Semana Santa in Roatan, Honduras

This week in is Holy Week in Honduras and the long awaited arrival of people from mainland Honduras to Roatan. They descend upon the Bay Islands for their vacation and celebration of what Christians all over the world call the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This week for businesses can amount to a few months worth of income and is long awaited by many restaurants, hotels and vendors alike. As Americans, we generally celebrate Good Friday and have the day off for a three-day weekend for Easter Celebration. Either way, we were not sure what to expect of the thousands of people that were to take over the streets and beaches. So far it has been great people watching and not too crowded really. We made sure we went grocery shopping so as not to run into empty shelves and we made sure to get certain business taken care of because the banks close down for a few days, so we felt that we were pretty proactive. Little did we know that the battery back-up for the house would start acting up....nothing major, just no power or water....no big deal after being at the beach all day....yeah, right! We made an executive decision to swim in the pool before trying to get to sleep in the heat. Interesting what we take for granted in the states and yet people all around us here go without clean water and electricity as a norm. Something to think about when we blast the a/c and drive through Chic-Fil-A.

We spent yesterday with our new friends, The Corwin family, playing at the beach and having a great time. They are from Michigan and visiting for 7 weeks. They have four kids too, so we immediately bonded on many levels. The kids have gotten together a few times a week and I can tell you that there will be some tears when they leave. The boys catch crabs and whatever other critters they can find (they catch and release) and the girls all swim and run up and down the beaches. Wiley has truly met the only male wired the same as him; lanky, full of energy and happy with nothing but a pile of sand.  Awesome memories! We plan to visit them in Michigan some day and maybe vacation with them. Love ‘em!

Today, Trey is building a couple of life-size crosses for the Easter Service on Sunday. They are going to be really cool, made from rustic trees and tied with twine. Can't wait to see them set up and to watch the congregation in awe of Jeremy's sermon. He is such a gifted speaker and story teller of the bible. The kids service will be fun too, we will have our devotion and then follow up with an Easter egg hunt. After the service we will be doing a baptism in the ocean followed by lunch and swimming at the resort where church takes place. Good times ahead, we will be sure to post some pix of the fun day. I asked Anna what Good Friday and Passover meant and she answered without hesitation, "When Jesus rose from the dead." She is an amazing little girl and continually lets God shine through her in all that she does. What a blessing.

Anna and I are having a mom/daughter date for lunch this afternoon. Long awaited for sure and much needed with all the changes going on in our lives.

Take Care and God Bless,

Connie