Although it’s been a while since I have seen the movie Swiss
Family Robinson everything about this place reminds me of it. From a 3-story
bamboo house to eating off the land to jungle enclosing us it has been quite
the movie scene.
I have never picked fruit off of trees and eaten it before.
My city girl mindset and lifestyle prevented me from really ever wondering
where/how things grow. When we wanted pineapple we bought it from the store… there
was no such thing as waiting for it to be ripe for harvesting off the plant. They pick flowers to fill vases. Grass for tea. They use old scraps
of fruits and veggies for compost (aka rotting fruits and veggies that becomes
rich soil-just fyi city folks). Nothing goes to waste. Everything is
multi-purposeful. It might sound dumb but my mind has been blown. I have this whole
new perspective and appreciation for farmers and plantation owners. It is an
art to position seeds in such a way that they can flourish and truly a miracle
when they then grow. What an amazing way to live.
For this month my team and I have been blessed to work
alongside Friendships- an amazing
organization that focuses on disaster relief. In between disasters they lead
lives of service. Particularly in Roatan, they work with local orphanages, a
safe home for abused girls, feeding programs, and projects with local churches.
I don’t think I have ever met harder workers. These people (kids our age) are
really doing something. They work 8-5 doing ground (lifting, moving, clearing
etc), garden (picking, weeding, clearing etc), kitchen (cooking and cleaning
for 19 people) work and so much more. We have enjoyed jumping in right
alongside them and bearing the load.
I just love it here. I love my team, I love the crew, I love
the ocean view, I love waking up at 5 for Jesus time with the sunrise, I love
picking flowers and putting them in my hair, I love being thirsty walking in
the heat and being able to eat the nearest fruit off the tree, everything, I
just love.
Don’t get me wrong there are things that are stretching my
love like the wildlife we live with, the bugs that are eating their fill of my
legs, the cold showers, the hikes up the hills, the heat, the constant film of
dirt and sweat on our bodies, the lack of civilization etc.
Paradise. But seriously its been so good. It is the best of
both worlds- hard work that we can see the fruit of our labor (literally) and
then ministry work that is infusing the love of the Lord in the community.
Jesus has me in such a neat place of dependence on Him and
in total awe and wonder of Him through His creation. He has also brought up
things and areas I still need to surrender. We are stuck on an island with
nowhere to escape to. The closest to civilization is a hitchhike ride 45
minutes away. We can’t get away from our junk. We can’t even “vent” to our
Internet friends. We have Jesus and each other. Perfection. It is there we are
diving into true community, grace and forgiveness, and what it means to love
and serve one another.
There is truly no place I would rather be.
