THE HUMBLE SAINTS OF ROATAN

We thought you might be interested to see the homes and a few of the families that we visit each day as we go about our day.  In some homes we teach, in a few we encourage and in others we simply love.  They are sweet, humble people who are doing the very best they can with what they have been given.  They treat us like royalty and we love them back with all of our hearts. 

President Alvaro Sanchez and his sweet wife, Anna Maria Sanchez are our closest neighbors.  They actually live walking distance down the beach from us.  He has been the branch president for four months now and she serves as the gospel doctrine teacher in Sunday School.  Both are humble, dedicated, generous members.  He is a pediatric dentist and volunteers three times a week at the island clinic.  I have loved how willing he is to listen to suggestions. 

Fernando and Olga Flores are a tremendous young couple.  He serves as both the Elder's quorum secretary and the ward clerk.  She is a counselor in the primary.  Their little daughter, Camilla has stolen our hearts.  Fernando is one of my piano students and actually has his own keyboard.  They live on the bottom floor under the stairs.  There are, at least, four other families that live in this home.

David and Olga Mejia are one of the families that we are hinging our future hopes upon.  He is a member of the church but she has to wait until they get married to be baptized.  After several weeks of effort they have received the necessary papers for marriage and hopefully will be married this September.  They live here.

Some of our members live in very humble circumstances, but they aren't alone.  Many people live like this on this island.  Belkis Madrid, a single mother of one lives here.

 

Suyapa family home.

 

 

Osmar Ortis lives in the section on the right.

 

 

 

Jose Brennes lives alone here.  He is a faithful, 70 year old member of the Church.  His son and daughter-in-law, Tulio and Sadi Brennes and their little girl, Sadia, live in the back half of the home.  You can see the green sheet over their door.

 

 

Marcos Brennes is one that we haven't reached yet, but we are working on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A quarter mile walk through the woods and a climb up 52 stairs brings us to the home of Yensi Linares.  He is twelve years old and is the only member in his family.  This home is so far away from the church that it is nothing short of a miracle when he chooses to come to church.  

 

 

Daniel and Aminda Garay have built a little wooden home right next to the home we used to live in.  They are amazingly faithful Saints who do their best to eek out a living by selling a hot dog or a piece of fried chicken in this little 8x8 foot sidewalk "pulperia" (store).  Daniel is one of my piano students and will be ordained a priest tomorrow. 
  
There are so many people here that we have grown to love.  They greet us with warm hearts and with smiles.  They get up, wash and then walk to church in the blistering heat... but they are there each week.  These have just been a few of the people that we have grown to love and serve.  There are many others.  Each has a story to tell.  As you follow along with us we hope that you will come to love them too.