Check out the video!

 TJ Lynch's Video of the shop

 Yesterday it was a beautiful seamless blue sky, the weather was warm (well probably hot for most visitors but warm to us), the sea was boasting her beautiful shades of aqua, deep blues and green and was beckoning many to cool off in her waters.

Where were we?  Well we were where we are every time there is a cruise ship in Coxen Hole:  the Made in Roatan Shop.  Bob was outside greeting and talking to tourists and I was inside telling people about our vision.   We were very excited because a lady from the states had sent us a parcel full of beads, wire, and accessories for Pedro and he was happily rummaging through the contents.   I forgot to take note of the name of the lady on the return address but I will get it from Pedro so I can adequately thank the person who was kind enough to put 'feet to her words' and give so generously to Pedro.   It was quite funny because the one thing that caught his eye was a very fancy glittery ladies watch. I thought he was taking it out to give to his Mom but I soon realized how wrong I was:  HE was wearing it!  I just laughed, shook my head and thought all that bling bling was definitely calling his name!!!

We had a visit from TJ Lynch from Buy Roatan and he did a feature on the store so you can view the
video. What is the most stressful thing for a person like myself?   When someone says, "Oh just tell us all about the store in 20 seconds!!"   WHAT!??  I don't say anything in 20 seconds so if it appears I am speaking fast:  I am!!!   Check it out!   :-)


But either way, I hope that when you come to the island, you will come and visit us and help support a local family and as well walk along the peaceful seasides.. leaving your footprints in the sand....and your quiet heart in the trade wind breezes....

a chance meeting with a fellow Atikokanite!!!

What a great day at the shop!   The sky was seamless ~~ a solid blue, the sea was calm and the breeze was sweet.  Another beautiful day on Roatan for sure.

The Epic made her Tuesday appearance.   See the chairs in the photo??  I saved a couple for you!

Several people asked me this question today:

Is it safe in Roatan?

Well we have been living here for almost 3 years without any problems.

I asked one person why they asked and they said he knows that the Mainland isn't safe and there is alot 

of crime there.

That's true.

But although Roatan is included as part of Honduras it is an island and it is very different from the Mainland.

For this I am thankful.

So don't worry when you come here!

Just relax, breathe deep that sweet sea air,

go and explore the island.

It is truly one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean.

Not only do we have pristine beaches with glorious shades of turquoise blues, we have  the most amazing snorkeling and diving!

 And the beauty and the views of the East Side of the island are spectacular!

This is taken while on the mangrove tour in Joneville!

How gorgeous is that??!

 (sally on the right)

One of the things I love about being in the shop is that
we get to meet so many wonderful people!
People always want to know where we were from in Canada
I told these ladies I was from North Western Ontario
and Sally said, Where?
When I told her I was from Atikokan, Ontario (ati-where??!!)
she was delighted to tell me that she lived there
from 1973 - 1982.
She used to curl with my Mom
(for those of you who don't know it curling is a sport!!)
and she lived very close to us.
Small world isn't it??!
We had a great time catching up!

We have some new things in the shop that I want you to see:

this is Adelina holding a handcarved boat that Yourgin made!

 

Here are some fish made by the Rusty Fish.

Aren't they so colorful and beautiful?!

I hope that when you come to Roatan you will enjoy

our island.

It is a special place and we are happy to share it with you.

someday soon, that  could be you walking and shopping!

Thanks for your help!

I am so grateful for those of you who helped out with donations for getting the kids 

'back to school'.   Our little donation bowl comes in so handy to meeting many of the needs on the island and I appreciate the generosity from many of you~

We were able to buy more shoes and supplies for the kids and I really appreciate your help in that!

These are some of the kids who received shoes at the Public  Library in French Harbour.  We connected up with Miss Joan who gave us shoe sizes of the kids who needed shoes in order to go to school.
Here is a link to my other blog if you want to see more photos and read about it

Back to School

We had a wonderful surprise visit at the shop last week. We are starting to get many repeat visits from people who have returned to the Island again.  Ed and Judy Lamb from Florida  cruised into Roatan on Jan 25th loaded down with pencils for the children of the island.   How kind!   We had a wonderful visit together catching up on news and appreciated seeing them again.

The Made in Roatan shop is more then a 'shopping experience'.  It is also a place to connect, to laugh, to listen to stories (yes I have ALOT of stories! *s*)  If you need help finding things, or you want a tour but are nervous we can help you find a tour.   Please see the island.. it is worth seeing.. so beautiful!

