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.

You just never know

Don't you find that sometimes you get up in the morning and you have no idea the way the day will unfold. Circumstances unfold, good and bad, and you just go to bed at the end of the day and think...wow... who would have thought???

Even just the simplest things happen for a reason I believe. Last week we were in the bank and since I had a sore back (bad bed!!) I was sitting down. I saw an island lady sitting down as well so I plopped myself down and we had such a wonderful chat together. It turned out that although she is from Roatan and was raised here, that she and her Canadian husband lived in North Van, Nanaino and Chilliwack. We enjoyed our visit together learning about each other very much. Before she left we exchanged phone numbers and she said, "Drop by sometime" and she explained where she lived. One thing about Roatan is there are no street addresses so you have to find landmarks and then explain it from there. I told her that I am the kind of person that if I get an invite to drop by that I will, and she laughed and said, "well I sure hope so"
That is the island way.



So yesterday, we were out scouting around looking at rental places and as we were driving along I suggested we stop in and see them. I found their place easily enough and her husband was just leaving. I thought maybe it wasn't a good time to visit but he said that Marilyn was at the other house they were building and told us to head over. We did. I am so glad we did. We had such a great visit! They are funny, friendly, generous and we shared many things in common. The one main thing is her passion for flowers

Her gardens are astounding!! They actually made a park on their property and I was overwhelmed to see such beauty! But we were not prepared for the view at the front of their place. We were speechless!! (yes even me!)



WOW! We were amazed at how wonderful it is up there! The breeze is fantastic.. so fresh and lovely up there! We stayed for a few hours together, visiting in the house and exchanging stories. It was a memorable afternoon.


It turns out that they have property for sale up there. But they are very selective who they sell to. Right now, only their family and two other families live up there. Basically they said, if we like you then we will help you. We will talk. We hope they like us!! :-)



I am going back to visit and help her in her garden. I was surprised to see some Canadian flowers growing in there and she was thrilled to hear I brought some seeds from my garden. So I am going back with seeds in hand.

So what started with a brief visit in the bank, led to an afternoon of sheer delight together, which will lead to a friendship and who knows.. we may buy land up there. It would be a dream come true for us for sure.

Please pray for us. We aren't rushing into buying anything because we think the prices will go down with the state of the economy. We need wisdom in this and are trusting Him to show us what to do. One thing Bob and I always consider is 'where' we are to live. It isn't about the house or the property but the neighbors He put around us to love and get to know. Some of you reading this have been our neighbors and you know the blessing of sharing life together. In our culture we often live isolated lives but I believe that we have a sphere of influence and we should in very in tune with those He has placed around us.

"Do not merely look out for your own personal interests but look OUT for the interests of others."
Phil 2:4

Well it is almost time for God's evening show so I best go out and catch the sunset!! He makes one everyday and everyday it is different. How creative is that??! Keep looking UP and OUT.



Blessings... xoxo

Fear not.. we are fine

We read today that Honduras is in a national state of emergency due to the heavy rains and flooding. There have been many deaths and it is in a crisis situation with people being stranded on top of their homes and serious mudslides.

We just wanted to let you know that we aren't facing that here on Roatan. Yes we are getting rain but it isn't too bad. There has been some flooding and problems in certain areas on the island but it isn't that bad.

Even as I write this now, the sun is shining. Just wanted you to know if case you were wondering.


See that was taken yesterday as Bobb was walking up the stairs to our place. The sun seems to come out in the afternoon! YAA!
We are fine. We are finer then fine. We are blessed.

Sending you our love and prayers. Trust all is well in your worlds as well.

Psalm 5:3

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.

Keep anticipating what HE will do. Nothing is impossible with Him. His eye rests on His children and He takes such good care of us. Keep praying and believing.

Signs of Fall in the Caribbean.... :-)

Medical experiences 'island style'

Hi everyone!

For most of last week I was feeling really terrible, no energy, incredible muscle aches, headaches and extreme fatigue. (hence not alot of blog posts) I have had malaria before and I thought to myself.. hmmm I hope this isn't malaria. Our property manager Tony suggested that I go and get tested for malaria.

