Has It Really Been 10 Years?

 This time 10 years ago all 7 of us were well established, living in Belize.  The 3 girls were enrolled in school.  Our first son, at 4, was living his best life enjoying preschool, while both boys enjoyed exploring & playing carefree with their Mayan friends in our neighborhood.  Andy had wrapped up teacher trainings on literacy & math, before diving into individual teacher evaluations throughout the district.  By this point, I was working alongside Andy to bring arts into the classroom while he engaged with the teachers.  

    Now, 10 years later, a lot has changed.  Punta Gorda, Belize has changed so much, the best of which is grocery stores that have doubled & tripled in size (think now, the size of an Aldi vs previously, the size of 7-11).  Smart phones are in every area, vehicles have doubled in numbers, the highway to Guatemala has been built (only on the Belize side, it ends at the border with a dirt road).  Best of all, Camp Creative has enjoyed serving children with the arts for 10 years--taking only a break in 2020 for Covid.  It has grown to be the largest, and truly one of the best camp programs in the entire country.  It is also one of the only successful volunteer programs that works with BOTH American volunteers & Belizean volunteers.  It is a true team effort, and unique among volunteer programs for this model.  

    This year, feeling the need to reconnect with the community & culture again on a deeper level, we plan to return as a family for an extended visit this summer.  We also feel this is a good way to keep in touch with the true needs of the community's children, even on an artistic level.  Additionally, our sons remember very little of the area & as they are now in middle school and soon, high school, they need to know more about a place that has become such an important part of our family's lives.  

    A plan to return for a 10 year anniversary trip has been in the works for a couple of years, but there is still SOOOO much planning to be done--especially since flights have doubled in the last couple of months (thanks Russia)!  Part of the plan is also to stay significantly longer, so we have found 2 furnished 1 bdrm apartments so squeeze our family into, as well as a long term vehicle rental.  All of this while still planning for the actual camp, and handling the details of our American volunteers' travel.  

    Now comes the best part: with an extended visit & a lot of us travelling, comes the opportunity to host a second Camp Creative!  This has been a long time dream of mine & it finally gets to come to fruition.  We've always been able to reach out to the nearly 2000 children living in the town of Punta Gorda.  What we haven't been able to do, until now, is reach out to some of the nearly 14,000 children living in the villages surrounding Punta Gorda.  These communities are generally indigenous, and significantly more isolated.  Service groups do often come out & visit schools in a village, but there are dozens of villages in the district, so they are vastly underserved.  Our second camp will be just 2 weeks after the first camp (with a little R&R squeezed in between). 

We could not be more excited to share these upcoming experiences with you.  The projects are (mostly) planned, a 'wish list' is coming together, and details are fitting together nicely.  You can still support our efforts by checking out the list of needed items.  Most importantly, we ask for your prayers as we continue to prepare for such a long visit & a double camp.  It will be busy, exhausting, probably a little frustrating, but most of all fun!  I feel so lucky that God has chosen us for this mission.  

Our planned camp dates are June 26-July 1 in Punta Gorda & July 11-15 in Big Falls village (about 30 minutes outside of town).  If you'd like to see how things are running day to day at camp, I'd encourage you to look at our facebook page, Kuhnert Family Mission to Belize.  It is a public page & can be viewed by facebook users & non-facebook users alike.  We try to add new pictures of camp each day as it's running.  

Thanks as always, for so much positive support, it means so much to us, but also to the children & teachers in Belize that benefit so much from it.  

A Return to Normalcy

     2020 was rough, in so many ways, especially for children.  Kids in Belize were no exception as they endured school at home, via packet system.  By late spring of 2021, children were finally allowed to return to school, in person semi regularly.  Kids are starved for creative outlets right now & we are so excited to be returning with Camp Creative! 

    Camp will look very different this year, with new covid protocols in place.  There we be more classrooms, and constant cleaning/disinfecting.  We hope to drum up more teacher volunteers, and groups will be much smaller.  Our prayer is that we won't have to turn away any children that wish to join us for camp.  In spite of restrictions & accommodations, I think this will still be a fantastic year of camp.  

    For now, you can find me behind a computer--figuring out project plans, ordering supplies, planning trip details, and prepping supplies.  If you're interested in helping with the latter, let me know.  If you'd like to help with supplies, check out the Wishlist tab at the top.  As plans progress, check out our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kuhnertfamilymission.  It is a public page, so a facebook account isn't necessary, and will likely have the most up to date info on all things Camp Creative.  

    Continued prayers & well wishes as details get hammered out are much appreciated!

Peace,

Julie

Coming Together

Camp Creative 2019 is coming together nicely. 

With a bit larger group of volunteers this year (6 in total), we are able to bring down a lot more supplies.  Our hope is that some of the projects will be able to be replicated in our teacher volunteers' classrooms next school year.  This is always our goal, and often we select projects that include supplies that can be obtained locally, with a very low budget.  This year I am optimistic that we can make that happen!

By clicking on the tab at the top of this blog titled Wish List you can see all of the items we are looking for.  Many are items needed in large quantities (last year we had 130+ campers).  If you wish to purchase a few items, please don't feel like you need to purchase ALL of the quantity.  We will gladly take any amount that you are able to donate.
Also, there are several items that you may have lying around OR can collect for free (did I mention that we need A LOT of foam trays?)

This list will be fluid and I hope to update it as the need arises.  If there is something you know that you can help with, please let us know so we can update it on here.

Any help given, and that has been given thus far: donations of supplies, eating our gooey butter cakes during fundraiser time, and especially prayers are always much appreciated.  We could not do this without your support.  Your little bit has, and will, make a difference to others 1000 miles away.

Thank you!!

Gearing Up

Thank you all so much for the continued prayers and support of something that began 6 years ago.  This year's gooey butter cake fundraiser was our most successful yet! We can help provide an awesome experience of art for both kids and their teachers this summer.

Many of you have been asking about smaller ways to help and so we've provided a 'wish list' of items for camp this year.  To find out more, simply scroll to the top of the page and click on the Wish List tab.  We've included many items that we feel will be especially helpful this year at camp.

As always, please continue to keep our efforts in your prayers and thoughts.

Thanks!

Lucky #7 for Camp Creative

It's spring time in St. Louis and that means it's time to dive in and prepare for Camp Creative!  This will be our 7th year of sharing God's love through the arts in Punta Gorda Belize.  Since 7 is a lucky number, we know this year is going to be AH-MAZING!  Over the years we have served hundreds of children; giving them an opportunity to express themselves through art and creativity.  We've also equipped a multitude of teachers & classrooms with tools to aid in learning with their own students.  It's been a real blessing working along side some amazingly dedicated teachers in Belize. 

Each year we work hard to introduce new project ideas with the goal of both unique opportunity and sustainability in mind.  We want the children to be able to experience new things but also hope that the teachers can share their new knowledge and supplies with their future students.

To do this, we need YOUR help.  

Local peeps, indulge in one, or two, or a dozen, gooey butter cakes with our back-by-popular-demand Camp Creative Cakes Bailey's chocolate chip gooey butter cake fundraiser (see flyer for details).  The final pick up date is right around the corner on Mother's day weekend.  Feel free to share the flyer or blog to share with anyone whom you think may be interested.  The more cakes we sell the more ways we can help the campers & teachers.  We ask that you let us know by Tuesday May 8  if you wish to order for the May 11 weekend.  Last year's fundraiser was our most successful ever. Your donations enabled us to purchase umbrellas with the camp logo for every camper to paint (perfect for a town that sees 165+ inches of rain each year) as well as provide very specific classroom supplies, manipulatives, and educational materials for our Belizean teacher volunteers.

