Spreading Holiday Cheer in Corazon

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      As some of you who follow our mission Facebook page may know, we were blessed to have a friend who traveled to St. Louis over Thanksgiving break and returned with 3 suitcases full of supplies that were gathered for us by some friends and family.  On top of the umpteen number of craft items, there was also a large quantity of trinkets and goody bag items donated by a girl scout leader.  We decided to use this as a perfect opportunity to get our own kids involved as well as spread some Christmas cheer.  So, we used some of the funds from our generous donors and purchased some school supplies, hair accessories, "hotwheels" cars, and candy.  Between those and the items already donated, our girls were able to fill up enough bags for every student at Corazon R.C. school to receive a gift bag.
     Last Tuesday, armed with lesson plans, craft supplies and gift bags, we decided to give our girls a "work day" and hopped in a truck and headed to Corazon.   The school, located in a village about a 1-1 1/2 hour drive from PG, has 59 students with 3 teachers.  The kids are divided into Lower division (Infant 1, 2, and Standard 1), Middle Division (Standard 2, 3, 4) and Upper Division (Standard 5,6).  As soon as we arrived, the girls and I (Julie) realized that this was a far cry from our experience at the school in Punta Gorda.  Here, there is a 2 room school building.  Because there are enough students for 3 teachers, the Middle Division grades have to attend classes in a thatched shelter with no walls.  We quickly learned that even the breeze could be difficult to work with in an outdoor classroom as papers and supplies were always blowing off the desks.  Unlike at the school in PG, almost half of the students here cannot afford a school uniform and probably one out of ten students could not afford shoes.  There were definitely no snacks at break time either.
     Regardless, the students were very curious and friendly and seemed very excited to have us visiting them.  Andy and I, and our girls, divided into two classrooms and rotated accordingly.  Andy was happy to get back into the classroom, as he's been working mainly with teachers here.  He gave the kids a hands on lesson using a manger scene that emphasized the real gift of Christmas and the kids really seemed to enjoy it.  Myself, and our younger two girls started with the Lower Division and began by reading them the story of Saint Nicholas with rich images on our computer.  The children were mostly familiar with Santa Claus but I don't think he visits them so their understanding of him is a bit different.  After the story we did a craft with the kids (thanks to some of our great craft donations).  Each student made a foam sticker Christmas ornament.  Although the kids may not have any Christmas decorations at home, let alone a Christmas tree, the students were really excited when I told them that they could bring the ornaments home with them.
     This was fun but for me, the real highlight of the visit was when our girls got to hand out the gifts bags to the students.  Lillian passed out the bags for the girls and Sarah passed out the bags for the boys.  The look on their face, especially the Lower Division kids, was complete excitement.  For the first time since we've moved here, I was moved to near tears by the children.  I cannot remember the last time I've seen a child this excited--one would think by their reaction that they'd just won a trip to Disneyworld. The bags were clear and the children's faces lit up as they saw their toy "trucks", rings, and bracelets.  One by one they showed them to the teacher and compared items with each other.   I made the children promise not to open the bags until later but by the end of the day there were dozens of kids adorned in plastic rings, bracelets, and playing with jumping spiders.  Even the older students were excited to get the gift bags.  One Std. 6 student asked me what a certain item was.  As I demonstrated to her it was a bracelet by placing it on her wrist, her whole face lit up and she gasped in excitement.  The students were even excited to use their new pencils and sharpeners and Emily had a great time working with the younger students as they eagerly wanted to draw pictures their new gifts and pictures of Christmas trees (resembling more of a palm tree).
     I know that being here long term for us is more about making little steps in the hopes of making big impacts for Christ.  That often means little visible reward for us. We really do strive to work with the "hand up" not "hand out" mentality but there's just something special about Christmas and the joy of giving.  The gifts that we were blessed to share with the kids of Corazon are quite possibly the only gifts that they'll receive this Christmas and for that moment, they could not have been much happier. Our girls got an opportunity to experience what real giving is about and we got an opportunity to share the real message of Christmas with those around us.  And for that, we feel so blessed.
     For those of you who have donated craft items and supplies and for those of you who have donated financially to this mission I want to take this time to say Thank You!  Each of you has made it possible for us to share with the students at Corazon.   This has been a highlight of our time here and we feel so unbelievably blessed that you gave us this opportunity.
     We would like to wish every one a very Merry and Blessed Christmas.  May you see this season as an opportunity to reach out to those in need in your very own neighborhood or family.  You do not have to travel thousands of miles away to share the gift of yourself.  You can share the message of Christmas right now, right where you are, in whatever phase in life you are in.

Photo Blog: Sunday Wood Ground Breaking Ceremony

On Thursday, Mr. Cayetano and I visited Sunday Wood RC School.  Currently, the students are spread out among 4 buildings; the preschool and Infant 1/2 are in a large thatch while the Standard Six is borrowing a non for profit organization's wooden building.  The principal, Calistro Bo, has been very successful in securing resources for his school.  Currently there are two major construction projects here.  The first is a new preschool building behind the main concrete structure funded by Rotary International (I think).  The second is the reason for our visit today; ground breaking ceremony for a brand new 3 classroom structure funding by Social Investment Fund (SIF), the largest funder in the country for social improvement projects. This was quite a big deal with several distinguished guests, each with their own entourage.  After the ceremony, all guest were invited to the Alcalde's house (village chief) for a caldo feast with all the trimmings.  Caldo is Mayan chicken soup and today it was served with cassava, yam, and both blue and white corn tortillas.  Sorry but there are no pics of the meal.  My hands were messy since caldo is traditionally eaten without the help of utensils.  Here are my photos and additional commentary...

The students and staff went to great lengths to decorate for this monumental event.  Balloons, streamers, and this awesome archway made from palm leaves braided together.

Sunday Wood's school library.   A small building with mismatched shelves but I am always impressed with how neat  and organized it is.  Would like to see a couple of tables with chairs...

Students lined up waiting for the ceremony to begin.

This building will become the new preschool.  There is a partnership in which the community provides certain materials and/or labor while Rotary covers much of the cost.

Today, workers were building the concrete septic that will service the  preschools bathroom system.

Newly cleared plot of land that will be the location of the ceremonial first dig.

Mr. Calistro Bo, principal of Sunday Wood RC School.

Students holding the Belize flag for the singing of the National Anthem.

Students signing the National Anthem and gathering to see the presentations.  Unfortunately, the rains forced us inside shortly afterwards.

Joe Cayetano addressing his constituency.  He never misses an opportunity to put his knowledge of Kekchi language to use.

These students performed a poem and dance to show their appreciation.

Mr. Cano is the director for SIF, the organization funding the building project.

Honorable Peter Eden Martinez, Belize's Minister of Human Development and Social Transformation.  Evidently, this was one of his pet projects.  Found out later that he used to be a teacher in Toledo.

