Roatan, Honduras – An Invitation to Dinner
When in Nicaragua, my team of seven was given our ministry assignment for the next month. We were told we would be working at a school on an island called Roatan in Honduras. As you can imagine, we were pretty excited that we would be doing ministry on an island with easy access to the sun and water. However, there were mixed feelings that came along with that excitement. Roatan is a beautiful island, and to live there is not cheap. We knew that living on the island for the month would make a major dent in our wallets. The World Race gives us a limited budget to spend on food, which we knew would be hard to live off of on this island. Two days a week, we are allowed to explore and rest. We knew that any kind of activity on the island would cost a fortune, and we are all living on this tight budget. Throughout this year, we are learning to make the most of what we are given, and it was obvious we would have to be extra careful throughout the month in Roatan with our expenses.
Now fast forward to the day we arrive in Roatan, Honduras. We step off of the ferry, and are greeted by our hosts, Gary and Suzy. This couple is two of the sweetest people you can imagine, and welcomed us with open arms. They brought us to the school that we would be working in, and told us we would be sleeping there as well. We blew up our air pads, laid out our sleeping bags, and got organized in our new home for the month.
The next morning, we went to church and listened while our host gave an awesome sermon. At church, we met the oldest elder named Sherman who has been attending the church since the very first day it started. Sherman immediately stole our hearts. He is witty, funny, and full of character. He invited us over to his house after church, and we gladly accepted. Upon arriving, we first noticed thousands of iguanas filling his yard. He owns an iguana farm, and we were amazed at the creatures roaming around. Although I have to admit I was a bit scared of the dinosaur like animals, it was incredible to be able to see them up close. Sherman runs this business, and many people who come on cruise ships stop by to enjoy his property. He also builds boats, and he gave us a tour around the island to show us his stomping grounds.
Suzy, our host, then took us around town showing us the best views in the area. We went on top of many landscapes to view the sunset and adore the beauty of the island. My eyes have never seen sights as pretty as these. The water is clear and the sky is breathtaking. We piled back in our van, and Suzy asked us if we wanted to stop anywhere else before bringing us home to get some sleep. We told her we didn’t know the area well, so it was completely up to her. She decided to stop at one more place: a restaurant that recently opened. She had never been there before, and the prices were way out of our budget, but there was an amazing overlook of the water that would be pretty to see. We got to the restaurant later in the evening, and noticed how beautiful it was. There was beautiful lighting, excellent architecture and construction, and a gorgeous view overlooking the sky and water. We stood for a few minutes ooing and ahhing over the view, until the owner walked over to us. Dale, the owner, began talking with us and asking where we were each from. It turns out that he is from Louisiana and has been himself to every single place that each of us are from. He’s been to Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, Maryland, AND Ohio. We were all blown away at how small our world is, and also told him about the World Race. We explained our ministry and told him what we would be doing for the next year. It was a beautiful exchange of words and conversation, and we were lucky to have met him.
As we were about to leave, Dale said, “I would love to invite you all to dinner.” Of course, our first question was, “Well, how much do you charge per plate?” (The restaurant was buffet style, and we knew we couldn’t afford it) Dale responded, “No, I said I want to INVITE you to dinner, on me.” We were at a loss for words at his generosity and couldn’t believe he was going to treat 7 strangers to dinner. So, we did. We ate an incredible, homemade Honduran meal. He stuffed us not only with dinner, but also with three different kinds of desserts. We were so full, you would have had to roll us out of the restaurant to get us out of there. We finally decided to get up and leave, and we walked over to Dale and his sister to thank them and say goodbye. As we were saying goodbye, they invited us to come back for dinner another night. Our eyes almost popped out of our heads, “Come another night for dinner?”, we asked. He said, “In fact, come for dinner tomorrow night, and the next night, and the next night, until you leave at the end of your time in Honduras.” Dale was inviting us to eat for free at his restaurant every single night for the next two weeks. I almost had tears in my eyes at his generosity and kindness. He said he wanted to bless us for blessing so many other people. We could not believe it. So, every night, we now go and visit Dale, and eat the best meal you can imagine. Even when we were worried about our food budget, God literally provided food, and in abundance. Above and beyond more than we could ever imagine. WHAT A MIRACLE!!! I don’t know why I ever doubt God or worry.
Beyond all of this, our hosts, Suzy and Gary, know just about everyone on the island. The community here is so closely knit and everyone seems to not only know, but also love and care about each other. Suzy and Gary brought us to visit some of their friends around the area and we were blessed with several crazy adventures and opportunities. On our free/off days, we were able to visit a sloth farm, hold monkeys, birds, and sloths, visit a beach resort, go day snorkeling, go night snorkeling, etc. And guess what?! This was ALL without a cost.
What Am I Learning Through It All?
Man, I am learning so much through this month. I’m immediately reminded of God’s love and acceptance of us. Some of us are so hurt in life and lose trust so easily by those around us who hurt us. We immediately believe that love comes through our works or that we need to do a certain thing in order to gain God’s love and forgiveness. God invites us to sit at his table, and what is our first question? “Well, God, how much does it cost?” He then reminds us that this is an invitation that he has already payed for. He has already payed the price, and invites us to now live and sit with him at the table forever. When we do sit with him and seek him in all we do, he blesses us. And not only does he bless us, but he does so above and beyond what we could even imagine. He gives to us what we need before we even know what our needs are and before we even ask. God’s love and forgiveness have already been paid for – so go and join him at the table. He’s patiently waiting for you:) And when he blesses you, bless others and share the goodness that only the Lord provides. We’ve been blown away by the free gifts we have been given this month, and can’t wait to bless someone else in return.
Ministry & Schedule This Month
For the first two weeks in Roatan, our team has been assigned to work in a school called Kingdom Bilingual Education Center. All seven of us have been given a different grade and classroom to assist and help in. The principal found out that I was a fourth grade teacher, and assigned me to the fourth graders in their school. I was overjoyed, and my heart was so happy. Although the fourth graders at this school are known as the trouble class, I immediately knew I would grow way too attached. Although, yes, they are a bit crazy, they are also confident, passionate, and full of life. I have been able to teach lessons, and help the classroom teachers in any way possible. Next Wednesday night, all of our kids are performing in a christmas performance for all of the parents. Our team is excited to help with this event, and watch our kids perform. Seriously, I think it will be very difficult to leave these kids. It’s amazing how close of relationships can be formed in just two weeks.
After our two weeks are over, we will be traveling to Talanga, Honduras for the final two weeks of the month. There are already two other teams there doing ministry. We will be staying at their ministry location to help with a huge Christmas project. We will be wrapping thousands and thousands of Christmas presents to hand out in the villages of Talanga. We are excited to start this new project.
God’s Blessings
Over all, God has blessed us beyond belief. He’s blessed us with an incredible school to work with and kids who have melted our hearts. He has blessed us with a community that feels like home, and all of the extremely warm hearted people who we have been able to form relationships with. He’s blessed us with an amazing host family who have treated us like their own children. He’s blessed us with a reminder of His love for us, and a challenge to bless the people around us.
