December 31, 2010

365 faces of Roatan
(click on photo to see large)
(click on it again to see it even larger... oh technology!)

i have been thinking for quite sometime what i would do for my final

photo of my 365 project

was it divine or absurd that i decided to take

365 photos in one day??!
yes you read that correctly!
 i took 365 photos for my last 365 photo

i think it was a bit divine and a bit crazy!!

what a HUGE job

but it was a perfect sunny day
i was really banking on having alot of tourists wandering around the
port since the made in roatan shop was open
BUT only a small columbian ship docked and it wasn't busy

so i wandered by the cruise ship docks,

throughout coxen hole,

through the 'swamp'

through the mercado

along the dusty roads and beach of west end

along the beach of west bay,

in front of petro sun gas station

and inside of pizza inn 

(it is pizza night, after all!)

then i went to plaza mar

and ended up taking a few more that i needed 

at los gemelas

you think taking 365 photos is difficult then try 

imagine explaining it to that many people and most of them 

spanish!!!

i was grateful for bob's help because he would go up to 

people and simple say

una photo por favor?

at one point as i was driving down a tree lined road towards

emerald beach on my way to west bay

i was overcome with emotion as i thought

'oh how i love all these people'
i was blessed to engage with so many local faces
and dear hearts today
one thing i realized is that the spanish, in particular,
LOVE to get their photos taken!!
what fun!

so.. enjoy the faces of roatan

they are so beautiful and  precious to me!

will i do another 365 photo project next year?

um.. no
it's been quite the ride and wonderful adventure but 

i will take a year off

from daily photography

thanks so much for sticking with me throughout this year
i hope you have enjoyed seeing my tropical world

blessings
one and all
xo

December 30, 2010

my better half

i asked my friends what my last photos should be

and one said a nude photo but most opted

for a photo of bob and i

needless to say

i opted to forgo the nude shot,

aren't you glad??!

so here is bob and i

the man who dwells by my side

through it all

through the storms of life and through the joys

to the one person who still makes me burst out laughing

and know how to calm my silly fears

who never complains about my cooking ever

and who still holds my hand and my heart

my better half

my friend

bob

December 29, 2010

thanks kids

as this 365 photo blog comes to a close i would be 

amiss if i didn't thank our kids.

 leaving them in canada was not easy,trite thing for us

and as well it was not easy for them to not have parents nearby

so thanks

david

emily 

mattie

for letting us go...

we recognize it is a sacrifice to not have us near by you

you have given up many things...

like not being able to pop over for dinners whenever you want

like having to move into new apartments without our physical help

like not having a "mom baked" birthday cake in 2 years

like having to skype christmas instead of having me fuss over you like i usually do

like not being able to have a car to drive

like not being able to talk to us on the phone whenever you want

like not being able to watch movies together

like not being able to have a place to do laundry for FREE

like graciously giving up all your 'stuff' when we sold everything in the container

like not having a home to go to on the holidays

we recognize all of this and more

and we say THANK YOU

we love you,

daily pray for you,

and believe that just as He has unfolded a marvelous plan for us

that the same will be for each of you

and that each of you can say

'it is well with my soul'

(thanks for that painting david)

sending a "larger than usual" dose of LOVE your way today.

xoxoxox

December 28, 2010

 

all dark

oh  yum!

i love chocolate 

but a couple of years ago i decided to try dark chocolate

oh my goodness

i love dark chocolate.

thanks to my friend denise for sending this to roatan for me

is it too early to eat chocolate?

never

never never

never never never

never never never never

never too early to eat dark chocolate!!

December 27, 2010

jump!

Bob and I went to seadancer to watch the  sunset

i admit i was freezing!!

we have had quite the nor'easter blowing on our side of the island

and i had goosebumps.

i was so surprised to see this kids jumping into the water

they were from the mainland

and normally locals don't swim at this time of year

brave souls!!

 that girl jumped about 15 feet into the water.. several times!!

high waves means high winds

needless to say we didn't stay long 

and i snuggled up against bob the whole time...lucky him!!

