Wherever you go, there will always be a road to travel in getting you there. Some days I find myself constantly traveling some road or another, whether it is on the way to work, to school, to the store, or to church. Some roads are traveled so often as to become very familiar, while others are unfamiliar to us when traveling to a new place. It is those unfamiliar roads that make us sometimes hesitate. You know that feeling when you realize you are driving a never-before-seen road, and you react by unconsciously slowing down, checking your mirrors, and in some (extreme haha) cases- you might even pull over and stop to check your Map quest instructions....I think of life that way. It is easy to go full speed when you know where you are going because you've been so often that it is familiar, safe. As creatures of habit, we tend to move around on auto-pilot at times, sticking to the familiar places we know and trust. Last week's trip to Roatan though took all of us from our personal safety zones and propelled us right into a new, uncharted path. Yes, many in our group had been to Roatan the year before, but still some time had passed and there would be new places for them to experience as the week progressed. For the first couple of days it was unfamiliar, but then something happened. 

After a few days, I began to recognize the twists and turns of the sandy road, and the places along the way began to look familiar. I even came to enjoy the walk each morning to breakfast, and then on to the clinic to help set up for the arrival of kids and patients. Then I started to recognize a few people passing by at various points each day on their own way to somewhere. In life, you never know where God is going to ask you to go, and sometimes it will be somewhere you never would have thought of for yourself, or perhaps he may even ask you to switch the road you were currently on and will guide you toward another if you will trust him. That hesitant feeling of needing to slow down, look around, and maybe even stop altogether due to the lack of instructions may pull at you, but trust that God is going to stay at your side wherever you go, and the road ahead will always be worth it. Let your instincts tell you if it is the right one and, if so, stay on it for a bit. Leaving behind the familiar, although daunting, can lead you to something wonderful and even better. I think it is better to take a risk than to turn back, and follow those new roads when presented to you. Had none of us in our group of 21 travelers been willing to follow a road last week, we might not have the new friends and experiences that touched our lives as a result. Those sandy roads may be behind for now as we rejoin the familiar paths of home, but a bit of that sand I am sure has found it's way home with me on the soles of my shoes and is now sprinkled over the roads I have returned to travel once again...giving them a bit of a new look. For me, I don't know what road is next, but I look forward to where it will take me...

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Now that I am home, I have some time to reflect over the past week and the experience overall. While I was expecting it to be a bit of a shock to the system to come home and "back to reality" so to speak (after all what is reality), I am not sure I was prepared for the onslaught of mixed feelings that perplexed and pursued me. Is it the everyday routines we come to expect from life or is it the moment to moment living that makes up reality? I like the latter idea I think, which makes both last week and this week a reality that I have to mesh together and make it all fit like pieces of a puzzle. Already I have heard from several members of the team today, and that is certainly helpful. I think it is good to continue to be a support to one another as we re-integrate into our lives and find new ground to stand upon where our old views are hopefully influenced by our new insights. For instance, I was sort of dragging through this day at first; everything seemed a bit overwhelming, and it felt as though there were insurmountable feelings and thoughts to wade through after such an intense week of learning...but then I thought about the challenging obstacles we had overcome as a team of 21 people of all different backgrounds just barely days ago. One of the most challenging was probably the language barrier- without our interpreters it could have been a much more difficult week! When you find yourself face to face with someone that you can't possibly understand because neither of you speak the same language, that can be daunting. It definitely took each one of us "out of the box" of everyday communication patterns. Yet even with language being an issue, somehow we managed to smile, greet each other in our own way and then in each other's language as the week progressed, and to find a common ground upon which to meet our needs and the needs of others. A funny side note here that I am sure everyone in the group can appreciate is that while taking a bus ride one evening to the Flowers Bay Church to meet with the youth, our driver took a wrong turn. Well...he thought it was the right turn and we knew it was not, but he didn't speak English and none of us were fluent enough in Spanish to convince him that we needed to turn around. At first we just thought he was looking for a place to turn around, but then it became evident that he had a destination in mind- just not the same as ours. He did finally stop, and after a couple of phone calls we were turned back and going in the right direction. A little stressful at first, sure, but then worth a laugh and funny memory. The point is that language barriers, while challenging and requiring a bit of extra effort, can be overcome and eventually a common ground is established. Just as the children who came to us last week could barely understand us, and we could not tell you what they were saying either...or could we? Although I did not understand their words many times, I could tell by their smiles and looks of delight when they were happy, or questioning looks when they needed more explanation. So, perhaps language is universal after all, and all one really needs to do to communicate well is to pay attention to expressions and tones. I thought about this today and how it could help me to communicate better with my own children. There are times when I think I am just being informative, but maybe my tone is saying something different. And there are times that perhaps if I just watch their expression closely, I can read what they are really saying or needing. I tried this out today- I leaned over and hugged my youngest son close and he smiled and said "I know. I love you too" without my saying a word although that is just what I was thinking...wow there really is a language barrier everywhere that can be overcome a little at a time if we just pay attention. Still learning something from those beautiful children in Roatan! Perhaps I can mesh old ideas with new ones after all with a little time, prayer, and patience...

