Greetings From Helene!!!

Saturday, September 6th, 2008 at 12:30pm. Safe on the ground on the island of Roatan, Honduras.

After security clearance by the government of Honduras - a two hour non-air-conditioned ordeal - we had officially arrived for this new chapter in our life's journey with "Papa".

Mission Dirctors Larry & Sheila Benson met us at the airport and the adventure began!!!

Thanks to a loving God who heard your prayers on our behalf, we have survived our first week on-island. That was not a “given” by any means!

We happened to step off the plane on the hottest day of the year, only to have the following five days increase in heat and humidity. The culprit was the lack of any type of wind or air movement. It seems all of the air flow was wrapped up in the Eastern Caribbean Tropical Storm activity. We are thankful we did not receive any of the bad weather associated with Hurricane Ike; but, just a little ocean breeze would have been appreciated during our first five days. On our sixth day the cooling winds of the Caribbean Sea finally made their way to our shore…..and the Health clinic……and the school…..and more importantly to our cabin – where we could finally get a little sleep. It is difficult to sleep when the thermometer reads 92 degrees with 85% humidity at midnight. We have learned the “rotisserie” method of sleeping – that is where you sleep on your right side until the fan dries you out, then you turn to allow your left side to dry; and repeat the process every fifteen minutes throughout the night.

Enough about the weather – we count ourselves truly Blessed to be here at this time and place in our lives. We have found ourselves almost in a “zombie” state of mind this first week – partly due to the heat; partly because we were finally here after months of planning, praying and dreaming (with many of you); and partly because life seems so surreal to us right now. We are housed in what I could best compare to a fancy KOA Camp Ground Cabin. We have electricity, running water and our own personal toilet!!!! Right down the “path” from us are total families who have none of that. They basically live in shacks on stilts and have to carry in drinking water on a daily basis and live in this heat with no fans. We have never lived this close to extreme poverty in our lives. However, the expected hopelessness that normally accompanies extreme poverty is not as evident as you would expect.

The typical islander is extremely friendly and appreciative for any assistance given. The leaders of the island come from a Christian background and a huge appreciation for the shared life of true community. Each of the six communities on Helene (a new one was added earlier this year that is simply called “New Town”) have their own church, store and boat transportation system.

These communities are not much different than the typical American small towns. Not all individuals choose to follow the teachings of Christ, though most would claim to be Christians, if asked. A large part of our focus will be on basic discipleship and practical training in living for Christ within a community of Believers and also in making a living to support their own ministry and mission endeavors in the name of Christ. We won’t always be the teachers…….many times the islanders will be teaching us!

We expect our second week to go much smoother as we begin to adjust to heat, culture and basic communication skills on an island that sometimes speaks English, sometime Spanish and sometimes a mixture of the two combined with Caribbean terms and slang. We covet your continued prayer support as these 55+ year old brains are not yet operating as efficiently as needed.

Terry has already made her first late night emergency run that included stepping over a tarantula, jumping over a large blue crab; and literally “walking the plank” to the home of the hurting individual. You will have to ask her for full details when you get the chance.

My first day in the school was partly spent chasing away a black and white spider monkey named “Poncho” who runs loose on the island. He has learned the school kids usually have snacks on their possession – and loves to chase them until they throw something good to eat at him.

Please specifically pray along with us that God will give us a deep love for the islanders. We desire to see beyond physical need and circumstances – right into their hearts and help mesh them into the very heart of Christ. To help that to fruition – we must first live it for them to witness. Our desire is “To be used of God to sing, to speak, to pray - - - To be used of God to show someone the way.”

Our next post should be next Saturday, September 20th.

Representing your heart as we Serve our Lord together,
Henry & Terry