Mission Teams from All Saints have been visiting Belize for a few years, I was fortunate enough to join the team last year (2008) and going again in 2009! I wanted to post a recap of my experience in 2008, since I had such an amazing time.
There aren't even words to describe the experience. I also have a ton of photos, but even the pics won't do the entire experience justice.The group that went on the 2008 trip had some fabulous people, when you spend 10 days with 20 people, you become as close as family. Each of us brought something unique to the group and we all feel connected by the experiences we shared. We had so many fun, touching, scary, hilarious, sad and heartfelt moments that I couldn't even begin to share them all.
The picture here is of me with a group of school children that I worked with during our trip. They are adorable!!!
After spending these days in the rainforest, it was quite an adjustment getting back to our normal everyday lives, I have never been more grateful for paved roads, my own car, a hot shower, electricity, drinking water, shoes – things we take for granted here, but are not available to everyone in this world. So many miraculous things happened while we were there, but I still think the two biggest miracles for me were that I survived 10 days WITHOUT my Blackberry ( I turned it off and left it at home!) and that I was able to fit everything I needed into ONE carry-on suitcase!!!
The people we met along the way were some of the most gracious, giving and compassionate people. The sisters at the convent, Fr. Dick Perl (missionary priest from MO who oversees the parishes there) and Peace Corp workers who have devoted their lives to being missionaries were incredible. They have truly given up so much personally to make a difference in Belize.
The children we met, worked with, played with and taught were best described by someone in our group as being able to witness God here on earth. They are so full of life, love and joy, despite conditions most of us would see as unacceptable. Children are children, no matter where in the world and they are so un-jaded and innocent and can see past language barriers and cultural differences.
They loved to learn new games, songs and hear all about the US. They laughed when I told them my dog's name was Griffey…a name they have never heard before…and then they asked me the names of my cat and pig!! Most everyone there has multiple farm animals, so they just assumed I too had a pet pig.
Some of our best moments were playing Duck Duck Goose, Pin the Tail on the Donkey and blowing bubbles with the Mayan children of the village – all new experiences to these children. They had so much joy in receiving a tennis ball and Frisbee, and asked over and over to play with the circle (what they were calling the Frisbee).
They loved the females that had blonde hair or curly hair – something they are unfamiliar with…at any given time, I had little hands running their fingers through my hair and playing with my curls (and believe me, I had some pretty wild curls with the rain and humidity in the rainforest).
Speaking of the rainforest, it was absolutely beautiful…unlike anything I have ever seen….so green and tropical, rivers, creeks, streams, waterfalls, hills, pineapples, bananas, coconuts, citrus, animals, birds, insects. There is one main road that leads through the rainforest into the villages, it is unpaved consisting of rock and gravel and MUD, LOTS OF MUD. Many days it took us two hours to reach the villages, and then a two hour drive back to where we were staying. Some of our scary moments were driving on the road – we had some close calls.
The weather was great…sunny and hot, very hot….80-90 degrees plus the humidity. Rainy season in Belize was just ending, so we did have a rainshower everyday for about 45 minutes…They receive about 160 inches of rain each year. English is the native language, but in the villages people also speak Keckchi. Usually the children are fluent in English by age 7 or 8, and most men in the village are fluent in English.
It is definitely not an equal rights community, the men are the most educated and go onto highschool and some even college. Women are only able to attend if their families can afford to send them. It costs about $450 Belizean dollars for higher education (that is $225 US dollars)…unbelievable, isn't it?
Most of the teachers in the schools are men, otherwise the men farm and make about $10 a day. Women cook, clean, laundry, care for the children, work on the farms and do some sort of craft work. There is no running water or electricity. They bathe, wash clothes and dishes and drink from nearby creeks, rivers and streams. It is very common to see the men walking around carrying their machetes…used to cut through the brush of the rainforest and with farming.
Some of us had the most unique experience of being able to visit the homes of some of the villagers. They live in very small houses with mud floors and thatched roofs. They do not have furniture, but sleep in hammocks. Most homes have just one room, with a shelf of cooking utensils and pots and an open fire in the middle where meals are prepared. Corn cobs are burned for the fire. When we had lunch at the homes, we sat in hammocks, and ate things like fresh tortillas with black beans and soup.
While having lunch in the homes, it is not uncommon for several dogs, cats, chickens, baby chics, partridges, turkeys or even pigs to walk in and out of the homes. Can you imagine having dinner with chickens and pigs at your feet?
In addition to teaching the children, part of our group spent the week working on constructing a church, and they got so much accomplished in a week. The day I spent on the construction site was so impressive. The people of the village come to help, they take much pride and a sense of ownership in their village, and to work side by side with them was the best way to truly experience their culture and get to know them. They understand that we, from the US, have much more resources than they have, but yet they openly welcomed us.
We often hear how so many other countries have ill feelings towards the US, but that is not true of the Belizeans we met, they always referred to us as their "friends from the States".
The supplies we brought and the many donations we received were incredible…we used just about everything we received and it was such a blessing to many of the villagers when we distributed the items.
Often throughout the trip, we were reminded of the scripture: Matthew 25: "Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me." This is an incedible way to serve Jesus, by serving his people...an dnot just his people here, but his people in Belize also.
God bless, Jaime
