A Joyous Day

Holy Cross was honored by a visit from the Rt. Rev. Philip Wright on Sunday, May 30th. Bishop Wright came to celebrate the Eucharist and to baptize and confirm members of our school community. The service was held at the Angel Nunez Auditorium at San Pedro High School. Eleven children were baptized, and nine students were confirmed and made their First Communion. This was the first confirmation class at Holy Cross. I was very blessed to lead them and help prepare them for this exciting step. We rejoice with the children and their families.

Bishop Wright presented copies of the New Testament to each family who had a child baptized. In addition he gave Study Bibles and wooden crosses to each student who was confirmed.

I am so greatful to the school staff who prepared the auditorium and helped in many ways to make the service beautiful. While we had a couple of hard rain showers during the service, the spirits of the children were not effected. Truly the Holy Spirit was in that place.

Episcopal Relief and Development Conference

Last weekend the Episcopal Relief and Development diocesan coordinators from all over the US held their annual network meeting in Belize. This is the first time they have ever met outside of the US, but they wanted to see first-hand some of the projects supported by ERD. When I first learned they would be here in Belize, I invited our Diocese of North Carolina coordinator to come to Holy Cross. He accepted that invitation by getting me an invitation to attend the conference. We were delighted to have Reid Joyner, the Diocesan Coordinator for NC, visit Holy Cross on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. He observed some classes, attended chapel services and met many of the children. We flew together to Belize City on Thursday afternoon. Our 15 minute flight was quite interesting as an attractive young woman was sitting in the co-pilot's seat (it's not unusual for someone to travel in that seat). She flirted and jabbered with him the entire flight, even showing him pictures on her digital camera! From where I was sitting, he was trying very hard to ignore her. We did arrive safely so I guess he was able to focus on the right things while we were airborne.

The conference was very well planned, and the agenda was packed. The weekend began with Eucharist at St. John's Cathedral, the oldest Anglican building in Central America. The Bishop of the Diocese of Belize celebrated, and the Bishop of the Diocese of Colorado and the ERD Board was the preacher. I love that cathedral and was so happy to worship there once again.

On Friday morning we boarded buses and left Belize City to visit some of the Anglican schools. One project of ERD is the HIV/AIDS curriculum in the Anglican schools. It's a serious problem here, and ERD is hoping to save lives through education. My group travelled first to Flower's Bank, a very small rural community. St. Stephens School has only 3 classrooms and 3 teachers. One teacher is also the principal, and another is the lay minister to the church community there. The school was bright and cheery; the children had prepared a special dance to welcome us; and we were welcomed into their classrooms to observe a lesson on HIV/AIDS. Sadly this school has only a poorly constructed outhouse and no clean drinking water. There are plans and some donations toward improving this but not until next school year.

Our next stop was All Saints School in Belize City which is a stark contrast to Flower's Bank. The school is quite large; we visited the 9 classes of Standard IV-VI. They too were having lessons on HIV/AIDS prevention. They will also be participating in ERD's school garden program. The beds are ready to be planted. Back at the hotel, there were sessions on various program aspects of ERD -- the Nets for Life campaign, Disaster Preparedness in the US, and ERD's work with disaster recovery particularly now in Haiti. We were priveleged to hear a moving presentation about the earthquake in Haiti and its aftermath, given by an Episcopal priest who is native of Haiti, was in the midst of the quake itself, and now is helping his Haitian brothers and sisters rebuild.

On Saturday, our focus was on small business owners who have been recipients of ERD's micro-loan program - the Belize Enterprise for Sustainable Technology. We first visited Mr. Alan Jones who is a very talented woodcarver. As a side, he is also the Justice of the Peace for the Lucky Strike community.

From there, we went way down a very narrow dirt road (in a chartered bus) to the farm belonging to Ms. Julia Gonzalez, the Female Farmer of 2010 for Belize. She has a lovely greenhouse full of bell peppers as well as small fields of tomatoes, onions and melons. Her home has no electricity -- the power poles end a few hundred yards before her property and the lines don't stretch to the end of the poles. Our next stop was at Altun Ha, the Mayan ruins. Ms. Lorie Wallace runs one of the on-site gift shops. We did some souvenir shopping, sampled cashew wine (ugh), and had lunch at the foot of one of the temples. On the way back to Belize City, we stopped at Ms. Cherrymae Galvez's roadside grocery store and fast food establishment. St.Luker's -- we have passed this store many times; you would recognize it. And now I know she was able to start this business with the help of ERD. The conference concluded with a banquet Saturday night featuring entertainment by school children from the area, from tiny preschoolers to talented dancers from St. John's College. I am so greatful for this wonderful opportunity to meet ERD coordinators from 67 dioceses in the US, to learn so much about the work of ERD, to see new places, and to learn about successful business women and men.

