Our family returned to the States for the summer. We enjoyed seeing family, friends, and the Saints there. We were glad to attend the campmeetings at Guthrie and Monark. I was able to get business done that I could not do here.

We came back August 7th and found that Linn Dilbert got saved. We also saw they had a new ceiling installed in the chapel and the ceiling fans were installed. They also cleaned our living quarters, unboarded the windows, and had supper fixed for us. It was encouraging to come back and find things this way!

Linn is desperately poor and has children to feed. She wants to do odd jobs - washing dishes, mopping, or anything to make a little money to buy food. She will work for less than $10 per day. We give her some work, but we run out of jobs and we are limited in how much we can spend.

We started the Politilly school the Wednesday after we returned. I have been spending some time in the school due to a shortage of help. The students seem glad to be back. I was surprised to find that a student did not know the definition of the word "lake". After it dawned on me that there are no lakes on Roatan, I understood his ignorance of the word.

Cody, the deaf-mute boy (one of Linn's sons), has been attending services faithfully. He gets up to "sing" specials with the young people and goes to the altar for prayer. He also comes to school. He gets on his white shirt and is eager to draw or copy scriptures. He is very ready and willing to help me in whatever work I am doing - holding boards, getting tools, or whatever he can do. He hauls boiled crab bodies in a wheel barrow and dumps them in the sea for pay from Brother Dennis. We send him to the village store to buy 5 gallons of bottled water for us sometimes.

Brother Dennis sent two boys out to clean the bottom side of his dory. They take it out into the sea a little way, put on masks and snorkels, and use knives to scrape the green growth from the hull of the boat. The boys took the boat out, but did not stop with the scraping. They decided to take a joy ride to the next village down the coast, Milton. By the time they were through, the boat engine was damaged and would no longer run. Brother Dennis depends on his dory for his livelihood. He doesn't have a truck, so he takes his dory to the location where he catches crabs.

Brother Elon asked for my help in adding a 6' x 6' bathroom to his house. Their out house is collapsing. He needed help figuring a material list and in knowing how to construct it. He is doing a little at a time since he cannot afford all the materials at once.

They were talking about a hurricane coming this way and said the boats were coming in from the sea, but we couldn't see much evidence of concern or preparations. It seems to have just turned into unseasonal rain instead.

We brought back Bibles and Bible covers to give away to the young people. We brought 3 Spanish/English Bibles for the ministers. We brought Spanish song books, but still need Evening Light song books which are currently out of print. We took a shipment to Florida where it was then shipped to Roatan. It contained a large amount of donated public school materials such as workbooks, science kits, encyclopedias, and books. We also shipped groceries, second hand shoes, and arts and crafts supplies.

Termites keep infesting the mission house. They call them "wood lice". I pour diesel fuel along the wall, and then find them coming again the next day. We used pine that is laden with sap and burns like a torch and diesel fuel to burn around an infested tree next to the house. Hopefully that will slow them down.

I have been working on the kitchen upstairs. The dishes are all done by hand, and the task is made more difficult since the sink is only a single basin sink. With the double basin sink I am installing, they will be able to have both soap water and rinse water at the same time.

In the evenings, the mission yard turns into a playground for children. Most of their yards are so tiny that the mission yard makes a good place for them to run. Sometimes a dozen or more children will come over. They make a lot of noise, which gets the parrot (who lives outside on the upstairs porch) stirred up and it seems he is trying to out yell them. I like to take the parrot out and let him climb in the tree for an occasional break from his cage. Sometimes the frequent rain showers catch him in the tree, and he spreads his wings out and acts irritated about getting wet.

An opportunity may be opening for me to hold Bible studies at a nearby mission. It will be a good way to reach additional people if it works out.

We are looking forward to our meeting to be held here Sep. 26- Oct. 3. Please contact dwall@ChurchofGodMission.com for further information.

We appreciate the prayers and support!
Doug Wall