UHSM in Roatan 2023 day 5
Yesterday was a day of fun and play, so during devotional, I played a video of babies laughing. We were all smiling or laughing, too. I shared that our Heavenly Father, like parents, loves to hear us laugh and see us enJOY what He has given us. Jesus did not only come to earth, die for our sins, and rise again so that we could have eternity with Him but also so we could have abundant life here. We took turns reading verses about joy and rejoicing, for example Psalm 126:3, Psalm 118:24, and Philippians 4:4, and I gave the group giant bubbles to remember to have fun and let “filled things spill things” with those around them.
Jake Giroux’s cousins own a catamaran company that takes people snorkeling. They graciously give our group a HUGE discount to enjoy this opportunity. After breakfast and devotional, we drove to the loading dock and set off; Orsy, Vanesa, and Sharon were able to join us. We all enJOYed playing and laughing together and seeing beautiful Roatan—above and under water. As extra fun, it was extremely windy yesterday morning, so our first boat ride to the snorkeling location included enormous swells that crashed into the front of the boat and came up under the trampolines made of cargo net where many of our students were sitting. Soaked, we laughed the whole way.
For lunch, Orsy took us to Snappers, an open air restaurant with a beautiful view of the bay. BJ has been looking forward to this lunch since last year.
In the afternoon, we went on a tour of the mangroves, trees with root systems submerged under water, so they provide a canopy overhead and a peaceful tunnel to pass through. These narrow passages are meant for one way traffic, but when our boats encountered another boat, they shimmied past one another without even touching. Halfway through the tour, we were able to swim and refresh ourselves in pristinely clear water.
We enJOYed dinner with the children, and during our evening devotional with them, Michelle, Nathan, Jo Beth, and Melissa shared their favorite verses. Sandy, one of the teenagers in the home, prayed to close us; he thanked God for each of the missionaries who had come and asked him to bless each of us.
Of course, a day would not be complete without playtime, so play we did—basketball, Uno, bracelet making, tag. The day ended like it began—with the sound of children laughing. And I believe our good, good Father was smiling as we enJOYed one another!
Holly McMichael
Jake Giroux’s cousins own a catamaran company that takes people snorkeling. They graciously give our group a HUGE discount to enjoy this opportunity. After breakfast and devotional, we drove to the loading dock and set off; Orsy, Vanesa, and Sharon were able to join us. We all enJOYed playing and laughing together and seeing beautiful Roatan—above and under water. As extra fun, it was extremely windy yesterday morning, so our first boat ride to the snorkeling location included enormous swells that crashed into the front of the boat and came up under the trampolines made of cargo net where many of our students were sitting. Soaked, we laughed the whole way.
For lunch, Orsy took us to Snappers, an open air restaurant with a beautiful view of the bay. BJ has been looking forward to this lunch since last year.
In the afternoon, we went on a tour of the mangroves, trees with root systems submerged under water, so they provide a canopy overhead and a peaceful tunnel to pass through. These narrow passages are meant for one way traffic, but when our boats encountered another boat, they shimmied past one another without even touching. Halfway through the tour, we were able to swim and refresh ourselves in pristinely clear water.
We enJOYed dinner with the children, and during our evening devotional with them, Michelle, Nathan, Jo Beth, and Melissa shared their favorite verses. Sandy, one of the teenagers in the home, prayed to close us; he thanked God for each of the missionaries who had come and asked him to bless each of us.
Of course, a day would not be complete without playtime, so play we did—basketball, Uno, bracelet making, tag. The day ended like it began—with the sound of children laughing. And I believe our good, good Father was smiling as we enJOYed one another!
Holly McMichael
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