 Check our Facebook page or blog site regularly for ‘wish list’ of items to donate to camp.  A small donation makes a BIG difference. This year we're especially looking for classroom materials and educational manipulatives for our teacher volunteers.  Have something to donate, or want to purchase a something to donate? We'd love it!  Our Belizean volunteers are always looking for more classroom tools.  Note: one of our regular volunteers is a middle school science teacher & is always looking for more tools & supplies. The other volunteers work with kids from preschool to 6th grade.

Please continue to keep an eye out for large suitcases to donate from garage sales, empty closets, or thrift stores—we need these to transport all of our camp supplies (thanks to previous donations, we are currently well stocked in medium sized suitcases).  

Looking to step outside the box & serve?  Come help! Volunteers make a HUGE difference.  This year our 17 year old will be joining us for her first trip back since moving away.  She is very excited to be contributing and would love it if you would join us.  Camp runs from July 2-6. Punta Gorda Belize is both safe and beautiful, right on the sea just miles from the rainforest.  English is a common language too. Artistic ability is NOT a requirement as there are numerous logistical matters that need to be taken care of as well and you can help in many different ways.   We will put you to good use regardless of whether you are 15 or 65.  

Can't come but still want to be involved?  We’re always looking for project ideas that kids of all ages can enjoy & we’d love help with the planning this year.  

Have a few hours to spare this summer? Preparation for camp is the most time consuming aspect and your help in this area would be awesome.  Even a few hours of cutting, counting, or sorting (in our home or at your own convenience) could help tremendously.  

Thanks for all your prayers & encouragement.  We continue to be in awe of the support you've given so that we can serve others.

God's Blessings & Peace,

Julie & Andy Kuhnert

Camp Creative Year 5 is a Go!

Hello Friends & Family:

Preparations are under way for the 5^th year of the Camp Creative summer art camp program.  What started as a simple ‘God-wink’ has turned into a staple for the community in southern Belize.  Last year we served about 130 kids with each year getting bigger & bigger.  Kids look forward to this week of camp literally all year long.

Camp Creative would not be possible year after year if not for the help and support of so many of you.  I am so touched and overwhelmed by the number of people looking to help in ways both big and small. 

This year, we need your help to serve the future Picassos and Michelangelos in Southern Belize through the gift of art.  “I’m not an artist”, you say? There are LOTS of ways you can help from simple to complex:

1.        Local peeps, indulge in one, or two, or a dozen, gooey butter cakes with our first ever Camp Creative Cakes gooey butter cake fundraiser (see attached flyer for details). 

2.       Check our Facebook page or this blog site regularly for ‘wish list’ of items to donate to camp.  Paintbrushes maybe? Or yarn? Or what about a backpack? A small donation makes a big difference.

3.       Keep an eye out for large suitcases to donate from garage sales, empty closets, or thrift stores—we need these to transport all of our camp supplies.

4.       Come help!  You, yes you are invited.  Camp is the week of 6/27-7/1.  This is the first time camp does NOT conflict with the 4^th of July and we’d love to have you.  Punta Gorda Belize is both safe and beautiful, right on the sea just miles from the rainforest.  English is a common language too. Artistic ability is NOT a requirement—there are numerous logistical matters that need to be taken care of as well.  No help will be turned away.  We will put you to good use regardless of whether you are 15 or 65. 

5.       Can’t come but wanna help with planning? We want you!  We’re always looking for project ideas that kids of all ages can enjoy & I’d love help with the planning this year.  This might involve one or two short meetings or even just sending along some links of great ideas (bearing in mind my budget is tight and my suitcases are tighter).

Thanks for all of your support & prayers.  It’s been a true blessing to see this come to fruition year after year.

Blessings,

Julie & Andy 

Thirty-One Fundraiser for Camp Creative

With fall upon us, and Christmas just around the corner, we think this is the perfect opportunity to hold a Thirty-One products fundraiser to benefit next summer's Camp Creative.  Thirty-One is a great resource for bags in all shapes & sizes, for men, women, and kids, and the best part, they can all be personalized!  20% of the sales go directly to Camp Creative.  Here's the link for our online fundraiser (the fundraiser ends October 23):
www.mythirtyone.com/651239/shop/Party/EventDetail/8637391
 

What's My Intention?

It's not what I intended, really it wasn't.  Getting wrapped up (actually strangled might be a better word) in life's busyness, barely stopping to catch my breath for the past 3 months, was truly not my intention.  Yet here it is, 3 months since we've returned from our trip to Punta Gorda, Belize to bring Camp Creative to the kids, and I've barely taken the time to stop and reflect, let alone compose a response to my experience.  While it's no surprise there--I've barely managed to blog on my reflections from any of my times working on Camp Creative (this is the camp's 4th year running)--it doesn't mean that I haven't had some of the best of intentions.  Unfortunately, there is a big difference between intentional thinking and intentional living.
We started this art camp in 2012, just weeks before we moved back home to the States.  This year was the third time I was able to help run the camp (in person).  In a seemingly divine set of circumstances, my husband was able at the last minute to return with me to work and serve as well.  Being there together, working as a team, was a very fresh reminder of life back in Belize when we shared that experience as a family full time.  It was also a very fresh reminder of the one thing that seemed to be missing from our lives not long after we moved back to the U.S.--intentional living.  Where did it go?  How could I have possibly let that get away?  Was it forgotten about?  What I'm doing now is intentional living isn't it?  Well, yes and no.
Recently, I was piddling around on the internet and out of curiosity decided to google my name.  One of the first things I found was an online article written in October of 2012 (2 months after we moved from Belize) about our experience there.  This quote jumped out at me, “Being removed from it [American culture] we saw a lot of changes and ways we lived differently that we want to hold onto, but have learned that it takes a lot more intentional living than maybe we were anticipating,” she said. “You have to decide to do things differently.” That 'she' was me.  I said that.
The entire time I was serving in Belize this summer it was as if I could hear God telling me, "get off the hamster wheel, stop spinning your wheels with hardly a destination or purpose."  When he means purpose, I don't think he just means the great big grand scheme of things, cause frankly, I think I do a decent job with that stuff already.  It's the day to day, moment by moment even, experiences that he's asking to be lived with a purpose.
As much as I hate to admit it, it didn't take all that long after my family's return from Belize in 2012 to find ourselves back on that hamster wheel, spinning around and around forgetting to live each day with purpose.  Going with the flow, getting caught up in the dailies of life, is just so darn easy sometimes.  As I said in that article, I have to decide to do things differently because it's not just going to happen on its own.
I have a few friends of different backgrounds and faiths that I see doing this--that have a focus and a belief that guides virtually everything about their lives.  That's what I want for myself.  As a Christian, I feel that my purpose is to love God by loving and serving others.  That doesn't just happen on it's own, I have to work to make it happen.  Intentional living can only be successful when we try to weave it into all aspects of our life.  I know it's possible to live counter culturally--and believe me, living intentionally is counter culture.  I just have to resolve to wake up each day and do it myself.  And when I falter, resolve to wake up the next day and try to do it all over again.  Whenever I find that I'm doing that, sometimes the effort is hard, but the reward is always so great.  I feel a greater peace, I have a lot less regrets, and I can some times even see the fruits of my labor (though that is never my reason for living purposefully).
If you're taking the time to read this, it's probably safe to assume that you yourself have great intentions.  Now, I'd like to challenge us all to take it up a notch, to really live with purpose, all the time.  Give that friend a call that has been feeling depressed.  Take a son out to lunch to share some time together.  Bring dinner or cookies to the elderly neighbor 2 houses down. Smile at the grumpy guy in the office across the hall. Most importantly, get rid of some 'time suckers' that are not rewarding or fulfilling--we don't need to be running all. the. time. just because it seems like a good idea.
I'm not suggesting that we all go out and try to save the world, or even necessarily that we all head to another country to serve the poor--although that seemed to be what I needed to kick myself into gear.  I'm just suggesting that we all put a real effort into our day to day lives.  Mother Teresa said "not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love." Let's put great love into what we do and see how the small things make this a better place to live.
Living with intention takes effort, it takes time, but imagine how much better our lives would be, our communities would be, if we would just take the time to do that.  Let's stop doing what's in front of us, and start doing what we were truly created for--our purpose.

