

We don't understand the times and ways of God. Some times He doesn't give us what we want because He has something better. Or it isn't the right time.

I finally had to come to the place of saying "Your will be done, not mine" May sound easy but it wasn't. We have always believed that it isn't just the place we live that matters but the people He wants us to live near by that really matters.

I am hoping that sometime soon we will find a place to live. I love living here on the beach (who wouldn't!!)

but the windows only have shutters on them so that means that the dampness gets into everything and we are dealing with some mold issues. That is the main reason we need to find another place. I am allergic to mold! But I have a mild bleach solution and I use that to wipe down the bathroom walls, books, and .. well pretty much everything!!! :-) I am thankful for the winds though because it is less damp when the wind is blowing!!

One of the hard parts about moving though will be leaving Pepsi, the dog who lives next door. He is our miracle dog.

I want a dog so badly and I think Pepsi knows that and he has taken up residence here. He hangs around on our porch and when we walk the beach he never leaves my side. When I kneel down to shell he comes and stands right beside me and noses the shells. In fact today I was taking a picture of a clam shell and Pepsi ran over and grabbed it and then proceeded to open it and eat the clam. Pretty smart island dog eh??!

See.. he has finished his clam appetizer and is now licking the "plate" clean. I have also seen him go in the water and actually dig for clams. Pretty funny to watch. And he smells the crabs that are buried in the sand and he digs and digs and digs til he finds one. He doesn't eat them though.. just likes the challenge of digging them up!

We are in the thick of the rainy season these days. In fact the people of the island are saying this is the worst rainy season in about 7 years! It is hard to explain. It isn't like a hurricane but it is a nor'easter wind that blows, creates huge waves, and strong winds.


One good thing is that the reef stops the waves from crashing against the shore and causing flooding. This photo is of the dock which is about 200 feet from the shore and then the reef is about 100 feet beyond that.


It has rained alot though! More then usual. But usually there are breaks in the rain and during that time we go out on the beach (wind means no mosquitoes!!), for a walk through town or go to West Bay to buy veggies from a guy who sells them from the back of his truck. His veggies are the freshiest on the island!!

Here is a picture of a young boy enjoying the waves at West End beach. See how dirty the water is! That is basically all the sand and sea weed being churned up!



The wind sometimes causes the power lines to go down and during the time where we don't have power we play cards by candlelight or read. Our freezer is getting lots of ice due to the outages and it defrosts and then the power goes on and it builds up. Here is a picture of Bob with about as much ice as he can handle!! We won't miss the snow this year I have to admit!


Another good thing about this season is that the winds are churning up the shells and we are finding alot of great shells on the beach. I found a true tulip the other day and for those who know anything about shelling that is quite rare. It is a dark brown shell..whereas most tulips are a light brown/orangey color. Bob has been finding cowrie shells and some beautiful murex too.
He went snorkeling the other day and brought home some beautiful shells. I will get some pictures of them later. They are soaking in bleach at the moment.

We often wake up around 6:00 and head out on the beach looking for shells. It is great because the winds means no mosquitos so it is wonderful to be outside and not be bothered by bugs. Truth be told I think the bugs are getting used to us!! They don't bother us much anything. Guess we aren't 'white meat' anymore! They say that happens on the island... the bugs really like tourists and fresh white meat. I think that basically we get a build up of deet, sweat and oil and they want nothing to do with us!!!

About the rain: it is a warm rain so we don't mind getting wet . We usually stay out until it starts to rain torrentially. It was funny today while we were on the beach it started to rain and one of our neighbors had a little grass hut so we went under there for refuge. Pepsi, the dog followed us (of course) and then suddenly he jumped up on the table under there and started to drink from the little pools of water on the table. Island dogs are really quite resourceful.

Someone asked me what is the typical island food to eat. People eat alot of beans and rice. Fresh fish. Shrimp. YUM! We buy fresh shrimp from a guy named Leo who has a cooler on the street and sells it cheap (about 4.00 a pound) and it is delicious!! I am sure it is caught that day! I love it! Most of the local food would be considered mexican. But you can buy anything in the grocery stores as they are quite american now. But like anything you will have to pay for it. Bob and I eat alot of chicken, shrimp, salad, rice and fruit. I made curried chicken last night and it was sooo delicious!! We are enjoying tangerines, grapefruit, limes, and bananas. They have this really cool fruit here called an apple banana. It looks like a banana but it tastes just like an apple. I kid you not!! They are delicious!!! You can't buy them in the market but just get it from the locals. Fortunately I know a lady who grows it on her land and she doesn't like them. I guess she ate them too much as a kid and is sick of them!! Hooray for us!! :-)

I am surprised that the cruise ships are still coming to Roatan in the rainy season, but they usually dock here a couple of days a week. It is good for the islanders who do tours, or who have shops in Coxen Hole as it is their main source of income. We went in to town last week and were shocked at the traffic. Then we both looked at each other and said, Oh no a cruise ship!! That means traffic, but instead of stressing about it I decided to walk through town. It was a good opportunity to get some photos of the shops and the people.
That is our silver Nissan in the picture. It is so wonderful to have a car to explore the island.




I want to write a bit about the different types of people on the island. Roatan used to be a british island so the local islanders are black people who used to be the servants of the british. They are the ones who speak English. It is incredible when you hear two islanders talking to each other though because it sounds like English but they shorten the words and speak so fast that I can barely understand them. It is the same as trying to figure out what two Newfoundlanders are saying!!! :-)


The other people group here are the people who are from Honduras who have chosen to come here looking for a better, quieter life. They are brown skinned and speak Spanish. For along time I thought that this was a spanish country but it is actually english with just ALOT of spanish people living here.

In the photo below you will see the blacks and the browns all mixed together. Both are beautiful!!


Well I hear Bob watching West Wing (dvd) so I am going to go join him. We often spend our evenings on the computer, playing games or watching a dvd. We rarely go out in the evenings. There isn't much to do except go to pubs (which we don't want to do). Plus the roads here are really slippery when it rains (due to all the gas and oil that has been spilt on the roads) so it is safer to stay home then to drive at night.

Take care. If there is something in particular you want to know about island life then don't hesitate to ask me and I will write about it. Life on the island is becoming normal for us which means I will probably write less often so just let me know if there is anything in particular you'd like to know about. Otherwise I will probably post pictures here.. I do take lots of those! :-)

God bless and keep you all.
Goodnight from the isle in the sea.