The man in the striped shirt is the site engineer.  He is being presented with an embroidered cloth.  All the dignitaries received a special gift from the village.

Joe Cayetano, Hon. Peter Martinez and Mr. Cano breaking ground.

Andy's To Do List

Can’t sleep.  I’ve been tossing around for a couple hours now.  This happens to me sometimes.  I get a lot of anxiety about one thing or another and I let it bother me to the point that my mind races and keeps me from resting.  Tonight I decided to get up and write it out.  Maybe that will help.  Why am I anxious tonight?  What am I afraid of?  It is difficult living here, but I think that we finally have a handle on the physical day to day stuff…food prep, living arrangements, housework, etc.  But now reality is beginning to creep into my soul.  Is it doubt?  Am I being effective here as a volunteer in the mission field?  The first few months of school have been a whirlwind of travel, meetings, observing teachers and discussions.  Now my American mentality begins to ask, “What have you accomplished?”  Well, I’ve met a lot of teachers and principals.  Put out a couple of surveys and facilitated a workshop on reading comprehension.  I’m sure that I could add a couple more things to the list but my American attitude says, “What have you got to show for the past 6 months?”  I can’t believe that I was simply distracted by the fast paced newness of it all not to stop and realize that I wasn’t “accomplishing” anything.  What WAS I doing?  Well, I was traveling often to village schools, meeting, talking, and observing…sharing time with others who I feel called to minister to in the first place…teachers.  These relationships were filling my purpose and satisfying my soul.  In the moment, I knew it was right.  It felt right and He was leading me places, putting words in my mouth and love in my heart.  The Lord was showing me that my trust in Him is the only way to live and work.  It’s really been only the last several weeks that I have begun to questions this.  It has not been until recently that I have tried to “evaluate” and “critique” the  past few months.  Unfortunately, I was using my American measure for accomplishment rather than my experience of Christ in the field.  Living on donated mission funds, I find it hard to relax sometimes, feeling like I should be doing something more with any “free time” I have…trying to give everyone more “bang for their buck.”  It really has been bothering me lately.  Then the anxiety creeps in.  Will I be good enough?  Will I be able to keep my promises, appointments, and trust that I have worked to build with others?  I am using my American measuring stick to quantify what I’ve done and what I hope to accomplish by the end of the school year.  God is not interested in the quantity of our life’s work but the quality of it.  Did you build relationships?  Did you love one another?  Did you witness my love to those around you?  No where does the bible ask us, “How many things did you accomplish?  Did you cross everything off your list?”  If only we could live and evaluate our lives by our relationships, instead of fooling ourselves into thinking that we will ever complete our earthly to-do list.  Even if we did, would it matter?

In Other Words...

Have you ever read something before and found it to be interesting? Then, just a matter of time later, you pick up the material again and find yourself in awe at the way the very same reading is able to tug at your heartstrings, as though it were written just for you? This is something that often happens to when I read the Bible but just yesterday, it was revealed to me that a magazine article can do the very same thing. My mom had sent me an article many months ago, back in St. Louis. It was an excerpt from a Catholic magazine and it was written by and about an American family serving as missionaries abroad. I read it, found it to be helpful, and tucked it away. Then, yesterday as I was giving my room a much needed cleaning, I stumbled upon it once again. Being of the distractable nature that I am, I stopped my cleaning and reread the article. This time, it was as though the words were being taken right from my mouth. Wow, to be IN the situation, experiencing the very same thing, these words now had a whole new meaning for me. I could write to you how it feels to be a missionary here in Belize but I've decided to include Lisa Kelly's article, A Family's Ignatian Journey: Beyond the American dream, instead. A few of the situations are different but this is basically exactly how I would like to have said it myself--this is how it feels to be a missionary. This is what it is like for myself and hundreds of other women who bravely take their families out into the world to live out God's command for our lives. If you want to know what it's like then I'd encourage you to read the article below.

Iused to be a soccer mom, minivan and all. But this morning I had to roll down the windows on my 14-year-old jeep to get all the mosquitoes out that had festered there from the night before. I used to like to grill out on nice summer nights. I haven’t grilled out for the last two years, out of respect for neighbors who have to cook rice and beans over an open fire and rarely taste meat themselves. I used to worry about a lot of pointless things. Today I realize that we won’t have water tonight to wash dishes. It is Thursday; no water on Thursdays. Our journey as an Ignatian Associate family—finding strength in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola—has led us from the first world to the developing world, only to find that we don’t really belong to either.

A New Perspective

In the fall of 2003, my husband Tom and I moved to Omaha for his new job at Creighton University as a theology professor. At that point our main goals in life were tenure, a house and achieving the American dream. While we had always been dedicated to working in the church, I cannot say we were always dedicated to working for Christ. Then, through colleagues and friends, came an invitation to explore a different perspective. It came through a relatively new community of lay couples and families who try to live the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola in their daily lives through Gospel-based service to others, especially the poor. For us the invitation came as nothing less than a gift, because the life of chasing the American dream left little more to desire than more itself. In two years of spiritual formation with a strong community of friends, we found ourselves pulled away from that dream. But into what? That remains the question.

Through chance meetings and opportunities that went far beyond mere coincidence, Tom walked in one day with the idea of applying for a position as director of Creighton’s study abroad program in the Dominican Republic. The deadline was the next day. It would require that I give up my part-time position, rent out our house and take our children (ages 2, 7 and 9) to Bolivia for three months of language school and then on to the Dominican Republic for at least two years. It would require shots and moving expenses. It would require faith that our discernment was sincere. And it would require unconditional loving relationships to sustain us through it all. To be honest, I feared and fought it every step of the way. Luckily, gracefully, I lost.

Life in the Dominican Republic

Tom’s position in the Dominican Republic was the ultimate connection between practical action and academia. Mornings he would teach the 8 to 16 Creighton University students studying at our Jesuit mission home, the Institute for Latin American Concern, in Santiago, D.R. He would tell them about the history, economy, sociology and politics of the Dominican Republic in light of Catholic Church teachings on poverty, spirituality and liberation theology. In the afternoons he would be in a four-wheel drive vehicle on roads passable only in the dry season headed to small remote villages to plan student immersions and build relationships with the campesinos. For him, it was consolation to an extreme. My experience as a full-time parent was a bit different.

Discerning my vocation as a mother first and foremost had been easy. The challenge of reconciling the American way of understanding that vocation with the practice of it in a developing country was what lay ahead. My life was filled with more questions than consolation. Do good parents drive their kids anywhere without a car seat? Here in the Dominican Republic families of five ride mini-motorcycles without helmets. Do good parents risk their children’s health and safety? Here my daughter has been hospitalized for urinary tract infections from dirty water. Here there are no parks or sidewalks, no enforced government standards of food inspection. Good parents seek the best possible education for their children. Here the public schools operate only half a day every day in crowded classrooms with no books. Was I being true to my vocation? Was I being a good parent?

