moving on

After experiencing a place with as much beauty as Roatan, the goodbye is somewhat bittersweet. Tomorrow is my last day on the island and I'm sure that as I board the plane and head for Tegucigalpa on Tuesday morning, I'll feel a little sad about what I'm leaving behind. The people of Punta Gorda have readily accepted me into their community. There are so many relationships that I began to form that will never get the chance to fully develop. My only hope is that my presence here, if only for a short while, made somewhat of a difference in the lives of the people here. I know that I will never forget my time here on the island or the loving Garifuna people who I had the chance to interact with. I'll miss making small talk with the old man who sits outside his house every day and I'll miss the friendly, "Hola Erica," that I would often hear as I walked through town. I truly do love the sense of community that exists in this simple place.
As I lived out my last week on the island, I had several interesting experiences. On Wednesday I decided to be brave and try out the Honduran public transportation system so I could explore more of the island. After waiting at the end of the dirt road for a bus, I hopped on and headed to French Harbor, a town about 30 minutes from Punta Gorda. The plan was to go to a private beach owned by a resort--the only problem was I wasn't sure how to make the bus stop. After passing by my destination, I stood up and stuttered in Spanish that I needed to get off the bus. Luckily the bus driver noticed me, and after giving me a strange and somewhat annoyed look, he let me off. I tracked back up the road for a few minutes and eventually made it to the beach. It was well worth the trip. I spent a relaxing day snorkeling and laying by the water. I know, I'm supposed to be on a mission trip, but give me a break, I'm on a tropical island. If it makes you feel any better, I came very close to being lunch for a barracuda, so I wouldn't describe the day as 'perfect'.
The rest of the week was spent helping out with different activities with the church. I went to kids club on Thursday afternoon and helped pass out snacks and tried to keep the kids somewhat under control--not an easy task. I got reeled into a game of air hockey with a rather competitive little boy. The only problem was there was no air coming out of the table, making the game especially difficult, not to mention the fact that it was blazing hot in the room. Needless to say I came away from the game a little more than sweaty, but the air hockey champ nonetheless. Friday night was youth group and I had the chance to sing a special. It was somewhat awkward singing in front of a group without a microphone, just using my iPod and a couple of speakers to play the song. It was a good opportunity though, and I really think the youth enjoyed the song. Afterwards, we all broke up into groups to discuss different Bible stories about doubt. I had the chance to read a few verses out loud for my group--in Spanish of course. It was a good chance to practice, and I know that I need to keep speaking when I have the chance so I can get better at the language.
Saturday was my greatly anticipated 22nd birthday. I wasn't sure how I would feel about being away from family and friends on that day, but it ended up being a pretty memorable birthday. Sarah, Laurie and I spent the day at Camp Bay, an undeveloped beach on the island. The setting was breathtaking with sea green water that faded into a deep blue and countless coconut trees lining the sand. After spending some time in the water and exploring the beach, we settled in for a picnic lunch. Laurie set up hammocks under the shade of the trees and after lunch I was lulled to sleep by the serenity of the ocean waves. That night we went out to dinner at an amazing restaurant that was set right on the water. We ate outside and there was a perfect breeze coming off the water during our meal. The food was delicious--I had the Surf and Turf combo of steak and shrimp, and best of all our waiter spoke English. It was perfect. We went back to the house for delicious Oreo chocolate cheesecake that Laurie made for me. It was a really fun day, and a birthday that I know I'll never forget. Although I did miss the familiarity of family and friends being around, I was still really glad that I was able to spend the day on this beautiful island.