:-)

December 26, 2010

like a dream

this was taken at church
yes i know,
i shouldn't be distracted taking photos at church
but look how beautiful she is!

she is a picture of serene beauty
she is a beautiful woman:
inside and out
His presence can be seen in her
this Christmas over and over again
i marveled at the gift of HIMSELF

i see Christ in her.
serene beauty.

December 25, 2010

 christmas skype style

isn't technology amazing??

we were able to open up gifts and stockings with the kids

we could see them, 

hear them

almost touch them,

almost...

i wish we could have been together but it was the next best thing

bob looking tropically festive!

December 24, 2010

three

after a very busy week of going out everyday to distribute

food, clothing and toys to many different areas and poor families

on the island

i was so excited to go to a party at our friend's

patricia and rons

it was wonderful to get dressed up

and enjoy the festivities!!

at one point i heard patricia say 

la estella de narnia

so i walked over and said,

did you say the star of narnia?

she said yes that her friend was in the play narnia 

that night

we all decided to go

it was a blast!

and it was in spanish too!!

click on the collage to view large

December 23, 2010

 

green and yellow

small and quaint

green and yellow

it isn't much 

but people take pride in what they own

i love the colors

it is common to see hot pink houses,

bright purple,

every shade of green

the other day i was talking to some tourists 

in front of the shop

and i was explaining that people may not have much

but they are happy

at that time one of my island friends walked by

and i said,

isn't that right?

and he looked at me,

opened up his arms wide and exclaimed:

"we gots everything, 

look around!

we gots everything here!!

then he walked away smiling

it may not be much but they have everything

imagine if we had that attitude!

today is our son, david's birthday

don't forget honey

'you gots everything!'

Blessings to you!

i love you and miss you sooo much!

December 22, 2010

pedro

pedro is a 12 year old boy who makes jewelry at
the Made in Roatan shop
he is from punta gorda
and is providing for his family since his father passed away
5 months ago.

i am so proud of him
because he is not only a hard worker,
but he is so funny, personable and committed to helping
meet the needs of his family.
his mom has 6 kids and the only way they get money
is through the jewelry that he, his brother and mother make.

they were so happy when i suggested they spent the night at our house
after the party the night before.
here he is in our hammock enjoying the view
his mom, wilma kept walking around the house saying
she felt like a tourista

but as soon as she ate and visited with me on the deck,
she started to clean
she washed all the dishes, clean the bathroom, swept and washed the floors!!
i kept saying, wilma no no no.. you don't need to do it
but hondurans are hard working and it comes natural to them.

what a wonderful family.
i was able to share my story with them (in spanish)
about how i came to know Christ.
we all had tears in our eyes over the goodness of God and His love

over and over she said
gloria a Dios
(glory to God)

glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill towards men!

December 21, 2010

a celebration

when we started the Made In Roatan shop last year we had no idea

the relationships that would be forged,

the friendships that would get stronger and

the love that would be shared.

these people are like family to us.

we see them often and love them dearly

we had so much fun celebrated together

i got a local lady to make enchiladas and fish pastelitos 

which were delicious.

i made all sorts of cookies which was a treat for them

we did a gift exchange with things that people had made

it was so fun!

pedro and his mom spent the night

and she kept saying how peaceful it was

i believe that peace is truly the presence of the Lord

i do

many people come into our home and comment 

about the peace that is there

it is His peace 

we are glad we are able to share together

it is a blessing to us to give and to share His love with those that we know

at this time of year i am missing my children

(needless to say)

so surrounding ourselves with people that has grown

dear to our hearts makes it easier

although to be honest this morning as i was talking to 

Vilma (Pedro's Mom) 

about coming here i expressed how hard it is to leave the kids

behind in canada

at first i had said No Lord I can't leave them

but eventually i said yes, and came to this island

as i was sharing i broke down and cried

i miss my kids sooo much!

i believe all good things that we do involve a measure of 

sacrifice

in order for us to live and serve on this island

we have given up seeing our kids on a regular basis

does it hurt?

yes

but is it worth it in the long run

yes.

tomorrow is our son david's birthday and we are looking forward to skyping together

i hope you enjoy your family times as you celebrate together

give them a big hug let the love flow in

December 20, 2010

island joy!