Our friends at the Sonrise Church suggested we go to Peggy's Clinic which meant being there at 7:00 to get in line, in order to sign in at 7:30 and the doctors usually showed up around 8:00 -8:30. So off we go at 7:00 to see that there is already a lineup at the clinic. This clinic is such a blessing to the island people because it is supported by Americans which means it is cheap cheap cheap and the meds are all free. The receptionist charged me 2.50 to see the doctor. I can handle that!

So let the waiting begin. At first there were about 8 of us waiting but within an hour the whole waiting room was packed with moms with babies, old ladies with white hair, young girls, and two men (including Bob!) I guess men don't get sick here...hmmmmm.....

The doctor who saw me was a volunteer from Arizona who had been on the island for 3 weeks. She looked tooooo young to be a doctor!!! (it would be like being treated by Emily.. no offense Emily!) She took one look at me and said, "you don't have malaria. you are too perky for malaria" I said, "I am always perky around people... even if I am sick, but believe me I wasn't like this at home!!" (it isn't easy being social..my body pushes through) Anyways, she didn't want to send me for the blood work. She did treat my ingrown toenail though and for that I am thankful. Then suddenly another doctor who was treating someone from behind a curtain in the same roomsays, "Listen you should test her because people in the beginning stages of malaria complain of all her symptoms." (he was honduran and knows that malaria here is like having the flu)

So good, I think let's get to the bottom of this. I am sent back to the waiting room to wait to get my meds. So far we have been waiting for about 3 hours. After about 1/2 hour they bring out this little plastic bowl with a little plastic bag inside with all your meds. I thought how cute! They gave me chloroquin (sp)(in case it's malaria) , antibiotics (for my toe) and ibrophin for the pain. The nurse just goes over all of this in front of everyone in the waiting room, and it is like everyone stops to listen. Privacy? Nah...

So off I go next to Anthony's Key to get the blood work done. No one there speaks English but fortunately they gave me a little perscription for the blood work so I am all set. I wait. Bob waits. We don't grumble. Wanna know why? Because we have learned a secret. EXPECT TO WAIT! It takes all the frustration out. Really it works. It is like being at Disney world because you just expect to wait in line right? I can't believe I just compared Roatan to Disney world. That is like saying that a liverwurst is the same as tiramisu. You get my point though.


So we wait. I decide to go and see 'how long' since I am getting hungry. I find someone who speaks English (hooray!) and he says the doctor is eating her breakfast and will be done soon. Breakfast? Now that's an idea. I am tempted to join her! But instead I say, "well couldn't the lab person do the blood work?!" He looks at me and says, "We don't have a lab person, the doctor does it all!" Oh yes, I forgot where I was... small tropical island. Yes I know where I am.

The doctor speaks no english because she is from the Mainland of Honduras. Local island people speak English. It isn't a problem though until after I give blood and walk away and she starts jabbering at me. Um??? Then she says 50 limpera. Oh I get it. I pay her. I pay the doctor. Now that is a unique concept. No paperwork! I love it. By the way, that is 2.50 for blood work.

(yes that's my blood on those slides... ewww.. I know)

Then she says una hora. I say "one hour?" si una hora. Okay one hour. That's not bad. I am the only person having any blood work done but if they want to make me wait another hour ... hey I can handle that.

We decide to go see Chuck and Tia at the Sonrise Church. We had a great visit with them (great being a loose term since my head was pounding and I am almost falling asleep while visiting) At one point Tia asked if I'd like her to pray for me. Definitely!! So she did and I kid you not but my headache went away instantly!!! WOW. Praise God.

We had coffee together (yum) and ended up staying for lunch. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and a carrot/cabbage slaw thingy. It was good.

So we head back to the clinic for the news. We wait. We watch spanish MTV which was pretty good actually. The doctor comes out from her lunch break (just kidding... I don't know what she was doing!) and hands me the infamous paper. Negativo! AHHHHHH! Negativo? Si, negativo. Bueno. She smiles. I smile.
Did you notice my new name here: Debbi Gwan

Anyways we head home happy.

