"Hi, my name is Harrison! I just got here yesterday and I am going to be the new PE teacher at the school!".
"Ok, nice to meet you Harrison. We are glad you are here. Let me go ahead and give you the run down on a few things you need to know about Roatan. That store on the corner is the best place to buy fruit, the little restaurant on the top if the hill is the only one that won't make you sick, stay far away from the street kids who beg for money, and do not ever go down the hill in French Harbour unless you want to get hurt or robbed....".
" wow, got it".
This was my introduction to Roatan in 2009. I then spent the first couple of months getting my bearings and learning some survival Spanish. Not long after arriving though, I met some street kids who asked me to buy them some food. I remembered my nuggets of advice and immediately got out of there. After a few more encounters like this, God began to nudge me and I gave the boys some money. I was then amazed as I watched them pool their change together, go into the store and come out with a 2 liter soda and a big bag of chips for all three of them to share. I quickly learned that these kids were not dangerous, they weren't trying to rob or trick me. They were merely trying to survive....
Those boys quickly became like family to me, hanging out at my apartment, teaching me to fish with a coke bottle and fishing line, showing me the best places to get cheap local food and eventually welcoming me into into their families who lived on the Hill in French Harbour, the same place I was told to avoid. Throughout this whole process, friends were telling me to be careful and they recommended I stay away from this community for my own safety. I understand their concern because of the drugs and violence that saturates the community but a lot of the fears simply came from a lack of knowledge and understanding. We often fear what we don't know or don't understand.
Kendall and I treated the people in this community with dignity and respect and in return, they did the same for us. We received a level of hospitality and genuine care from the families there that we had never experienced. After a few months of spending time with them, we were welcomed into homes, offered meals, invited to baby showers and even asked to be the God parents of a little boy who was named Kendall after my wife.
Kendall and I spent countless hours in homes and on the streets of French Harbour during our time in Roatan. As a result, the local church opened its arms more freely to the poverty stricken and spiritually dark community around it. They were touched by the love of Christ. As we prepare to return in September, this is a major goal on our hearts. We want to saturate that community with the gospel rather than darkness. God has called and equipped Kendall and I to go out into the streets or Roatan Honduras to meet those who need His touch. We are going back to the same community to work with the church that recently opened a school and medical clinic. The church is able to provide housing for us and a small stipend but we still need to raise monthly support of $2,500/mo so that we can serve and love the community of French Harbour in Roatan Honduras. Please pray for us and consider financially partnering with us in doing God's work.
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Email me with any thoughts or questions: rhjohnson44@gmail.com
Those boys quickly became like family to me, hanging out at my apartment, teaching me to fish with a coke bottle and fishing line, showing me the best places to get cheap local food and eventually welcoming me into into their families who lived on the Hill in French Harbour, the same place I was told to avoid. Throughout this whole process, friends were telling me to be careful and they recommended I stay away from this community for my own safety. I understand their concern because of the drugs and violence that saturates the community but a lot of the fears simply came from a lack of knowledge and understanding. We often fear what we don't know or don't understand. 
