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 ...
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 ...
No comments:
Post a Comment