Unexpected Visitor

Monday afternoon I came home from an errand to find this creature on my porch. He was pretty skittish and moved very quickly. It was hard to tell which of us was more frightening to the other! I was determined to get some pictures, and he (she?) was determined to get away.

From the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail, I would estimate it was about 3 feet long. When I asked what this type of iguana was called, and the answer I got was "green iguana". I did learn that if you can catch one, they make good eating. I think I will pass on that local delicacy.

I'm going to Belize City tomorrow to the Episcopal Relief and Development Coordinator's Conference. We will visit school and agricultural projects on the mainland that are supported by ERD. Our diocese of NC coordinator came to Holy Cross today to visit. I'm looking forward to seeing new places and learning about new projects in Belize. I might also see some of the school projects that St. Luke's worked on those first years we brought mission teams to Belize.

Sunday is our worship service with baptism and confirmation. Please pray for those who will be baptized or confirmed.

Slow Sunday

After a very busy week, it's nice to have a quiet Sunday. Once the rain ended on Wednesday, we had bright, sunny, HOT days for the rest of the week. On Friday, the power was turned off to most of the school as some of the main wiring had to be replaced. The only place of refuge was the computer lab where the AC was blasting.

On Friday, Holy Cross bid farewell to the team of 10 student teachers from Vancouver Island University. They had been in the classrooms working side-by-side with Holy Cross teachers for 5 weeks; it was hard to say good-bye. Each class had a gift and celebration for their volunteer. There were laughs and hugs and tears all around. As I watched a tearful goodbye in Standard IV, I couldn't help but think ahead to the end of June when I have to say goodbye to Holy Cross and all the wonderful people here. Nope, not thinking of that right now, Scarlet.....

Friday night was another faculty dinner/social at the school. It was a final opportunity to honor the student teachers and have one more dinner and some dancing. We had a delicious dinner of baked chicken, mashed potatoes and green salad. Mr. Zetina was the DJ for the dancing with plenty of punta and salsa music.

Another local color story -- yesterday as I was walking to the market, this crab was crossing the street in front of the police station. I guess he came from the lagoon which is not too far away. He was a big one -- tip to tip about the size of a dinner plate!

He was scuttling across the street, somehow being missed by bikes and golf carts. When he saw me, he scuttled faster to the side of the road where he ran into a light pole. He seemed OK although I didn't really get too close to check on him. His claws looked like they could inflict pain.

Today is a stay at home and read a good book day. It is raining again. The rain comes very suddenly and very hard; then it stops just as quickly and the sun comes out. Then the cycle starts again. I took a short walk this morning during a dry spell but could tell more rain was moving in quickly. It is very cool when it rains which is nice.

Tomorrow is a national holiday -- Commonwealth Day, aka Queen Elizabeth's birthday. Offices, many businesses and the schools will be closed. I am trying to find out if there are any "festivities" planned. Probably not out here on the island but in Belize City there might be.

What a wonderful treat -- Ms. Laura, one of the Holy Cross teachers, cooked escabeche which is a Belizean onion soup with chicken. It is very different from our French onion soup. She sent her husband over with some for my dinner! Yum. Escabeche is tangy - one ingredient is either vinegar or sour orange - and it is jalapeno hot. She sent extra jalapenos on the side in case I needed more. Not me. There were also homemade tortillas. It was excellent, and I will finish the rest for supper.

Water, water everywhere....

This morning was only the beginning of the rain! It has poured all day, in fact, the record was broken for the most rain in one day in San Pedro. So far, we have had 11" since midnight and 8 1/2 inches of that came between noon and 1:30!!!!!!! Everything is flooded. The rain had almost slacked off when I made a dash for it and walked home from school. I saw a lot of beach erosion, and some homes and business on the beach have water in them. Golf carts and bicycles couldn't move through the high water. It was easy to see where the swift run-off had come through at the height of the showers. While it isn't officially a tropical storm, it has really seemed hurricane-like in that the rain has come in bands. Just when you think it's safe to run to the cafeteria or to town to the post office, another pounding starts again (I speak from experience...).

We had so many children out of school today, and that will most likely continue tomorrow (a Belizean snow day). Many stay home if it is raining when it's time to come to school because they will get so wet on their walk. The ones who came today will not have dry uniforms or shoes to wear tomorrow. While I did get pretty soaked coming home, I knew I would have a dry place once I got here. I can't imagine what it must be like in San Mateo when it rains like this.

I will leave you with the soggy view of the school and part of my path home....

lapping at the steps the office

Rain, rain, rain....