Peace,
Julie

Recap of Camp Creative 2015 part 2

Recap, recap, anyone, Bueller?  Crickets.

Well, life has slowed down a tiny bit and I'm finally getting some time to finish up the recap of Camp Creative.  I imagine you've already ready about some of the things we did through Wednesday so I just briefly wanted to let you know how we finished things up at camp.
Thursday
Thursday was our music day.  The team from Baylor had several projects designed to bring out the "musician" in each camper.  The younger kids began by making several musical instruments.  They made harmonicas from popsicle sticks, kazoos with our leftover toilet paper tubes, and shakers with paper plates.
When possible, we try to purchase supplies for the art projects in country and the beans for the paper plate shakers were no exception.  Unfortunately, what the Baylor team had to learn the hard way, was that beans purchased at the local (Chinese run) grocery stores, known as the chiney, do not carry very fresh beans.  By the time we went to work with them on Thursday, the supply of beans were full of bugs!  Good thing were weren't trying to cook with them.  For the most part, we just roll with the punches and we used the beans anyway.  That's what going with the flow is all about.  :-)
After the campers finished their instruments, it was time to test them out.  The service group did a great job with leading the kids in song and even in a story of the 3 Little Geckos and the Big Bad Jaguar (a version of the 3 Little Pigs).  These were some great opportunities for the kids to get out a little bit of energy too.  Since the musical instruments were some simpler projects, the kids had extra time at the end of the morning to get out the paintbrushes again and work on their inner Picasso.  Painting is almost always a favorite activity of our campers.
The older campers got to use this day to work on some projects suited for them.  They used toilet paper rolls & pipe cleaners to design their own insects.  They also got to work with scratching tools to make designs on crosses and their very favorite--God's eyes--made with yarn and popsicle sticks.  Year after year, the older kids love working with yarn.  Once they got the hang of it, several of them enjoyed making multiple God's eyes.
Friday
The last day!  It's always bittersweet when we get to the last day of camp.  We're usually pretty worn out by then but knowing we've come to the end of an extremely successful week is really what brings me joy--and making it to Friday is safe to assume it's been a success.  Things ran pretty smoothly on Friday.  The youngest campers started off making sea turtles with egg cartons as shells.  Then they moved on to paper plate masks.  The older campers got to work on soda tab bracelets again this year. Making the bracelets usually takes the kids a little bit to get a the hang of it but once they do, it becomes a great opportunity to work together.  The kids show each other how to make them until everyone knows what they're doing.
We spend a lot of time on Friday finishing up with things.  We make sure each group has a selected 'artist of the day' and 'best behaved camper' who then get a certificate and first pick from the Prize Pile.  After that, we make sure every camper gets a turn to pick from the prizes.  This year book bags and plastic tiaras were the hot items to get, followed closely in second by Spiderman & My Little Pony Happy meal prizes.  I like to collect flip flops every year and include those in the prizes.  It may have taken me until this year to fully realize that, while flip flops are extremely useful and necessary, they're sort of like a kid getting underwear for Christmas; not exactly the most desired prize to take home.  Needless to say, of the 50 pairs brought down, every pair found a home.
The highlight of the last day for everyone (for many, the highlight of the week) was snack.  Each camper got an ice cream cone!  We did this last year too and in the days leading up to Friday, we had many kids asking if we were going to have ice cream again this year.  It really seemed like a nice way to wrap things up.
Having the team from Baylor down to help this time, along with Andy, really helped to free me up for other business tasks.  This year, we were able to do something we've never been able to do before.  At the end of camp on Friday, we were able to debrief with our volunteer teachers and my camp co-coordinator, Faye.  This seems like commonsense but we've just never been able to do this in the past--there's always been too much work to do just to clean up and clear out on the last day.  Getting feedback from the teachers was amazing because they are the ones who work more closely with the campers than myself.  We gained so much insight from them and moving forward, I am confident that we have some plans and tools in place to really make Camp Creative become even better.
As camp wraps up, the leftover supplies get divided up among the volunteer teachers who in turn can use those supplies & project ideas in their classroom the next school year.   This is an important element in our goals for Camp Creative--to help keep the arts going throughout the year & to enable others to benefit their community.
This year we also collaborated with the Baylor team over lunch at camp's end.  We got a lot of wonderful feedback from them too.  They really were instrumental this year in making camp such a tremendous success.  They helped with so much of the planning, the supply gathering and the work. They came in with a shared vision of what this experience should be for the service team and more importantly, the camp as a whole and we are forever grateful for the ways in which they helped to transform Camp Creative to be even more successful.
The highlight of the week for me was when we went to dinner that night with some missionary friends and I saw a camper of ours adorned in her homemade beaded necklace and flip flops that she got at camp this week--I'd call that a success.
That's it for camp!

We're already gearing up for next year and we look forward to working with the teachers and, especially the children, in Belize again.

Recap of Camp Creative 2015 part 1

Hello all!

We're back from Belize after an extremely successful week of camp. Some of you may have kept up with us on our facebook page, which is great. We thought we'd use this space to give a slightly more detailed recap of our week in service, along with more photos, including some we did not have the space to post on our facebook mission page. So, if you want to know what we did all week, read on.

Saturday-Sunday

After a lengthy 17 hours of travel to the airport in St. Louis, a layover in Houston, a ride to the bus station in Belize City, and a bus down to Punta Gorda, I (Julie) arrived at 9 pm on Saturday night ready for, well, bed. Bright & early the next morning, at 7:30 am, I attended mass at our old parish which was a great way to feel 'home' again. 7:30 am is the only service offered on Sunday mornings as the local priest has to then travel to say mass at 3 other churches in villages throughout the district. (Those villages are only able to have a full mass once every 6 weeks and each is on a scheduled rotation.) After visiting with the priest and some church members, I had the rest of the day to prepare for camp. I met in the afternoon with my in-country co-director, Faye (aka Teacher Faye), to go over logistics for the week and to review our registration, which was currently at 63 students. For dinner I had my first meeting with the group from Baylor University. We were able to get to know each other a bit better, talk about logistics, and prepare ourselves to be working together for the rest of the week. This was very exciting. We finished up dinner and then I headed over to meet Andy at the bus stop, as he had been traveling all day Sunday. It was at this time I learned that he didn't have the privilege of taking the express bus because they do not run on Sundays. Instead, he had to travel almost an hour longer (for 5 ½ hrs total) on an overcrowded school bus with no a/c, and windows that didn't close properly when it rained. It was at this point, that I became very thankful I had traveled on Saturday's express bus, in the comfort of a/c—it can get hot with 60+ people crammed on to 1 bus.