Living Simply

Then came the challenges of being an American family in a developing country. How much should I be responsible for feeding all the neighborhood children? What kind of birthday gifts do I give my kids when the neighbor kids lack shoes? How do I answer my three-year-old when she tells me she wants to give away all her clothes because her friends don’t have any?

Ultimately came questions about how to be an Ignatian associate: How can I live simply in a place where refrigerated water is a luxury? How am I being apostolically available to those all around me who live in deep poverty, when I have three children of my own to care for? How am I being faithful to the Gospel when I have the freedom to enjoy the delights of the Caribbean, while my neighbors are not allowed even to enter the resorts because of the color of their skin?

After two years here I still have far more questions than answers; but perhaps more important, I have stopped fearing to face those questions. I have learned that good parenting lies in deliberate action, not just in following regulations. I have learned that having our kids understand the roots and impact of poverty is far more valuable to their lives than having them understand square roots. I have seen them face challenges, suffer and grow beyond my expectations. I have accepted the fact that I am a privileged person in this world, and that along with such privilege comes not more rights or accolades, but more obligations.

Our time in the Dominican Republic made us confront some very sobering realities. Most of the world suffers from the affluent minority’s inaction and apathy, in which many of our own friends and extended family members participate. We lack for examples and direction in living out Ignatian spirituality as a family. We yearn for a community to help us bridge the gaps between these two worlds, so we do not feel we are trying to do so alone. And if we fear anything now, it is going back to a culture that does not understand or care about those to whom we have given our hearts.

I really cannot say that I have accomplished a whole lot by living under these challenging conditions for two years. That would be an American way to assess the situation. But I can say I no longer fear the journey away from being seen as a typical American family. At the same time, by virtue of my white skin and access to opportunities, I could live in the developing world for 20 years and never fit in there. So we are left undefined, “ruined for life,” as Jesuit Volunteers like to say. Perhaps in 15 years our children will be saying to their therapists that we “ruined” them in many other ways.

But we do have one another, and as a family we can love and serve others in ways the ordained cannot. Each one of my kids made best friends with a child of a different race, culture, language and socio-economic level—friendships that will not easily be replaced. Our home became the local Y.M.C.A. for children with no yard or toys and a place of refuge for many others working at the mission, a couch to flop on, a kitchen where they could enjoy a home-cooked meal. After two years, we found that we are able to face all the differences, challenges and inconveniences because of the security we have in the love of Another and of one another. Because I do not take this journey alone, I have the strength to be sure others will not have to face their journeys alone either. And with that knowledge the journey continues, not knowing into what, but trusting that it is the journey we need to take.

Freedom?

Here's some food for thought: for those of you reading this from the comfort of your home in Somewheresville U.S., how many of you have thought about what it means to live in a free country? I mean what it really means. Sure you can vote, speak your mind, read which ever books you choose, but what about the little things? I'm talking about all of those minor freedoms which often occur on a daily basis and which all too often get taken for granted.

Established 30 years ago as an independent free nation, Belize has many of the freedoms that are common among democratic societies. However, just this week, it has become apparent to me that not all things are free--at least not in the same sense as to which we view our liberties in the U.S. Take for instance, the concept of parental authority & consent. Our 3 daughters, all in primary school, came home last Monday to report that they had been given doses of medication & vitamins by nurses. Apparently hookworms are such a problem in this area that the children, all children, are medicated biannually for them. Alongside this, the kids were administered doses of vitamin A (to which I've still yet to know fully the need). There was no parental consent, no real notification that this would occur on Monday (they mentioned something at Mass about "deworming" but my husband & I had no idea that this would include mandatory medication of our children). To make matters even more uneasy for us, the medication was administered by a nurse who, while wearing the same pair of glove, placed a pill inside the mouth of every student (it's no wonder two of our girls were ill with a fever & a cough by the end of the week). Our second grader said that one boy in her class cried about swallowing the pill and the teacher then literally put her hand into his mouth and shoved the pill down his throat. I'm still surprised by this, as I cannot imagine my children getting as much as a cough drop at their school in the states without prior consent, let alone actual medication.
About half a week prior, our 12 year old daughter came home stating "the boys got blood drawn in the morning so I think the girls are getting blood drawn in the afternoon." In utter shock, I asked if she knew what this was for to which she replied, "I have no idea but all the boys left and came back some time later saying that they had blood taken." In a country whose HIV population is recorded at about 1 in 50 (though some experts believe it may be even as high as 1 in 10), and does not likely adhere to the same sanitation practices as to which we've known in the states, I was downright nervous. I told my daughter that under no circumstances may she have anyone poke a needle into her unless one of her parents is present. Fortunately, no blood was drawn from any more students that afternoon, or in the days following. Though I still have no idea why any students were subjected to a blood draw, I've made sure several times since that our children understand "no needles unless mom or dad is present." I cannot even fathom something like this happening in the U.S. without parents being first notified yet this is something that obviously occurs in other countries that are considered to be "free".

Just thinking in terms of communication, and I can quickly see that U.S. residents have certain liberties that are not present here. Take for instance free reign over the Internet. BTL (Belize Telemedia Limited), is the main Internet/phone service provider in the country and it just so happens to be owned by the government. In an attempt to keep residents paying for phone service, applications such as Skype & Google voice have been blocked on the Internet. In other words, we cannot use all Internet functions here that we wish and our ability to video communicate with family at home is blocked by the goverment--though in the realm of the world wide web, there's always a way around it.

Even the cell service here has taken a few of it's own "liberties." The government of Belize subscribes to an "eavesdropping service." In other words, they have the ability to record any text messages, voice mail, and phone calls made within the country. Now I certainly do not have any phone calls that would be considered 'worth listening to' but it still bothers me a bit to know that I do not have a choice in the matter.

So the next time you hug your kids, make a phone call, or use the Internet from inside the U.S., be very glad that you live in a country that allows you to do so freely, with few strings attached.

Halloween in PG

     Well we've officially survived our first US holiday in PG--Halloween. Granted, it's not Christmas or Thanksgiving as far as holidays go but we've always celebrated it pretty big at home in the States. Knowing that Halloween is not nearly so widely popular in the rest of the world, we had few expectations for the day. Still, we'd decided that we would celebrate it as best as we could regardless of where we live. Much to our surprise, we learned that Belize actually does celebrate Halloween, all be it somewhat new to them. I would speculate that with so many Belizeans having family or friends relocated in the US, and with such a strong influence from up north, the holiday inevitably has made it's way down here.