Medical experience #2: my back has been out so Patti tells me her physio therapist is really good. I am a bit concerned because well he only speaks Spanish and I, as you know, only speak English. But how hard can it be for someone to just work on my back. You don't need to talk right??! So Patti comes along with Bob and I and she basically tells Jose what is wrong, how long it has been hurting etc etc. Alright. He looks at me and says Come. I go.

Then he is standing there looking at me in my shorts and tank top. He points to my shorts and says No. Points to my top and says No. I point and my bra and say Yes? He says No. I start to sweat!! And the air conditioning is on. I think okay he is a professional fellow and maybe this is the way it is down here. He hands me a towel that is too small for me. I really start to sweat.

He leaves the room. I get 'ready' with my trusty towel in hand. I lay facedown (of course!) on the bed. He walks in and says .. no no no, and points that my head needs to be on the other end. Of course... I should have known to put my head down where the cut out is!!! I am wishing I could say... okay leave the room buddy but I haven't learned that in Spanish YET! So he stands there. I managed to face the other direction without revealing anything. I am facing down. Of course!!!!

To make a long story short. Jose is a wonderful professional physiotherapist who helped me greatly. And the language barrier? Well we pushed through that. We talked the whole time! Surprise surprise eh?! :-) I found out he went to school in Nicaragua because "physio terapy no existent in honduras" He told me about his family, his wife, his little daughter who is 4 years old and has her birthday October 2nd. I said, My birthday uno de octubre. He was so thrilled!! Ahhh uno de octubre??!! He learned all about my family, the ages of our kids, and where they are living. We both discovered we live in Sandy Bay. We talked about Bob being a pastor. He told me he volunteers once a week in French Harbour.

That is a picture of French Harbour. Beautiful isn't it?


All of this was done painstakingly slowly with one or two words in either spanish or english. One thing about people here... they are as social as me. It's wonderful!!!!

Please pray that I will learn the language quickly!!!

Anyways, my back is still sore.. it is the lousy bed. We need a new bed but since we aren't sure what we are doing yet we will persevere. One thing is for sure, we need to get a place with air conditioning very soon. Not because it is too hot, (it's lovely now) but because the moisture is going to ruin our computers and my camera! Things just rust out here. It is sooo damp!! The rainy season is in full swing here. The rain affects everything! Either rust or mold!! My devotional book had mold on it, my jewelry had mold on it, a little pine bowl Bob's dad made had mold on it, my clothes smell moldy. AND I am allergic to mold. Yikes!

We are in the thick of the rainy season as you can see from the pictures below, the beach gets washed out, the hillside get washed out. It is crazy!







Sigh. Such is life on the island. But between the downpours we enjoy meeting with people and visiting new parts of the island. Today we were in Coxen Hole doing some banking and shopping and the whole experience of walking down narrow, noisy streets with tons of people just took my breath away.

I love it here!! There is an excitement amongst the people.. they are engaging with each other... laughing, talking, interacting. I just love it!! Did I mention I need to learn Spanish? Pray for us about that k?

So please keep loving those you are with. Other then loving Him nothing else matters... xo