 

  I am sorry I don't have a photo of Judy and Ed,  but I didn't have my camera that day.   But it was a joy to see them again. Thank you, thank you, thank you!   I have been able to give many pencils to the kids on the street here and they were so happy. Believe me, it didn't take long before the 'word was out' that they could have free pencils.  I gave them the most colorful and beautiful ones! I also sent some to a teacher in Punta Gorda, a teacher up in the Colonia here in Sandy Bay  and on Monday when the classes start I am going to walk to the tiny school on the beach and bring some pencils to the teachers there.

the little school on the beach behind our house

Rusty Fish!!!

What's new at the shop?   

Well I know many of you enjoy the recycled rusty fish and Adam brought in some new frames, larger butterflies and some crosses.   If you go up to the top of this page and go to 'artists'
you can read more about the Rusty Fish and even watch a video which will give you a better idea of the whole process as well as how it helps many local people here on the island.

We are so happy to have our son David here for a few months!   He enjoys coming to the shop and helping us and as well we are excited that he will be here to help put together a Roatan Photo Book.  It is a big job and I am happy to have his editing advise.   I took a photo of him with Pedro, one of the artists in the shop.  They are enjoying listening to some music and having a good time together!

Also want to say thanks for reading my blog.  On Tuesday a very smiley happy Canadian woman

walked in the store, shook my hand and said "I am so happy to meet you.  I have been reading your blog and I want to meet the couple who are helping at the Made in Roatan Shop"

I stood there rather dumbfounded (I know very out of character for me!!)

We had such a wonderful visit together!

I asked if they were going to see the island at all and she said no, they just wanted

to come and spend money in the shops to help the locals.

OH JOY!

I told her that whatever they buy would be a blessing:

a meal, a drink, a bottled water from a pulperia, some souvenirs,

some artwork... 

it all helps~

They walked up and down the street shopping.

They came back into the shop several times,

met Pedro, met Bob, visited with us and each time

they bag was a little fuller and they'd have to go the cruise ship

to unload.

And.. they gave me a Canadian bag which I have to admit I gave to

Pedro to put all his jewelry making stuff in.

He loves it!!

So Cindy and Kevin, my wonderful new Canadian friends

BLESS YOUR HEARTS!!

Family of the Week - Rose and Joiner Family

 FAMILY OF THE WEEK!

I want to introduce you to the Family of the Week.   They came to the Roatan Shop last year and came straight off the ship and headed for our shop.   Meet the Rose and the Joiner family from Huntville, Ontario Canada. 

they gathered quite a crowd...lots of fun and good times to be had by all!

So what would make them the family of the week at the beginning of the week?   Why not wait til Friday to decide??

Well let me sum it up:   friendly, giving, caring and fun loving!   oh and Canadian too!!   :-)

We were so happy to see them again.  I recognized them right away!  As soon as they walked in the door I said, I remember you!!   I guess they left an impression last year too!  :-)

I was so happy when they said they came off the ship and came directly to the shop to see us and to see what new things we had for sale.  I loved their kind hearts and their  willingness to support local  art!

They bought several anklets from Victor (Pedro's brother) and a necklace of Yourgins.   We had a wonderful, crowded visit with them in the shop.  Laughing, telling stories, playing the Yabba Ding Ding guessing game (no they didn't guess it).  It is interesting because Bob's family had a cottage very close to Huntville where he went every summer when he was a boy.   We knew many similar people and places.  It was fun to reminisce together.


If you have been to Roatan you know that it is common to have young kids who serve as 'walking tour guides'.  They walk with you, tell you about the island, help you find things that you are shopping for, and are basically 'tour guides in training'.

My family of the week had about 4 guys walking with them.  They didn't want to take a tour since they had been to Roatan before and I suggested that they go through the Mercado in Coxen Hole which is a local market where all the locals shop.

After about a couple of hours they came back to the shop and said they had a wonderful time!  In fact the time they spent with those boys was the highlight of their cruise so far!   I wonder what made it so special??  Well let me tell you what I think.  I think:   THEY made it special!   They enjoyed the boys, they took them shopping and bought each of them new shoes!!   They bought them cold drinks.   They laughed, they connected.

They were a blessing and that is why they are by far, my family of the week!

Lord bless you all as you continue to be a light wherever you go!!

AND THE WINNER IS!!

 we have alot of fun in the shop

one of the games i like to play with people is a guessing game

i always tell them that if they can guess what the yabba ding ding is used for
then

i will give it to them for FREE

well i am happy to say that  Christopher Sorensen

guessed correctly and is now a proud owner of the

payan yabba ding ding

you are wondering what it is??

oh i can't give away the surprise!  

:-)

what do you think it is?

or better yet...

come in to the shop and guess for yourself!

way to go Christopher!

thanks for taking this photo for me so i could post it here

and then going an extra step and emailing it to me

it is people like yourself that makes being in the shop such a joy!

i am happy to hear you had a wonderful day in roatan

and the rest of your cruise was good as well.

happy and blessed 2011!!

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!!!