Monday

We were all ready (bright & early) for the start of camp. The Baylor service group was there early mixing playdoh, getting supplies ready for the day, and getting a feel for how things are run. Faye was handling teacher volunteers and registration (we were up to 85 campers by the start of camp that day) while Andy & I handled a lot of the 'behind the scenes' tasks to make sure camp could get off to a smooth start.

We started off the week with a 3 project rotation which gave the kids an opportunity to work in groups to make our awesome Camp Creative sign, create name tags, and design their own drawstring day packs which they could then use for every day.  At the end of camp each day, the teachers select one camper from their group as Artist of the Day and one camper as Best Behaved.  Those kids receive a certificate and get to pick from the prize pile--back packs, spiderman goggles, and princess tiaras were top choice for most campers. 

We were also visited for the second year in a row by Love FM, a Belize national TV/radio station.  They took pictures and interviewed people.  It's good to spread the news about good programs and happenings in the country and they love what Camp Creative brings to the community.

In the afternoon, Andy stayed back to handle the business side of things. Faye, the Baylor group, and myself drove out to LOL Children's Home to introduce our first ever mini Camp Creative to the kids living there. I think we were a bit surprised by the number of teens living at the home but we worked the projects out to be enjoyable even for them.  The kids took a bit to get going but once they did, they had some really incredible designs on their drawstring bags (to protect the identity of the children living at LOL, we are not allowed to show their faces in photos).

Tuesday

Today the Camp Creative sign the kids painted was all finished and dry.  Andy found a ladder and managed to hang it high up on the front of the building so that it could be seen from the road. We also hung up a few photo collages of last year's camp and took group photos of each class this year in front of the sign.  We get a lot of returnees and they all enjoyed getting to look at their pictures from last year. The kids made pencil holders out of salt dough that the Baylor group mixed up.  They had fun making them but alas, salt dough does NOT dry in 95% humidity.  They also mixed up plaster of paris and put together come fun mosaics & designs.  

The low of today:  learning that one of our campers had tried to climb the soccer goal post during break time and cut his hand down to the bone on a pin sticking out of the post--requiring 15 stitches (which is probably the equivalent to 30 stitches in the states).  This weighed heavily on us, we felt so bad, but thankfully his mom wasn't angry with us and he was able to return to camp by Thursday.  The high of today:  I got to return to LOL Children's Home to teach cake decorating to the teens.  One girl had learned some skills in a recent class at school and was eager to learn more--she helped Andy mix up the icing we were going to use for decorating.  We used this opportunity to encourage her to help some of her peers as we began the instruction.  The confidence & excitement in her was awesome to see.  Despite having little knowledge of cake decorating, Andy was the perfect assistant and he helped to move things along smoothly.  The kids LOVED learning to decorate cakes and even the boys decided to take a stab at it.  I LOVED getting the opportunity to work with the kids.  So much of what I do for Camp Creative is more behind the scenes and this was a real reward for me to be able to get back to working with kids.  

Wednesday

By Wednesday we had 103 campers registered, the most ever to attend Camp Creative!  It was at this point that I was reminded of how incredible it is to be working with the service group from Baylor and to have some great local teachers volunteering in the classrooms.  Camp Creative could not have been so successful with 100+ campers without all of their amazing help and input.  Wednesday turned out to be a hodge podge of activities.  The younger kids beaded necklaces & bracelets while the older kids enjoyed making god's eyes.  Both groups made sock puppets and raced paper airplanes.  The Baylor group brought out some parachutes and the kids LOVED playing with those at break time.  

In the afternoon Andy & I rode out to Big Falls village with the professor from Baylor who volunteers for TFABB (Teachers for a Better Belize).  She and her daughter wanted to visit with some preschool teachers that she knows.  As an added bonus the professor's daughter, who is 10 and on her first trip to Belize, got to meet her penpal, the daughter of one of the preschool teachers.  It was great to see them connect.  In case you were wondering, even 10 year olds can be a big help on service mission trips--she was working right alongside the college students.  Andy & I got to reconnect with the preschool teacher, Cecily, and her husband George while we were there.  Andy had worked with them at teacher workshops and got to get to know George when they traveled together to a conference in northern Belize.  Our family had been to their farm a few times for dinner and visits when we lived there.  Even though George was in the middle of chopping down overgrowth along his property line when we showed up, he didn't mind stopping to say hi and getting to reconnect.  Within minutes we had plates of chips & dip, sodas, and beer offered to us and we stayed for probably a couple of hours.  

It's the little things like this that made a big difference this time around.  Last year, I was working long hours catching up on prep for the next day.  This year, especially with Andy there too, we had a far greater opportunity to work on building relationships, making connections, and even to reflect--what a better experience it makes for.  

In an effort to not drag on too long in one post (if you're even still reading this), we look forward to blogging again with a wrap up of the week.  Thursday, Friday, and the rest of our trip were rewarding and exciting too.

Check out the Updates

Hey blog watchers,

We see that you are following us and checking in for updates.  We've been using our Facebook page for more real time updates and daily postings of pictures and such.  We've been so busy with everything here that it is really the quickest and easiest way to connect right now.  Good news is that you don't have to be "on Facebook" to access this.  We have it set up so that anyone can view it, even if you are not a Facebook user.  Just click the link on the right of our blog or click this link.
https://www.facebook.com/kuhnertfamilymission

Thanks for all your interest and support.  We plan to have some more formal blog posts/reflections in the future as well.

So Many Questions

     Well, here it is, in just 24 hours I will be landing in Belize City.  After going through customs & paying a few duties for the supplies I brought in, I'll take a taxi over to the bus station where I'll wait 3 hours to catch the "express bus" to Punta Gorda (cause the regular bus is not air conditioned and is a longer, more miserable ride).  After 16 hours of travel, I should arrive safely in Punta Gorda. As you can imagine, Saturday is my least favorite day of the trip.
     I've done this trip solo once before and after living there, I feel pretty comfortable in Belize.  However, there are naturally some anxieties that come with such a lengthy amount of travel.
But, there's a twist:  several weeks ago when we found an extraordinary deal on airfare to Belize, God laid it on someone's heart to cover the cost of a plane ticket.  Since my ticket had already been purchased, and the situation seemed to be right, we moved forward with purchasing airfare for my husband.  Andy will have to travel a day after me and return a day sooner but beyond that, we felt this was a great opportunity for us and more importantly, for the work we do in Belize.
While I know this will be a good thing for our work, it also inevitably adds a new layer to the picture.  3 kids have to be delivered to 2 different camps while 2 kids need childcare for 10 days and all 5 need childcare at the beginning and the end of the trip (from 2 different family members).  Oh and did I mention that currently 1 child is feeling ill?
     There are so many things to worry about.  Will my children be healthy, safe, and get where they need to go in my absence?  I still have packing to finish, am I remembering the essentials, the things I must have that can't be purchased in country?   Travelling to Belize and running a camp can be costly and we currently do not have enough cash in our bank account to cover all the costs of camp & travel.   How are we going to pull this off?  The more I ask these questions, the more anxious I feel.
The solution: stop asking questions!
      It sounds crazy right?  Of course it does but then I am reminded to trust. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."  Prov. 3: 5-6.  A good friend  of mine shared this with me last week and although I try to make this my life's mantra, I still needed to be reminded of it--often.  There are a lot of times in my life that I've chosen the 'least desirable' path by doing not what I want to do, but what I feel called to do.  Things may not have even turned out the way I'd hoped.  Yet in spite of that, God has always worked out the details and goodness and peace have always come from it.
    This situation is no different.  I know that, I just have to remember to listen to that.
     I like to think I'm getting better at that.  I haven't asked those 'worry' questions nearly as much this time & (no shocker here) I feel a lot less anxious this time.  One way or another, it will work out because I'm not in charge.
     In the mean time, we would really appreciate your thoughts and prayers as our entire family makes sacrifices to have our work in Belize be a success this year.
     We look forward to keeping you updated this week as time, and internet access, allow.

