Monday Morning

Happy 4th of July! Just got ready (Albert killed the scorpion so I could take a shower) and we will be leaving shortly to run some errands - getting some printing done for Dale's seminars, going to Cornerstone to visit Elsa and make plans for helping her in the office and school library, going to the market to get ingredients for a salad we're taking to Garry and Anita's for a Fourth of July BBQ tonight.

Yesterday was a full day! We went to Sunday School in San Narciso. After Scripture reading, singing and announcements, many of the church members gave short testimonies of the past week spend with a team from Nebraska. Wish we could have understood all of what they said, but there were many gracias Dios and felicidad's. The Sunday school lesson was on the 7th commandment (Alvaro is doing a series on the Ten Commandments, taking 3 weeks for each commandment).

After Sunday school we went to Patchekan to have lunch at Romalda's mom's. Her mom sat at her fogon - (fire hearth) and would not eat at the table with us - a way they show honor to their guests. I kept asking her to come eat with us... One of the puppies wanted to eat by me. Dale and Albert kept up with the conversation that started at the airport and hasn't stopped!

After lunch we went to Ismael's for about an hour so Dale and Ismael could go over the plans for the Education Commission seminar on Saturday. (I was having a hard time staying awake during their conversation - the air was so warm, humid and still.

Back to Alberts for a short nap before getting ready to go to the worship service in San Narciso. On the way we passed an ambulance going very fast towards town - and around the big curve just before turning into San Narciso there was a terrible accident where it appeared an SUV had hit a bicyclist. There was such a crowd standing along the road. We pray that the victims survived but do not know.
It was wonderful to be worshipping with our San Narciso church family again! Alvaro preached over an hour - he was starting an 8 part series on establishing a vision for the church. He alternated English - Spanish so we could understand also. I know that must be difficult for a preacher so we appreciate it greatly!

We didn't get back home until 9 pm, had some popcorn around the table with some good conversation, then went to bed. The gecko was on the window sill above the sink - it looked like his back foot was stuck to the window frame.  (By the way, two of the puppies are gone, two are spoken for  and one is sick.)

Sunday Morning

 

We have arrived in Belize!  We left Pittsburgh on time and arrived in Atlanta 30 minutes early - but spent that time sitting waiting for a gate.   Evidence of your prayers numero uno - the gate we ended up at was right next to the gate our Belize plane was waiting.  We also arrived in Belize 30 minutes early,  and went through immigration and customs rather quickly.  There were 2 planes arriving at the same time - and even with  all those folks we hardly waited in line!     An added bonus to our arrival - the first people we spotted were Alvaro and Elsa - they had just dropped off a team leaving after spending a week refurbishing their manse in San Narciso.  Albert and Romalda were just driving up to the airport, so we quickly loaded our luggage and began our trip north, stopping in Orange Walk for something to eat - we hadn't eaten since Pittsburgh.

This cute little soggy puppy greeted us when we arrived - shortly because it started raining as we pulled up to Albert's house.    There are five of these cute little puppies - in all colors.  Anyone want one?

While we were eating a late snack of cheese dip and guacamole, the lights went out!   It was about 7:00 pm,  and the rest of the evening was spent in the dark.   We went to bed before 9 - so tired from the long day.
When we were calling it a day - Jeremy and his friend were starting their night -  all dressed up for a dinner out with their class of recent graduates from Cornerstone.     The power came back on not long after we went to bed, but we've had a good night's sleep and are getting ready for Sunday School in San Narciso.

June 22, 2011

We'll be headed back to Belize in 10 days!

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.