The end of a lovely weekend

It's been a busy weekend. Last night I joined the St. Luke's team for a birthday dinner for Randy. There were balloons and a cake and a festive time. We were so happy when Holly finally arrived. The group is all together now and ready to get busy tomorrow.

We woke to rain this morning. The showers didn't last too long, and most of the day was pretty. It's raining again now, but that always makes things cooler (sorry, NC folks) I have an AC unit in my bedroom but haven't turned it on yet. It is very comfortable at night, and ceiling fans are all I need for now. I'm sure later in the spring I will be very happy to have it.

This morning we joined St. Anne's Episcopal Church from Minnesota for Eucharist. Their priest, Lydia, and I met a couple of years ago. So last week really wasn't my last time to serve as a deacon in a worship service for awhile. It was nice to have both groups together and to enjoy the ocean breeze.

After church most of the group went to Estel's for breakfast, and I went along for the company. Some of them came back to my apt. to try my wireless internet. The internet today has been very hit and miss. It's hard to get a connection and keep it. That's Belize....

This evening I was invited by the St. Anne's group to join them for dinner. I had a wonderful meal at Sunset Grill. They will be leaving tomorrow. Their work this year was in the Toledo District of Belize which is in the southern part of the country. It was interesting to hear about other projects in the country and about how other parishes do mission trips, fundraising, etc. Also at that dinner I met a woman from Raleigh -- Apex, actually --who comes regularly to voluteer with another group. They have a warehouse in Amarillo and bring things down to Belmopan and then over to Holy Cross. We are looking forward to receiving the boxes they have for the school.

Tomorrow the dental clinic at Holy Cross will be open. The St. Luke's folks will begin their work and it will be another busy, productive and wonderful week at Holy Cross.

Aahh....Saturday

Good morning. It's a beautiful Saturday in San Pedro. I hesitate to even write that knowing what the weather must be in North Carolina. It's warm, of course, with a few clouds and the ever-present breeze. I have my windows open, the fans on and --I hate to say it -- I'm wearing shorts. I hope you all are snuggled in safely at home and can stay warm.

The first St. Luke's mission team --- Team-o Primo --- arrived yesterday afternoon. We took all the suitcases full of donations to the school straight from the water taxi. Everyone got settled in at Ruby's, and I joined them for a very nice dinner. They are up to various things today --some are going to Lamanai, the Mayan ruins; others will snorkel; and most will soak up the San Pedro sun. Some are coming by here later to take advantage of my fridge space! It's great to have them here. I know they will accomplish so much at the school this week.

Later this morning I will try out my new cell phone. It's a very interesting system here. BTL (Belize Telephone) controls EVERYTHING - phone, internet, etc. I have purchased a simple, reconditioned phone with prepaid service. I don't think anyone uses a plan here -- it's all prepaid. Yesterday was "double up" day -- you got double time for your purchase. So for $20Bze, I got $40 worth of minutes. I have no idea what one call to the US will cost, but we'll see today. I was very pleased to see when I got here that Skype would work -- a great, free way to talk to family and even see them via webcam. Come to find out, BTL seeks to block that as well, so after you use it a few times, they figure out your number and shut it down. They want to make sure they get every cent possible for communication. Grr... I'm working on a way to get around that. We'll see what happens.

Thank you all for the comments on this blog, the emails and especially the prayers. Keep them coming! The snail mail really lives up to its name here -- a letter was sent to me on Jan. 22 and I still have not received it. I think there is more at play here than just "Belize time". But, don't let that slow you down --- I love hearing from everyone. Things will eventually get here.

Showing off Holy Cross

I knew the time would fly once I finally got here to San Pedro and Holy Cross, and sure enough, it is! It's already the end of Week 1. Today I met with representatives of 2 colleges -- Defiance College in Ohio and Vancouver Island University -- who want to develop partnerships with Holy Cross. It was both fun and challenging to serve as the spokesperson for the school, telling the story of Holy Cross and answering a zillion questions. I know I could never do the job that Francis or Vernon would have, but I did my best. I think new and exciting things will come out of our discussions and the school will benefit greatly.

There were also visitors from the nearby condo development, Reef Village. They brought donations of school supplies, books and vitamins. There is a property dispute between the developer of Reef Village and Holy Cross -- more on that later -- but it's hoped the owners' meeting this weekend will be productive.

A rumor made its way back to me today -- the word is that Francis has left the school and I am the new manager!!! Oh no. No way! As much as I would love to be here forever, I am NOT an administrator, nor can I stay beyond June. We are working hard to squash that rumor!

I saw more of the children today, and it is so neat when they look up to greet -- as they do with every adult -- and then realize they know me! This evening in town, I saw one of my favorite little jewelry makers and got a big hug. I know I will see more of him.

Tomorrow is a 1/2 day at the school because it is pay day. Many of the teachers actually live on the mainland in Belize City, Orange Walk or other towns and must go home to pay their bills. No direct deposit here.

Through Francis's introductions, I have been in email communication with the Bishop of Belize. I have been asked to serve as the chaplain for Holy Cross while I'm here and possibly teach a youth confirmation class this spring. I have to have Bishop Wright's approval, so Wednesday I will go to Belize City to meet with him.

The weather is interesting and very changeable. We had a hard rain with lots of wind last night. Today we had 1 or 2 very quick showers. They do settle the dust, but they also fill up the potholes and make puddles. The temperatures are very comfortable (sorry all you folks about to have snow and ice at home), and I am loving wearing my flipflops!!!!

My apartment is full of local color -- murals of palm trees and birds and other local scenes everywhere. I am beginning to get used to it and actually find it pretty charming. However, the owner came by today to put a "for sale" sign in the window. Yikes. I hope I don't find myself needing to move any time soon.