p.s. as a shameless plug--we are holding a Thirty One products online fundraiser.  20% of the sales will go towards making Camp Creative a success.  Here's the link if you are interested but the fundraiser sale ends TODAY (6/26):  www.mythirtyone.com/651239/shop/Party/EventDetail/8369176

Back To Belize, Again.

While some of you have still been checking on our blog, we haven't exactly been active in our posts.  Fail.
Anyway, we just wanted to give you a quick update (we'll post more later, we promise).  I (Julie) am going back down to Belize this summer to direct Camp Creative.  This year, a representative from one of the departments at Baylor University contacted me about bringing a service group down to work with us at Camp Creative.  We could not be more happy to be working with this enthusiastic group.  The best part about this, it allows us to expand and grow Camp Creative.  This year, we will be able to bring a mini-camp opportunity to a local children's home, LOL Children's Home, that serves 35 kids, in addition to the kids we normally serve at our day camp.  I've also been asked by the orphanage 'mom' to teach the girls a cake decorating class.  I'm thrilled to give these girls an opportunity to teach them a craft that they can actually use in the future.
I am currently looking for cake decorating supplies, bags, tips, couplers, and icing gel color, to donate to the children's home.  If you have any of those supplies or wish to purchase any to donate, we would be most grateful.  This children's home operates on a tight budget and survives on their own donations so I'm really hoping we can bless them with these supplies.
While I plan to give more information, including ways you can help if you wish to, I wanted to let you know about an opportunity to come down to help.  American Airlines is currently offering a sale on their airfare.  St. Louis rountrip to Belize City is only $382!  That is the cheapest price we've seen since they offered a sale 3 1/2 years ago when we lived there.  If you feel called to help with kids and creativity, we would welcome your help at Camp Creative.  The week of art camp will be June 29-July 3.  I'll be heading down the Saturday before and staying several days afterwards for some much needed "down time."  Those are the dates that I know are on sale but quite possibly, there is some flexibility on the dates at that price.
Think about it, pray about it, and if you feel called to come down, let us know.  If you want to help in any other way, let us know that too.
We're currently exploring some fundraising options for us to help cover the cost of expenses for the camp, as well as travel down there for myself.  We'll let you know where we get with that and post any opportunities on our blog.
Thanks and God bless.

Back to Belize

     Back to Belize!  Well for Julie anyway.  As much as we all dearly miss Punta Gorda--even our 6 year old still regularly asks when he can go back--it just isn't financially feasible for our entire family to return.  One thing that is and has been most important to us is that our efforts down in Belize have a lasting impact.  The art camp we created, Camp Creative, is now in its 3rd year.  As a couple, we decided that it would be a good idea for Julie to return this year to help ensure the program's long term continuity.  And so, she will be departing for Belize on Saturday, June 28th to help with the week long art camp.  

     We've had many people ask "how can I help?"  Currently, there are 3 ways you can help.  First, you could pray for us as we continue to work out the logistics of everything, and of course for safe travel as "mom" leaves home for 10 days.  Secondly, you are more than welcome to contribute financially.  As I'm sure you can imagine, there are many expenses that are involved with providing a camp to as many as 100 kids, while travelling there to do so.  Currently, the best way to make a financial donation would be to make it directly to us as we no longer receive donations through the Jesuits.  

     Lastly, we could use help by donating some of the supplies that Julie plans to take down to Belize to use for her art projects.  She has compiled a rather lengthy "wish list" of items needed to help complete the 13 projects that she has planned for the week.  To find that wish list simply scroll to the top of this page and click on the Wishlist tab.  There you will find a very detailed list of everything we need to help make this camp a success.  If you can contribute in any way, please contact us.  We want to be sure we don't receive 7000 foam stickers from 12 different sources.  You can let us know in the comments section below the wishlist, in the comments section on our facebook page, Kuhnert Family Belize Mission, which is linked on the right of the page, or you can contact Julie directly via email, kuhnertj@hotmail.com.

     With your help, we can make this another year with one of a kind experiences for the children living in Punta Gorda Belize.  Thank you for all the support you have given us so far, no matter how that looks.  We wouldn't be able to keep helping if it weren't for you.

My Glasses Really Could Use a Good Cleaning

Life is a matter of perspective.  We can only see the world through the glasses we've been given.  Our upbringing, where we live, who we interact with, all affect how we see the world.  Though, I would argue that once in a while our glasses get dirty and it's up to us to make them clean and clear again.
After returning to the US, now nearly 9 months ago, I've realized how much and how easily those glasses can affect how I view the world.  A year ago my family and I were living on less money than we are now yet, we were wealthy by our community's standards.  In fact, there were times when I would feel embarrassed by my family's apparent wealth.  If we needed something, I mean really needed it, we could purchase it.  Yet, somehow it amazes me how little we did in fact need when we lived in Belize.  I sure do seem to think I need a lot more things now.
Since we've been back I realize how much I've grown accustomed to be surrounded by wealth here.  I live in a community in St. Louis that is comprised mainly of middle to lower middle class people.  We have a community food pantry about 1 mile down the road.  Wealthy?  Huh?  Middle and lower middle class don't sound wealthy to me.
We are a single income family of 7 surviving on a teacher's salary.  Our budget is TIGHT.  I look at our bills this month and they just don't match up with our income.  I've already found myself back in the routine of feeling "poor."  We need a new vacuum cleaner because the used one we recently purchased broke.  The check engine light has been on in one of our cars for two weeks now.  We're rehabbing our 80 year old bathroom and we've run out of funds to finish it right now.  Whoa is me!  Tuesday I found myself nearly brought to tears when I saw the fuel light pop up on my car--$75 for a refill.  And then as I headed right for the gas station it occurred to me--if I were in Belize and I needed gas for my car but didn't have the cash to fill up what would I do?  I'd do what everyone else of the minority of who are blessed to even own a vehicle in Belize would do--I'd shrug my shoulders, pull out my wad of cash and coins that I did have, and fill my tank with a few gallons of gas.  End of story, no fretting, move on.  There were Belizeans all over town whose car had become a permanent fixture on their lawn simply because they didn't have the cash for gas, insurance, or a small repair that was needed to run the vehicle.  But they also didn't worry about it either.  And here I am, nearly crying because my car "needs" a fill up and I know I'll be "paying" for it with my credit card.
  As Americans, nearly every single one of us are in the top 1% in the world when it comes to wealth.  Yes I said top 1%.  And even the poorest tier of Americans are still richer than 70% of the world.  All we know and all we see is wealth in the U.S.  By default, it dirties our perspective of what 'wealth' really is.  The glasses we view the world through sometimes trick us into thinking we're seeing clearly.  I think, I need to fix my car that's still running, I need to have a new vacuum cleaner, I need to finish rehabbing my bathroom now, and I need to fill up my gas tank because it's on 'E'.  I'm slowly (and sometimes stubbornly) beginning to realize that it's my Life Perspective Glasses that have gotten dirty and could use a good cleaning.
 What is really necessary to my family's survival and growth is not what I sometimes see as necessary.  We need a roof over our heads--check, balanced meals--check, clean water--check, and warm clothes--check.  Most other things are a LUXURY.  I am not entitled to non-necessities even if I think I am--even if everyone around me has those things that I wish I had to make my life simpler or more comfortable.
I recently read a quote that says, "we call it sacrifice when we go without the things our grandparents never even heard of."  How true it is--such different glasses we view the world through than just a few generations ago did.
I don't think it's possible for me to ever view the world without having at least a slightly skewed perspective.  I am who I am, I live where I live, and I was raised how I was raised.  In the meantime, I'm going to get off my pity pot, give my glasses a good cleaning, and try to live my life like the blessing that it is.  That just might mean we'll have to live for a while with a partially finished bathroom (which admittedly, reminds me of "home" in Belize anyway).  I'm sure it will also mean that my glasses will need to be cleaned over and over and over and over...but as long as I stop to give them a good cleaning once in a while, I think life will be a lot more clear to me--and I think I'll possess a far greater amount of contentment to boot.

