July 12, 2010

Our last full day here in Belize.   Another hot day - yesterday there was a nice breeze, today - hot, hot, hot.

We spent this morning at Cornerstone, me helping Elsa and Caron in the office & library, and Dale helping Albert in his classroom prepare for summer school which starts August 2.    Here are a couple of the school.  The sign, which is overgrown by bushes now.  (The office I've been working in is through the windows above left)

Here is a picture of all three buildings from the soccer field.











Later in the morning we made a trip a few more miles down the road from Cornerstone to visit Viany and Abdiel.   (Abdiel is known as our "godchild").   We are usually invited to his birthday party early in July, but this year he didn't have one because his father is still working hard getting his cane to the factory.







We wanted to take Abdiel his birthday present.  So we had a short visit with he and his mom.    He'll be going to preschool at Concepcion school in the Fall.

Then later in the afternoon we stopped by to visit our friends in Corozal Town - Nehru and Norma, Ryan and Reeshel.    They were Carla's neighbors when she lived here in Belize and we always enjoy their company.   They served us a delicious piece of lemon pie!

Tonight will be spent packing up.   Romalda is making pizza for supper.   Smells good over in the kitchen corner of the house!

We'll be leaving here early in the morning to catch our flight back home.   It's been a wonderful two weeks -  we'll be sad to leave.

July 11, 2010

The past 24 hours + have been busy ones!

Last night we finally got to go to our favorite restaurant - Cactus Plaza.   That is where they serve salbutes, panuchos, tostadas, quesidillas and tortas.

First we went to the Corozal pier to placate Dale who likes to walk out the pier.

It was very windy and the water choppy.
Here is a view of the bay from Cactus Plaza.   It took forever for the waitress to bring us our food, but worth the wait!

This morning, after dropping the Zantingh's off at their church in Patchakan, we went to Sunday School in San Narciso.  Here is Didier, Elsa, and Aldair giving their response to a senario they were to  find Biblical answers to.

After Sunday School we picked up Albert & Romalda and went back to their house for lunch and a little of the World Cup....

Then Dale and I had to be back at Cristo Rey at 4:00, where Dale preached.  Here is Dale with a good friend from Cristo Rey, Hilario.

 We also were able to chat with an old student from Cornerstone, Ditmar.

After that service we went to San Narciso for their evening service and they had a meal for us after church, escabeche.   Dale got called out of the fellowship time by Ismael who was having a crisis in the school system and wanted advice. 

It was after 10:00 pm when we got home and we are ready for a good night's sleep before spending our last full day here in Belize.

July 9, 2010

We'll have to go back to Thursday evening.   Dale met with Alvaro's Thursday night men's leadership group.  This week it was in Xaibe (pronounced chi-bay).  The focus was on discipline in marriage.  There were 11 men present from 4 churches, which was exciting to see.  This group is very faithful in coming to these gatherings.  There was much interaction with many questions from the men.  There were discussions about organizing a men's retreat that Dale could come back and be the speaker. 



One interesting thing about this meeting is that shortly after the meeting began, a group of women and children showed up and sat down to listen. 

Yesterday morning, as we were getting ready to head out the door, it started raining.  Really raining!   It was supposed to be moving into the new office day - of course that wasn't going to happen.   So we spent the morning cleaning out the storage room behind the old offices.

Here is Elsa, up on the filing cabinets cleaning the rat doo off the top shelves.

Here is a shot of the new offices.  Still need to have the air conditioning unit installed (they took it out of the old offices while we were cleaning - making it very hot and muggy in the storage room.)

 This is the new principal's office.  (it is through the door you can see in the background of the above picture.)   Really nice! 

Tonight we were invited to a party at Chayo and Amy's house - to celebrate the graduation of Amy's dad (Gary - Belize country director for MTW) from Columbia International University with a masters in Inter-Cultural Studies.  His wife Anita had kept the receipt of his diploma from him so she could surprise him with a little ceremony with family (and friends).  They made him dress up in a Cornerstone cap and gown to make the ceremony look official.   We had American food (or should I say Italian), spaghetti, French bread, salad and chocolate pudding cake for dessert.   







We got to meet the doctor that is currently working at the clinic and a nurse who is here for a month working in the clinic.  (However not a good picture of them - sorry)

July 8, 2010

This morning we had a different job at the school.   We worked in the library putting order to the books.   They apparently had not been shelved for quite some time.  We found piles of books in several different places.  So, last night I put the check-out cards in order, and today Dale matched cards to books, while I wiped off the shelves and re-shelved the books.   It took us all morning.

For lunch, Chayo, the acting principal, surprised us all with pizza from town.    Dale met with Gary for some time and I worked in the office helping Elsa & Caron - then  Elsa had to get the deposits to the bank before it closed at 2:00,  so I took her and Caron back to town and Dale stayed and came home later with Chayo.

Tonight Dale is going to teach the men's group with Alvaro.

July 7, 2010

Spent another morning at the school helping Elsa with the books.  This is the building where we will be helping to move the school offices, Lord willing, on Friday.     I'll take more pictures then - it is really nice with two administrator offices, a nice big office for the secretaries, bathrooms for the staff with showers, a conference room for board meetings.   I wish that they had all new secretary chairs and filing cabinets.   What they will move into these offices are pretty beat up.  However, finding those new items here in Northern Belize would be impossible.    Dale has been preparing for the Thursday evening men's group where he will be teaching the group.   He has been a big encouragement to both Albert and Chayo as they have spent hours in discussions about school administration and dealing with all sorts of situations.  He has also spent time talking with a couple of the teachers and writing out a plan of action for the general manager of the Presbyterian schools.  Pray that he will be able to actually have the opportunity to share this plan before we leave.  This is another shot of Elsa and Caron in the school office.