The first step was figuring out costumes. We have the advantage of having warm weather and not being so limited in clothing (i.e. long sleeves, pants). However, we are very limited on resources here. There are a few costumes available (think maybe 10 or so total available for sale) and a few masks as well but that's pretty much it in the way of store bought costumes. For one son, we put together a robot costume from items available here and our 10 year old wore a "Wonder Woman" type costume that I roughly cut and hand stitched together. And for our youngest daughter, we scoured the internet until we found an idea that she liked--Cleopatra. I printed out a couple of pictures from online, purchased some fabric and ribbon, and took my idea to a seamstress in town. The best part is that for just $7.50 US she was able to sew an entire costume, with no pattern from just a few basic measurements and a picture. I don't believe any seamstress in town has ever worked from a pattern, yet for a few dollars, they can put together some amazing pieces of clothing. It just goes to show you how resourceful they can be.

Halloween is celebrated here but as mentioned before, because it is so new, it isn't to the extent or quite in the same manner as it is celebrated in the U.S. The night before, they handed out bags of candy to children in Central Park--most of the candy here consists of lollipops and other hard candy, almost no chocolate :-(. Halloween day proved to be very fun for our kids in school. Our son's preschool class all came dressed up--those that did not have a costume were able to rent one from the teacher for a small fee. Then they, nearly 40 kids, all loaded up into the back of a trailer that was decorated like a float for Halloween. Parents, myself included, loaded up into the back of the truck pulling the trailer, and we proceeded to drive around town, honking the horn, stopping at businesses and trick or treating along the way. We did this for over 2 hours (imagine 40 preschoolers gone for 2 hours and not a single child needing to use the restroom). It was so much fun, if only our son had a more 'sit down friendly' costume. Our daughters' school celebrated as well. They had a bike raffle, haunted house, special barbecue lunch, and costume contest. While not nearly as many kids dressed up as they do in the States, we were pleasantly surprised at all the children who did. Our daughter even won 'Prettiest Costume' with her Cleopatra costume.

Preschool class trick or treating at local business

Decorated trailer for trick or treating

As the evening arrived, we really didn't know what to expect since so many neighbors seemed to give us a different idea. Of course since I am a foodie at heart and I believe every celebration should be accompanied fun meal, I spent the evening preparing food--jack o lantern quesadillas, mummy cupcakes, witch finger cookies, bloody zombie punch, snake shaped calzone, and some good dips. If it weren't for the fact that our small propane tank ran out of gas just as I was starting to cook the tortillas and calzone (thus leading Andy on a frantic search to fill a propane tank after business hours), the meal prep went great. After he returned with gas, I finished cooking the meal, while he took our 4 youngest kids and the two neighbor girls out to enjoy the evening. There was even a house down the street who put together a haunted house, complete with frights and screams, for just 50 cents admission. We got some trick or treaters (though not a lot), some of whom were in costume and others who were not. Since Belize lacks the safety paranoia that is often present in the States, I was able to have homemade witch finger cookies bagged up and give them out as treats, without any troubles. The kids all really seemed to like those.

Over all, Halloween here exceeded our expectations but certainly didn't live up to the hype it is in the U.S. Still, we had fun and certainly made the best of it. Now if only they celebrated Dia de los Muertos down here like their border neighbor, Mexico does....

Over the river and through the woods and into the classroom we go...

Well, I (Andy) have been wanting to articulate some of my experience and am finally sitting down to do so. I am working very closely with Mr. Joseph Cayatano, the local manager (think superintendent of schools) as we travel to schools, observe teachers, tour facilities and attend staff meetings. There are thirty schools in the Toledo district under the care of Catholic management and our goal is to visit every school at least once per term. This translates into travelling anywhere between 2-4 hours every Tuesday and Thursday during the week. The roads are rough, unpaved, rocky and sometimes flooded. One trip to the village of San Benito Poite required us to wade through 2 flooded creeks to be sure that the truck could safely cross the swelled creeks. Although the terrain is similar what one might see in a commercial for a Ford F-350 Super Duty truck, our vehicles pale in comparison. In Joe's own words, "We have two trucks available. The first is okay, and the second, well, it will get you there." The ride on these days is rough but it helps to think of it more like a rough massage through some of the most beautiful county I have ever seen. Tall mountains, large green plants, and rushing rivers remind me that this is God's country, still very hidden and isolated from the rest of the world.

As we arrive at schools, we are welcomed by the principal and given a quick update on the news of the day, whether it be the construction of a latrine, the status of the school's feeding program, or relations with the village community. While Joe stays with the principal to review attendance logs and staff registers, I take to the classrooms. This is the part that I love, being able to observe classrooms in action. I try my best to "sneak in" without disturbing the class. It is not easy since the students are well trained to stand and provide the usual choral greeting, "good afternoon Sir". It is especially difficult to be in cognito in the younger grades as these students stare at the unique looking stranger.

Within a few minutes, the class resumes its regular pace and I get to to be a fly on the wall. I take this time to view the room, the layout of the desks, and various charts and signs that the teacher has posted around the room. No pre-made commercially available alphabet charts, safety posters or motivational signs here. Every character, rules poster, and academic sign has been painstakingly drawn and colored by the teacher and each has at least a few years of use under it's belt.   There is a very long and specific list of essential charts that the government requires to be present in each and every classroom including national symbols, alphabet in both English and Spanish, and manners protocol.

 After familiarizing myself with the physical setting, I start to observe the teacher's interaction with the students, his/her classroom management and lesson delivery. During this time, I try to record at least 2-3 good points to offer some praise and reinforcement. As a teacher, I always liked it when an observer recognized the positive aspects of my teaching. The more difficult task is to mention the not so positive aspects in a supportive manner. I have been trying to phrase my criticism in the form of open questions. "How will you redirect the student in the back who has been distracting those around him?" "What strategies have you found to be successful when it comes to getting the class's attention?" "How will you assess if the students understand the lesson's objectives?" My goal is to gently bring these issues to light and offer some reflective direction.  Oftentimes, the teacher and I have had the opportunity to discuss these observations face to face during a break time.  This has been a most interesting lesson in tactfulness and relationship building as I am expected to observe and offer suggestions, while trying to be more of a coach than a critical voice. I feel that my suggestions have been well received, which is something that I'm always worried about. I certainly do not want to offend anyone and no teacher wants someone to walk into their room and point out faults.  One of the more unfortunate realities that one teacher commented on is that young Belizean teachers find it difficult to admit the areas that need improvement.  On the other hand, there certainly is some very good and effective teaching going on here.

Typically, our staff meetings do not include a meal such as
 this.  Today, the staff was celebrating a farewell
 baby shower for their Vice Principal.

One of the things that I like to point out when we hold staff meetings is that, in my experience, most practical professional learning comes from colleagues, not from degree programs or workshops. I try to encourage these younger teachers to seek help from those veteran staff they work with.  Near the end of our stay, Joe and I spend some time with the staff (numbering anywhere from 3-12 teachers) discussing these best practices.  I am always very pleased with the dialogue that emerges from these sessions.  It has proven to me that teachers can be their own best resource and, if they are given the time to reflect and share, they can certainly learn a lot from one another.  Good teaching is the same no matter where you are. It comes down to dedicated individuals who are willing to do what they can in the best interests of their students.  I hope to share more of these experiences, but will have to wait for future posts to do so.

