February 2026 Conchshell Chronicles
Navigating the Sargasso Sea
We have been on Utila since the last week of January and it is good to be back. We are open Monday thru Saturday from 7 to 2, and more and more are coming each day to enjoy our food and coffee drinks, along with our famous Blondies, muffins and chocolate chip brownies. Our staff housing apartment is finished and Jake and Daniel are comfortable in their home. Jake’s mom was here for a visit and she stayed in the “Hobbit Room” on the ground floor- so named because of the low, 6’6” ceiling.
We have had significant conversations with new friends that come to the café and see us at Trivia Night and Open Mic nights in the local restaurants. We spent last Saturday with four Israelis, sharing coffee and a meal with them, and discussing things like “Why could I not get a cheeseburger at the Jerusalem McDonalds?” We took a deep dive into Scripture (Exodus 23) and looked at textual and cultural context, differentiating between dietary and sacrificial laws. They were surprised to learn that MAYBE God loves a good cheeseburger. It was a very sweet time for us all!
Our first two weeks were rainy and cold. How cold? Tuesday February 2 was the coldest day on record for the island of Utila, as well as the capital of Honduras Tegucigalpa where it was below freezing in the mountains. Luckily, I threw in a thin hoodie in my bag at the last minute that I daily wore for those two weeks.
Now we are dealing with an invasion of sargasso, a seaweed that blooms and creates huge patches in the ocean that houses crabs, sea horses, and other marine life. It has covered our shoreline here, as well as our dock and the dive schools around us. It is itchy, as I discovered earlier this week when I dove through it and swam underwater to get past it into open water.
Needless to say, our expectations of beautiful water and warm temperatures have not yet been met, but at least it is getting warmer each day.
This is a common life experience, not having our expectations met.
What I am experiencing with the Sargasso is minor compared to what many in the world are currently experiencing- especially our brothers and sisters in Iran and Nigeria, where many have been killed in the past months. Yet the lesson is there for me.
The Rolling Stones had a song a few years ago titled “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
Yes, Mick Jagger sang the truth.
Often we can’t, we won’t, get what we want. The next line of that song is Christian Theology:
“But if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need. Oh Yea!”
Life is filled with seaweed moments, in relationships, in finances, and sometime health.
“Oh, I shouldn’t have said that! Why did that guy cut me off? Why did my water heater pick this moment to die? How did this guy get elected to the city council?”
How do we swim through these patches of irritating and dangerous patches of life and get out to the open water?
First of all, Jesus told us:
In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Jesus had the ultimate tribulation, being falsely accused, but then resurrected, and now reigns over the Universe. Nothing will happen outside his purview. He’s in charge.
James tells us to:
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4
There is character development for us when we find ourselves in the middle of the Sargasso Sea. Having faith that God’s purposes will ultimately prevail, we endure the discomfort, the discouragement and peril, knowing that God uses such moments to draw is closer to Him and transform us in the process.
Finally, Jesus says that:
You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. John 15:16
My father taught me how to throw a baseball, field a grounder, and swing a bat to hit the ball. All those skills prepared me for ‘the game’, and when that first game came when I was in the Fourth Grade in San Angelo Texas, I got a chance to walk to the plate and take my swings. My minor league batting average was abysmal- many strike outs, foul balls, and no hits.
But I learned something- keep taking your swings.
The next year I was in Little League in Karamursel Air Base in Turkey. I began to get hits, consistently. One day it was my best friend Don on the mound, and he was throwing his best fastballs. I took a swing, connected, and to my amazement, I watched the ball go over the centerfield fence. I was laughing as I rounded first base, as Don gave me the Hawaii Good Luck sign...
I think Jesus wants us to get up to the plate and take our swings. We may strike out often as I did, but one day we will connect, and with Him, hit it out of the park. These are glorious moments, doing things with Him, for His purposes, with His power.
God has a plan for our lives, and He gives us what we need to accomplish His purposes. We will meet Him face to face when life on Earth ends, and we will enjoy the video replay of our lives with Him, laughing at the strikeouts, and celebrating the home runs.
I’m learning to better swim through the seaweed to get out to that clear water.
Our Utila Team February 2026
Daisy, Hannah, & Lukas
Jake, Arielle, Mikaela, Daniel, Michael & Moselle
Laura is taking the photo!
A New Roof In Nicaragua
In 2008, we built a three story building in Waspam Nicaragua, on a bluff above the Coco River. For years we have used this “Discipleship Center” as our office, a recording studio, classrooms, and school supply storage.
