Island Encounters … On St. Thomas

Our sales staff recently concluded a tour of St. Martin and St. Thomas, and are now enjoying the lush interior of Belize.  As first time visitors to St. Thomas, every day brought new and exciting experiences.  Here is a blog written to describe the coolest experience they had during our 11 days in the Islands.  I thought I’d share it and let you read about a truly memorable evening!

My husband and I were filled with anticipation as we parked our rental car,  gathered our bags, and quickly headed towards what has been voted one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world, Magens Bay.

It was around 4pm, and many of the sun worshipers had already gone home for the day.  We were focused ahead on the amazingly calm turquoise water as we walked to the white sand, but something caught both our attention as we passed by.

An elderly couple, dressed more for church than for the beach, were gently unfolding an elegant burgundy table cloth to cover the weather-worn picnic table.  A wicker picnic basket sat on the bench, waiting to be unpacked.  No children in sight – just the two of them setting a scene that was curious to us. Were they selling something? Were they getting ready for a social gathering and soon be joined by others? Just fleeting thoughts in our heads as we approached the beach.

After a short time of wading out into the pristine sea, we returned to the sand, took a seat on a bench, and marveled together at this natural wonder. God had really outdone himself!

Then we saw him walking towards us, this well dressed gentleman whom we had passed. “My wife sent me to invite you to join us at our table for some wine and cheese” he said, smiling and motioned towards the shaded scene from a classic movie.

“Really?” I responded, surprised by his boldness.  “How can we refuse an offer like that!” came my husband’s response, as we followed him and took a seat on each side of the bench.  He introduced himself and his lovely wife, explaining that they were locals who returned to this same table at 4pm, every Wednesday,

to enjoy the scenery and celebrate life together.  Cloth napkins and crystal wine glasses were set before us, along with soft Havarti cheese and a bowl of fresh fruit.  I couldn’t help but notice that they just happened to have four glasses.

For over an hour we bonded with our new friends, hearing intriguing stories about their life on the island, and sharing some of our own.  Sometime during that conversation we both realized the gift we were experiencing: genuine hospitality at it’s finest.  We left with full hearts and blissful memories.  Not because of the breathtaking world-renowned beach, but because of two fascinating people who intentionally impacted our lives and left us forever changed.

Thanks to T-Lynn for an awesome story.  That my friends, is island living at its best!

Live the Life,
JVbytheSea

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