Independence!

September is the month of independence for Belizeans and they make no buts about it, it is a celebration worthy of month long festivities. Starting at the end of August one can find houses, cars, windows and shops adorned with the Belizean flag. I would have to say that I've never seen a display of patriotism to the extent that the Belizeans go. This year is extra special as it is the 30th year anniversary of Belize's independence. To give you an idea as to how young this country is their founding father, George Cadle Price (the equivalent to our George Washington), just passed away a few weeks ago.
The month starts off with a Carnival type parade and a queen pageant in Belize City. However, with fewer than 6000 residents, the town of Punta Gorda does surprisingly well with their own Independence celebrations. Earlier in the month the country celebrated the Battle of St. George's Caye which was a decisive battle between the British and the Spaniards over the country of Belize (the British won out). There was a presentation of the pageant queen along with a fireman's parade followed by a demonstration from the Belize Defense Force (BDF) This was followed by a party in Central Park, complete with music, dancing, and a dj. That was just the beginning.
As the month ensued so did the celebrations. The government organizes what they call the Children's Rally. The idea is to give the children their own opportunity to celebrate their country and to display their patriotism. Many classes head to the local civic center during school hours to participate. Representatives from all of the schools in the surrounding Punta Gorda area then gathered together and paraded around the streets, waving flags, beating drums and carrying school banners. Preschools, such as our son's, had government appointed buses that were decorated and participated in the parade as well--shouting "hip hip hooray" along the route. As the parade wrapped up and the kids headed home (who can have school after that right?) the government paid for to each child to be sent home with a treat or goody bag of treats and a juice bottle. We went on the bus with our son's preschool, our two oldest daughters walked with their school and our youngest daughter watched the parade from her classroom as it went by. It was really a great experience to see so many children all supporting their country in such a public way.
On September 21, Belizeans celebrate their independence--the day when they were officially no longer a British colony. The celebrations here tend to be more communal than familial and they begin on Sep. 20 (Independence Eve). The majority of festivities took place at Central Park and included a bounce house (yay for my kids), beer, food, political speakers, music and dj. There was also some amazing authentic garifuna music that was performed by a group from one of Toledo district's only garifuna villages, Barranco (see youtube link for some video footage). They make heavy use of drums, rattles, and tortoise shells as instruments. At 11:45 p.m. the BDF marched into Central Park and did a 21 gun salute. After that was the countdown to midnight. As the clock struck midnight fireworks were set off at the pier a few blocks away. We were extremely impressed as they were as good as any suburban US city's fireworks. The festivities went until 2 a.m. but that was just too late for this young family, we left by 12:30 a.m.
The next morning, Independence Day, began with a large rally and another 21 gun salute (the BDF sure like their guns). This was followed up with a large parade that had representatives from nearly every school and organization in the area. Andy was very happy to see a troop of Boy Scouts marching in the parade all decked out in uniform. As the parade wrapped up, there was more music, food, and festivities in the park but because of the long night and hot weather, we just didn't last too long. Later that afternoon was a bike race in which participants had to bike around the town's main streets 12 times. Some of the participants came decked in proper biking gear and multiple speed bikes while others wore street clothes and flip flops and rode their basic 1 speed bikes. We didn't get to see who finished but I believe there was a $250 prize for first place.
The month has wrapped up with a memorial service for George Cadle Price, the founding father, first prime minister and leader of People's United Party. The kids were off school and there was a special mass and procession to Central Park for an ecumenical service. Simultaneously, there was a funeral mass in Belmopan (the capital city) followed by a burial in Belize City. We do not have a TV signal nor do we get a good radio signal but riding around town, it was very apparent how well Mr. Price was loved and revered. Nearly every house in town had either a tv or a radio tuned to the solemn, all day service.

Celebrating Belize's independence has been a real treat for us. Not only was it a great time but it was wonderful to see so many people come together for a common purpose.

It's Out of My Control

When we moved here I decided to start a personal journal, a new concept for me. Granted, I haven't exactly made regular journal entries but when I do, I often find it to be an uplifting experience. One of the main reasons is that when I get back to the States, I don't want to reread a journal full of complaints, and negativity. Therefore, I tend to work to steer my writings into a more positive direction. And when I do, I find that often God opens me up to a particular lesson or awareness that I might not have otherwise realized (I'd encourage you give it a try as well). Today's journal entry was a good realization for me and so I thought I'd share the gist of it with you.

As I was in the middle of writing today, we were stricken with another power outage. Only this time, upon investigation, we realized that it was not a blackout but rather, the electric co. had shut off the power to our apartment. Apparently, the landlord had gotten the bill and failed to share it with us, resulting in a non-payment and subsequent shut off (just 10 days after the bill was due mind you). We immediately paid the bill but were told that it'd be all day before power would be restored.

The irony of this is that I was in the middle of journaling about how living here has been a real lesson in patience. Things break, all the time. Things get fixed, very slowly or not at all. Appointments get scheduled, circumstances sometimes result in reschedules. Grocery lists get made, items are regularly missing from the store shelves. It's easy to view these all as bad things but living here has taught me that with the bad, comes a lot of good as well. "Belizean time," as we like to call it, forces me to spend a lot less time being angry and feeling stressed--it just is no way to live. It really does force a person to slow down and not be in such a hurry all the time. The result, I believe, is a lot let stress in our lives. In spite of the struggles that many Belizeans face (whether they know it or not) I tend to see them as living far less stressful lives than their American counterparts.

So as I began to ponder this--wonder why I don't live this way in the States--and reflect on how changes can be made in my personal life as I return to the U.S.. I feel like I finally can begin to understand it now. So much of one's life is out of our hands and living here makes that incredibly obvious. The problem is that in the States, with our modern conveniences, our 8 hr workdays, and our ability to fill up our free time with errands, activities, and subsequent obligations, we inherently come to feel that we are in control of our lives. And the more we try to control, the more stressed we feel. Now hear this: God is in control, not us. In Jeremiah 29:11 He makes that very clear. 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' If I just stop, step back, and choose to stop feeling the burden of everything I'm involved in then I'm giving it up to God--the one who is and should be in control and the one who wants nothing but the best for us. Choosing to put it out of my control at all times is what I've done here out of necessity but only now have I come to learn that actually it's a necessity everywhere in the world not just here. We must stop wrestling with our Savior to be in charge--we'll never win that battle anyway. I'd encourage you to try it yourself as well, in all aspects of your life. I'm sure that once you do, you too will feel liberated by the freedom that ensues. God can handle it all and if we'd just let Him do His job of loving and caring for us, then He'll remove the stress and fill us with the peace that can only come from Him. Now, I feel so good to be able to say "it's out of my control." It makes life feel like what it's actually supposed to be, and that is good.

Texas Hold 'Em Fundraiser

This fundraiser is being organized by some close friends and supporters.  Sounds like a fun event!  Please help by sharing this link with your friends.  RSVP is on the bottom of the flyer.

