🌞 Let It Shine - April Update 🌞

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. ~ Matthew 5:16      

Yes. Let it shine!  It’s spring and we are anticipating sun – and showers. Whether the skies are blue or gray - we can shine. And shine is what we hope we have been doing with our time in Roatan. While we are not involved with teaching in the church, we hope those who we meet – old friends or new – know that what we do is because of Jesus and what He has done for us.

We are home back in our snug house where Larry will wait for spring and then start spring planting. We have had our first birthday celebration with family, and this weekend we will attend our nephew’s wedding. We do wish our brains would arrive on the same plane as our bodies, but it could be they are lost in transit permanently.

We are more than content with our opportunities during these 10 weeks in Roatan. We made so many really good connections. One of the highlights for both of us was attending Leah’s first birthday party. Leah is Coco and Senia’s daughter. It is hard to believe – Carlos/Coco (one of our first and youngest students) has a one-year-old! Also, for the first time since the Lairds left Roatan, our times in Roatan overlapped. The Lairds pastored at Son Rise when we first came to Roatan and return occasionally.We found opportunities to chat and catch up with both Chuck and Tia. In the week she was in Roatan, Tia accompanied me twice to visit Francis and other friends in the Colonia. Larry so much enjoyed showing off our island to his cousin Gord and wife Shirl. These opportunities give us extra energy for some of the long days.

Does Coco look like a proud papa?           Good chat with Chuck and Tia Laird

We wanted to encourage people to continue to pack those Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. One day when I stepped out the gate to go to school I noticed what appeared to be a ribbon fluttering on the side of the road. I picked it up and noticed it wasn’t ribbon but was tape with the Samaritan’s Purse/Operation Christmas Child logo. I only needed to walk a short distance before I connected with our neighbour Marva, who told me that her children had gone to church the Sunday before and received shoe boxes. Her little guy Omar received various items in his box, but most special to him was a stuffed teddy he named Oso. (Bear). We watched Omar carry Oso everywhere that week. Oso’s bed was the shoebox. As the week went on, Oso had a blanket – one of Omar’s t-shirts. I don’t think Omar gets many presents, so this was special for him.

Omar with his Operation Christmas Child box and gift - Oso.

🌴Island Traditions 🌴 We live in a building called Alpha’s Place. It has 10 small condos. Alpha’s Place is not a resort but is in a residential area. Our neighbours are families that have lived in the same neighbourhood for a few generations. Along with a few other imports that live close by, we have been welcomed by this community of Islanders. Islanders are the native people of the island and are of the same descent as the Caribbean people of other Caribbean islands. Many of their traditions have been passed from generation to generation. We observed an Islander funeral this time when a woman from across the street died. While waiting for a brother of this woman to come in from his work at sea on a freighter, the family held two long-into-the-night wakes. (The normal is one wake.) Extended family and their children attended the wakes – twice. The wakes included speaking, lots of food, partying and loud music. (This community really likes old country music as well as old gospel music.) We did not go to the wakes. We did however stay a-wake.  Following the two wakes, a funeral was held at the local Church of God. The burial followed the church funeral. So many stories were shared about this sister, cousin, aunt, and stepmom, and so many family stories were shared. The wake and the oral tradition – something different from our customs. 🌴

One Islander family living beside us are Chris and Laura, and their boys Isaiah, Lestil, and Assad. They are friends we have known for many years. They live in the upstairs of a house in the family complex of 3 houses. We have mentioned that Larry was called upon to fix their leaking toilet. From this project, which resulted in a new toilet, Larry helped Laura find paint and Chris painted all the rooms. The floor then needed new stain. The final renovation involved closing in the porch to make a new kitchen. While this project hadn’t been in our plans it is one that brings us much satisfaction.

                                                                                                Laura loves her new kitchen.

In the last update I asked for prayer for Francis. Keep praying. We also asked for prayer for Greicy and Nahun. Little by little they are becoming more content with their new home. But life is tough for so many in Honduras. We keep shining. Our prayer request for this update – pray for so many who have a life that is really challenging. Pray for those who travelled to the US and are afraid for their future.

As we wrap up this update we just have to say we are so thankful for all the opportunities that we have had.  We are thankful to the people who keep all the things going for us back home. And we are thankful for the beautiful people who share their lives with us in Roatan. They’re the ones who make us shine.

  

Blessings! Larry and Susan

 from the rising of the sun, to the place where it sets…. Psalm 113:3