Sundays

Sunday is probably my favorite day of the week on the island. Each Sunday Lola and I wake up after sleeping in and we have a leisurely breakfast on our deck of breakfast burritos and coffee. Then we pack our beach bags with PB&J sandwiches, snorkel gear, and other beach essentials and make the 2 minute walk to Miss Peggy’s house. Once there, we use her internet to contact our loved ones back in the States while we wait for the other volunteers to show up so we can all go to church. Church is located on the bottom floor of a fancy resort in West Bay, normally a 30 Limpera taxi ride away. But on Sundays at least a dozen people climb into the back of Miss Peggy’s red truck and we all hitch a free ride to West Bay, Honduran style. Roatan is gorgeous and there’s nothing more beautiful than watching from the back of the truck as the tropical green landscape flows into white sand beaches and then into teal blue water. After arriving at church, we have more coffee and some variety of delicious hand baked pastry item then we listen to the service. The preaching is good, it’s on a series called “Toxic” which brings to light toxic influences in the world around us such as entertainment, friends, harmful words/thoughts, and toxic religious practices. When church is over the rest of the day is spent on what someone told me was “one of the top ten beaches in the world.” West Bay has the type of beaches you picture whenever you think of postcards from tropical places. The sand is clean and white, the water is warm and clear, the reef is just a short swim away, and palm trees provide shade over beach chairs lined up as far as the eye can see. There are even some gorgeous four poster beds out on the sand with light, flowy linen drapes wafting in the breeze. It’s pretty posh. Lola and I as well as other friends we’ve made from Australia, England, the States, and Roatan enjoy the beauty and snorkel all afternoon or just bask in the sun while floating in the water. At 4pm each Sunday, a pickup game of volleyball starts, and everyone is welcome to play. There are usually a fair number of local islanders, lots of junior high and high school kids, and some of us volunteers. The game goes until sunset at 6pm when the sky turns incredible pinks, oranges, and purples signaling that it’s time to go. We return to the back of the truck and head home, completely sunburned and completely happy. Dinner and a DVD movie (we don’t have TV or internet) rounds out another perfect day in paradise.