Saturday Sojourn in Tasbapounie

The group was up bright and early to head on the "panga" for Tasbapounie at the north end of Pearl Lagoon, an estimated 4 hour boat ride.  We got down to the wharf area around 7:30.  Since we planned to lead a series of games for Tasba children, our youth invited interested youth from the VERBO youth group to travel with us and help lead the games.  We were 18 on the boat in addition to the driver and his helper. 

Heading up the lagoon, we wound through a variety of waters including the mouth of the Escondido River as well as some narrow waterways to reach Pearl Lagoon, we passed by the village of Pearl Lagoon, continuing across its wide water to Tasbapounie.  We passed lots of cormorants along the way diving and flying.  We also saw pelicans, an egret and some ducks. 

When we got to Tasbapounie, we were pleased that a heavy rain squall had just ended.  They weren't sure that we would come.  A light drizzle welcomed us to the wharf and we walked pass the grazing horses and fishermen cooking some of their catch to arrive at the home of Henry and Sonja, stalwart's of the VERBO church in Tasbapounie.  Sonja teaches at the secondary school.  We presented some school supplies that Sonja had ordered and brought our greetings to the community.  Henry welcomed us and explained that Tasba was once a successful subsistence community, primarily dependent upon fishing in both the sea and the lagoon.  They also had north and west of them a lot of unpopulated forest where they hunted and grew food.  Gradually people from outside the region have moved into the area from the west so that they have been threatened and even shot by them outside settlers who are claiming the land by squatters rights.  Their fishery is depleted by the use of gill nets and large Honduran commercial fishing off the coast.  They also struggle with the effects of the drug trade.

Henry told us that storms come often, blowing off roofs and crushing boats but still they love their community.  Ten years ago the community received a secondary school so that their youth could complete their highschool education locally.  They have electricity from 2 - 10 pm ordinarily produced by a generator that was disabled in a wind storm on Wednesday.  An electric line is being run north from the Bluff which is scheduled to reach Tasbapounie by Christmas when they expect to have power round the clock.  They get some cell phone coverage from Claro and a couple of residents have had internet connections in the past.

We walked the beach and looked around for about an hour, enjoyed kids playing in the surf and boatmen coming and going and working on their nets.  We arrived at the school and led the kids in games, awarding ribbons to the participants and serving refreshments.  We also presented some recreation equipment for the school's future use.

Enroute back to the boat, we saw a recently completed house that another mission team had built for a family whose homes were destroyed by Hurrican Ida in 2009.  As we were leaving, some men asked for help in dragging their recently painted boat about 200 yards into a small creek.  At least a dozen folks pulled on a long rope forward by 8 or 10 others pushed from behind.  They placed narrow saplings under the boat's keel to help it slide forward, moving them forward after each heave.  Although a long process, they succeeded in getting the boat into the water (without mishaps).  Some of our team were right in the middle of it including the dank, black creek water.  Once afloat, a Tasba man told our guys to wash off the black water or they would get worms through their skin!  They washed by plunging into the sea for a swim.

We got aboard and enjoyed our sandwiches and chips and juice out on the water,  The boat turned south and we headed back to Bluefields.  A few images of our time there are below.