On the day we landed in Bluefields, we grabbed a quick breakfast of scrabbled eggs prepared by our cook and were whisked away on a boat to Tasbapauni. The boat ride was 2 hours long and it was a miracle no one got sick… instead many people fell asleep as the boat bounced across the water in the hot Caribbean sun, heading Northward.

The boat traveled through the back waterways up the coast. It was an interesting ride for me because I’ve never been outside of Bluefields proper. Along the way we passed a rusty shipwreck left from Hurricane Joanna, locals fishing from dugouts, and even a crocodile.

Eventually we came to markers in the water indicating our approach to Tasbapauni. This channel, which seemed to be 2km long, was dredged out by hand by locals so boats can cut across an island instead of taking a long route around. We coasted up to the slip and locals waiting nearby grabbed the ropes that were toss to them and pulled us in.

We walked along the path that wound through the wood houses as a group as curious onlookers watched. We stopped at the Verbo church that is being constructed there at the edge of the village. There, our guide and Verbo ministry deacon Henry shared with us some fascinating stories about growing up in Tasbapauni during the war in the 80s.

I was quickly distracted by the local children playing in the ocean and we soon joined them - laughing and splashing in the Caribbean. After a few minutes we left the kids and started walking down the long stretch of the beach toward the other end of the village.

Being my second trip back to Bluefields and knowing about the desperate needs that await us in the days ahead, playing with these kids on the first day in the region was a welcome distraction. For the team I was with, it was an excellent way to ease into the mission.

I’ve never been to Tasbapauni before and it wasn’t what I expected. From what I’ve heard from others, I was expecting a tribal community with real rough impoverished living conditions, but what I saw was a bit better. However, it was hard to see how the village was making a living - I did not see any evidence of an industry or infrastructure.

Under the surface there are other issues facing Tasbapauni, but I discovered hope in a casual conversation with woman with a monkey.

(To be continued…)

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