Rev. Robert Wood

A dear friend said I should tell more details about my daily life.  Here is an account of the last few days.

For about nine days I had been sick with a fever, but after rest and prayer I recovered and returned to my duties on Tuesday.  Tuesday was Honduras 188th Independence Day, this is celebrated by parades, fireworks, soccer games and family dinners just like the 4th of July is in the UP.S.

Wednesday morning I worked on my boat, the motor sometimes was nearly impossible to start.  With the help of a man in Jonesville, Larry Bennett, I discovered that the kill switch had shorted out and was keeping the motor from starting.  After a simple fix it was like new, starting on the first or second pull.  Hallelujah!

Wednesday afternoon, I traveled to Pandytown in my boat, to conduct the funeral of Mr.. Jensen McKenzie.  Mr.. McKenzie had in later life given his heart to the Lord and even completed Confirmation class last year.  He was the father of nine children and grandfather of 42, he had lived to see seventy-nine years of age.  The service was full of many testimonies of his godliness and kindness.  Following the service we climbed the hill to the site of the cemetery.  It is the custom in Honduras for all of the mourners to wait for the completion of the burial.  We waited as workmen lowered the casket and then sealed the top of the tomb with concrete, all the time singing hymns and Gospel songs.  Following the conclusion of the service I traveled back to Jonesville, tired still not fully recovered from the illness.  When I arrived I received a phone call notifying me that there would be another funeral in the morning, this time in Coxen Hole.

Thursday morning I arose early to travel to Coxen Hole.  Coxen Hole is the major city of Roatan and it is in the western end of the island, I live on the east end.  I went to see Mr. Gil Wood, first thing, Mr.. Wood owns the local boat gas station.  I bought 6 gallons of gas, at $4.30 a gallon and headed west.  I traveled for about an hour and a half to Coxen Hole.  I had never gone to Coxen Hole by boat and at first tried to enter through an apparent channel but found myself caught on the reef.  At first I was unable to get off the rocks and waves started to fill the boat, but with God’s help I was able to paddle myself back to the deep water and found the channel.  I tied-up my boat at a dock that belongs to members of the church.

The service was for Mrs.. Weeonie Whittaker, a mother and grandmother who died after an illness at the age of seventy-four.  The service was held at the Wesley Methodist Church, and a congregation of about a hundred people gathered to mourn.  I has assisted in the service by Mr.. Joe Solomon, a lay preacher in our circuit and the Chief of Police for Roatan.  I preached about the certainty of seeing our loved ones in heaven if we are saved, from Romans 10:9-11.  I spoke at length that salvation is by faith, not works.  Following the sermon we sang more hymns and then walked to the cemetery, the casket was carried in the back of a pickup truck to the cemetery.   I followed the Methodist Worship Book order for the grave side service and we sang hymns as the tomb was closed, there were many tears for a lost mother and grandmother.

While I was in Coxen Hole, I went to the store and bought those delicacies that can not be found in the store in the east end of the island, cheese and peanut oil.  Then I traveled home, traveling east against a 15 mile an hour wind and four foot seas, the trip home over two hours and I got very sunburn.

Upon arriving home, I discovered the power company had turned off the to our town so I prepared dinner by lantern light and went to bed very early.

Bob Wood

Sunday morning Elizabeth, Emily and I went went to the Bethany Methodist Church, Jonesville. We had a crowd of 32 even though the electricity was off. I preached from I Kings 8, the subject was "if we fall away from God, he is there to reunite with us. Following the service we went to the Jones’ home for dinner. Following dinner we return to are home till time for the evening service. We were traveling to Oak Ridge to the Trinity Methodist Church, when our truck died. It has a problem with the Alternator or Battery. I was able to restart the truck by popping the clutch as I rolled down hill. We were able to reach the Trinity church and met with the great people there. We sang traditional Harvest songs and I preached from Matthew 13 1-9, The Parable of the Sower and the Seeds. I encouraged the people to consider what kind of soil they are. The Lord was there and hearts were turned to God.

When it came time to return to Jonesville, the truck would not start the men of the church and community after several good pushes got the car going and we traveled home.

The reason we did not take the boat, was because I am still learning the canals and shallows. With the decline of the truck I will have to spend more time studying the waters.

God is Good!

Sunday morning Elizabeth, Emily and I went went to the Bethany Methodist Church, Jonesville.  We had a crowd of 32 even though the electricity was off.  I preached from I Kings 8, the subject was "if we fall away from God, he is there to reunite with us.  Following the service we went to the Jones’ home for dinner.  Following dinner we return to are home till time for the evening service.  We were traveling to Oak Ridge to the Trinity Methodist Church, when our truck died.  It has a problem with the Alternator or Battery.  I was able to restart the truck by popping the clutch as I rolled down hill.  We were able to reach the Trinity church and met with the great people there.  We sang traditional Harvest songs and I preached from Matthew 13 1-9, The Parable of the Sower and the Seeds.  I encouraged the people to consider what kind of soil they are.  The Lord was there and hearts were turned to God.

When it came time to return to Jonesville, the truck would not start the men of the church and community after several good pushes got the car going and we traveled home.

The reason we did not take the boat, was because I am still learning the canals and shallows.  With the decline of the truck I will have to spend more time studying the waters.

God is Good!

Monday was a quiet day with the morning spent recovering from a long Sunday and the preparation of Bible Studies for the week.  At 2:00 p.m. I headed East from Jonesville Point towards Camp Bay (by truck).  The drive takes about 45 minutes and when I got to Camp Bay I could not find the ladies I have Bible Study with.  This study is done in different homes.  After asking a few people and getting conflicting information.  I eventually found the ladies.  There were only two in attendance illness and other activities had lessened the crowd from the usual ten.  We read Nehemiah chapters 1-5.  We saw similarities between the work God had for Nehemiah and our work in the Church.  There is opposition from outside and inside when we do what God desires. if we remain faithful we will complete God’s task.  Following the study we prayed and the ladies filled me with fresh orange juice and cookies.  They sang a Gospel song to close our time.  I need to take my voice recorder and record their singing and share it with you, beautiful.

I am changing how I use the internet to keep in contact with the world.  My Windows Live Spaces account which is revrobertwood.spaces.live.com will be more of a daily log of activities, thoughts, sermons all kinds of stuff and always chaging.  My other site RobertWoodMinistries.com will be a site that gives information about the ministry in a more polished and stable format.  I am sure you will see lots of changes on both sites over the next few weeks.