The Port of Roatan

One of our artists in the shop is named Javier.  He does work carvings made of mahogany and pine. Come in and buy one of his turtles for only 8.00!   It will help support Javier while he goes to University in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras.   Did you know that every time something of Javier's sells at the shop that Bob goes to the Bank and deposited the money in for Javier since he is now in school and can't come to pick it up here in Roatan.  That is trust on Javier part and commitment on Bob's part. 


So that is what we do.   The bank is at the Port of Roatan, so while Bob is in the a/c bank I often wander around and take photos.


I decided to see if I could go out on the cruise ship dock (since it wasn't a cruise ship day) to take a photo of the port. 
So here is the view from the cruise ship of the Port of Roatan!

 

it is a beautiful port with many different shops, a coffee shop that makes the BEST iced coffee,

a couple of restaurants.

you will also see little kiosks .. please support those as well since

they are locals folks trying to make a 'go' here.

one other thing:

if you see a lady there braiding here and you are thinking about

having your hair braided then DO IT!

she is my neighbor, her name is Carol, she has a house full of kids

and grandkids

she pays to be inside the port and if no one gets their hair braids, 

she loses money instead of making it.

so help her out!

thanks!

flower's bay as seen from the cruise ship

Flower's Bay is  a quaint island community all along the sea

nestled in behind the lush green jungle hills.

it is one of my favorite places to walk as it is the only residencial place

with a SIDEWALK!

In case you are wondering:

the weather is still fine in Roatan during the rainy season

tabayana beach  a great place for a snorkel!

some locals carrying an umbrella not for the rain but for the SUN!

thanks for your help!!

for one week before christmas we asked for donations in the Made in Roatan for an island wide food drive that we held on the island here. this was the first of 4 food drives we were involved in the week before christmas.  we loaded up 7 trucks with food, toys, and candy.  even santa showed up!!
  thanks for your support!!

you can see these women and children are so happy with their food and toys!

we bought some new shoes and took them into the 'swamp'

  bob is going through the names and sizes on the list one of the ladies gave us

we also bought some clothing. 

it was a happy day there!

with the money from the shop we were also able to buy enough food for 15 extra familes.

  here is bob helping the lady at los fumerola's 

 bag up the beans!

these are the children from punta gorda where we gave food to the mothers and toys and candy to the kids!

this lady was sooooooo grateful for her juice and food!  i know she isn't smiling but hondurans rarely smile for the camera but believe me .. she was overwhelmed and kept saying gracias a Dios!!!

the living conditions here on the island are not what we are used to

they are poor, and live on the side of the hills in make shift homes

but i can attest to this:

they are happy

they have a faith in God that astounds me as they daily trust in His provision

thanks for being a part of helping them out

Lord bless YOU!   

xo

Happy One Year Anniversary!!!

this was taken

we have been celebrating our anniversary all week!

thanks to everyone who came in and supported the local people here

you made a difference in their lives!

look at that beautiful view!

that was taken from our deck!

i was so grateful as 

it is always good for sun to accompany those who are 

coming to the island for the first time

i was rather disappointed when by 10:00 am

the clouds rolled in and we experienced a heavy down pour.

a note:

i keep a couple of umbrellas in the shop 

so if you are coming to the island and forgot to bring your umbrella

off the ship i will lend you one of mine.

as long as you promise to bring it back!! 

the equinox taken from plaza mar

but fortunately the downpour didn't last for long and the sun came out in all her glory!!

i spoke to alot of people who enjoyed snorkeling, island tours, visits to gumbalimba park, the botanical gardens.  there is sooo many beautiful things to see and do here!  one lady said to me yesterday:  it sure is green here!  i told her that it is a tropical rain forest so yes... you can truly say 'it's a jungle out there!'

everyone who came in was happy with their time here on the island.

the couple of the week

meet Isaac and Emily from Seattle

they came into the shop about 4 pm

they had gone snorkeling at half moon bay and although the 

visibility wasn't fantastic they still had a great time

they immediately said that they didn't have any money on them

but wanted to see the shop

as it turned out,

they were handing out chocolates to the kids on the street!

isn't that wonderful!?

i actually ran after them to take their photo

i know, now that is a scary image!  haha

i couldn't catch up to them so i hollered at one of some island friends

'hey man, stop that guy for me'

so he hollered,

'hey you, stop'

the american looked confused and didn't know what was going on 

til i ran up and said,

hey guys it's me.. i love what you are doing, can i take your photo and blog about you?!

what a beautiful unselfish couple!

thanks isaac and emily for doing small things that matter

we don't need to do grandiose huge acts of kindness... 

just go the extra mile and give someone a smile ...

or.. even better.. some chocolate!

bless your hearts!!  

as i walking back my friend said to me,

'oh i thought that guy had stolen something!'

when i told him they were giving out chocolate

he smiled and said

'they got big hearts like you, don't they?'

yes indeed!