Paying It Forward

     Do you ever give yourself a pat on the back?  I know I don't, or at least I very rarely do.  Rather, I often spend my time thinking about all the "not good enoughs" in my life:  I'm not active enough, I'm not helpful enough, I'm not thankful enough, I'm not nice enough, I'm not giving enough...you get the idea.  I very rarely give myself credit for the things that I do do because I always see the human weakness in them. Perhaps I brought dinner to a new mom but there are two other new moms I know whom I've neglected to help.  Or I finally sent that long awaited Thank You note but it should've been sent weeks sooner.  I think that's one of the biggest, most crippling things that hangs over my head--my inadequacies that really just make me human.
     I am not an Evangelical in the religious denomination sense of the word but try to live my life in an evangelizing way.  I try to live a life that sets an example to others whom I come in contact with because you never know who and how you are impacting others.  I think of that friend who said those simple words that led me to believe I wasn't parenting so terribly bad.  Or that person at the store whose smile was so big, I could see her joy radiating right into my own very being.  It's those things I try to remember when I go about my own daily ways.  I try to remember that although I may often see myself and all my imperfections, I'm still exactly who God made me to be.
     Tuesday was one of those rare occurances where I was confronted with that--while I'm nothing special, God proved that He still uses me just the same.  Back track two weeks and I was running around frantically trying to put together a care package for dear friends of ours who are missionaries in Belize.  I was wrapped up in the busyness of the season and kicking myself for not sending the package sooner so as to assure it would arrive in time for Christmas.  I ran into a friend of mine at a store and was telling her about the package I was trying to fill for shipment asap.  We then shared pleasantries and went our separate ways.  I hadn't thought much of it but aah, that's when God steps in.  Inspired by my continual (albeit at times "not enough") efforts to help those in Belize, my friend then went home and nominated me for a local news program's Pay It Forward segment.  The next thing I know, on Tuesday a news crew shows up at my door to hand me $500 to "pay it forward" in Belize!  I'm elated by all the possibilities that this money can be used for.  And really, I could not think of a better Christmas present but somehow I still allowed negativity to creep in.
     Obviously, I was very surprised by this attention, especially when I don't feel as though I deserve it.  But then again, I don't.  After all, it's not about me anyway and really, I've never viewed it as such. After they left, in spite of the fact that this news station found our efforts worthy enough to encourage, I kept thinking about all the "not enoughs".  I hadn't gotten service groups committed to delivering supplies for me fast enough, I hadn't mailed checks soon enough, I hadn't touched base with my contacts in Belize often enough. Had I really just allowed this great blessing to somehow feel like a failure in my own eyes??
      And then shortly after the news crew left I opened my mail and God had a little message for me.  In it was a Thank You note from a friend telling me how touched beyond words she was by a gift bag of goodies I'd left her a week back. Again, it was just something I thought I should've done sooner, but apparently did at just the right time.  I did it because a friend had given me the same bag labelled "Mom's Break" filled with different goodies and touched by that, I wanted to do the same to someone else.  Here I was already paying it forward and hadn't even acknowledged it.  Someone touched me, had an effect on me, and I in turn, touched someone else, had an effect on them, all without fully realizing--until that moment that is.
     It's the littlest things we do that set us apart from everyone else.  We are, or can be, a living example of God's love to others:  in our smile, in the words we speak, in the way we help others, and often times in the most discreet of ways.  We never know when God will use our actions to inspire or encourage others but let's try to live our lives in a way that leaves us open to that.  I'm nothing special, I'm not holier than though, I'm just a regular mom and wife who chugs away at daily life trying to set an example for others and often times failing in my actions.  That's ok.  God doesn't want me to be perfect, He knows I can't be but I tend to believe that He delights in our good works, even the simplest ones and He enjoys using us to bless others.  Mother Teresa is believed to have said, "we can do no great things, only small things with great love."  Let's stop allowing ourselves to be disabled by all the "not good enoughs" in our life and choose to live each moment of each day as an example of God's love.  You never know when or how you will impact others whom you come in contact with and you never know how that will in turn, impact others even.  So instead of reaching for a bar set too high, I'm going to keep trying my best to be the best example I can be.  Not great, not perfect, but hopefully an example that God can be proud of.  Because, I never know when, or how I will impact someone next.  And in the meantime, I will try to give myself this one time, a pat on the back.
     Thank you God for using me in ways I hadn't even realized.

P.S. if you are interested in viewing my story on the news, tune in to St. Louis' Fox 2 news on Thursday Dec. 27 at about 9:55 pm.
Here's the link to the story: http://fox2now.com/2012/12/27/pay-it-forward-kuhnert-family/

Somethin' to talk about

     We will be giving our first two presentations on our experience in Belize during October.  The first will take place at St. Dominic Savio church in Affton, MO on Sunday, Oct. 21 after the 10:30 am service in the church cafeteria (Feuerbacher Hall).  The second talk will take place on Wednesday, October 24 at 7pm again at St. Dominic Savio in Affton in the parish hall.  Both talks are open to everyone who wishes to come hear about our experience from the past year.
     Due to some obvious time constraints, we would love more than anything to focus on what it is that you would like to hear about.  If you have any questions or specific topics that you would like to see addressed please let us know.  Feel free to post a comment or you may email us directly.
     In the meantime, if you would like to have us present to your group, church, or organization, we are currently scheduling dates.  We are really excited about getting the opportunity to share with you on the amazing year we spent serving the poor in Belize.

You Gonna Eat That? Part 3

So now that we've touched on shopping and cooking in Belize let's talk about my favorite subject:  eating in Belize.  While admittedly, Belize isn't exactly the culinary mecca that it's northern neighbor, Mexico is, that doesn't detract from the fact that Belize has some really amazing dishes all its own.