Tropical Rain

   When you live in the tropics you experience tropical weather, plain and simple.  We live in the tropics.  Where we live gets 160+ inches of rain each year.  That's a lot of rain.  Bear in mind that the majority of that rain falls during the rainy season (June-Nov.) and about 90% of which falls at night.
   Seeing that we've lived here now for over 2 months, we'd arguably say that we've seen our fair share of rain.
   The one comment that we most often hear from people around here is "are you tolerating those awful storms?" Andy and I never fully understood. We liked the rain, we welcomed it.  Every time it rains the air gets cooled down and the heat becomes that much more bearable.  If it had been up to us, we'd want it to rain every night.  (Though really it pretty much does.)
   Well last night, we finally understood what they've all been talking about.  Three nights in a row now we've had big storms.  The 2nd night included a power outage that had all 5 of the kids awake and unsettled.  When we lose power in this town at night it gets black and we're talking pitch-black-unable-to-see-your-hand-in-front-of-your-face-black.  When it gets that dark it's hard to move around let alone work to calm the fears of 5 frightened children.  Needless to say it was a long night that night.
   Thanks to our daughters' homemade rain gauge, we've been able to keep track of the rain here.  Over the past 3 nights we've received over 9" of rain.  Last night, we got 5" of rain--4 of which fell in about 45 minutes time.  We live on the 2nd floor but no one, and I mean no one can do much to prevent 4" of rain in 45 minutes from wreaking havoc.  Fortunately for us this was another night in which we found ourselves with a frightened child standing over our bed.  As I escorted her back to her bed that's when I realized what the rain had done. It had come up under our front door and flooded half of our living room, hallway, master bedroom and bathroom.  So at 1:30 a.m. we did what we had to do.  We cleaned up the water.  Within 30 minutes we had the water swept up enough to where we felt like we could go to bed.  Our neighbors, Peter's family, didn't fare so well.  They live on the ground floor and had probably 4 times as much water in their house as we had.  It was disheartening to watch them sweep out so much water from their house in the middle of the night.  Yet I would consider their house to be one of the more sturdy structures around.  Many houses here have openings in their walls as well as where the walls meet the roof--a lot of places for rain to come in.  I imagine that there were a lot of people up last night trying to dry out their houses.  I also imagine that a few slept through the storm and awoke to even more water to clean up this morning.  This whole town will be moving a bit slower today.  Nearly everyone will be that much more tired.
   After 2 1/2 months of living here we finally seem to get it.  Rain can certainly be a good thing but it can also create a lot of burden.  It can literally drain you of your energy and leave you feeling depleted.  As we continue to pick up the pieces of last night's storm, we certainly won't take the rain for granted.  Not any time soon anyway.

Jaguar Preserve

Even though we are here on missionary work and this blog is mostly related to that, I thought it worthy to take a moment to discuss some of our experiences outside of our missionary efforts. These past two months we've been so focused on getting settled and focusing ourselves on service opportunities that it's been all too easy to forget that there is a whole other world outside of Punta Gorda and it's surrounding villages. So we decided to take a much needed excursion before school starts to view some of that world. While we for the most part, subsist on the donations of our supporters, we also have personal funds for just such getaways and this experience was well worth it.

Our family decided to take a two day overnight getaway to Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (aka. Jaguar Preserve). Cockscomb is about 1 1/2 hrs north of PG and it is a jungle basin surrounded by the Maya Mountains. The area is a true rain forest, and thus it is not without it's fair share of beauty. The nature preserve is only about 6 miles off the highway but feels worlds away from civilization. Upon our arrival we were greeted by Gregorio Chun, who owns and operates Tutzil Nah Cottages and Tours. He was an original inhabitant of Quam Bank village, the village forced to relocate once the area was declared a preserve in 1985. 5 Of those families, including the Chun's, relocated 6 miles away under the new name, Maya Center. We stayed on Gregorio's property in simple but clean, and cheap, accommodations. Our original intentions were to spend one day at the nature preserve and one day at a nearby beach but after just a few hours, the decision was unanimous--we skipped the beach and opted for 2 days in the jungle. Because the road into the preserve is unpaved we decided to pay Gregorio to give us a ride there both days. He does do guided tours, which I'm sure are well worth it, but the wealth of info that he shared with us on the ride in was even priceless.

The second day of our visit was definitely the more relaxing day. We rented some inner tubes and took a float down the river. We were able to really observe the rain forest from the river--not only a peaceful experience but also an excellent way to view some of the unique birds there. Our first day was the most active of the two yet uniquely spiritual. We hiked to an amazing waterfall (one of two in the park) and then up to a bluff with gorgeous panoramic views of the Cockscomb Basin and surrounding mountains. The waterfall was cool, clear and shallow and everyone loved the refreshing swim. All the while we kept stopping to think, here we are in a place as beautiful as can be, in a place like what we read about in school! To stop, and soak it all in is nothing short of overwhelming--every flower, every butterfly, every beautiful bird. These are the infinite details that remind us of God's beautiful creation, that of which we are all a part. How amazing it is the way He puts it all together to create such a beautiful world.

Then, to make it up to the top of the bluff, to see the view--that is where both Andy and I can really see God's work. To hike up a mountainside, with a toddler on Andy's back, and myself carrying a 3 year old about half the time stretched us to the limit, physically. But to suddenly get to the point where we find ourselves peering over the trees, into a space of openness--it literally takes my breath away. How could I ever doubt the amazing abilities of God when I get this opportunity to look at his magnificent creation--stretching for miles upon miles? "I will lift up my eyes unto the hills from whence comes my help." (Ps. 121:1) "Great is Yahweh and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, the mountain of His holiness." (Ps. 8:1)"In [His] hands are the depths of the earth; and the height of the hills are His." (Ps. 95:4)

While Belize does have it's fair share of problems--poverty, poor infrastructure, etc--it is one of the most beautiful countries in the Western Hemisphere, if not the entire world. To immerse ourselves in that beauty for a couple of days has proven to be very spiritual & therapeutic for our family. I would gladly recommend a visit to this country to anyone who asks and I'm so thankful that God called us to be here.

