Its often easy for us to see something amazingly beautiful and be dazed by it, isnt it?; but have you actually ever gone further in to see what lies beyond that?
So I havent been on my blog in... MONTHS!? I guess I just have had other more important things on schedule.. anyways I had the chance to go to Roatan this last week! If you havent heard about Roatan, Im about to tell some about it and my BLESSED expierence there!
Roatan, I mean you probably have heard of it! Its the largest of the three Bay Islands in the Honduran Caribbean sea, approx. 37 miles long and a few miles wide.. it is near the second largest barrier reef in the world.. so its filled up with expensive resorts, hotels, restaurants, stores, tourists and much more. Here in Honduras its is famous for being such a paradise, I had never been there before, but many of my friends had been there as tourists, so I thought maybe one day Id go for vacation and just spend a good time in this paradise!
Gods plans were others and I couldnt rejoice more in them.. you see my brother and sweet Analee had met some amazing people from Georgia and I had worked with others from their same church up in the central mountains with the Lencas. Anyways they were going to translate at Roatan for a week and I was invited to go a few days before the week came. I set up my schedule and was able to go. After a 6 hour bus drive and a 2 hour boat ride.. we arrived at Roatan during sunset! It was all crazy beautiful once we arrived, paved roads,nice cars, expensive and clean looking houses, hotels, restaurants and all that crazy tourism related sort of things.
The people we met there that day were great! We stayed a nice house in front of the beach and mind blowing sunsets... so far so good.. I mean in a very material, seductive to eye.. kind of way.
Next day we talked about our week, we were going up to a colonia inside the island. We had a glimpse of the of the beauty outside during daylight. crystal clear water.. nice breeze, it was paradise indeed.
So the next day was our first up at the colonia, where humble and great servants Henry and Francis had been working with the Living Water 4 Roatan project. So apparently the community didnt have enough water and people had to carry their water up the steep mountains to their houses, now they have water.
With several expectations that I had, I was blown away when we got to the colonia, it was a 1000 degree diference (if thats not possible, just get the idea) from all that we had seen in the island.
People living in shacks, children barefoot, just a very clear third world country style of living.
I had to see it to actually believe the need that there was in that place. So half of the group would work with the kids while the other half would hike up the mountains getting to know the people in the community and just sharing Gods love with them. I personally hiked all day and( as much as hated not hanging with the kids) loved every time we were allowed into houses to just testify of the amazing grace of our Saviour!
The group we worked with couldnt be any greater! Amazing faithful, God loving people, who impacted my life so greatly, including Henry and his wife, Enrique, and the service of Elmer and Andrea, Maria and of course Carlitos (owners of Casa Isabella place we stayed at)all this made that week and extraordinary week!
So my overall conclusions about this is that over all that material beauty that island had at first, I am so thankful that God allowed me to be able to see the beauty that lied beyond that, that for me is far more important than the other.
Still thankful for also experiencing and seeing Gods wonderful creation as we snorkeled through the reef. Still getting to know the people and being able to share Gods love with them was an experience far more important and therefore far more beautiful.
So please, whoever reads this pray for Roatan, pray for the hearts of those who have not been saved yet, but who have heard the news! May they understand that Christ is all that matters!
Pray for a Biblical church in Roatan, pray for Henry,Enrique and Francis, and for LW4R! and pray that many others will be able to see the true beauty that is hidden inside this island.
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