     Latin American in location, yet Caribbean in much of its influence, Belize has put together its own meal time staples that rarely leave a stomach wanting for more.  It's almost as if its plates are a marriage of Latino and Caribbean, yet intermingled with some Indian influence (brought on by the Indians who arrived as indentured servants some 150 years ago).

     The absolute number one most popular dish in Belize, one that can be found available at nearly every party gathering, every restaurant, every market food stall, and on many weekly dinner/lunch tables is stewed chicken and rice and beans or sometimes beans and rice--the latter different than the former (and cole slaw on the side if you really want to get technical).  And if you're lucky, you'll find it served with one or two slices of fried plantain, yum yum.  There's just something about this dish that our family loves and whenever we feel like we need some true comfort food, we almost always cook up a batch of it.  In fact, when we returned back to the states, stewed chicken was the very first meal that I cooked our family.

     Chicken, being the most popular meat served in Belize, is also excellent served as curry chicken, BBQ chicken, chicken terkari, escabeche and fried chicken.  The best part about these dishes is that they can be found at any number of local restaurants for anywhere between $2.50 and $5 for a full meal, except for BBQ chicken which can usually be picked up by any number of roadside vendors on Saturdays for no more than $3 a plate.  

     But while chicken is the most popular dish, there are also many other great culinary delights that we enjoyed common to Belize.  Over the months we had opportunities to try fish such as jewfish & snook, gibnut (a delicious large rodent), armadillo, iguana (known locally as bamboo chicken), crab stew (made with the local crabs that run around the streets during rainy season), hudut (a garifuna stew with fish and a coconut milk broth and mashed plantains on the side) and one of my all time favorite dishes in the world--cohune cabbage (no cabbage involved).  

Crab stew made from local land crabs

Panades w/cabbage relish,
cohune cabbage & tortillas

     Every so often a local Mayan will come by, selling bags of cut cohune or even an entire "log" of cohune for about $5.  Cohune is a type of palm tree common to the area and by cutting down the tree and removing the heart you've got the basis for cohune cabbage--think hearts of palm but in large quantities.  The main spices are tumeric (locally known as yellow ginger) along with salt and pepper.  The cohune gets chopped up and boiled with a sauteed onion and spiced.  It's often cooked with chicken pieces and always served over rice.  Surprisingly simple, I find the dish to be nothing short of spectacular and I made it whenever I could get my hands on some cohune.

     One of my absolute favorite things about living in Belize are the umpteen different adults and kids who walk or ride around selling different goodies door to door:  ice cream cones, bread buns, creole bread (similar in flavor to Hawaiian bread), johnny cakes, meat pies, coconut tarts, "fudge" (a gooey conglomeration of sesame seeds, chocolate and who knows what else), sticky buns, tamales (complete with whole chicken parts as filling), panades (fish, beans, or chicken style empanada), corn tortillas, and our absolute favorite--corn fritters.  All averaging about 50 cents a piece or less.  A lot of times moms would send their children out to sell their homemade goodies.  As much as possible, we would try to buy whatever the kids were selling because I knew that most times, the children could not come home until all of their items were sold.  It's no fun seeing a 10 year old out in the dark begging people to buy his last 4 buns so he could go home.  Consequently, kids loved coming up to our door to sell us mom's baked goods and we loved trying the new things they had to offer.  

     Belizeans use a handful of common spices, at least one of which can be found as a basis for nearly every dish cooked there. Recardo (what you may know as adobo) is a very common seasoning added to dishes along with curry powder, tumeric, chicken bouillon, ginger and coconut milk, all of which I learned to appreciate and administer accordingly to the appropriate dishes.  Oregano is used often in whole dried leaf form along with cilantro and culatnro (cilantro's flavorful and easy to cook with cousin).  Surprisingly, most Belizean dishes are not spicy--though habaneros are extremely common here and hot sauce is more common than ketchup--it's served on pretty much everything.  

Custard apple (tastes like a plum)

one of the many varieties of bananas

   Living so close to the tropical rain forest, fruits abound here.  Between the 7 of us, I would say we've tried more new fruits (and veggies) here than varieties we'd previously tasted in our past years combined.  Some were delicious additions to our palate such as custard apples, cacao pods, breadfuit (a starchy fruit similar in flavor to a potato), bilimbi (made into juice) and the multitude of banana varieties.  Many others, well, let's just say, we're happy to leave those in Belize.  I think that what I found to be most surprising is that there are so many local fruits available that not even all Belizeans are familiar with every variety, plus, our children could always be seen munching on a new fruit that a friend grabbed for them from a tree in their yard.

cashew fruit (the nut is seen encased
on top left fruit) this was one fruit we
did not care for

 

cacao pod:  you can eat the
white membrane around the
 cocoa beans

  Being that there are so many different cultures here in Belize, the foods reflect that.  The Mayans may offer cacao drink to a guest while the Garifuna people would probably serve cassava bread.  Each ethnic group has a few foods that are unique to them.  But, the different cultures serve up a lot of the same foods as well, with just slight variations in the spicing.  While the Belizean menu isn't as extensive as a foodie such as myself might hope for, there never seemed to be a loss of opportunities to try something new.  I could probably write an entire blog on each food group and the foods available in Belize. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed learning about a few of the different foods available in our host country and find yourself encouraged to both want to try perhaps something new and appreciate some of the amazing varieties that we do have available in the US.   

     

  

You Gonna Eat That? Part 2

               So now that you’ve had a chance to become acquainted with some of our shopping adventures in Belize, I wanted to touch on cooking and eating in Belize—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

                I knew cooking would be its own challenge when we moved to Belize, and though I welcomed the challenge at first, I soon found that I was a bit of a “slow learner” when it came time to getting a handle on cooking and eating in Belize. 

For the first few months, it would take me anywhere between 2-5 hours to put together a meal.   So, the first thing I wanted to do was find out how other Americans had been doing it in my area, to see what their typical meal looked like and how it was prepared.  Soon after we moved to PG, I’d arranged a visit with an American missionary “supermom” who managed to grocery shop once a week and put together some amazing meals.  Unfortunately, her family was operating on a budget that was quite a bit higher than ours and many of her meal ideas had to be altered for us or wouldn’t work altogether but I did learn a lot of tips on meal planning and cutting down my time in the kitchen.  Later I met, and became good friends with, a missionary mom whose family is similar to ours: tight budget (though a bit tighter than ours), 5 young kids, and two hungry adults.  They had recently adjusted their budget due to a drop in support and the mom quickly realized that food is one area where they could control what they were spending.    This amazing mom gave me the confidence to reorganize myself and my mindset that would help change the way I “thought” my family needed to eat.   But like I said, I was a bit of a slow learner.

The real catalyst for quick change happened about 2 or 3 months after we moved to Belize, and of course it hit me in the head like a 2x4.  I had been in the kitchen cooking up some Chicken Curry (a common Belize dish).  As I stirred my skillet full of simmering chicken, the 11 year old neighbor looked on.  As she peered over the stove top, she looked at my pan and then looked up at me and said “you gonna eat that?”  I replied, “yes, we’re having this for dinner.”  And then she said, “no, you gonna eat all of that?”  That’s when I realized, panged with guilt, that I was cooking a skillet full of chicken for my family but it was an unreasonably huge amount of meat—an amount that I thought we needed.  At this point my family definitely wasn’t stuffing ourselves at meals but I also now realized that meat did not have to be such a huge part of the meal.  No one around us is eating anywhere near this much meat, not even middle to upper class Belizeans, nor is the missionary family (whose family is the same size as ours), and they also are not wasting away to nothing.  And so began my most important cooking lesson in Belize. 

