March 2026 Conchshell Chronicles

Photo above: The 7986 ft mountains on the mainland of Honduras are only 18 miles from Utila.

 

LAMB BLEATINGS

‘FOLLOW ME.’ 

Jesus spoke these words often to those that surrounded him.

In John 21, the boys decided that they would go fishing again…back to “normalcy” and what they knew how to do.  They caught nothing until Jesus shows up and said,

“Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No”.  And He said to them, “Cast the net on the righthand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” (love the detailed instruction!).

 So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. (grand specific provision)

  Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” (the loved one recognized Jesus right away)

 So when Simon Peter heard (he was not looking, seeing or recognizing) that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on and threw himself into the sea. 

But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread .  Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish which you have now caught. Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty -three and although there were so many , the net was not torn.

Jesus Provides and they all knew it was the Lord Jesus. Jesus has relationship with the boys and demonstrates by not only providing the fish to be caught but cooks it to share a meal with his friends.  The motivation of our Lord is always love. 

Peter has his riveting moment with Jesus when asked , “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” and then Jesus instructing Peter to “Tend My lambs…..Shepherd My sheep….Tend My Sheep.” 

Our Lives are not our own.  We have been bought with a price and though we, like Peter, deny the living God over and again, God brings us back to Him and His love for us and what He desires us to do and be.   Jesus reminds Peter as I find him constantly reminding me, “Truly truly I say to you when you were younger, you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished, but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” This signified the kind of death Peter would have to glorify the Lord. He said to Peter, “FOLLOW ME.”

A little while later, Peter notices the disciple whom Jesus loves and asks “What about this man?”

Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me? 

As I grow closer to the Lord and fall more in love with Him and recognize His many details in my life, I look around less at others and stay focused on what Jesus is doing and saying.  My circumstances dictate less of what I think or how I feel. 

When Jesus becomes the main character in my world, I can sit back more comfortably, quiet, and at peace watching in wonder the way He works out every situation at hand in my life and the life of others.  Fascinating miracles abound as I watch Jesus and recognize Him in each moment.  He is there, cares and has great details and constant love winks that come as I FOLLOW my MASTER, KING AND LORD. 

 UTILA:

We just got back from Utila and want to ask that you continue to pray for our team at the Rio Coco Café ministry. We are open from 7 to 2 Monday thru Saturday, with many coming in for our delicious coffee, baked goods and food. We noticed many improvements we need to make to increase our efficiency and flow.

Craig & Kathy Englert with our team and friends

Electricity on Utila is one of the most expensive in the Western Hemisphere: 37 cents a kilowatt hour (9 cents in Florida). We are spending hundreds each month to power our refrigerators, espresso machine, hot water heater and other appliances. Our 20 year old golf cart is on its last legs, and a valuable tool for supplies and cargo. We have new team housing without much furniture. Our kitchen needs another oven and commercial size mixer. We’d like to get an ice cream maker.

Please also pray that God will provide for us

1. SOLAR PANELS, INVERTER AND BATTERIES:  $20,000

2. A SAFE GAS POWERED GOLF CART  $18,000

3. BEDS, FURNITURE for meetings, guests. $3,200

4. EQUIPMENT, POWER MIXER, HIGHER CAPACITY OVEN $2200

God is doing something very visible on Utila. Many are starting to take notice of our God, as they notice our kindness and service to them. Please pray for open hearts in this next season.                   Laura

 

The Founders of the Rio Coco Cafe on Utila 2011.

 Arielle, Lukas, Moselle, Mikaela, Laura & Michael

The Fields Are White for Harvest

 

The Rio Coco Utila Team

Daisy, Jake, Hannah, Laura, Michael and Daniel

 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. ³⁶ Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.    John 4:35-36

It’s a unique time in history to be alive! All the events and circumstances of this past decade have created in many a sense of searching for the meaning of life. Wealth, prestige, and societal status have proven to be NOT the answer to life’s purpose. Many who have spent thousands on education and dedicated years toward professional goals are discovering a “Bridge Out Ahead- Do Not Proceed” sign on their road. Others who grew up in a culture that allowed mindless self-pleasure have discovered that they can never get their fill of such an egocentric lifestyle- there must be the ultimate high somewhere else.