A word from Bob

How to Navigate a “situation” on Roatan
It seemed simply enough...a sunny warm Monday morning...go to the lawyer and start the process of applying for ‘residency’, a necessary step if you don’t want to be required to leave the Island every three months ($122US for us to leave, plus $480 for return flights to Belize, or $1200 return to Florida). So, off to French Harbour, a small town 15 km up island to meet our new lawyer Christiana. The trip there was delightful, enjoying the mobility of our little fuel efficient Nissan Versa...dodging potholes, taxis, dogs and people on the road having various conversations...impervious to the traffic rushing by!
Just as I arrived, it started to rain...no, pour...no, more of a DELUGE!! Up the stairs I raced to get under the cover of a two storey American style tiled outdoor wrap around deck. Searching for her office took me around the corner to the north side...and let me say...rain does not always drop straight down here! The tiles were so slick that I was forced to grab whatever I could of the stuccoed wall...One office, two, third was an apartment, fourth empty...end of the line...no, around the next corner, more slippery tile and three more vacant rooms. Not to be dissuaded, I boldly rounded the next corner to the back of the building where typically the garbage, chickens and mean dogs reside...and there it was...a lawyer shingle hanging outside a small apartment room, with a desk set up in the corner, and a bright young Islander diligently working her trade!
I jump ahead. Christiana has given me a very clear and direct path to obtain the ‘residency’. I have purchased cookies from Eldon’s (the largest of three “American” grocery stores on Roatan) and am beginning to head home, encouraged, and ready to relate all my news to my dear Debi...Hmmm, why is traffic stopped ahead...very unusual since taxi’s stop for NOTHING! Hmmm, why are all those people blocking the roadway at the RECO electric company entrance? I wait...I can be patient...yes, I am a patient man...I have air conditioning...I can take a few minutes to enjoy praying for some people.
20 minutes pass...after 1 pm...break open the bag and eat a few cookies...turn off the car...begin to BAKE in the heat after the downpour stops...20 minutes pass...people walking everywhere...young boys begin selling ‘lunches’ to drivers...I boldly roll down my window to speak to a National Guard...”How long?”...”No ingles”...OK...point to watch...practice new words...”Hoy?” (today?)...”Manana?” (tomorrow?)...ahh...”Uno hora” (one hour). Window up...A/C on...I can do this...more cookies...car on and off...smile at people...get out and lock the car...mill around like everyone else...angry mob blocking the street further piling up old washing machines and bikes and shouting and tree trunks, and...this will not end in one hour my friend!
Back in car...A/C on...suddenly someone wraps really hard on my side window...recalling my fighting skills and a rapid prayer of faith, I turn my head and...it’s my friend Karlee from Roatan Air Service! “Hola meester Bob!...They are protesting the jump in their electric bills...this will go on until 5 pm or maybe all night!” “Come to my office and sit for a while.” Another hour later, after a wonderful conversation with Karlee, and two US Business Today newspapers...I spy an Island map...I love maps...HEY...what about that back road on the other side of the Island! “Hey Karlee...Does the Mud Hole road start on this side of the blockade?” “Yes, just up the road past Bojangles Chicken.” Hmmm, how about a little adventure, I ask myself. Worst case scenario they’ve blocked that road too, and I turn around and come back.
As I turn onto this “Island” road I notice three things...one...almost straight up...two...surface is red mud, quite wet from the recent deluge, and three...large rock shelves protruding upward alongside deep ruts protruding downward...My heart speeds up, but...can’t get any worse, right?...If I can just make it up the 200 metre spine of the Island, the rest should be a breeze...the front wheel drive begins to spin...down into first gear...the wheels catch and I successfully dodge an 18 inch deep hole and make it up the first incline...heart racing...feeling slightly confident, yet nervous about what lies ahead (imagine 4 wheeling with an automatic Verse 6 inches off the ground)....a narrow piece, and three SUV’s coming fast the other way splashing red mud everywhere, and not slowing down...a patch of grass...I veer off...they pass...heart rate still elevated...on I go. The rest is rather indescribable. The uphills, filled with jagged rocks and loose red clay...the downhills laced with washed out 2 foot depressions, sometimes sliding sideways with eyes closed...but somehow...an hour and a half, and only 10 km later, God and I defeated that muddy washed out terrain and....for the first time (if you can believe it) I scraped the bottom of the car...as I climbed onto the pavement!
Just another day in paradise!!!

a note from Debi:

I called Bob on the cell phone while he was waiting at the blockade. At that point he was hopeful that he'd get through in a hour (haha!) but here is the interesting point. The whole rest of the afternoon I was prompted to pray for him..... and once he got home I knew why. I didn't realize the stress and danger he was facing driving on that washed out road but GOD KNEW!! How amazing is that?! Whatever you are facing today or in the days to come .... rest assured He knows and whether you realize it or not He will prompt others to pray for you. That just warms my heart.