Now, what had previously been enough meat to feed our family one meal (plus a lunch or two for a few people the next day) could be stretched to cover two meals by simply adding more starch (namely rice), homemade breads, and veggies.  It took some getting used to—we still felt hungry after meals, craving more meat, for a short while—but so soon enough, I got a handle on it.  Meal prep began to decrease (even more so if you include the fact that I was regularly making a meal to last two days), tummies were satisfied, and the weight we had dropped the first few months began to get put back on.  Meat was no longer the star of the show, just an important sidekick, and our plates really did appear to be a lot more balanced and healthy.  More importantly, I was cutting back on our spending and feeling a lot more in solidarity with those whom we were in community with.  Though admittedly, my family still cannot eat as much rice as a typical Belizean does at meal time—usually at least a pound per family I would guess. 

Best of all, I now was getting a better opportunity to cook real “Belizean style” and open up my family to a world a great food and tastes—some of which are still favorite dishes in our house.   (And which will be the discussion for the 3^rd and final part of this blog topic.)

Charlie helping knead the dough:  a new common activity at our house

Getting ready to cook up the string of Red Snapper that we'd bought at the market

You Gonna Eat That? Part 1

          While we may be living in the US now (2 weeks and counting), our blog posts do not have to end right?  We have a lot of reflections and observations that have been made and are still in the making and would love to continue to write about them as time permits.

           Since we’ve been back, one of the more basic questions that has been asked of us is “what did you eat in Belize?”  So, I thought some might find it interesting if we wrote about some of our food adventures—shopping, cooking, and eating the foods of Belize.  In an effort to keep from droning on in one post, I will write about each separately and break them up into a couple of different posts. 

When we first moved to Belize we felt like we’d faced a lot of food challenges.  It took some major adjustments learning to cook for a family of 7 with limited ingredients, virtually no prepared foods, no snack items, and limitations on when ingredients can be purchased.  At first, it felt like we were never getting enough to eat—chicken is the most affordable and widely available meat for purchase and the chickens here are significantly smaller than their American counterparts.  It would take me at least two hours to prepare even the simplest of meals and everyone seemed to be asking for more at meal’s end.  But, as time wore on so did my ability to adjust and improvise and my family began to reap its rewards.  One of their favorite things about Belize became my cooking.  

Shopping for food began the first challenge.  Meals have to be planned in advance because if it involves the use of any vegetables or fruits, then they must be purchased at the market which is only open during the mornings.  Back up meals must also be planned should a few necessary ingredients not be available for purchase that day.   Cabbage, carrots, and onion are staples there but beyond that, there is no guarantee that what I wanted to purchase would be available at the market.  Saturdays, Fridays, and Wednesdays are the busiest days at the market as those are the days in which buses run from the villages and the Mayan women come in to sell some of their produce.  The Mennonite farmers also come in most often on those days, especially on Saturdays.  Mennonite produce is often, though not always, superior in flavor and quality as they practice more developed farming strategies here in Belize.  They are also the only ones at the market that have any dairy products:  usually cream or a salty non-melting cheese.

 In addition to purchasing produce, fresh fish and pork (and sometimes beef) can also be purchased at the market.  There is a building at the end of market row in which you can select and purchase fish or seafood from one person and take it to another to have it cleaned.  The building is adjacent to the sea and has a dock that heads straight to the fish market’s back door.  The fishermen head straight from their boat to the market and it is not uncommon to find fish still flopping about as I am making my selection.  The best bargain to be had is what is referred to as a string of fish.  For about $5 you can purchase about 10 small red snapper that have already been cleaned and are strung together on a palm leaf.  We’ve done this several times but in all honesty, the fish are so small that there are quite a few bones in them and my kids found that to be really bothersome. 

Opposite the fish market is the meat market.  It is a small tiled room with about 6 stalls.  Here you can purchase pork at $2.50/lb for any piece of the pig.  There are 3 basic parts to the pig to order:  shoulder, butt, and rib.  I order what I want of the 3 and let the butcher know whether or not I wish them to be cut into “chops” and approximately how much meat I want in pounds.  The butcher then proceeds to bring the meat over to his chopping log and hack off the desired amount with a machete.  Since pork is double the price of chicken, I did not purchase it often but over the months I did learn that when I did buy pork, I could have the skin removed and get more meat for my money.  Many people here cut the skin off themselves and fry it up for a snack of chicharron (essentially pork rinds). 

There is one store, Balona’s, which we referred to as the “Chicken Store.”  It is the only air conditioned store in town and they have freezers full of chicken and turkey, though they do have other typical American style meat cuts, most of which we felt were over our budget to purchase.  They also sell ground beef here in 3 forms:  ground steak, ground beef, and ground meat.  The cows in Belize are bred differently to withstand the heat and consequently the beef here is very tough.   Ground meat, whatever that may be, was $1.45/lb and fit most in our budget so that is what we most often ate of the 3.  Surprisingly, it was also consistently the most reliable in flavor and texture.  I found that on the occasion that I would purchase ground beef instead, it would sometimes have a gritty texture and a strange flavor.  Even a simple meal of spaghetti with meat sauce would be almost unpalatable.

Basic grocery items can be purchased at any of the dozen or so Chinese owned grocery stores, known locally as “the Chiney.”  While a dozen shops sound like a good amount of grocery choices for a town of only 5000, they all sell virtually the same things and each is about the size of a 7-11.  Though it never fails, when I have a specific item I need, I usually have to hit at least 5 or 6 stores before I can find it in stock.  Most Chinese stores are open from 9 to 9 and even over the past year, more and more are staying open on Sundays and during lunch hours.  Much of the food here is close to or past its expiration date and it is my understanding that many items have arrived via the black market.  It’s not uncommon to see items from Sam’s that have been broken down into smaller sizes to be resold here.  You can find US brands here in everything from shampoo, to cereal, to cake mix, to spaghetti sauce but expect to pay at least double what it costs in the US.    Sliced bread is also available but without any preservatives, it is usually dry and crumbly by the time we use it.  Eggs can be bought here individually or by the tray and are never refrigerated.  You can also purchase raw pigs feet by the pound which is stored inside the shops in vinegar inside 5 gallon buckets and served up with tongs into plastic bags.  All stores sold dry beans, flour, rice, and sugar which come in 100lb sacks but are rebagged into 1 to 10lb bags for individual sale.  These items are some of the only food items which sell for less than in the US.  Though, the stores would often run out of sugar because of the occasional sugar plantation strike and the smuggling of sugar across the border (which can be then resold for a higher amount in both Mexico and Guatemala).  Famous advice from every expat I met living in PG, “if you see something at the store that you’ve never seen before, or that you really need, then buy it because you might not ever see it again or not for some months at least.”  So true.  Welch’s grape jelly was often for sale and we went through a lot, as pb& j sandwiches were a lunch staple in our house however , at one point, it was about a month and a half before I could find it on the shelves again. 

It’s been quite a change since moving back to the US and finding myself once again inside mega grocery chains with all their snacks, choices, and availability (and freezing cold a/c).  While I do enjoy the selection, I’m also trying to remind myself that fresh foods over canned goods, homemade items over processed foods, and simple fruits over snack foods really has been rewarding over the past year.  It’s maintaining the balance of the good of both which I hope to continue with in my grocery shopping “adventures” here.