when you live amongst so many who are impoverished

it is a great joy to be able to give and to help

we were thankful for the many who sent donations,

and those who volunteered their time to make this 

christmas for many people a more JOYFUL time

we had about 20 helpers,

a group of 7 trucks in a convoy,

2 police officers 

(who helped direct traffic so we could travel together

and keep peace)

we stopped about 19 times to hand out food,

candy and toys!

we went to very remote areas and spread His love all around!

what a wonderful experience.

i have many photos.

you can link to my facebook if you want to see them all

facebook

December 19, 2010

marshmallows anyone?

we had such a busy day yesterday

with church in the morning, 

then the entire afternoon at the mercado

buying food for three food drives we are involved in

you can't think costco or superstore

you need to think

little wooden store

with people who don't speak english

and negoitating a good deal for them

we bought 45 lbs of beans and had the 

lady bag them into 3 lb. bags

oh and rice needed to be bagged up too!

oh and flour too!

it all takes time!

but they had festive spanish dance 

music playing so we had a good time 

dancing and talking to the people

once we got home

i went for a walk on the beach

the sun was warm on my shoulder

and the sound of the sea gently lapping the shore

was good for my soul
i was shocked to see such a huge fire!

why didn't i bring marshmallows for the bonfire??!

:-)

December 18, 2010

the holy family

holiness

isn't something people talk about alot these days

some people are bothered when people have a

'holier then thou' attitude

i have been thinking about holiness lately

when i sat musing about it one morning this verse came to mind:

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

James 1:27

you may be thinking .. well i don't have time to do that

it's true

you don't

i believe since living here in this beautiful yet impoverished island

that God is reshaping my thinking

my values are changing

my heart is being melded into one who believes in preaching the gospel

WITH FOOD and LOVE

so holiness...

what's the secret?

God is holy

we are not

there is a gift we can open

the gift of His forgiveness and love 

signed by Jesus

once we accept His gift He imparts

HIS holiness

He motivates us to love others and do good to others

then it is up to us what we do

i know alot of people who are so busy

that they don't have time for the poor

well...

that is sad because i believe that we are missing out 

in one of the greatest ways of showing the world what His love looks like

and yet more and more people are seeing the need

one church i know in canada were moved to feed the poor,

and when i wrote about help here so many of you responded

thank you thank you thank you

we will be doing that food and clothing drive tomorrow

i encourage you to consider the poor and the less fortunate over this season

may He help us to take little steps out of your comfort zone and

go to the places and the people that most people ignore.

God will direct you

i know He will.

holy direction... 

xo

December 17, 2010

punta gorda

i have several places that i really love on this island

and punta gorda is one of them!

it is a small garifuna village

on the east side of the island

the people have built simple wooden homes along the tranquil shores

they fish for conch, lobster and fresh fish

they dance the punta dance

they drum

on cruise ship days they travel all the way to the dock and dance for the tourists

then they head back to their idyllic village.

they sit on porches and braid each other's hair

they walk slow

the children play football (soccer) on the beach

and they bathe in the sea water

they are poor materially but rich in culture and spirit

while we were walking the shores waiting for our dinner

i heard sound of the drums and sure enough they were dancing

in the middle of the road!!

why?

because they can

when i get out of the car in punta gorda

my whole being feels refreshed

it is a different pace

a slower way of living then other places on this island

do you have a place to go that refreshes your soul?
i hope so because it is so important for us to be able to
s.t.o.p
and get away
it's important to enjoy the beauty He has made
and listen to His still small voice once again.

This is what the Lord Almighty says:
I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint
Jer. 31:25

December 16, 2010

my feathered friend

i have had 5 birds in my life

my first bird was amazingly smart and friendly

his name was sonny

he was a lovely light blue bird we bought through an ad in the paper

a young teenage boy sold him to us

the kids had wanted a bird and it was too expensive

bob was a pastor, i wasn't working we just couldn't  do it

but i said this:

if i find a bird plus the cage for 25.00 we will get it okay?

well... guess what?

the day came when i saw the ad in the paper and i kid you not

i didn't hesitate for one second!

i loaded up the kids in the car and headed right over and bought him!

sonny was the most incredible bird!

the teenage boy had handled him well and taught him many things

we were blessed to have sonny with us

he could fetch!

he would come when i called him!

