Gratefulness is invigorating

Laguna Beach Resort

One of the moment by moment things I grow from here is gratefulness. The potential of humans to endure through hardship, with or without God, is quite phenomenal! Having left my comforts in the US and experiencing new comforts here on an island is indeed a great lesson in gratefulness. I must say that the US has so many comforts that would be luxuries to a person here on the island. Often times our electricity will go out for a few hours or running water ceases for an extended period of time and it is then that you really see what comes of your attitude. And yet many people live without those two luxuries their entire life.

Chain eel feeding
on chicken bones

This morning I woke up with such a joy in my heart that there is work to do and people to love today. My friend Jeanne and I woke up this morning and had so much gratefulness on our hearts because God really does provide over and above our needs. I am discovering that my wants and needs have immediately changed since coming here. The material possessions I once could so easily afford and thought I couldn't live without, now make me laugh. The less I have in material possession, the more I see God at work providing for my real needs.

Getting a ride back from
Laguna Beach Resort

Yesterday, Jeanne and I were invited by our dear friend Edith to join her at Laguna Beach Resort for lunch. We enjoyed a delicious meal and then took the food scraps and walked around the resort grounds feeding the iguana's and eels in the water. It was a beautiful day and beautiful time of being with friends. Then we walked down main street to Mermaids for a ice cream cone followed by a calm swim in the Caribbean with our friend Susie. We ended the evening by joining Edith at the Methodist Church and it was so delightful to be with the people of God. I couldn't understand everything that was spoken but I am sure I will acquire an ear for the creole-English here in no time!
Today I am overseeing more work being done at Rio Coco Beans Cafe and coordinating the next phase. This week Jeanne and I will go to the ferry dock at 5:45 am and start selling cups of coffee to the backpackers leaving the island. I'll keep you updated!

All in a day

The last three days have been so lovely. Nothing major happened and I didn't gain anything in material possessions but I felt His pleasure on my life. I have been working in the coffee shop the last month, getting it ready to open in a month. The last three days I have been able to work by myself and just put my worship music on. No one was seeing what I was doing but I didn't care because I knew that I was working unto God. I felt His pleasure. I was thinking what a difference it is in life when I feel like I am right in the middle of God's will and when I have been just outside His will. Sometimes it's been hard to see the difference and I am sure there will be times when it will be hard again but I love how He encourages His kids in Ephesians 5: 10, "And try to learn in your experience what is pleasing to the Lord." I think each person experiences moments of feeling like they are right where they are supposed to be but is it possible to stay there always. I don't know but what I do know is that I am right where I am supposed to be right now. I hope that every person who knows God will experience that more and more as they try and find out what pleases Him.

One of my last three days consists of waking up between 5:30 and 6 am and making some good coffee then sitting in bed and spending some quality time with God. I make my short walk over to Rio Coco Beans Cafe by 8 am and then communicate in Spanish with Levis, our worker, on what to varnish and how long it has to dry. While he is varnishing, I am sanding and scraping the poles in the coffee shop so that we can put a fresh coat of paint on them. Sometimes people will walk by and see our sign on the street so they come up to the shop and ask if we are open. I explain that we aren't fully open yet but I then bring them into our little "bodega" which is a shed and I make them a cup of French Press. Everyone lingers around and raves about having a good cup of coffee because it is hard to come by on the island. After talking a bit with people and exchanging email or Facebook names I carry on with the many tasks to finish at the shop. During my cleaning, Arnie or Susie, otherwise known as Grandpa and Grandma on the island, will come downstairs and start a chat with me. They are from Ireland and live right above the coffee shop. It is such a delight to visit with them and hear their stories. Yesterday Arnie came downstairs and had me write the biggest "46" on his back so he could display to everyone that he and Susie have been married for 46 years. So delightful!

One last thing since this is a long post...usually every evening Jeanne and I go on a joyride around the island with our new dear friend, Edith. She has been a God-send and a delight to have as a new found friend. Usually we end our joyride on Utila's only little bridge where the breeze blows strong and it is sweet and peaceful.
Okay that's it for now. Everyday is a new day and there are more adventures to have, so there are plenty more stories to write...stay tuned!

A bit more background of this Utila thing

Jeanne and I

About a year ago I got a call from a dear friend, Olivia and she said that she kept thinking of me as her and her husband and friends were dreaming about starting a coffee shop on the island of Utila. A year ago I had just started a new job and didn't sense it was the right timing for me. However, that little phone call made a deposit into my dreams. Less than a year later I was again talking to Olivia on the phone and she said that I needed to meet her friend Jeanne who also lived in Washington. I said okay, knowing that Olivia had a purpose in connecting me to her. Within a few weeks I had called this stranger, Jeanne and we set up a coffee date. From the moment I sat with Jeanne I knew that this was a women who loved the Lord and was serious about serving Him with her whole heart. We became fast friends and soon realized that God was sending us both to Utila. You have to hear about her story of how God called her, so check out her blog at JeanneInUtila. 