:-)

repeat visits!!

piece of the week

this is hand carved/polished honduran jade

each 'bead' is cut, sanded, polished with hand cut holes drilled

an amazing piece!

come by and get it...

they are going fast

what a wonderful week we have had!!  

there have been cruise ships in every day this week (monday - friday)  

it has been fantastic for sales!  

 what a joy to see terry and mike again!   and they were sooo generous!

i am excited because we are starting to get some repeat visitors.   the people who came to the island last year and now eager to find the shop again. it was great to reconnect and they were happy to see more artists and more selection!!   the little boy in the photo is moses who is from punta gorda - part of the garifuna.   his brothers have learned to make the sense link work necklaces that their father made and we are selling them left, right and centre!!  this week when we paid their mother she was soooo happy and said the money would be for christmas clothes for her boys.  it really does help the island people and we appreciate people's support!!  thank you thank you!

link work made by pedro (8 years) and victor (12 years)

just as we were locking the door last night a young girl walked up the steps and said, do you mind if i look around quickly before you go?  (of course not!)  she was looking for a coconut necklace with a tree done in filigree.  i knew we didn't have any of those but bob figured that susana, one of our artists might have one.   so, by faith, she paid for the piece, gave us her address and although we were tired from a very long day (and week) we drove to susana's place in west end.  we were thrilled to see she had what the girl wanted!!!  how awesome is that??!   it isn't in the dark coconut color so bob emailed her this photo to see if she likes it.  if she does we will mail it to her

tree of life!

that is just one example of what sets the 'made in roatan' shop apart from regular shops.  we don't mind going the 'extra mile'.. whether it be helping people find what they are looking for (even if it isn't in our shop), arranging for local tours, or sending art through the mail.  It is all because of Him!    God has given us such a love for people that we often go beyond the call of duty.  why??  His love constrains us!!

drop on by.  we'd love to see you too!   

west end beach at the end of a cruise ship day!

Meet the Family of the Month!

Every cruise ship day we are blessed to meet sooo many wonderful

people who come off the ships.

really.. it is a high light for Bob and I!

So I have decided to post a favorite

FAMILY OF THE MONTH!

This family is from New Jersey, 

they enjoyed a day on the island snorkeling and exploring

They were a delight in the shop.  

We laughed alot together!

  We played a guessing game about some yabba ding ding 

that we had in the shop.  

I am not going to tell you what it is .. just in case you come in and want to guess!

But they thought it was a salt shaker.  (no)

an incense burner (no)

As they were wandering throughout the shop looking at everything

and their daughter stopped at the bracelets and said

"i bet this doesn't have my name on it.

 nothing ever has my name on it"
I asked what her name was, and she told me
Lior
isn't that beautiful
i did a bit of research it is means
"God's gift of light" in Hebrew

after a few minutes Bob walked up and handed her a bracelet

with a paper twisted around it with her name on it

She was thrilled and so happy!

 We gave her the bracelet as a 'gift' from us

because they were a gift to us.

 Thanks for coming in!

You made our day even more special just by being who you are!
 You did bring "light" into the shop and we thank you for that
God bless you all! 

tabayana beach  a great place for a snorkel!

 

an EPIC day!

our canadian friends came here Tuesday, November 18th

on board the Epic

we recommended a tour with our local island friend

marco

and they had a wonderful time seeing the View, the iguana farm, and

a visit to our house

they enjoyed fresh picked apple bananas,

our glorious view, and enjoyed the friendly banter of our budgie named buddy

apple bananas are smaller then the regular ones, and yes they taste like apples!

 

we took a short, tree lined drive to West End to the Cannibel Cafe where we met bob for lunch

(he had been at the made in roatan shop all morning)

the food was good but some of the dishes were very s.p.i.c.y

(which isn't typical of that restaurant.. maybe a new cook)

i was thrilled with kevin noticed a mama hummingbird sitting on a nest 

that she made on a line of christmas lights!

how sweet is that??

it was a glorious day for seeing the island!

the blues of the sky were clear, the sea a host of turquoise,

and the jungle greens and tropical flowers graced the road.

west end beach

beautiful!

the epic, straight on!

flower's bay, a beautiful quiet area of the island

the whole gang 

Something New!

lately we have had alot of requests for christmas ornaments

'made in roatan'

so i asked a young girl who lives up in the colonia if she 

would like to come over to the house and make some ornaments

this frame will be perfect for hanging on your tree with your favorite roatan photo!

i would like you meet kendy

here is kendy surrounded by craft supplies.. having a wonderful time

she is the one who made the ornament above

she lives up in the colonia with her parents

and two brothers

if you were to go to their home you could possibly drive

on a dirt road to the 'uva' (bus stop)

and then if you wanted to go to her house

you would need a 4 x 4 or you'd need to walk

because the "road" is impassable otherwise!

the time i went to their home

it started to rain

causing the red road to turn into a soupy pudding like mess!

as i weaved my way up, up, up  i couldn't help thinking that this is a normal experience for 

these people everyday!

they have to navigate these awful conditions and guess what... you see them walking along

singing and talking to their neighbors as if it is the most natural thing!!