Village Church Dedication

(This post is from an experience on day two but we are just now getting around to posting it along with the photos. We hope you find it to be informative nonetheless.)
 Shortly after our arrival in Punta Gorda, the pastor, Fr. Perl, invited us to a church dedication in the village of Delores.  Delores is one of the most remote villages in all of Belize and just a couple of miles from the Guatemalan border.  They had just built a new church and were having a dedication ceremony.  Fr. Perl suggested that it was a unique opportunity and worth the trip.  So in spite of just having traveled 12 hours to reach our final destination in PG, Belize,  myself (Julie) and our 11 year old anxiously awaited our pick up at 7 a.m. the next day.
  While Delores is only about 45 miles away, it takes over 2 hours to get there via bumpy dirt and gravel roads.  Being so new to the country, that didn't bother my daughter and I as there were many interesting sites to take in along the way.
   We passed several villages with houses made of wood and thatched roofs.  To see bare breasted women was not uncommon nor was it unusual to see women and and children bathing in the river.  Chickens and pigs ran loose and we could even see farmers working in their fields (without the advantage of machinery).  The last few villages we passed had solar panels hooked up to their homes (enough to power abut 2 light bulbs) as their only means of electricity.  The village of Delores, however,  has fresh water but no electricity.
   Finally we arrived at Delores.  There is a town center where the church is located and about 300 villagers were waiting.  People had come from neighboring villages (some had literally walked 4 hours to get there) to participate in the celebration.
   The first thing we noticed were the people.  Delores is a Kekchi Mayan village.  Southern Belize is made up of mostly Kekchi Maya but also Mopan Maya.  The Kekchi women have a distinctive plaid skirt and a solid color blouse.  Most noticeable of the Mayan women are that they carry their babies (up to 2 or 3 years old) in a hammock style sling that they wear hanging from their heads (see pics).  Women are usually under 5 feet and by speaking with some of the children, we learned that they tend to run about 6 inches shorter than a typical child in the US.
   Then the festivities began.  They starting things off with a traditional Mayan dance called the Deer Dance.  Only men participated and they wore masks, elaborate capes, and several layers of clothing.  It was great to watch but looked to be very hot (see pics).
   After the dance came the procession.  Villagers, along with the priest, processed into the plaza carrying a crucifix, burning incense, and carrying a statue of St. Peter, all while members sang hymns in their Kekchi language (see pics).  They processed around the church several times, sprinkling holy water on the building and setting off fireworks intermittently.  After the procession was mass but because so many were gathered, mass was held outside.  About half of the service was in English and the other half was in Kekchi (including the Bible readings).
   After mass it was time to eat.  The village had killed 5 pigs 2 days earlier to prepare for the celebration.  The meal consisted of a traditional Mayan dish called caldo (literal translation is "soup") and pach.  Caldo is a spicy broth with large pieces of meat in it (usually one per bowl)--in this case, pork.  Pach is similar to the masa in a tamale minus the filling but a bit more firm and cooked inside a banana leaf.  Both are meant to be eaten with your hands.  Both dishes had been cooked in a communal kitchen over an open fire (see pics).  Being the adventurous eaters that we are, both my daughter and I really enjoyed ourselves.  Clean up was at the town's only clean water source--a spigot near the central plaza--though my daughter and I did notice some villagers drinking the murky water from the creek.
   For it being one of our first experiences in Belize, this was a true delight and a blessing.  Fr. Perl told us that this was probably one of the biggest celebrations he had been to in his 15 years in Belize.


   

Peter, the Quiet One

About 12 hours after our arrival here last month we had the privilege of meeting Peter. This quiet, very shy, boy of 14 years approached us and asked us if we wanted to buy "bread buns" from his mother who was selling them out of her house across the street from us. We purchased a half dozen warm delicious buns and thus began our relationship. Peter rarely says more than a few sentences and his shyness can easily be seen in his eyes, as he holds his gaze down often. Peter lives with his mom, step dad, and 4 siblings, one of whom is severely handicapped (2 other siblings have grown and are out of the house). Being 14, Peter is finished with his education (many children do not finish beyond 8th grade). Yet, he is unable to read or write. Peter certainly is not a "normal" child, as you would have it. His step dad explains, "Peter is just a dummy." When he would attend school, he would hide in the bushes, run home for lunch and then return only to hide in the bushes once more. When you live in a country with no special education, this is what happens--your future becomes even more bleak. But, his parents say that he is gifted in the kitchen and perhaps, this will help to pave a future for him.

As we currently have 4 house guests--staff members of a group called Catholic Missions Trip--the house has been a bit more lively than usual. Peter stopped by today, selling bread pudding, a bit curious of all the activity. As he returned with the bread pudding that we purchased Andy invited him into the kitchen to help with dinner. Andy showed Peter how to squeeze limes with a juicer to make limeade. He also showed Peter how to make spaghetti, of which Peter says that he has had only once before. Since he helped with the dinner preparations, we invited Peter to stay for dinner and he quietly agreed. Just as we were setting the table, Peter shot off and said he had to finish selling bread pudding for his mother and would be back at 7. A few minutes after we all sat down to eat Peter showed up again, peering his head around the corner of the top steps. We asked, no insisted, that he sit to eat with us. He timidly sat next to me (Julie) at the long table and we began to serve him up--garlic bread, sauteed vegetables, and spaghetti. He asked for a large serving of spaghetti, something I found to be very normal for a 14 year old boy. Then he began to eat. When I watched Peter eat, it was almost a bit awkward--he would have a bite here a bite there but nothing you would expect from a hungry teenager. (It was also very apparent that he had no familiarity with how to eat spaghetti). All the while, Peter sat quietly as the rest of us had a discussion about some of our favorite foods from the States. Then it was time to serve up dessert, Peter's mom's bread pudding with some caramel sauce we'd made. Peter wanted dessert on his plate but it was strange, he still had most of his food still on his plate (except the seconds of garlic bread which he'd already eaten). Something tells me that in all his silence, Peter was very happy there, he was enjoying this moment. Still, I couldn't quite figure out why he wasn't eating very much, and so slowly. As the meal ended many of us jumped up to clear our plates and the table. And then I watched Peter--he was taking the leftovers from his plate and putting them into a bowl which he'd used to bring over the bread pudding in. And then I realized what he was doing, Peter was taking his food home to his family.

Not acknowledging that of course, it was confirmed when I asked him if he wanted me to put more food in his bowl and he quietly said 'yes.' We gave him all that was left of the vegetables and spaghetti and went into the kitchen to give him more leftover pasta from our refrigerator. Fortunately, Peter left with a large bowl of food, to which he was very gracious.

Our hearts ache for all the Peters of the world--the gentle spirit, quiet personality, and generous and sharing heart. If only we could feed them every night. Thank you Peter for enriching our lives today.

just added: Peter graciously agreed to let me photograph him from our veranda.  That is his house in the background (the chalkboard lists what things his mom is selling that day).

Sarah's Report after visiting a Mayan Funeral

Sarah and Andy accompanied Fr. Perl into the village of San Pedro Columbia while he conducted a funeral Mass.  It is rare for the priest to travel to the villages for this, but the funeral was for the mother-in-law of a church catechist.  Catechists are lay ministers trained by the church to lead prayer services and perform other church functions in the villages.  Sarah will tell you about this and more in her first internet news debut.  Enjoy!

Our House is a very very very fine house...