(he was free flying so he could be anywhere and i'd call him and he'd

fly to me!)

he could talk!

(one time we had sonny do the phone message.. it was pretty funny!

simply.. hello, hello hello! over and over again!

then i said, sonny how many times have i told you don't answer the phone!)

he liked to take showers under running water in the kitchen

he played with our golden retriever, sandy

(training our sandy girl  to not eat the bird is another story!)

poor sweet sonny had a sorry end though

one blustery winter day he flew towards david, trying to land on his shoulder

but with david's winter jacket and someone going out the door,

he slipped and flew OUT

into the cold storm

my friend marsha and i searched for him for hours to no avail

i can honestly say my heart broke that day

so after about a year i tried another bird

this bird was a total dud (sorry to say that)

he was traumatized or something and barely moved

we called mr. statue

i took him back to the store

then we tried a hand raised baby budgie

gracie was her name

she was adorable

very friendly and loving

she would take naps with me, curled up along the curve of my neck

while i slept

she went everywhere i went

so sweet 

until one day,

the day she laid her first egg,

then she turned into a horror bird!

mrs. protective mama!!

she sat on those eggs but of course they weren't fertilized

and i think she just got more and more crazy!!

OY!

it was terrible

she started to bite and got very aggressive

i ended up giving her to another lady who had birds hoping she would mate

and you.. know.. fulfill her female dream of being a real mom.

the lady told me she refused to breed.

i left her with the lady when we moved west. 

hopefully gracie has accepted her lot about being female and childless

poor thing.

then i had mango

a beautiful beautiful beautiful lovebird that bob got me for christmas here in roatan

the unfortunate thing about him/her (we never knew)

was that he never really bonded with me

and would literally 'scream' and 'screech' calling to all the other tropical birds

ALL DAY LONG!

i am patient person by nature but i almost considered shooting that bird!

good thing i don't own a gun.

he drove me mad!

i ended up taking him back to the store and emily helped me pick

out our dear buddy

buddy 

is 

a buddy for sure!

he is the most kindest and most friendly bird i could ever ask for

he has never bite anyone!

that is remarkable

so yesterday 

after being in the shop all day

i came home to his sweet little chirps, 

i opened his cage and he hopped on my finger

gave me a few little kisses on the lips

and settled down on the couch to watch

wheel of fortune

with buddy on my finger saying sweet nothings to me,

giving me kisses and singing happily

:-)

what a sweet little friend he is!

December 15, 2010

so stylish

i have bob to thank for this photo

this fine island lady was across the street all decked out 

with her british bag, umbrella and some plant she 'swiped' from somewhere!

we had such a busy day at the made in roatan shop

we are happy to be able to help so many people by selling their stuff right now

i asked the cruisers if they'd be interested in helping with an island wide

food drive that we are involved in and over the past two days 

we have raised 160.00

wow!

isn't that fantastic!

December 14, 2010

nativity

i love christmas

i do

it is by far, my most favorite season

i confess that when we moved to roatan i had to get rid

of alot of christmas paraphernalia and memorabilia

that i had collected over the years

okay confession time:

i had about 15 big plastic containers full of stuff!

garland galore, white lights, outdoor lights, decorations,

candles in shades of ivory or gold, platters, , glass containers 

that i filled to the brim with glass balls and lights,

oil lamps for a soft glow, a nutcracker collection,

christmas books and christmas music and the list goes on

it was tasteful stuff.. it was.

so when we came to roatan i reduced it to

2 boxes

it was an amazing feat!

this is one of my favorite things.

it creates such a soft glow

i could sit and stare at this for hours

thinking about the wonder of the nativity

of the ridiculous yet real plan of God to

make His appearance into the world via a baby

incarnate craziness i think

and to come to a young woman and overshadow her 

by the Holy Spirit

how bizarre

and to appear to simple shepherds on the night shift 

men who were hard working and unassuming

imagine the insanity of that dark night being invaded by glory and light 

of a myriad of holy angels.