Even yesterday I said to Bob... honey there must be alot of people praying for us because daily we are experiencing His peace. Daily. It's wonderful. Thanks for standing with us!

A little about DOGS!!

Okay those of you who know me well would feel it is safe to say I am a dog lover. It's true. I will walk up to strangers just to pet their dog and have a nice 'chat' with it. Even as a little girl I used to take my skipping rope, tie it around the neck of a dog and say, 'But Mom, can I keep it .. it followed me home!!'. She gave me a little tip: a dog license means it belongs to someone.

I am not afraid of dogs. I remember my sister Kathy didn't like to walk to school with me because there were always dogs around me (and she didn't like that!) I seem to speak their language..dog-ese!! :-)

Okay having said that... I need to say that the dogs on this island are different! They are used as guard dogs to discourage theives, and even though I like them, and speak their language (actually I can't speak Spanish.. they may be part of the problem!) they don't like me!!! Man, what an adjustment is that!! I speak nicely and they snarl, and nip at me!! WHAT???! I have had two different dogs threaten to attack me. I have learned that the trick is to throw something at them. Or at least pretend to. You can see from the photo of the dog barking at the little blue crab that the smallest things can tick them off!



Now having said that I need to say that we have some very nice dogs here at SeaDancer. They are people friendly (well at least to us). I know that if someone they don't know comes on the property there is alot of loud barking. Pepsi is one dog that I have fallen in love with.
I had said to Bob then when we get to the island that I want a dog, well Pepsi belongs to our neighbor and he has kind of adopted us. He sleeps on our porch and comes to visit many times a day. He walks out to the dock with me too. He is my little blessing!!


The other dog on the dock is Hondo and he is quite nice but he has charged me several times. That is Ron and Patti on the dock in the late evening fishing.




Panda is the sweetest little guy. He is the new addition to the dogs here (belongs to Patti and Ron) and we just love him to bits. He is very smart and responsive. He loves to go for walks and play with the other bigger
dogs.

The one thing that dogs like to do here is to 'charge' you. That is the only way to describe it.. they just barrel up to you barking. Even our neighbors dogs will do that to me but once I call their names they settle down.

I don't know if and when we will ever get a dog here, but it will be a bit of an adjustment because most dogs are considered guard dogs, can be aggressive and fight with other dogs.

Having said that let me end off with a picture of Major. This is Lisa's dog and he is a sweetie. She keeps him fenced in or inside...he'd be eaten alive for sure if he was running lose.

Seriously, we found a dead dog on the beach yesterday (actually I didn't go look at it) and they suspect it was from a dog fight. These dogs (our dogs here) have recently killed a cat. UGH..just another adjustment as we journey onward with the 'way things are' on the island.

Be kind to your pets... wouldn't want them to go 'island' on ya!! :-)

a boo boo

There is a new post just below the 'we got our car' one.
I had started it earlier and then finished it yesterday but it stayed in the old spot. It's called "the flavor of the island"

Sorry about that. just a little technicality!

I hope you have a blessed Sunday! We are going to the Calvary Sonrise church this morning.

We got our car!!!

Just want to say THANKS to many of you who prayed regarding getting our car on the island. On Tues. we spent the day at Hybur Shipping waiting for our broker (who was 4 hours) late, and then we didn't have some of the paper work he wanted. Once that was in order the custom's guy was gone for the day. So we went home and thought okay let's try tomorrow.


So we went down there again the following day, and while we were waiting (we are getting really good at that!) for our broker to let us know the decision regarding our car we both saw this truck. I laughed and thought.. how like God!!



It is a little cryptic message: THANK YOU FOR ALL FATHER!! We both chose to thank Him in advance for whatever happened that day regarding our car. We were able to get the car in using a tourist pass. That gives us 1 month, but is renewable for another 3 months after that. We are hoping and trusting that we will be able to get our residency papers in order before then because then we can keep the car here duty free. Yes thank You Father!!
Today we were quoted $6,000 to get all of that done! That is ridiculous!!! We are going to look into another lawyer and get a cheaper quote hopefully.