This is Day 3 of rain! They say the rainy season doesn't come until June, but you sure could fool me this week. No thunder and lightening, just rain. It begins in the wee early hours of the morning and lasts til about midday. It's cool and smells good, but it really makes getting around more difficult. There are giant puddles everywhere on the streets and in yards, and the mud is very slippery. I have taken a taxi to the bridge each morning in an effort to stay dry for as much of my "commute" as possible. Many of the children do not come to school when it is raining, so attendance is very low this week. We know the cisterns and tanks are being filled so there will be plenty of water for household use. Good thing as there will be lots of laundry to do to get the mud out of everyone's clothes!

Speaking of water -- another interesting only-in-San-Pedro story. A large iguana fell into the Holy Cross water tank last week and drowned. Who knew iguanas couldn't swim? Anyway in an effort to clean the water and get rid of any lingering iguana-ness, Mr. Freddy poured 6 GALLONS of Clorox into the tank. Whew! Whenever someone turns on the faucet in the office, it smells like a swimming pool. I always drink only bottled water when I'm down here, and this episode has convinced me of my wisdom.

An Opportunity for Holy Cross

Please see the letter below from Francis Wilson, founder of Holy Cross School. This is a great opportunity to see donations do even more good work for the children. The school bank account is currently at an all-time low, and we are worried about whether the feeding program can continue. If the children are sent home for lunch, many problems will be created -- the risk to the children who walk several miles to and from school, some who won't return for the afternoon classes, 6 wonderful women who will be out jobs, and most importantly, hungry children. If you have ever considered contributing to Holy Cross, please consider it now while these matching funds are available. Everyone loves a bargain and 2-for-1 dollars is indeed a bargain!!

Dear Friends, I am very excited about the following Corporate Matching Donation Program!! Please, please, please read and respond to this incredible opportunity. The children of Holy Cross are counting on YOU!! Many thanks and blessings, Francis
Holy Cross Education Foundation
Summer 2010 Corporate Donation Matching Program


Amount designated for Corporate Match - $15,000.00 USD

Program – The matching program will give an equal amount of a donation that is identified by the donor as a "Matching Donation" up to $15,000.00.

Purpose - Raise $30,000 to sustain Holy Cross Anglican School

Term - The program is for donations made between May 10, 2010 and September 30, 2010

How it works - Any donation sent to the Holy Cross Education Foundation by credit card or check that is identified by the donor as a “Summer 2010 Match Donation”will enable the Foundation to receive an equal amount from the Corporate Match program. All money will be given to Holy Cross to cover the school’s operating and construction expenses.

Donors to the Corporate Match Program - Two Minnesota based corporations who have asked to remain anonymous. They have requested anonymity as they want to avoid being solicited by other groups.
The children of Holy Cross Anglican School are counting on YOU to ensure that their Feeding Program continues! PLEASE make a donation NOW while your dollars will be doubled - wow!!! Holy Cross needs every penny of that potential $30,000 to remain the state-of-the art educational facility you helped to create. Without your support, we cannot be supportive of our children who are hungry, in need of uniforms, shoes, school supplies or sick. Please don't let us down. Tax deductible contributions can be sent to:
Holy Cross Education Foundation
7550 Corporate Way
Eden Prairie, MN 55344Contact the Chair of the Foundation Board: Brian Ostenso at bostenso@aol.com
Support Holy Cross Anglican School in San Pedro www.holycrossbelize.org

Education Week

May 10-14 was Education Week in Belize. On Monday, all teachers on Ambergris attended an ecumenical worship service at the Lion's Den. In each region of Belize, similar services were held at the same time. I was honored to be asked to give the opening prayer. This is the first time a service like this has been held out here on the island. Some of our teachers have gone to Belize City in years past. It was great to see Ms. Sharon and Ms. Monica, former Holy Cross teachers.

Thursday night the Town Board sponsored another event for all teachers on the island -- a dinner at the Lion's Den. Each teacher was given a tee-shirt which we wore to the party. There were free rum drinks and Belikin beer, a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings, live music, dancing and drawings for prizes donated by local merchants. All the Holy Cross teachers and student teachers sat together and had a great time. Several of the teachers won prizes in the drawing (not me). There was also a ladies' game of musical chairs -- one of our teachers won. When the men had their round, it turned into "full contact" musical chairs. One of our teachers won 2nd place. There was a huge pinata, and Deacon Jan was Holy Cross's representative to swing the stick at it. It was a small stick and a large pinata. I think I wounded it but didn't strike the cracking blow. The scramble on the floor for its contents was pretty wild.