I am looking forward to St. Luke's Team 1 arriving tomorrow. There has been a volunteer group from Virginia Beach here all this week. We have some mutual friends so it's been great to get to know them. They have worked very hard in many areas of the school.

I will leave you a couple of photos -- the entrance to my new home and tonight's moon.

Have a great weekend and stay warm and safe!

Back in Belize - Day 1

My trip from Durham to San Pedro was very smooth yesterday. All flights were on time, and my luggage made it here too. I unpacked and settled into my little apartment last night after a lovely dinner with Francis. Today I did some grocery shopping and some more settling in.

It was wonderful to be so warmly welcomed at Holy Cross today! Many familiar faces among teachers, staff and children. It was a busy day as BOTH Francis AND Vernon had much to tell me before they leave for the US tomorrow. I hope I took good notes! They are trusting me with a lot of responsibility. I will be so glad to welcome the St. Luke's team on Friday. There is a team here this week from Virginia Beach. I am enjoying meeting them.

To me, the weather is lovely -- a little cloudy, cool and breezy. The locals are chilly, but I find it terrific. It will be good weather for those who are working outside at the school next week, and it is definitely better than the 20s and 30s in NC!!!

I hope to begin taking pictures tomorrow to make this more interesting. I'm sure each day will bring new challenges and new joys. It feels very good to be here.

Stay tuned.....

All good things must come to an end...

This will be my final post. I will head back to North Carolina tomorrow. I hope the airlines will be more cooperative than they were when I came down. It will be good to be home although a part of my heart always stays here. I will enjoy -- and be thankful for -- family and friends, my own bed, reliable water, air conditioning, and as a teacher for my photocopy machine.
There has been much work at Holy Cross in the past 2 days. The framing is almost completed inside the large building that will house 7 classrooms. The entire outside of the 3 new buildings has a bright white coat of paint, and some of the older classrooms are being repainted inside. There will soon be a screen porch outside the cafeteria building, and there is a huge deck that snakes around the outside of the new classroom buildings. Almost 20 new desks have been assembled, sanded and varnished as well as 10 new bookshelves. Mr. Freddy is confident it will all be ready by September 3.
Yesterday, 2 more dumptruck loads of sand were delivered, and there is actually talk of landscaping!! The local excitement last night was that one of the dumptrucks got stuck in soft sand on the road leading to the school. There was quite a gathering of golf carts and bicycles as folks tried to figure out how to get it out. Finally, this morning a backhoe came and pulled it free.
I spent yesterday and today filling bins with teacher and student classroom supplies - pencils, crayons, notebooks, etc. Those are all ready for the teachers. I have also been sorting, moving and arranging reading books for each level. Many are still in storage, but some are on the shelves in the finished classrooms. The teachers will be excited, and I hope pleased, when they return from Belize City next week.
It has been a wonderful time here, and I feel I have been of help to the teachers and the school. There is always more to do. I have to trust God to tell me what part of it I am to do next. I am so thankful for everyone who helped make this trip possible. I'll see you very soon. Peace and love.

Monday, Monday...

Today has been a busy day at Holy Cross. A new group of volunteers from CA arrived this morning and went straight to work. They are painting, framing, sanding desks and getting so much done. Miss Rosa treated us all to a wonderful lunch of beans and rice, chicken, plantains and flan! It's good that I can only eat her wonderful cooking a couple more times.
I have been working most of the day on the teachers' "to do" list. I've done a lot of itnernet searching trying to find some good websites for them. Home internet service is extremely expensive in San Pedro so while many of the teachers have computers, most of them use the internet cafes. My job has been to weed out and narrow down the possible sites so they can use their time more efficiently. I have also made Word Wall cards, puzzles, flashcards and other teaching aids for them. I have a list of many things to look for once I get home either to send back or bring when I return in February. That's where I'll be asking for YOUR help.
Today I met Cath and Cullen, the American couple who are living here. They are the ones who have been instrumental in Destiny's care and served as her foster parents. What wonderful folks! I got more hugs from Destiny today and took her picture in her jazzy new swimsuit. It's so great to see her full of energy.
Tomorrow I will work at the school most of the day. There is a monumental job of sorting the many donated books by reading level. Another volunteer who lives in San Pedro has begun and I will help however I can. There is also vacation Bible school which gives me a chance to see the children.
Wherever I go on this island and encounter children, they ask me if I am here at the school. They are so proud of their school and so appreciative of anyone who wants to help out there. Another new child came today with his parents asking to be admitted. I think he makes 410 students. He will be in the special ed class. He's not been to school before although he looks to be 8 or 9. His parents were very happy that he was admitted but are nervous about sending him to school for the first time. He will be well cared for and loved, I know.
I'm going to try to pack as much as possible into the next 2 days before I have to pack up and head home. Email me if you want me to bring anything back. See you soon.

Rainy Sunday afternoon

This has been a lazy weekend. All the volunteers are gone until the next group arrives tomorrow from California. I have had some time to explore the island -- have seen new places both on the northern end and the southern end Ambergris. We have had a lot of rain and some pretty significant storms -- lots of thunder, lightening, WIND, and rain. This house is only about 30 yards from the ocean's edge so there is nothing to break the wind. At one point last night, the interior doors in the house were rattling because of the wind! After having the well run dry last week, I will not complain about rain. This is why this time of year is called the rainy season!
I missed being at St. Luke's this morning and look forward to being back among that family next week. I continue to thank God for the opportunity to be here and look forward to the work that's planned for me next week.
Best to all. See you soon.