...with two cats in the yard (and some dogs, and a couple of lizards, and some roosters, bats, and some giant cockroaches.
  So now that we're a little bit settled I wanted to tell you a bit around our home.  We basically live in a two family flat on the second floor.  We've learned quickly that this is a good thing as we tend to catch quite a bit more breeze up here (that and the 1st floor seems to smell very musty because of the rain).  Space wise, it's not bad as we have about as much space as we did at our house back in the States (less the basement).
   We've got a living room, kitchen, eat in area, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a veranda.  The veranda has quickly become the choice spot for playing, drying clothes, and sitting.  We hope to get a hammock soon as the choices for seating appear to be limited to resin chair or hammock.
   The house came furnished but we would definitely consider it to be sparsely furnished as you can see from the pictures (the bookshelf in the living room photo was made by Andy from some reclaimed wood and the blue tubs are luggage we brought with us).  Still, as I'd mentioned before, our apartment is obviously one of the nicer homes around.
   One of the things we are quickly learning about living in a 3rd world country, with limited resources, is that things often don't work (or work regularly).  Blackouts are common (in which we lose both electricity and water) as are what we like to call "water outs" in which we lose just water.  Between that and the regularly non-functioning bathrooms (neither has worked fully since we've lived here), we've quickly developed the family motto, "don't let it brew if you don't have to"--you never know when the toilet will stop working.
   It's not about the lack of effort to maintain things, it's really just the inability to do so as the caretaker (who also works another job) has been working many hours to try to keep our house up.  Our plumbing has broken pieces which have been hard to come by along with the fact that it lacks proper ventilation for it to really work  well.  In fact, many things around here seem to be jerry rigged--as can be noticed in the random holes in the walls, and the wires that poke in and out of the house with no apparent rhyme or reason.  Our master bedroom has a wire that goes from the top corner of our room, across our wall, and out our bedroom window to who knows where.
   Another thing you might notice in the photos of our house are the bars on the windows.  While the town feels relatively safe, theft and burglary seem to be an issue here.  Nearly every house has bars on their windows.  We try to be positive and look at it as a way of preventing small kids from falling out the window.  Plus, several of our windows have missing or broken screens so we like to think that it also keeps some birds and bats out.  Our entire yard has a fence and gate around it as well for added security.
   In spite of the nuances, we are working to make our house a home.  The country here is absolutely beautiful--the birds are beautiful, coconut trees and mango trees abound, we live just minutes from the rain forest, blocks from the ocean, and can see the Maya Mountains from our kitchen window.  It really is a blessing to be here.
Here is our mailing address should you wish to contact us:
The Kuhnert Family
St. Peter Claver Church
P.O. Box 25
Punta Gorda, Belize
Central America

We made it!

Well, after a tremendous amount of work, we have landed in Belize and hope to stay here for the next 12 months. Speaking of which, we are STILL, yes still, looking for a renter for our house in the states. We lowered the rent quite a bit so if you know of any (responsible) people looking to rent in south St. Louis county, please let us know.
Our flight from STL to Belize city via Atlanta went smoothly--almost. The desk attendent at STL originally refused to issue us boarding passes as we did not have a return flight. (technically a rule to enter Belize). She was very adament that we not get on the plane. Fortunately, a much nicer employee came over and overrode that decision. Needless to say, that had us a bit nervous about how immigration would be once we arrived in Belize. Fortunately, upon arrival, bags were searched and passports were stamped and we were on our way.
We were greeted by our priest friend, Fr. Perl and hit the rode. We had a lovely detour at Blue Hole National Park which is situated in the middle of the Maya mountains among a beautiful rainforest (probably the most beautiful area I've ever seen). The kids noticed the leaf cutter ants right away and were pretty mesmerized by that. We grabbed lunch and a quick swim before hitting the road again.
We finally arrived into Punta Gorda (PG) at about 6:30 p.m. where we immediately went to our new "home" that we are renting for the next 12 months. Let's just say, it was a bit of a shell shock for us. Pluses--4 bedrooms, 2 baths, beautiful veranda, 3 blocks from the ocean (no beach though), beautiful wood doors. Minuses--bats live in the attic that is open to the main bathroom, water is a trickle, electricity does not always seem to work, hot water randomly works, yard is litered with trash including broken glass throughout, multiple holes in the walls, neighborhood roosters crow starting at 3 and stop around 5 or 6. Really, those are just the top of the list. Andy and I would have to say that we've stayed in tents that are nicer than this. What's most amazing is that we get all this for about $300 more per month than our house in the states. But still, it is very apparent that our house is one of the nicer ones in town so we certainly cannot complain.
We still very much feel like a fish out of water here but slowly but surely we are getting our bearings. Hopefully within the next week we will have internet at home (I'm currently typing at an internet cafe in town) and will get all of our utilities and money situation worked out. It has also quickly become apparent to us that we must have a bike and hope to be able to purchase one soon from the donations that we have received thus far. Please still keep us in your prayers as we adjust to this very different lifestyle and work to put together our house.

Thanks,
Julie & Andy Kuhnert and kids

Time to Purge

So many details are coming together for us as we have just 4, yes I said 4, weeks left here in the States. We've got our airline tickets booked for a departure date of 6/28. Due to some incredibly generous donors (whom we've never even met), our tickets have been paid for. It is truly amazing what some people are willing to do for a cause that they feel is worthy and we are so grateful for that.

Lately we've pretty much been working around the clock getting our house ready for new renters to move in. The family who was originally going to be renting the home had to back out a couple of weeks ago due to unexpected circumstances. Once we got past the initial let down of finding that out (think slight freak out mode), we really stepped it into high gear and started packing, pitching, painting, and cleaning. Needless to say, it has actually been good for us. As we sit here praying and hoping for God to plop some new renters in our lap, our house is now the cleanest and least cluttered it has ever been in the 11 years we've lived here.

The thing that we find to be most amazing amidst all this "chaos" is the sheer amount of stuff that one family can accumulate in just over a decade. Every box and piece of furniture that leaves our house gets cataloged with a number. Four truckloads later, we have already cataloged into the 50's. What's worse is that we feel like we've barely made a dent in all of our "stuff". Worse yet, we actually began purging our house of stuff last summer via Craigslist and Goodwill and have cleared out countless truck loads of stuff that way. Yet who knew that ridding oneself of "stuff" could bring about such an attitude of relief and gratitude? I find myself actually being grateful for this opportunity to purge. In fact, I think it's probably something everyone should commit to doing at least once every 5-10 years. All of that stuff, even the stuff that we were using (especially the kid's toys) before we purged really just gets in the way. In a family with 5 children it takes a great deal of time organizing and picking up all that stuff. So much in fact, we find myself with less time to do the other things that we should be doing--playing with my kids, maintaining relationships with friends or having some down time for prayer or relaxation. Really it's the "stuff" in our life that often keeps us from allowing ourselves to be full. There are so many things that weigh us down in our lives and our possessions should never be one of them. It's taking a move across the globe for the Kuhnert's to finally realize this. Open yourself up to becoming more full and if it's "stuff" that's in the way, now is the time to purge.