Yesterday was spent in travel getting back to the states, and wow what a strange feeling to wake up at home today! I will be adding more pics, stories, and thoughts on this amazing journey over the next week for anyone following the blog. Thanks to our family, friends, church and supporters for all the prayers and encouragement that made this such an incredible week. Saying a prayer for Eddisu and Randy's safe return today who are still making the journey. The final plane was full last night, but as with everything that has happened this past week, perhaps God still had some purpose for them today...Will post more later...Blessings!

Last night here...but not the last night that I will think of the new friends I have made here (those I traveled here with and those I met and must leave behind). I am sure the entire team is reflecting on the thought tonight of how we are going to return home tomorrow and fit this into our daily lives. Margarita and I were discussing it and agreed that if there is something we have learned this week, it is that we cannot overplan- we need to let life unfold on its own. God has his own plan, and part of it was bringing this group together for this week, and he made that happen. He also has a plan of how what we have learned this week and what we have gained as a person will carry forward into our daily lives if we will only trust and let it happen. So...I am not going to plan ahead; in the spirit of the ocean that surrounds this beautiful island, I am going to let God's wind steer my course from here and trust that wherever it takes me I will recognize it when I get there. I could take a lesson from the ladies of the Methodist church in Pandy Town today. As they lifted their hearts and voices in song, singing "God is so good to me", they knew in their hearts what those words meant. It doesn't mean that everything you plan or want out of life will always fall into place. It doesn't mean that you are guaranteed a long, healthy life or have earthly riches. It doesn't mean that things come easily and without troubles. It means that no matter what happens, no matter what challenges we face, no matter what hardships block our way, and no matter what we have to go without, God finds a way to send a blessing despite it all. That is not to say he steps in and takes away all your troubles, but rather he blesses you in ways that will help you deal with everything else in life that you face. And so these ladies stood in the middle of their church with us today lifting their voices and singing praises. Did the clothes, shoes, and toothbrushes we brought to donate to them change their tomorrow? Maybe not the "things" will change the longterm, but I hope the time spent there will make a difference (I know it made a difference to our group!) I close this post tonight with pictures (more to follow in a later post!) from Pandy Town, a small community perched on the edge of the ocean- swimming with strife against the backdrop of a beautiful blue horizon...I pray the blessings keep going out to these people and I thank them for the blessings I have received from Pandy Town today and other communities of Roatan such as: Flowers Bay, West End, Sandy Bay, and the Methodist school in Coxen Hole. I may be leaving with less in the suitcase tomorrow, but I am going home with oh so much more in my heart...