no wonder they ran to 'see' this holy One who was born 

imagine the wise men

recognizing a strange yet powerful star in the sky

and following it til it rest over the humble abode of mary and joseph

imagine their shock and amazement when they laid before them

gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh 

 imagine mary looking into the eyes of Jesus and seeing all 

glories of heaven still bursting through Him

Immanuel:  GOD with us!

do i really believe this you ask?

absolutely?!

i believe this as much as i believe

the parting of the Red Sea, the water coming from a rock,

Moses standing on holy ground,

and Elijah calling forth fire from heaven.

all of those were divine moments from the Most High

and the nativity was the consummation of them all

the time when God made His finest appearing and dwelt among us

my heart cries out

O holy night

December 13, 2010

all decked out

i have always loved christmas lights!

when we were kids we didn't own a car

so it was always a huge treat when either a relative or friend

would let all us kids pile into their car and

go driving around 

looking at the lights

you could hear the sounds of our ohhhs and ahhhs

it became tradition to do that  with our kids too

one year, while living in canmore, alberta we decided

to vote for our favorite house in the little town 

i think we shocked the owners when we all traipsed

up the steps, rang the door bell and happily told them

'your house is our all time favorite in the whole town!'

they were a little shocked at first and then they invited us inside

where we stood around, a little ackwardly and then went home

:-)

so...now the lights are coming to roatan too!

whoo hoo!

this isn't my favorite 

(no offence roatan rental)

but it was pretty enough to warrant a photo

for the record:

this place in west end has the best baleada's on the island!

truly

December 12, 2010

over my shoulder

bob suggested we go to seadancer to watch the sunset

i took my photo of the day 'over my shoulder' 

as i was walking down the beach

looking for shells

why do we like to go there?

well it has one of the longest docks on the island and the view is stunning

bob is wearing jeans because it actually cold.. for us.

the weather is chilly for us

i had on my slippers earlier in the day

we got rained on

i ran for refuge under the sea grapes

and from my dry spot i could hear bob whistling from the dock

i looked where he was pointing and was blown away by a beautiful rainbow!

a lovely way to spend a december afternoon

hope you had a good sunday too

December 11, 2010

one caballero

i have wanted a photo of one of these cowboys for a long time

they intrigue me with their weathered faces, worn clothing, lean bodies,

and strong characters

this afternoon, bob, laura and i went into coxen hole

to see a christmas parade and the lighting of the tree

why we went at 3:00 (the start time) is a mystery to me!!

i should know better then nothing starts on time here.

we never did see the parade of a local marching band 

it was supposed to be on the back of a flat truck

but apparently someone needed the truck.

not sure why they didn't just walk.  *s*

either way i think it started close to 5:00 pm

so that meant we had a lot of time for waiting around

when i saw this guy walking down the street i was thrilled
i loved the way he walked along like he 'owned' the side walk
carrying that heavy load on his back like it was nothing,
and swinging his machete like a warrior instead of a worker

there are times when you just can't be shy.

this was one of those times. 

i pointed my camera right at him and shot!

good thing he didn't shoot back!!  :-)

it was a wonderful event at the port of roatan

we enjoyed seeing the big tree, the happy children

getting candy and meeting my first black santa claus

 

santa!  don't be shy!  :-)

this little blue stick was a lollipop he stuck in his mouth just before i took the photo

i had asked him if i could take his photo and i thought for sure that he would pose with the kids 

but nope.  

 bob ho ho ho-ing with mrs. claus!

my favorite part:

singing the song 'amen' by harry balefonte

with the steel drums accompanying us!

wonderful!