Bagby family

So Jeanne and I packed our belongings and traveled across the United States to Florida to meet up with the rest of the team. We joined daily life in Vero Beach with Mike, Laura, Mikaela, Lucas, Arielle and Moselle Bagby along with Tony and Olivia Assaf. (Check out the Bagby's projects here.) Jeanne and I spent two months living there with all of them and getting prepared to come to Utila. It has truly been beautiful to have such a dynamic and loving group of people come together to answer the call of God. Everyday is full of laughter, food and hard work. I can't imagine being here with any other team!

Tony and Olivia

I must say that I am so grateful for Olivia's obedience to call me and put a bug in my ear in July 2009. Olivia could have thought about it and never picked up the phone. Of course God could have got my attention another way because He is God, but He chose to do it through my sweet friend Olivia. I am grateful for her faith and her obedience to dream big and think outside the box of normal life. It has been a true delight to be here on Utila with Olivia. Even though we have been friend for over 12 years now, I had no idea that we would be living life together again in the way we are. I realize that God puts people together for seasons and if those seasons end it doesn't mean the relationships are over or not as strong. He can bring people back together to accomplish His purposes whenever He wants and if we are willing. 

What am I doing here?

So, some may wonder why I am in Honduras. Well, to make a long story short I am here because God asked me to come and help start a coffee shop here on the island of Utila, Honduras. Coffee is the friendship drink and what better way to make friends from all over the world and show the love of God then to serve a really good cup of Rio Coco Beans. I have been here on the island for nearly two weeks and I have already met people from Switzerland, Israel, Ireland, Oregon, California, England, Holland, El Salvador and New York. Many people come here to get their dive certification, which is the cheapest and one of the most beautiful spots to dive in all the world. The other day I met four British girls backpacking through Central America and one of them was really sick. I helped get her a golfcart ride to the pharmacist so she could get some medicine. I stayed with her and her other friend while they told the pharmacist daughter what was wrong and the daughter translated it to her Spanish speaking mama, the pharmacist. After she got some medicine for her symptoms I walked with them and tried to get them a taxi. They decided to walk instead and pleaded with me that I didn't need to keep helping them. I had done more than enough. I tell you that it wasn't much that I did but to some girls traveling so far from home it touched them. I am not saying that to pat myself on the back or to gloat of my kindness. I am saying it because that is what most days look like here. There are people far from home in need of some kindness and if you pay attention you can't help but show people the love of Jesus by serving them.
I kind of got off track...Anyway, I am here because God told me to come. I sold almost everything I had and came. As I have started to settle here I realize that I have too much stuff. Even though I came with two suitcases I realize again that what I need and what I want are continuing to be redefined. I am amazed at God's timing in this adventure of my life. I know that I am nothing apart from Him and I simply chose to obey His asking me to come. He could easily have asked many other people if I had said "no". I am humbled to be here and very excited to see what God wants to do.
The picture above is of the coffee bar being built. We had a team of 7 people come from HI and Indiana to be a part of what we are starting. We now have two weeks to get the rest built so that we can start serving some French Press coffee. Once we see that it will be successful then we will get an espresso machine and continue on to the next phase.

A few moments on Utila

Here is a video while walking around the island. Life is totally different here but it works. You would think there would be more accidents here on the island but a friend was saying that there was one yesterday and that was the first in a long time. Last night I had my first ride on a four-wheeler with five adults on it. We had dinner at the Laguna Beach Resort and I sat on the second floor of a dock as a fierce wind storm blew through the island. 

Island time

Life is so different on an island. I have always heard of the phrase "island-time" but it takes on a new meaning when you actually live on one. I have been on an island now for four days and it truly is different time. The days seem to pass much slower and there is a more laid-back atmosphere here. There were many challenging things that took place in getting here but we are here now. Somehow I thought that maybe once I got here the challenges would dissipate because I would be settling in my new home. That wasn't the case at all. New challenges arrive with each new day. Some challenges are relational and some challenges are provisional. Some challenges are comfort and some challenges are smells. Nevertheless, I am resolving these challenges as God's blessings to me as I more quickly see what is really in my heart. He never takes us through a challenge without being faithful to bring new ones. That may sound like He is just waiting around for us to struggle through one challenge so He can pour on the new one, but that can be quite a negative way of seeing life. I think that God allows the hard challenges to come at us so we can grow in every area of our lives. Each person will have different challenges and it is really important not to compare challenges with other people.
Anyway, we have started to build out the coffee shop here on Utila and many people from all over the world have been by our apartment to have a cup of Rio Coco Beans coffee. Almost every person we have had conversations with in the past few days get a big smile on their face when we mention we have some good coffee to serve them. Rio Coco Beans can be ordered online and shipped to anywhere in the world so if you would like to try some gourmet beans I would recommend ordering some today!
There is much to learn in everyday life. It seems that when I am out of my normal comfortable routine of life, there are countless more things to learn. Many comforts of normal living have been taken away but God has provided everything I need for my physical, emotional, financial and spiritual needs. My understanding of needs vs. wants has been radically altered in the last 5 months and I don't think that process is near over.

Enjoy a picture or two of Utila!
If you are facing challenges today remember that they are opportunities for growth in many areas!