We meet many of these at our Rio Coco Café ministry locations. We just spent seven weeks at our café on the Western Caribbean island of Utila, where we opened our first Rio Coco Café in the summer of 2011. We met Canadians, Germans, English, Israeli, Swiss, Italian, Irish, Guatemalan, and American travelers who came to our island for scuba and free diving.

 

Our Brazilian Friend Boto with our American friend Heather

 

Our Team ran the 2nd Annual 10 k race.

Daniel took second place in his division!

 

 

Most were immediately impressed with our coffee from Sumatra, Papua New Guines, Ethiopia and Colombia. It’s rare to be served anything other that the local Honduran coffee. Laura’s quiches and avocado egg toast and our blondies, banana bread and cookies took them to another level of appreciation. But there was one element that caused them to return again and again- the friendliness of our team.

 

Our team having coffee with Gunther, a famous ski racer/scuba diver/artist extraordinaire on Utila.

I received so many compliments of the kindness of Hannah, Daisy, Jake, Daniel and of course Laura when I was away from the café running errands in town. Travelers like to talk, and they had an audience at our café. We listened, asked personal questions, and served them with care and courtesy. They kept coming back and friendships developed. It was then that questions were asked of us.

“Who are you guys? Why are you here on Utila? What is different about this café?”

Conversations often went like this:

“I’ll have two Sumatra coffees and two chocolate chip banana breads.”

“Where are you from? Do you live here or are you here for the diving?”

“Germany.”

“Germany? I spent my first five years living near Munich”

“Why were you there?”

“My dad was in the Air Force.”

“How did you get to Utila?”

That’s my cue to tell the incredible story of being a ski bum in Colorado, going to Maui to help a friend open an ice cream business, having an experience with God, becoming part of a Christian community, and three years later volunteering to come to Honduras to help the refugees from the war in Nicaragua which eventually led to starting a coffee business to make some money for our teachers, which led to opening a café on Utila.

People are interested in hearing what an experience with God looks like and what an adventure He has for all of us!

Then the next question: “How did you and Laura meet?”

Now I get to tell how God audibly spoke to me in 1982 and 1987 and the supernatural events that led to our wedding in 1988. Everyone wants to hear a story where God does something that special.

We planted many seeds of faith these past two months. Many have returned home, but we are assured that the process of becoming a child of God will continue. Others will baptize those we spoke to on Utila.

“He who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

Sow: Pointing others to Christ.

Reap: Seeing people receive Christ.

Ministry is a team effort. Our goal is to nudge many toward Christ. Eventually they will make the same choice that many of us have, and invite Christ to be their Lord and Savior.

Look around! The dissatisfied and disillusioned are all around. Be friendly to them. Invite them for a meal. Serve them in any way that you can. Listen to them and let them ask you the questions of life.

This is exactly how those First, Second and Third Century Christians became the majority of the Roman Empire population by the Fourth Century.

 

We were bless to have Craig & Kathy Englert with us on Utila! They are the founding pastors of Hope Chapel Maui and our mentors over these four decades!  They are somewhat responsible for us being on Utila.                           Michael

 

How Can You Help This Month?

1) Consider helping with our Café equipment needs.

2) Support one of our Seek The Lamb missionaries;

3) Pray for us and our new friends who hear the Gospel.

You may use the enclosed envelope

or donate online at seekthelamb.com—”Give”.  Thanks!

 

Our friends enjoy coffee and food on the deck.

 

Spiritual Arrows / Your Prayers:

Please pray that God will:

1) God will send us more missionary teammates for Utila.

2) Provide a solar system, golf cart and other equipment.

3) Keep our Seek The Lamb / Rio Coco Café team healthy.

 

Seek The Lamb Giving

Here is the link to our Giving Page.

Thanks for your consideration of helping this month. 

Seek The Lamb Giving Page

 

Shabot Dinner with many friends

 

Rio Coco Beans

 

We roast high altitude, hand picked, specialty coffee twice weekly at our Roastery in Vero Beach Florida and mail to many friends from Massachusetts to Hawaii.

We would love to have you join our Coffee Club and receive a 15% discount off every order.

Shop Rio Coco Beans

 

What a dream to fly this 1953 Piper Pacer during the war years 1987-90.

Before this aircraft, the nearest cold drink to our refugee community of Auka was an 8 hour walk. With this aircraft, it was a 15 minute flight.

Thanks for spending time with us this month!