Bienvenido a Rus Rus

The morning dawns early, and a flock of noisy parrots serenading us from a nearby evergreen sends us out of our dreamworld and into the present. As our senses awaken, we find ourselves in a small room with concrete walls painted a faded lavender. Sunlight filters through the slatted windows and greets our sleep filled eyes. We are in a place unfamiliar and yet familiar at the same time. It has been a week and a half since we arrived in the village. The 2 day journey here was tiring and we were greeted by a wave of hot moisture the moment we stepped out of the airplane and planted our feet in the soil of La Mosquitia.

Being at sea level, the climate is hot and humid, however it gives life to amazing diversity.

In the 5 hour drive from Puerta Limpira to the village we traveled through areas of grasslands, pine savannas, rolling hills and finally reached Rus Rus where the trees are are very thick and rain forest like. There is a unique mixture of coconut palms and evergreens mixed with huge variety of leafy plants.

As we bounced along the dirt road filled with giant potholes brimming with water from the last rain, our anticipation grew. The road turned and the first house appeared on the right side of the road.

It was brown and weathered. “A house in the sky,” the youngest declared. Here it is customary to build houses up on stilts. Pigs, chickens, cows and horses roam the village freely. Laundry dries on the rustic barbed wire fence that surrounds each dwelling. “Bienvenido a Rus Rus.” We were here!

The truck halted in front of our house. As we clambered out and stretched our legs we saw a group of people heading our way. Men, women and children, each wearing warm smiles. The children had colorful handmade signs, carefully crafted with construction paper and a sharpie. They read, “Welcome. We are so glad you here. I’m happy you came…” Indeed we are very blessed and excited to serve this community and others nearby.

Each day is new and ultimately a gift from God. We are working on making our house a home; a sanctuary for growth and intimacy with God; a place to welcome guests and to care for their needs; a space for our family to create memories. All this takes time.

We are also looking forward to having the second family on our team join us here sometime next month. The Lord has been so good to us during the move here. Nothing was lost or badly damaged in transit. Our dog survived the airplane ride. We have good health. We are blessed beyond measure! Thank you so much for each and every prayer that you have offered on our behalf. Surely it is a sweet fragrance to the Lord.