it was so slippery that i almost fell several times

as i approached her house i heard the sound of someone 

calling me

i saw her standing up, way up waving happily

imagine walking almost straight up, along a narrow path and

then gingerly making your way higher still carefully 

and slowly stepping into the rubber tires along the hill 

to keep you from falling

and also to keep the hillside from being washed away

their home is probably about 10 x 15

a small kitchen

with plastic chairs

no fridge, no cupboards, just make shift boards holding

the essentials like rice, beans, pots, pans and a few dishes

the windows and doors were open with no screens 

to keep mosquitoes and rats outside.

such is kendy's life

but inspite of everything she is happy and willing to help me in any way she can!

she isn't looking for handouts

plus she is very creative

so when i asked if she wanted to make something for the store

she was so happy!

i hope you will come by the store to see her christmas ornaments

and help support her and her family.

i know it will bless them immensely!

i decorated some seashells and made them into ornaments!

here is one of the christmas photo frames that kendy made

i thought it would be great to put on the tree

with one of their favorite roatan photos in it!

hope to see you soon!

by the way..

this was the weather today!

beautiful sunny day!!!

cruise ship day - november 2, 2010

on tuesday the epic landed on our shores bringing with her

scads and scads of tourists.

bob went to the 'made in roatan' shop

and at around 2:30 i decided to go to the shop as i really miss

meeting with people and helping to sell stuff for the islanders

i know i am supposed to stay off my feet

but i figured that the short walk to the road wouldn't hurt

i took a  taxi since i am not allowed to drive

until my heel heals.

i love taxi rides because i get to practice my spanish!

(a captive audience!)

i was warmly greeted and hugged by many of the vendors nearby the 

'made in roatan' shop

 i hadn't seen them

for a  couple of weeks and it did my soul good to listen

to their stories and see their happy faces again!

i was very grateful to robin when he came out and handed me

a pair of brand new white anklets to wear with my shoes

robin,  he may be handicapped, but he still knows what it 

means to love and think of others

what a blessing that was!

a taxi to town cost about 1.75.. not bad for a 15 min. drive

new to the shop! marble hill jams!! super delicious!!!

a little street action:  a minor accident!

this is the cigar man, don't you love his hat?!!

this is the shrimp lady.. can you imagine carrying that on your head?

a truck means a free ride and this guy took it!!

the most casual vendor ever! so you wanna buy some plantains?

we have many many 2nd hand shops on the island

 there is a certain kind of energy when the cruise ship is in.  everyone is excited and hopeful about making some sales, getting some money to help with groceries and bills.  the people here are simple.  they live from day to day.   i love to be a part of all of that.   i am grateful that the locals have opened their hearts to us and welcomed us into their world.  we are the only 'gringos' with a shop outside of the cruise ship port and we fit right in.

don't worry i was a good girl and stayed sitting while chatting and selling. there is another ship on saturday and i think i may go down for a few hours again!

here are a few things we have in right now...

a beautiful necklace made by pedro the man who passed away

yourgin has some beautiful pieces in right now! all hand carved and polished!

luma's paintings are a big hit because the price is so right!

javier is now in university in Tegucigalpa but we are still selling his things and sending him the money

some of my photographs

That is just a smattering of some of the things in the shop.  All hand made, all made in roatan, all to help the islanders live a better life.

Birthday Fun!!!

today i went to the 'made in roatan' shop 

for a few hours

what a wonderful time

i decided that since it was yourgin's birthday 

that anyone who bought any of his handcarved jade jewelry

i would take their photo and mention them in my blog

well let me introduce you to lorraine and lois

this is lorraine.  you can't really see it in the photo but she is wearing a red 'canada' hat!  i noticed CANADA  as soon as she walked in the shop and i was thrilled to learn that she is from thunder bay which is about 120 miles from my hometown of atikokan!   we are from the same 'stomping grounds' and who would have thought we'd meet in roatan!!  small world isn't it??  such a wonderful sweet lady.  she bought one of yourgin's handcarved sea horses!

this isn't the one she bought but one like it!

this is lois, she is from the vancouver area.   she was so happy to buy a pair of yourgin's earrings.  i told her now she can be reminded of the beautiful turquoise color of the sea here!  she said they had a wonderful day snorkeling at tabayana beach which truly is the best place to snorkel.  lorraine's husband even saw a turtle which is always a real treat!

yourgin with brandi and 3 adorable boys!

we left the shop early in order to go to rita and arlo's place in sandy bay and surprise yourgin with a birthday party!   unfortunately i am a little slow moving these days (dang tendon!) and he saw me hobbling up the stairs as they were walking down the driveway.   but i think he was still surprised with the party, the food, cake and presents!!  it was truly a wonderful time!!

you can read what i wrote on my other blog so i don't have to repeat myself!  :-)

the most amazing sunset ever! i think it was His gift to Yourgin!

 

we thank God for Yourgin

not only is he one of our most dedicated artists at the shop

but he is becoming a dear friend to us

happy birthday Yourgin!

thanks for letting us share in YOUR day!  :-