How much time is necessary in order to have an impact on a lifetime? My guess is it can be as brief as a split second, or maybe it can happen over the course of a week...any amount of time really can have a lasting effect depending on the circumstances under which something memorable occurs. Today started off with a bittersweet morning as the clinic and the bible school was open for the last day until noon. As we were packing up throughout the morning hours in bits and pieces of free moments, the group was in a relaxed happy mood. Not any different really than the mood of this group all week- everyone has voiced how much we have enjoyed working together toward this common goal. But today, the "bitter" part was knowing that we would be leaving soon and be sorry to leave new friends behind. The question was brought up tonight in our group talk about whether or not we thought we would be remembered by the people we have met here, but then it was pointed out that if we remember this for a lifetime, why wouldn't they as well? So...what is the purpose of a mission trip really? Sure, we were here to do the work such as construction, bible school, and a medical clinic, and that assistance was sorely needed in this community just like many others here on Roatan and around the world. But- what is it really that will make a lasting impression? One never knows, but one can be sure that there will be a moment- perhaps a split second or an entire day where everything inside your heart suddenly turns inside out and there is God looking right into you saying "Did you get that message? Am I getting through?" And just like that, you realize something in the way you think, feel, and act will never be quite the same again as it was before. I know I have had a moment or two of that feeling this week, and I have seen it happen as well in the teammates around me too. It has created a bond, a feeling of camaraderie, that we all now share as this week is quickly wrapping up. Tomorrow we will be visiting the community of Pandy Town to open our eyes a bit wider than has already occurred, and I look forward to that. Yes, I know that change can occur anywhere, at home as well as halfway around the world. The difference is that when you leave home and gain a new perspective of life through the eyes of another culture, all of your senses are tuned in to each and every moment because you are like a newborn again for the first time. Everything is new and foreign to you, so you have to be willing to trust others that may be vastly different from you. You observe and you learn and if you are very blessed, a moment will come when two worlds collide and you find yourself standing there holding the hand of a person who was once a foreigner to you, but is now a dear friend, and God steps in to touch you both...
"Listen, O heavens, and I will speak;
hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
Let my teaching fall like rain
and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants."
Deuteronomy 32:1-2


Carmen and I



The doctor is in! To the people here in the West End community, the clinic has been a welcome success this week. In three short days, just under 300 patients have been seen and treated. Our doctors in the group and pictured on the right, Dr. Tidwell and Dr. David, expressed how appreciative every patient has been and how easy the attitudes of their patients has made it enjoyable for them to be here. Also part of the medical team are several nurses (Margarita in the picture is one of the nurses) that have been working to get patients ready before seeing the doctor. It cannot be an easy job to clasp on a blood pressure cuff, stick a new patient to check blood sugar, and write down their symptoms and personal information when a language barrier is on place. We could not have survived the week without our interpreters. Some translators were scheduled to be here and some were simply impromptu patient-turned-translator as the need arose. I am amazed at outside people's willingness to drop everything and help when the need presented itself. (It's funny how things have fallen into place all week just at the right time...not coincidental) For instance, today the cruise ships arrived in port, making it very difficult for our interpreters to get a cab to the clinic. Therefore, as 8 a.m. rolls around and we have no one to translate and patients to see, I grabbed the English-Spanish dictionary and am trying to help get information out of patients so we can get them in to the doctors. That was going to make for an interesting morning I might add! Until Rudy pitches in- he was there to see the doctor and ends up putting other's needs before his own to help translate. Even after our other interpreters arrive, Rudy volunteers to stay all day and continue helping!

Besides medical care, construction has been an ongoing project as well this week. Although the picure with Randy and Dick may have you asking where is this building they are working on- we don't see it...that is because what you are seeing is the most important part of the building, which is the foundation that they have prepared. A foundation is what we have been working to build all week, not only on a building site, but in a community. (thank you Ken for sharing that in the group tonight!)

The last picture is one of the most needed ingredients to make this week successful, and that is a group of happy children! Eddisu, along with Terri, Pat E., Carrie, Jody, Nancy, Randy, myself, and pretty much everyone at one time or another have had the extreme pleasure to play and interact with these beautiful children. Although these children have been dealt a life of struggle, they are survivors in every sense and have thrived into wonderful kids to be around. Amazing how relationships can grow in just three days. While on the first day some of the kids were sneaking markers into school bags (only because they didn't have anything of such value to call their own), by that very afternoon the same markers had somehow "reappeared". By day two, the kids are willing to talk a bit more openly with us, play games, and even call out to us in recognition later on the street. Today though...I had been working all morning in the clinic, and as soon as I walked out to the children's area, Jeremy, a boy of about 10, runs up and grabs me in a happy hug and asks when we are going to the beach. Nigel, who is cute even when he pouts, smiles when I greet him. I feel a hand on my arm, and glance down at Ariel's older, shyer sister who puts an arm around me and squeezes before running off. I am going to miss these kids and their affectionate attitudes. To finish off the afternoon, Eddisu and I rounded up a number of the kids to take across the street to the beach. We play for at least an hour, kicking beach balls and squirting water guns. Sometimes the kids get in a struggle over a toy, and we have to call out "Alto!" (stop). Three days ago, they would have kept struggling with each other- today they stopped and went on playing without further conflict. I can't really blame them for struggling with each other. Every day for many of them is a struggle to survive. However, what they don't have in "things", they make up for in spirit. For such a poor culture, the people we have met here are pretty good at spreading wealth to others. I know I will be going home a spiritually wealthier person in a few days from having spent some time here with Omar, Eduardo, Jeremy, Jahim, Oscar, Elvis, Ariel, Kaia, Kimberly, Raol, Desmond, Carmen, Josua, Damisha, Dawn and countless others...muchas gracias!

