Well, it looks like I’ve been taking my time on updating this blog! And so much has happened since I last wrote, I don’t even know where to begin really, so what better to tell than just the latest news.

Being from an island (“The" island, as I’m sure every islander calls their home), I’ve always had an affinity for living close to the sea. The last 4 years, Shelagh and I have spent the better part living as far away from the ocean as one can in Central America. We were roughly smack-dab (I think that’s the scientific term…smackius-dabbius, perhaps?) between the Atlantic and Pacific, nestled in the mountainous part of Honduras. Well, all that has changed.

Last September (as in 2017) we were asked if we’d consider moving to one of 2 places to help the sign language groups there. The first option was hot, sweaty Cofradia near the big city San Pedro Sula, or the hot and sweaty tropical paradise island of Roatan. I’m sure you can guess what we chose. Haha! Actually, Roatan has been long in need of help for their sign language group. Not that no one here cares, in fact, they support the deaf a lot here in the English congregation, but they themselves have A LOT of work to do themselves, so us coming wholly dedicated to doing sign language will be a relief to them as much as an aid to the deaf.

Something interesting about living on an island again, albeit a different one, is that they aren’t so different after all! We hadn’t been here three weeks and I have already seen a ridiculous amount of similarities to my own island! “What??" You say, with obvious disbelief. “How could an isle in the Caribbean be anything like one just off the Canadian coast in the Pacific??"

Lots. Economic dependence on tourism. Just to name one. “Yeah, well on V.I. we got cruise ships coming and going, what does Roatan got??" Same. Two ports for them actually. “Ok, well, what about an overpriced ferry service prone to cancellations?" Oh yeah, we got that covered. “Drivers inexplicably devoted to driving no more than 40 km/h on major roads?" Check. “A strange mentality that a 20 minute drive is too far so you couldn’t possibly go that far to hang out with people who live anywhere that requires travel on a ‘highway’??" Yup, got that one too. “Pedestrians who think they own the roads?" Affirmative.

I think you get the point. Maybe it’s just the things that annoy me that are the same, ha! But other, more serious things, like higher cost of living and rent, those are also similar. At the moment we rent a 2-bedroom place so we can have guests. Currently a single mom in the congregation and her son live with us, so that’s been fun! We live on the second floor where the tropical breezes compete with the sun on the roof for who gets the right to heat or cool our place. We also have a deaf/blind friend staying with us before she returns to the United States. So it’s been a busy place, my online English students have the privilege to a menagerie of background noises as I shush everyone around. There’s also a menagerie of animals in our yard: we have tons of geckos around the house, iguanas in the nearby trees, other lizards climbing the fences, hummingbirds sipping hibiscus (and occasionally buzzing in my ear), giant tailless squirrel-rats eating the fallen avocados, armies of ants, and a lone Siamese cat keeping everyone in check.

Hopefully I will post pictures and videos soon. But, this being an island, and me being an islander, it’ll probably get done on island time. Don’t hold your breath!