Belize

Amanda, Emma and I just returned from a 2 week Mission adventure with a team from our church to Belize in Central America. So grab a tall iced drink (thank God for the ice in that glass while you sip) and see what we have been up to. I've tried to break it into chunks, so if it gets to be to much, come back and read another chunk another day.


Chunk 1 - Water
I have to start out with our water taxi ride to our Ministry base during a rain squall. The sky opened up on us and hosed us down for a half hour while we rode from Belize City - without cover, and most of us without rain gear. Add some wind in the mix and you might picture the rise and slam of the nose of the boat on each wave. The first 50 slams were a hoot. We all tried hard to protect our tail bones for the remaining 550.
The base was just on the shores of the Caribbean Sea - this made for great swimming and bathing with Sailor Soap. The jelly fish visited a couple times. Water from the sea was plumbed into the toilet system. So all the toilets flushed (when they were working) with sea water. Thankfully the jelly fish don’t know that yet.
We only drank bottled or treated water on this trip, and we took a full Nalgene bottle where ever we went. The treated water was quite nasty tasting, so I tried to flavor mine with rehydration powder, until I just couldn’t drink any more of it. And drink we did. Our bodies were in a constant state of sweating - constant heat and constant humidity. In fact, when I stepped off the plane, my flip flops instantly felt wet under my feet.
Rain water is collected for use in the sinks and showers. We all got to experience 2 minute cold showers to conserve water - Jim would have been so proud of us! (I might add that "cold" water really doesn't exist in Belize - so really the showers were solarly warm!) Apparently, scorpions enjoy the shower, too. And giant cockroaches. Which leads us to our next topic ……..

Chunk 2 - Bugs!
The team women can be categorized as bug screamers and not bug screamers. Well, the Hilton girls are of the screaming kind. One night Amanda and I were surrounded by the giant cockroach in the bathroom to our left, and one on a bed to our right. (Emma was safely tucked under her net on her bed, cheering us on!) Well, yes there was a choir of screaming that night. Thankfully Troy came with a big shoe to take care of things. Biting bugs that faithfully visited us day and night - sand fleas, no-see-ums, doctor flies, fire ants, and multitudes of mosquitoes. We were thankful for our mosquito nets to sleep under at night, and for Michelle and Elaine who were Cockroach friendly roommates, willing to chase down unwanted visitors with confidence!


Chunk 3 -Team Work
Despite being bug food for 2 weeks, several projects were underway. The first week, the team men repaired a village home - new roof and new back room. The women went on a Prayer walk through the village - we prayed with many families, sometimes inside their houses - which are really shacks - usually up on stilts, tiny, and exposed to the weather. It might have electricity. It might have a “kitchen”. It might have foam to sleep on. Surprisingly, it might have a tv, or a stereo, or a refrigerator. Many had faded photos tacked to the walls and special nic nacs displayed inside. I never saw a bathroom, and sometimes the kitchen was a fire hearth outside. I never saw a toy, a cell phone, an air conditioner, a washer/dryer, or a computer in any of the village homes.
We planned two church services, a Sports day, and did VBS for 4 days the 2nd week. We also continued the Prayer walk and worked on Vera and Basil's (our host Missionaries) new home that they are finally getting after 7 years of living on the base.


Chunk 4 - Garbage
Palm trees everywhere. White sands. The warm Caribbean Sea as a backdrop. And garbage that just grows in piles, blows around in the breeze, and washes up on the shores. Dogs run around at every home - skinny and bug ridden, picking through garbage. I am so thankful for my Tuesday morning garbage pick up.


Chunk 5 - Villagers
If we stood or sat for very long in the village, we were sure to collect smaller children. They wanted to be hugged and held and danced with. It was easy to love on them. It was hard to know what child went with what adult - they all take care of each other, and most of the villagers seem to be related in someway. Several children loved fixing Maddie and Emma's hair and Tony was enamored with my little fan keychain which I gave him on the last day. We met many dear friends in the village - mostly children and teenagers who came to VBS, church, and Sunday School. By the second week, 15 - 20 teens would gather at the base to play volleyball, softball, and card games. (50% of the population in the Gale’s Point village is 18 and under). It was hard to hear some of their stories - like little Amanda who lives with her grandpa who beats her, and Manny who almost drowned in a hurricane when he was 6. He is now a mentally challenged man who would show up where ever we were and just burst out singing a hymm. We also learned that given the chance and equipment there is a group of Belezian teens that could do some serious whooping at softball; Dorita can kick our butts at the game of Nubs; LJ and Lionel can play for hours rolling a coffee can full of sand; Shannon, Darren, and Kenny are well liked Christian teens who are not afraid to lead their friends; and Sistah is a gentle hearted mother who shines for Jesus and makes the world's most awesome coleslaw with sweet Belizean cabbage ....



Chunk 6 - God at work

The village has it's dark side - drugs, alcohol, and promiscuity are big problems there. Out of the population of 500 people, only 6 couples are married. Vera and Basil work hard to teach, lead, and mentor them - praying that there will be villagers leading the way one day. We met Brandon, who had been the village's lead drug dealer - he is now a soft spoken Christian man who makes and sells crafts to visitors that come. And Sistah, who cooks at the base and tries to be an example to her village family by praying with them and sharing how God has changed her life around.



Chunk 7 - Food

How can I finish and not mention food - We were lucky to be there during mango season - orange, blue, purple - many different kinds. It was easy to find someone willing to climb a tree and retrieve a coconut for us with a machette. We also roasted cashews that were picked from trees. Chicken, rice and beans is a traditional Balizean meal that we enjoyed several times as well as fry jacks, and homemade tortillas. Fried plantain was a yummy treat. And who says eggs need to be kept in the refrigerator?

Giving thanks in Belize for ….

deoderant, bug spray and sunscreen
The scorpion who chose to visit Sydney in the shower and NOT me.
Mosquito nets that kept the bugs out of our beds while we slept
Tanya and Troy in Cabana 3 where they sprayed for scorpions and tarantullas, but "it just doesn't seem to do the trick"
not being assigned to Cabana 3
mosquito eating geckos that ran around the walls and ceilings (and beds)
Breezy days that kept the bugs down
Battery operated fans that blew on our faces at night
Basil, Vera, and Carol who work tirelessly with hope, trust, and love for the people of Gale's Point
A team that worked soooo hard through sweat, smells, bugs, sour tummies, hurt swollen toes and feet, without complaint (well, almost) and with lots of laughter and songs from the 70's and 80's (curtosy of my song sister Val!! Woo Hoo!)

Giving thanks at home for ....
Ice cubes
Clean tasty water right out of a faucet
Garbage pick up
Washers and dryers
Homes that are safe, dry, and warm (but not TOO warm!)