So many things happen in a day here that there are countless stories I could share on the blog tonight, and in time I will do just that. But really there is just one story I believe that needs to be told on today's blog because it is the reason why teams come to Roatan...and keep coming. That story belongs to Onyx. The first picture is where Onyx lives, and the next is a picture of Onyx herself with Pastor Joe. The most accurate way that I can describe her is as the most gracious, dignified lady I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. As we were introduced, Onyx graciously extended her hands and took mine in hers to welcome me into the home she has lived in for many years. I am told she and her husband built this home with their bare hands with what they could years ago. Pastor Joe, who lives here full time serving the people of Roatan in missions, gave me a tour of this home so that I could learn more about the situation in Honduras. Sure, I've seen pictures of poverty before as have we all. But I have never felt so humbled in my life as when this real person extended her hands and welcomed me in to glimpse her life right there in plain sight. The picture showing the yellow painted room is a much improved house from a year ago, although the floors underneath are still buckling and rotting. However, mission teams have come in and done what they could to help this woman and her grown son, Allen. I say improved from a year ago because last year it came to Pastor Joe's attention that their mission efforts were needed by Onyx. She was becoming very ill and couldn't sleep at night. What they found out was that the roof was inadequate to the point of open holes everywhere and the bats were flying in to hang in the rafters at night. This poor woman couldn't sleep and was becoming ill as a result of the bat droppings falling onto her as she lay in her bed at night. Through mission efforts, part of her roof has been replaced and walls made of plywood were put in to make the home more liveable. The other pictures are of the kitchen area, which has not been improved yet. There are rafters holding a tin roof with patches of sky showing through. When it rains, the local youth group comes in to try and patch more of the roof to control the leaking, but evidence of mold and water damage is still prevalent. Sunlight streams in through not only the ceiling, but the walls and floors as well. I can't even imagine what kind of shelter can be expected during hurricane force winds, and I am sure Onyx has known some nerve-wracking storms in her patched home over the years. As I was leaving the home, I stopped to talk to her son, Allen, who was outside preparing cashews for roasting. He was very gracious as well and showed me the fruit the cashew comes from, explaining that he finds them in the bush (as in out in the wild) behind his house. There are around twenty trees out there now that he is picking the fruit from. He then patiently removes the cashews from the fruit and roasts it over an open fire to make the cashew nuts ready to eat. It is quite a process that requires patience. He agreed to a picture, but was a little concerned about being in his work clothes, but working is what he was doing and I wanted to show the large pile of cashews he would be roasting soon. He promises to send some for the team to try before we leave this week, and I look forward to that. Cashews are my favorite and I had no idea what it took to prepare them. It was admirable of Allen to share his knowledge with me in a situation that might have made many uncomfortable. As I thanked Onyx and left her home, she told me I was welcome to come back and visit her anytime....in a house surrounded by rotting boards, barely there walls, and uneven floors, here was a woman and her son willing to share anything they had and to welcome me as their guest whom they had barely met....I had been asking myself all last week and even into this week "why am I here? what is the purpose?" and today God revealed the purpose through Onyx and Allen- living in barely more than a shack by the ocean. The purpose is to put it into words- not for my benefit but only for theirs. They would share anything they had with me, and all I can really share in return is their story in the hopes that people like Onyx and Allen will continue to receive help from those who can.  I don't share their story to make others feel bad; I simply wanted to demonstrate the need that the people of Roatan have. One of the mysteries of life is the pain that many endure unasked for and undeserving. The group I have been traveling with this week has noticed the kind spirit of these people more than once. They really have nothing to give other than of themselves, and they do just that in abundance. The beauty of their island all around them demonstrates that God has not abandoned them, and he carries them through the challenges they face in a daily life of survival. Just across the road maybe 150 feet away is the shoreline of the ocean and Onyx and her son have the most incredible view of it from their front yard- a view many would pay millions for, but these two people deserve at least that bit of beauty in their lives. It's the view inside the house that concerns me, and yet it is someone's home with a history and a story and I was honored to be invited in as their guest and share in that story, even for just a few brief moments ...