 

These young boys are the grandchildren of the woman who still does her weekly wash in this small washing machine on Albert & Romalda's porch, using their electricity and well water.    This family lives down the road, and we are amazed every time we are here of the love Albert & Romalda show to this women and her children.  Even though they tire of the noise and mess it makes, they give over and over to this family.

July 6, 2010

Another long and busy day in Belize!    Left the house again at 7:30 am, picked up Elsa and Caren in town (they catch a bus  in Patchekan to town every morning, and then have to get a taxi or catch another bus to take them to the school).     We were at the school until a little after noon, me continuing to help Elsa on the bookkeeping and Dale spending time with Chayo (Blackie listened in on their conversation.)   It was fun seeing a couple former students and old friends who had stopped by the school on business and were surprised to see us in Belize.

Lunch at the Zantingh's over the soccer game between Holland and Uruguay.  Chayo and Amy were also invited to come over and ended up staying the rest of the day - Chayo, Dale & Albert for a meeting to make scheduling plans for the fall and us girls spent the afternoon chatting, taking a long walk, and learning how to make escabeche.    (Onion soup with chicken & corn tortillas)    So, that's what we had for dinner and we ended up sitting around the table for hours.   Lots of good fellowship!

An abandoned stick house we passed by on our walk and a tractor pulling the chemicals they spray on the papaya groves.

July 5, 2010

While all our friends and family have been celebrating the July 4th weekend, we have had no indication of any holiday here.   The closest we have come to fireworks is this beautiful flower.

Today we were on our way to the school by 7:30 am.   I spent 5 hours working with Elsa on the Quickbooks.  We are making progress!    Dale spent the morning with Chayo looking for school board members so they could call a school board meeting in the afternoon.   Dale was also able to arrange several meetings with the General Manager (of the Presbyterian Schools)  and the education commission of the presbytery.    Texting is big here.  It is much cheaper to send texts than to make phone calls.


After dropping Elsa off in town so she could run a few errands , be went back to the Zantinghs in time for a late lunch of corn tortillas, refried beans, salsa, & shredded chicken (make your own soft tacos).   

We just returned from an evening with Elsa and Alvaro and the boys.   It was a very encouraging time of learning how God is working in their lives.   Alvaro is growing in the pastorate and showing an understanding of how to lead men and bring about unity.  He is working with ruling elders and men who desire to be elders in several churches.  He constantly talks about important it is to know God and who he is - that is central to our faith.    He has started reaching out in to their village by doing community projects, they have a strong youth group, Elsa has a growing women's group.

 Aldair (their oldest) is very interested in music.   We were able to get a taste of that enthusiasm Sunday night at the joint worship service where he led in a couple songs with his youth group.  (he has self taught himself to play the guitar and does a very good job!)   His desire is to be a musician and use it to share the gospel in song.  He just completed his second year at Cornerstone. 

July 4, 2010

Happy Independence Day!    Boy, it has been a long and busy day.  We left for Sunday School this morning at 8:30.   Because we are sharing a vehicle with the Zantingh's, we had to drop them off in Patchekan before we went to San Narciso.   Alvaro's church has been studying the ABC attributes of God and today they were on "E" for God's enthusiasm.  At the end of the Sunday School time Alvaro went around and asked each person what they learned from today's lesson and it was really interesting to see the different ways God used the lesson in each person's answer.

After Sunday school we headed back to Patchekan where we were invited to eat lunch with the Zantingh's at Romalda's mom's house.   Above is the kitchen where we ate lunch.   This is where Romalda grew up and she said her whole family  ( the Chan's had 13 children) slept in this thatch hut which is now her mom's kitchen.   Pictured above are three generations - Romalda, her mom Victoria, and Brittany.

After a lunch of rice and beans (made over an open fire) we went to the outskirts of Patchekan to visit with Elsa and Tito and their children Kristine and Kevin.    (This is the Elsa I work with in the school office.)

We then headed to Cristo Rey for the 4:00 worship service.  Once a month four churches - Cristo Rey, Concepcion, Louisville and San Narciso gather together for a joint worship service.  This is something Alvaro has instigated to bring the churches into closer fellowship.   It was good to see many folks we haven't seen for some time and to renew acquaintances.  They sing, pray, read scripture and have special music from the grupo juvenil  (youth groups), then Alvaro preaches.   Afterwards they eat a meal that the ladies of the host church provides.   Tonight the food was  - you guessed it - rice & beans.  Actually, we needed to leave because of the car situation, but we were brought a plate of food for the road.   

We didn't get back home until about 8:30 pm - it has been a long but enjoyable day with our Belizean extended church family.

July 3, 2010

On our way to meet our friends in Corozal last night, we passed by the Paraiso town square where Jeremy and friends were playing volleyball. This is the same town square where our daughter Cydney used to take early morning runs when she lived in the village in 2000.  Once in town, we had dinner at RD's and spent the evening with friends Chayo & Amy. Chayo served this past year as the principal at Cornerstone. We are looking forward to them visiting us in Pittsburgh the week we return from Belize and looking forward to introducing them to our FRPC family. Here a picture of them in their dining room - yes, Carla, this room IS a real dining room.
 
 

This morning the big attraction in the Zantingh home was the Germany - Argentina football game. Here is the buzz cut duo with their eyes glued to the tv.

 

Later this afternoon we went looking for a place for Brittany to swim - and ended up at a small park by the bay. While we were there, the Cristo Rey youth group arrived and had devotions and a time of singing.

We are looking forward to a busy day tomorrow worshiping with our church family in San Narciso.

Sorry pictures aren't matching up with explanations. I'm having trouble with the downloading of pictures. Hopefully I'll figure out what's wrong soon.