December 10, 2010

 

my caladium was strewn with water jewels 

i enjoyed her beauty as i slowly made my way

through my garden this morning

how do i know that is a girl plant??!

come on can you imagine a guy dressing up like that!!  

haha

i love the rain!

i remember in canada hating the rain!

i didn't like the cold, the dampness or the discomfort of getting wet

but here i enjoy being out in the rain

it is warmer for one thing

but for another it is as if my soul has been longing 

for liquid for a good long time

after months and months and months of dry season

i welcome the life that the rain brings

 

 

refreshed!

today i wrapped a few  presents to send home and made christmas cards

i am finding that christmas isn't commercial,

it isn't about the malls, the decorations, and the shopping, 

and more about sharing times together.

 most people here

can't afford to buy presents but they usually cook a simple meal

did you know the spanish like to eat sandwiches on Christmas Day?!

a simple meal with family? (at christmas!?)

ha!

these 3rd world countries are pretty darn smart!!!

December 9, 2010

how much is that cruise ship in the window?!

who knew that a cruise ship could fit into a small window

small miracles abound!!

bob took me to a place on the 2nd floor of plaza mar for lunch

and as i was enjoying the view of the ship

i saw this reflection in the window

some days are busy

some days are slow

and some days are just right

today was perfect

enough people to make it worthwhile but enough time

to talk to our friends nearby, go for a walk to buy a beautiful yellow flower plant
that i saw in yard nearby,
and go out for lunch with the one i love

a wonderful day!

i did a little bit of christmas shopping.. shhhh. don't tell the kids!
and when we got home the power went off which was
a beautiful excuse to do nothing but lay on the couch and take a wee nap!

December 8, 2010

jungle art

tonight was the art show at the oasis restaurant

there were about 8 different artists there and it was a great time

we went representing the 'made in roatan' shop

i felt so bad for bob since he worked all day

and then at 3:00 went over to the oasis.. a very long day for him

i didn't go to the shop today since my feet were really swollen

and i didn't want to overdo it

isn't that painting in my photo beautiful??!

it wasn't for sale (unfortunately)

apparently someone brought it back from thailand

i just loved the contrast with the background colors and the painting!

bob and i selling local art

December 7, 2010

a sea of green

whenever i leave the island and then come back again

i am overwhelmed by how GREEN it is

this gives you a good idea of what i mean!

it is truly a tropical rainforest jungle island!  

i took this atop of the 360 restaurant.

what a great place to eat.

a tad bit pricey but good!

we left the made in roatan shop yesterday at lunch

to take a couple of tourists out for lunch

it was one of those 'miracle meetings'

bob's mom couldn't find her car in the mall in florida

she went inside to find security

and just so happened to talk  to a lady who works there

who happened to mention she is coming to roatan on a cruise

bob's mom told her about bob and i 

and happened to mention that we are looking for clothing and toy

donations for the kids for christmas

and the lady thought it was a great idea

she went to her church who just so happened to have a store

that had tons of toys and clothes to donate!

thanks sooo much sue and garry!

so they came yesterday with a 60 lb suitcase full of goodies for the kids

we are thrilled!

we have had an overwhelmingly great response to helping here on the island!

can't wait to give it out to the kids!!!

we just so happened to thank GOD~!

:-)

December 6, 2010

sun shower

today as we were driving along the beach in sandy bay

(yes you read that right... certain local beaches are roads too!)

the sun burst through the clouds!

it was so beautiful

that even though it was pouring with rain i opened the window 

in the car to take this photo.

i have fallen in love with those palms

i walk by this way many times but i hadn't ever noticed

how magnificent they are!

i think i will have to go back at other times for more photos

we had such a wonderful time with friends

at dinner

i brought some grouper and they had chicken

we left the table satisfied and happy.

December 5, 2010

star of wonder

the afternoon brought soft sweet rain

it was chilly and grey

a perfect day to put up the tree

i was blessed to have two friends drop by

in the afternoon

i love having people in our home

it was beautiful to decorate the house

it looks so cozy and lovely.

i was blessed with the lighting of the 2nd advent

we focused on joseph doing what is right in a hard situation

i read this story

we skyped with emily during the lighting 

it was like she was right there

so blessed

December 4, 2010

good for my soul

today i went to visit a friend in west end

as i walked along the sandy road, the sun was warm on my shoulders

i thought.. life is good!

it has been a very busy week 

so it was good to slow down my pace

enjoying the view

pausing to look at hibiscus blowing in the breeze

singing and praying as i strolled along

 it was good to be with a friend
relaxing, praying, sharing
grateful