Today the schools were all out for Teacher Appreciation Day. (Pay close attention to this part, Hill Center friends). At 9:00 this morning, all the teachers and administrators -- and this lucky chaplain -- boarded a Coastal Express boat and headed north to a resort known as Tranquility Bay. The place totally lives up to its name! This is the most beautiful stretch of beach in Belize, and it is where the island meets the reef. You can almost see Mexico from there.

Most of us just lounged on the beach, but some went out in kayaks. We took snorkeling equipment, but the current was so strong that it was very difficult. Some of us walked all the way to the end of the island in search of a good spot to snorkel, but it was low tide and there was no water! We found some awesome shells, though. The restaurant, The Tackle Box, was built by the original owners of the Tackle Box in San Pedro and looks very much like it. The food and drinks were wonderful. One of the men came and cut down coconuts for us to drink the water and eat the coconut meat. Mmmm....

It was a great day. We laughed so much and really had fun together. It has been wonderful to me to be included in the activities and celebrations all week. Have a great weekend, everyone.

Happy Mother's Day

I hope all you mothers had a very nice Mother's Day. I certainly did. This morning I went to the pool for awhile. It was very hot, even the water wasn't refreshing. I cleaned up, did a few things around the apartment, and then treated myself to lunch at the Blue Water Grill.

I had a really yummy salad and enjoyed a great view of the beach and the water.

I topped lunch off with ice cream from Manelly's and even tried a new flavor.

In the course of the day, I talked with both of my sons and my mother. I had some beautiful cards and have been told to look for more in the mail. Hmm.... I sent a batch of photos to Sam's to have them printed. With as many pictures as I'm taking, it seems like a good idea to go ahead and have them printed in groups. Otherwise it will break the bank if I have them all printed at one time. It will be fun to have them waiting for me when I get home.

This evening I had dinner with some friends. We ate at Red Ginger, the restaurant at The Phoenix resort. We had tapas (cheese empanadas, coconut shrimp, fried zuchini strips, bucetta with fresh tomatoes, proscuitto and cantelope) and sangria with incredible creme brulee - mango, pineapple and coconut - for dessert.

This will be a busy week at Holy Cross. We have a large group of teachers from Gainsville State in Georgia coming in tomorrow. I'll spend most of the morning with their orientation. We are out of school at noon tomorrow because there is an ecumenical worship service in the early afternoon to begin Teacher Appreciation Week. I understand that the town does several things for all the teachers on the island. We'll see what is ahead.

A Fun Day

Several weeks ago, the Standard VI students were the winners in a poster contest sponsored by Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Their design became the logo for Reef Week. Check out Hol Chan on the internet -- http://www.holchanbelize.org/

Their prize was a day at Hol Chan, and today was the day! The staff planned a great day for the kids. The kids had asked me to go along when they found out I've never been to Hol Chan. Sea-rious, a snorkel/dive company, provided the boat for the kids, their teacher Ms. Joy and me. Hol Chan sent along a smaller boat with their guys. We left this morning around 9:00, all dressed in our tee-shirts which carry the winning design. They took us out to the reef where the kids could snorkel. The guide took them out to the reef in small groups while the rest stayed close to the boat, swimming and playing.

Then we went to Shark Ray Alley which is appropriately named. The nurse sharks and sting rays surrounded the boat as soon as we arrived. The kids loved seeing them, and like the 8th graders they are, they squealed and shrieked at each one they saw. I hope the fish weren't too traumatized!

After everyone had his/her fill of snorkeling, they took us to the far southern tip of the island and pulled the boats up on the beach where we had a cook-out. The Hol Chan staff grilled hot dogs, and we had those with chips and Fanta.

The kids swam, buried a couple of the guys in the sand, splashed and threw "sand balls" at each other. Their sand balls look just like snowballs. They formed them out of the wet sand, and the the "war" began.

We got back around 1:30. It was really a fun day. I loved being with the kids. As we parted company, they all wished me a happy Mother's Day.

Friday - Creative Arts at Holy Cross

Drama and creativity abound at Holy Cross. On Friday, Ms Godoy's Standard II class presented "Cinderella". They had been rehearsing all week, and Friday's performance was complete with props and costumes. Sadly, the prince was sick, but his understudy stepped in and did a fine job. Every student had a role -- either an acting part or as one of the narrators. The pictures speak for themselves.

Cinderella and her mean step-sisters

You cannot go to the ball, Cinderella.

The fairy godmother comes to help Cinderella.

Off to the ball in a beautiful gown and a coach pulled by horses.

The stroke of midnight and a lost slipper.

It fits!

And they lived happily ever after....

The whole class

Later in the day, Standard IV students did presentations as the culmination of their Mayan history unit. There were talks about the gods, the calendar, dance and games.