But it was totally thrilling to drive away in our own car!!

See how excited Bob is!! I also felt like a kid on Christmas morning. One thing I should mention they wanted to charge us $100.00 for the kayaks on top but Bob negotiated it down to $60.00. I think most people just pay whatever but these prices are very 'fluid' so why not barter along???

We are so thankful for Lisa, in particular who has driven us around to various places on the island. She also waited with us all day on Tuesday. Her support has been invaluable! We may just take her cruisin' tonight!!

This is a sample of what it is like to drive on the island. That is very common to see. It is two way traffic and people just pass wherever...on a hill, on a corner! One thing we are learning is not to follow taxis too closely because they will stop in the middle of the road to pick up someone. Yes you read that right... they stop in the middle of the road!!! It's crazy!

Sorry this is blurry but our windshield is a bit dirty....
Well we are going out 'in our car!!!' to West Bay. There is someone who wants Bob to do some work for him so we are just going to go scout it out.

Have a blessed day. We have our electronic frame scrolling pictures of you all everyday and I have chosen to pray for you as I see your faces. Please if you have any specific prayer needs then just drop us a line ok? We may be living across the ocean but our hearts and our love are very near to you all. xo

the flavor of the island

I thought I would post a variety of pictures to give you an idea of the people and the way they live. It is very different from home. At times the poverty, the smells or the noise is disturbing to me, but I have to say this: the people are so kind and gracious. I am learning alot from them, and the longer I am here it doesn't seem all that different.


Sorry these are blurry but they were taken from the taxi and as I said before those guys drive FAST!!!
One day we were driving to Hybur with Lisa and the traffic was completely stopped because of this huge crowd of people walking on the road. I am not sure what was going on: maybe a wedding or a funeral but no one seems to care. The people just walked slowly along, and the drivers just waited. No horn honking, no fist shaking.. just waiting. It is an incredible thing.. I love their patience! You can't really tell from this photo because I zoomed in but there were about 6 cars ahead of us!! :-)



This is a typical home in Sandy Bay: made of wood with a metal roof. This home is right on the beach beside other American style large homes... what a contrast!!



We went to the market today with Patti (who is from the mainland and speaks fluent Spanish!) and Ron. She was such a help in communicating prices etc. They have invited us for coconut shrimp tonight for supper so we drove them (wheee for having a car!!) to the market to get fresh shrimp. The guy who usually sells on the street wasn't there so Patti found out where he lived and we wandered through narrow muddy alley ways til we got to the guys house. She got the shrimp! That is one way to do it!!! :-)

Not only were the streets muddy but they were slippery too. I almost fell once! And you can't tell from this particular photo but in places there would be taxi weaving their way through, and lots of people walking.. very busy in the market place.


Apparently it is alot cheaper to buy from the market except that sometimes people charge alot more to gringos. I think it is worth it to try though and hopefully over time they will get to know us and not see us merely as tourists.


I think the thing that I find the hardest to deal with in Coxen Hole is the garbage strewn around everywhere!! It is disgusting truly. I sincerely thought the little kitty was lying dead on that piece of garbage but he was just sleeping on a dry piece of garbage.


I am not sure what this lady was carrying on her head but it was pretty impressive!!! I am hesitant to take pictures of strangers without asking so that is why I shot this as she was walking away.


Who does that remind you of?? Juan Valdez lives in Roatan... I think he lost his donkey though!! :-)


I have to admit I don't even recognize alot of the vegetables. It will take some time to know how to cook them but thankfully Patti is really helpful. She is such a blessing!!

I do know that those are plantains... they peel them, slice them diagonally and then fry them. They are really quite good.

This is a very common site: men sitting at little booths selling their wares.

And did you notice "Yvonne's shopping centre!" Wow Bob let's go to the Mall... :-)

Well that's it.. its time to head over to Patti and Ron's for dinner. They are the nicest couple! We are blessed to know them, and little by little we have been able to share our faith with them. Please pray for them. Thanks.

