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🌟Big Moments 🌟 - December Update

~ Big Moments~ 

Merry Christmas! We are so excited to send you this greeting. The year has zipped by as all of us have filled every moment with lots of activities and memories.  We expect that each of you are looking forward to a full calendar of upcoming Christmas events and opportunities to create more memories before the year ends. Enjoy it all!

We want to share with you a few of the Big Moments that have made the last few months of this year special and enjoyable for people we know in Roatan. While we couldn’t be there this November, everyone kept us updated with their news and pictures.   …almost? – like being there.

In the first week of November, I began receiving frenzied messages from Sandra. Her sister’s baby came early – while she was at work. Flor and her baby were whisked off to the baby hospital where the baby had to go through all sorts of tests to confirm that she wasn’t contaminated from being born outside of a hospital. How things have changed! Sandra and her sister Flor, as well as their 4 other siblings were all born at home. Now babies must be born under medical conditions. This was such a Big Moment for Flor and her family – a baby girl after three boys. Flor has named her little girl Alison Elizabeth. Isn’t that beautiful? A name for a princess. 👑

Families are relaxing with the completion of the school year. As most years, it became challenging getting to and from school as the rains had begun, so being able to stay home now when it is rainy is a treat.

We are congratulating 4 boys as they celebrate their graduations. These are Big Moments as we recognize that our three grade 9 grads have accomplished what their parents did not have the opportunity to do. Owen and Antoni graduated from grade 9 from Sandy Bay Adventist School. Lestil’s graduation from grade 9 at Modelo will be Saturday. Iker had his graduation from kindergarten this week – a very Big Moment!  
Owen with parents, Arezzi and Victor;                Iker with his K teacher;                          Lestil with mom, Laura;           Antoni with sister Meri who is a grade 12 grad this year too. 
Other students were also recognized for their progress this year at school and were recognized as Honour Roll students. Well done Grace, Vashny, Genesis and Hannah. We are so proud of you.
Grace; Vashny and Genesis; Hannah with Directora Leticia.

We’ve waited - since August! - to share this news and now it is official. As we have shared before, Honduras does not make it easy to be married. But with all the documents stamp-stamp-stamped (and paid for) Coco and Senia received their date to be married on November 15. But that was the day that Roatan shut down in anticipation of a potential hurricane. The good news was that the hurricane decreased in intensity and arrived only as a tropical storm. The bad news was that Coco and Senia had to wait one more week. But, as of November 23, they are officially married. Woohoo! Congratulations Coco and Senia! We are so proud. 
Coco and Senia, November 23, 2024.

We are also anticipating celebrating another Big Moment – or rather, THE Big Moment. Lately I have had a song running through my head. I heard it for the first time last Christmas although it has been around for awhile, I guess. The melody is simple – almost sing-song like. But the words – one of those stand-amazed things:

How many kings, stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?                      
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?


If you get a chance, listen to the whole song on You Tube. (How Many Kings). It causes me just to stop - amazed. This King/Lord/Great/God is Jesus, and this is the reason we celebrate Christmas. And why? For me? For me! All for me - and you. Thank you doesn’t seem enough.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, 
the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ John 1:14

We are looking forward to many moments to come in 2025. We return to Roatan in early January with a flight back home booked near the end of March. During that time, we will connect with our students and join the fun of back-to-school preparations. I want to get to meet baby Alison Elizabeth. Chris just sent a message with a project he’d like to “partner” with Larry. I wonder what surprises we will have when we return? How does God want us to spend our days? 

As we come to the end of the year we want to thank each of you for your support – financial, emotional, and prayer. We feel content with how we have been able to share with those we have been given to help in Roatan. We would enjoy an opportunity to visit with you at some time and hear about your 2024 Big Moments. Merry Christmas to all!  Feliz Navidad a todos! 🌟



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