Las Colonias

Las Colonias

Sunday 29 September 2019

🍁 2019 September Update

Jimena, age 5, carrying firewood to her house

Greetings to you as we enter this beautiful fall!
What are you looking forward to as this new season arrives? The leaves are turning, and the fields are ripening. Kids are back in school, and schedules are resuming. A new season – and for you?

We have just returned from 5 weeks in sunny, HOT, Roatan and are very content with the time we have spent there. This was a time of being, instead of doing. Our time was spent with people we have known for several years so the “Hi – who are you?” questions didn’t need to be asked. We were able to ask more deeply “How are you?” Like here, some people are thriving and some need encouragement.

Sometimes our encouragement required reassurances that living sometimes is tough. Sometimes our encouragement required firmer responses. We want to thank those who keep us in prayer. Frequently discerning a response to those who are in need – lovingly empathizing, lovingly suggesting stay-the-course, or lovingly pushing – requires more than what we could do on our own and we are thanking God for His direction in our interactions.

It is difficult for us to be “being” people. In fact, lots of times we were frustrated because we felt we weren’t making good use of the time we had. And then we would get to the end of certain days and we would know we had been used to make a difference.


After Bible Study, with Greicy, 
Greicy's son Dylan, and Geyzi.
We both enjoyed the times when we were able to spend time with our students. Several of them are becoming independent and are delightful young adults. Jessie, Josian and Karla will graduate from high school in November.  In August, they were out at work placements so we surprised each of them with a visit.  Oscar was very pleased to bring his girlfriend to meet us. That was very special! We also had many visits with Greicy and Geyzi. We have known these two girls since we first came to Roatan.  Both girls are making good choices for their lives. We are sure proud of them all.



In the fourth week of our stay, I was visiting with Sandra.  After we exchanged pleasantries, she said to me “We have no water.  It is nasty!” Water used to come from the wells in the colonias to different sectors according to a schedule of every four days.  Then it was every eight days and then water delivery became more unpredictable. After more discussion, I found out Sandra’s sector hadn’t received water for twenty days and the water in her storage containers had run out at day fourteen. With the hope of water to come soon to Sandra’s house, Larry stopped in to his favourite plumbing store. A deal for a new, large water tank with fittings was made with delivery the next day. We hustled up to Sandra’s house. I showed Sandra a picture of what we had purchased. She laughed – and then she started to cry. She had been praying for help and God had answered her prayers! We were both in tears. We are learning – we left it to the family to make the connections. It did take several days - but, so did the water. After twenty-six days, Sandra received water and happily filled her tank – and all her other containers. Water started to arrive at 7:00 in the morning. Sandra started her pile of laundry soon after.


Ready for the water.
An unpleasant family situation came to our attention. Because we knew this family very well we felt we should take action for the safety of the kids in the household. This is something we don’t like to do. At this time, some resolution has been made although as one of the kids told me today – “it takes time here, Miss Susan.”  At least, we feel that the situation is better for the kids now.

The most frequent question we have when we meet people here is “when are you going back?” While Larry is pleasantly surprised with the progress of the crops, he still anticipates that the corn harvest will be late. We will not go back until after Christmas. That gives us lots of time to connect with many of you and find out what you have been doing. We also have some renovation plans…..

Oscar and Larry confer about
repair materials
At this time we are asking for prayer for:
*    🍁 - Son Rise church/pastors as they serve
-       🍁 - the school students as they wrap up their year
*    🍁- the special family we are involved with
*    🍁 - the serious water situation in Roatan
*    🍁 - a time for refreshment and good connections here for us during the fall

Thank you to those who have supported us through this time while we have been in Roatan. Without your help, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.    

 ~ Blessings,  Larry and Susan  

** for more info about the water problems see roatancampbells.blogspot.com  (Sept. 2019)

No comments:

Post a Comment