Blessings to you and Happy Thanksgiving! May your hearts be truly thankful. We sure are thankful for this opportunity to live amongst these people and share our lives and His love with them. It's amazing....

Sunday and Monday

I had met alot of wonderful women at the Bible Study last Thursday and one of them offered to drive us to church out at the Parrot Tree Resort. Pretty posh eh?

The group that meets there focuses on ex-patriots (people who have chosen to live on the island from other countries. There are people here from Canada, the States, Germany and Italy) We had a real blessed time with them! They meet at this lovely resort in a large conference room (free rent) and the service was very similar to what we are used to.

After the service we order lunch from the cafe there and we had some really good fellowship with people. We are trying to discern where the Lord would have us regularly attend. The Pastor who spoke this week talked about Passion. He said we all have passion, the things that float our boat, and get us excited! In order for that passion to be truly effective though we need to put all our gifts and talents at His feet and allow Him to lead us to people and places that need Him. Needless to say, I amened that!! :-)

It so true. We recognize that we are in a unique phase of life here. We aren't working yet, (hopefully that will happen soon once we get our residency papers under way) and so we are flexible and able to do whatever He brings across our path. It's interesting both of us are slowing down. I find in our culture there is such a thrust to 'get things done' but here it doesn't seem to matter as much. Well I guess it matters but it is on a different time schedule.

We are grateful for the time we have to be together and as well spend time getting to know people on the island.

I have mentioned our neighbors Patricia and Ron, while let me say it again: we are so thankful for them!! They are so kind to us. I have a confession. I had a phobia about starting our propane stove. Firstly I didn't know HOW to plug the thing in. Then I didn't know how to actually get it going. We tried everything but it wouldn't go. So off I go over to Patricia. She just laughs at us. Now I am a pro at it!! It isn't easy to be humble. She also has helped me to know how to cook 'honduran' style and believe me it is alot cheaper!! They are going to take us to the market to buy beans from a man who sells them very inexpensively! Okay imagine this:
1. You buy a bag of beans
2. You go home, empty the bag on the table.
3. You pick out any rocks or sticks (this is 3rd world folks)
4. You rinse them well.
5. You cook them for a couple of hours.
6. You make re-fried beans.
7. You enjoy them for a few days!! YUM!

Apparently the beans in the bags in the stores are too old and they take hours/days to cook and then they are still tough. These are fresh and delicious.

A wonderful tradition here: around 4;00 we troddle to the end of the dock, swim, snorkel and wait for the sun to set. Whoever is here meets at the dock.


It is a wonderful way to end a day. We talk about our days together. The things we did. Our struggles, and our moments of joy.
Imagine if everyday, your neighbors congregated in someone's yard and you ended the day together watching a sunset. It is one of the many things that I love here!!


Another milestone for me: I snorkelled today. That may seem like nothing but I have a serious gag reflex, and I can't swim so usually I avoid the whole thing. Well this morning it was calm at the dock, no one was out there, so I decided to give it a whirl. I wasn't out for long. Just swam a bit around the dock. Didn't go to the reef. But it's a start. Saw a huge seastar!! WOW eh??




Ahh yes.. good news!! Today I got a hammock from Tony (our property manager guy).. actually we got two!! Bob and I went out on the dock and swung in the sea wind talking and relaxing. Bob saw a huge flying fish. I missed it.'

Tomorrow is a big day. It is the day we get our car from the shipping dock. We are basically asking for a miracle! Those of you who know the reality of a God who still can part the waters, and/or walk on them we are trusting that He will grant us favor and we won't have to pay ridiculous duty on our car. Everyone pays duty but sometimes the gringo's pay more. We can't afford to be a gringo here!! :-) The other option is to get a three month tourist pass. We will see. Thanks so much for standing with us in this matter!!



We are so excited about having a car on the island! We have been blessed with people who have driven us around and good taxi drivers but it will be great to tool around (I think that is a northern ontario term) in our own car!!

Anyways, Lisa is here to play games so I best go!

xox