And so, We Returned Home

We are home! As of midnight Monday, we have been here, down on the farm in Chatham Kent. Our stay in Roatan was shortened by a few weeks, and ..... we get to spend those weeks, and likely longer, in isolation. Unfortunately, there are no lush green palms or turquoise seas in our vista as we wait. Our isolation house has no hammock, or perch. But, we are here and all is well.

A week ago, we received messages - many messages - from our daughters urging us to return immediately. Various options were explored. After a 4+ hour wait on hold Thursday, late at night, Colleen connected with Air Transat and made the necessary arrangements to get us on the Monday flight. Friday and Saturday included a frenzy of connections including a final dental appointment for my root canal (how great is that?!) as well as banking, packing and visiting. After a final church gathering Sunday morning at Son Rise (their final service for awhile too), and lunch out on the beach with friends, we did our online check-in and received our boarding pass. Check, check, check.  All was going well.  Our remaining food was distributed except for what we would eat for our final supper and breakfast in Roatan. 

A glitch in all the preparations came along Sunday night at 8:00 pm Honduras time. The President of Honduras announced that effective midnight, all borders for the country were to be closed and all transportation into and out of the country other than for cargo would stop. Larry and I looked at each other and sort of gulped.  "No food!" was our big thought. (are you laughing?) We immediately put on our walking feet and set out for the grocery store to buy some essentials. 

But - no sooner than we had unpacked our groceries than we received a message from a good friend on the Roatan Tourism Board.  Her message said "The Canadian Embassy has confirmed that all Canadian flights tomorrow will arrive only to transport Canadians back to Canada."  If ever you doubt the concern our government has for its people - don't. There are others who are waiting for their government and the Honduran government to co-operate. We are home. Thank you to those who made that happen.

So, instead of simply flying back for spring planting (and to hug family and friends of course!), we were evacuated. Whether we're in a safer place or not is hard to say. We left Roatan where there are still 0 cases of COVID-19, to spend about an hour in the Toronto airport - an hour in an airport! Katee was the designated daughter who swooped us away from the airport. She would be a hero except she did not invite us into her house to freshen up and she tells us as soon as we drove away in our truck, she disinfected her car, and took a shower! Laura had earlier in the day filled our cupboards and refrigerator so we have no need to be about - and we won't be. 

And so, we returned home. We are leaving Roatan where many people are afraid. There is an awareness that medical supplies are not available if needed. There is a fear that cargo will not arrive with food and supplies and when there is food, it will be expensive. The "prosperity" of the island comes from tourism and cruise ships have been cancelled for several months and many tourists are being evacuated. Like many other countries, people are not to leave their homes unless they are out for food or essentials. Taxis are only transporting those in essential service. Many workers have been released from their work, and employers are not required to pay extra wages or even promise to rehire once the crisis ends. At a time when people are most in need, churches can not meet. So, we have the luxury of being evacuated. And our Roatan friends wait.

Today I saw a robin. (He must have been a teenager - when I went to take his picture he hid in the branches!) The calendar tells us it is officially spring. Soon the drab of winter will give way to new growth and new life - hope! This is what we all are needing now. For now? We wait. And for the Roatan Campbells - we are home.

Bye kids! We miss you already. We'll see you when we can.