During the construction process, Truman called me and told me that he had decided to make a cement roof covering the second floor- it was going to be cheaper than a metal roof. I suggested he do that, but to put a leaf roof above it so that we could sit and enjoy the breeze and view. Truman constructed a very traditional papta (palmetto) roof with thick wooden beams, and indeed it was a cool place with an incredible view. We began to host or teacher conferences, pastor conferences and youth meets on this very unique third floor.
Truman and I enjoying the roof of the Waspam Discipleship Center
Project Ezra Teacher Conference 2011
Over the years we have replaced the palmetto leaves but now the wooden beams have rotted, and we need to replace the entire roof with a traditional metal roof so that we can continue using it for discipleship meetings, especially in conjunction with the Young Life Bible Club that we helped start two years ago in Waspam.
One of our trusted local builders gave us a cost of just under $16,000 to replace it with a metal roof. We are beginning the remove the old roof this week.
Young Life is planning to use our building to host their conferences with the young adults of the Coco River in Waspam, in addition to their sessions at their camp in the mountains above Matagalpa. We have seen much spiritual growth in the students in the Waspam Bible Club and have been funding the camp experience for many.
We are VERY excited in helping Young Life expand the Bible Clubs along our section of the Coco River.
Lamb Bleatings
After our morning devotional and making my daily specials to serve, Michael and I went for a swim with our mask and snorkel. Today was the first day the Sargasso was gone, it was clear, bright and beautiful.
It was extra special to see an eagle ray who we circled with about three times. Under the wing of the majestic eagle ray, I noticed a cute little fish swimming underneath just following along ...like it was serving a purpose or maybe just having fun. For a brief moment I related to that little fish swimming alongside and following along with devotion.
The eagle ray seemed to be sheltering and protecting that little fish. They were harmonious and we felt blessed to be swimming in the ocean with them. My mind ventured back to Michael and I flying around in the sky as two newly married people playing through the clouds in our 1953 Piper Pacer airplane that God provided for our flights from La Ceiba out to our refugee community in Auka, a two hours plus flight.
The feeling of being with the safest, most protective, responsible and most conscientious person/navy grade pilot around gave me a clear sense of confidence, trust and well being. He was and is my Eagle Ray and I am that little fish still swimming alongside my mate now for 37 years. I try to be that useful lil fish coming alongside of Michael, but we all know there’s that ugly barracuda...who also swims right by our dock.
I have been continually asking the Lord to give me His divine perspective in my life & the relationship I have with my Heavenly Father as well as the one I share with those that mean the most to me. I get in the way of the perspective of God and lost in the currents and distractions of my own thinking , expectations, habitual behaviors, and basic Godless interaction resulting in me trying to be in charge doing, saying or being what I think, will or feel.
There is no greater satisfaction than staying under the covering of THE EAGLE RAY in the Heavenly realms.
I love receiving divine inspiration to execute His plan with the greatest care and detail as I tune into the right station of Eternal Perspective. God’s ever loving sustainable righteous plan...in the little and big details of Life. He has an opinion which is TRUTH.
I discover more and more as I circle around and observe myself and those around me that Jesus is indeed THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE AND NO MAN COMES TO THE FATHER BUT BY HIM. I am ever challenged to stay under the shadow of His wing resting in His eternal love, care and perspective and relying on Him to show up in every single situation of life. He is my place of peace, my green pasture, my moment in the beauty of His creation, my safe refuge, my perfect example and inspiration.
“Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose. He jealously desires the spirit which He has made to dwell in us? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” Submit therefore to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:5-9
My prayer is “Help us Lord to live under the shadow of your wing and to constantly be receiving your love and grace to be able to pour forth on those around us. Be glorified in us, through us and all around us, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
How Can You Help This Month?
1) Pray for us for us! Fire your spiritual arrows
2) Support one of our Seek The Lamb missionaries;
3) Help us repair the Waspam office roof.
Spiritual Arrows / Your Prayers:
Please pray that God will:
1) Bring may into our cafes for conversations.
2) That many of our new friends will come to know Christ.
3) Provide us all with good health.
Seek The Lamb Giving
Participate with us in the ministry in Honduras, Nicaragua and the United States!
You gift will be extremely useful in the Waspam project, on Utila in Honduras and the Rio Coco Cafe ministry in Florida.
Thanks!
Rio Coco Beans Coffee
Two of my current favorites: Silky Java and El Jaguar.
We are roasting delicious specialty grade shade grown High altitude hand picked coffee at our roastery in Vero Beach and shipping it to many friends from New York to Hawaii.
Join our coffee club and receive 15% off your order.
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