A Day of Fellowship

After watching the interaction today, it is hard to believe that these seven girls hardly knew each other before this trip. Some came with a good friend, others merely knew of the others in passing. After months of planning, this dream became a reality and through this reality we all grew. We woke up this morning to showers and they continued through the morning but this less-than-desirable weather did not damper the girls' spirits. All decided to walk to the water taxi to head to a barrier island for some snorkling. As we headed out to sea, the weather got worse. Our captain pulled out tarps for some of us to pull over our heads as "hard" rain was coming but after about 10 minutes of torrentail rains, the clouds cleared and we had blue sky!! We ate a bite at a local restaurant and headed to get our gear. Most elected to snorkle even though it was a bit cool. With barracudas and eels sighted, several really brave souls chose to swim with (and hold) stingrays. Once again the girls were so supportive and were observed saying kind, encouraging words, helping each other and laughing at silly things. What a joy it has been to be around young women who have grown so much in just eight days!! What a blessing this trip has been in so very many ways!!

Exploring God's World

Chelsea and Cara's post

Today was an adventure in itself. We began our day by going to Jaguar Paw about 40 minutes away from the Black Orchid. Upon our arrival most of the girls, except Cara, harnessed up for the zip line with hard hats in tow. We took a short hike to the first platform and Elizabeth went first. She was a great example for the rest of us to follow with Dr. McCuen bringing up the rear. Everything went smoothly until Dr. Meg and Dee pulled on the line in turn making them stop short of the platform. Our highest platform was 85 feet in the air and it was a great experience seeing the Belizean jungle up close. Then we met up with Cara and Edward, our tour guide, and got ready for cave tubing. During the 40 minute hike we experienced bats, orchids, a tarantula, and many native birds and trees. Shannon, Elizabeth, Chelsea, Cara, Dee, Dr. Meg and Casey ate termites off a tree. To their surprise, it tasted like spearmint and some of the girls went back and had seconds…YUMMY! Once we made it to the river we got in our individual tubes and went for a chilly ride. Some of the currents took us by surprise, but we had a blast along the way. Most of the tube ride was in the caverns that were massive and pitch black without our headlight headbands. However, the river water was low at some points and we had to “bottoms up” several times to stay away from the rocks at the bottom or we would get stuck. Once we were out of the cavern a species of fish like to nibble. Our friend Gaby got the worst of it and was attacked by several fish at once. We all made it back to shore safely with many stories to tell. Then Edward took everyone out to lunch at a local restaurant. Most of the girls had rice and beans with barbeque chicken, potato salad, and tangerine juice. A lot of us took many risks and tried new things, which is a big accomplishment. Today was a fantastic day that we will always remember. Maybe next time you can join us!

An Answer to Prayer

March 20- Shannon and Casey

We started the day not knowing what to expect, but going in with open minds and hearts. The severe difference between St. Mary's and St. Luke's was shocking, but after talking amongst ourselves, we prayed for a fresh start. We started the day at St. Luke's by passing out care packages. Thank you to all who have donated, we have had more than enough supplies. It literally feels like when Jesus fed the 5,000. The bags seemed to keep filling up, even when we unpacked to take items to both schools. The children were very grateful and quickly began writing thank you notes. The children also decorated quilt squares so that we can sew together a quilt from Belize and hang in Johnston Hall. (With Dr. Hawkins permission, of course.) The pictures varied from tapirs to teapots. When the older children finished, they had the opportunity to help Shannon and Chelsea paint Mr. Joe's room, the garden patch, and the front of the school.

The children loved painting. It was an excellent way for them to express themselves artisticly. We think more paint ended up on the children and floor than on the walls. : ) The teachers seemed very proud of the work. After first break was finished, the classes went to different stations. The first level class, led by Dee and Elizabeth learned about picking up litter and initially putting it in a trash bin instead of throwing it on the ground. They enjoyed the healthy competition of who would pick up the most trash. The second level class split between boys and girls, with girls learning how to make sandwhiches with Gaby and Cara, and boys learning about gardening with Dr. McCuen. The third level class went with Dr. Meg and Casey to the river to learn about water pollution. After stations, a full lunch of sloppy joes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, rice and beans, chicken, juice, milk, and tamaron treats were enjoyed by all.

Several thank you and love notes were received by the girls. We were welcomed with open arms and precious smiles. The children's eagerness to help was overwhelming. In addition to the loving atmosphere, hymns and contemporary Christian music were sung; it was an uplifting sound to work to. These children needed food and water, but most of all they needed love. In such harsh conditions, it is sometimes easy to forget the essential need for gratitude, affection, and acceptance. We had plenty to go around, and we hope that we set a prime example for these children to remember.

On a wall entering the third level classroom, Casey painted, "Jesus replied, 'The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, ... The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally as important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these."' Mark 12:29-31
We were trying to emphasize kindness in the school, seeing that was what the children needed as well. Beside a map of Belize some of the children had painted, Casey also wrote, "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." -Mark Twain. As we were leaving, we noticed some of the children had taken paint to decorate the canteen. A few of the girls wrote: "Love is everywhere," on one wall. We obviously accomplished our goal. In just one day we were able to bring these children hope, with our willingness and God's grace.

Learning to Expect the Unexpected

Gaby and Dee’s entry
Learning to Expect the Unexpected
Today was our first visit to St. Lukes in Lemonal, this school is very different from St. Mary’s. The environment differs greatly as the town has a small population of 135 and it takes thirty minutes on a narrow and barren dirt road to reach the school. Many of the children have to walk barefoot a great distance to the school, and the resources are minimal. St. Lukes has three teachers one who also serves as the principal. There are 32 students in the school all of different ages. Infants I, II, and Standard I are in one class, Standards II, III, and IV are in another, and Standards V and VI are in the last class.
Coming to Belize earlier in the week was definitely a cultural shock for us all, but going to such a rural district proved to break us once again. We stepped into such a new experience, and it was heartbreaking to see that life could differ so much within Belize. Today was a hard day for us all as we have had to learn to stop expecting our plans and just let God move through us. We ask for your prayers as this trip is not about us, for we have done nothing and God has been working through us, and we must remain focused on His calling for us here. We must allow Him to give these children hope and encouragement. Even the teachers need this, and reminding them of God’s love will do more than a pack of markers and pair socks ever could do alone. Some of us played softball with the girls, threw Frisbees with the boys, and made necklaces with the younger children. We didn’t get to stay the whole day, but that is something that we are looking forward to tomorrow. We are hoping to start a new day with wonderful feelings towards our mission.

Goodbyes and Hellos: A day of transition

Today was the day we said goodbye to St. Mary’s. It is also our transition to St. Luke’s, a very small rural school in Lemonal. It was very hard to leave St. Mary’s this morning, but addresses were exchanged between our group members and the teachers. Some of us now have Belizean pen pals. The connection that was made between the members of our team and the children was amazing.

A quote posted in the principal’s office has been on our minds these past 3 days; it said “One’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.” Our minds have definitely been stretched, and we have all been changed by this experience.

The drive to Lemonal was an adventure. We rented two Isuzus to travel the long, dusty gravel road to St. Luke’s. We passed malnourished cows and horses that reminded us of the overwhelming poverty of the country. Children were just getting out of school and walking home barefooted. We arrived at St. Luke’s as the last teacher was leaving the small schoolhouse. He is one of three teachers at St. Luke’s. Only 32 children attend the school. The needs were evident as we looked around us. They need things painted, a garden, supplies, cleaning, and much more than we could ever provide. We are praying the Lord will use us greatly here. There are so many needs here, and what we can accomplish is only a drop in the bucket. While we cannot solve the problem we are helping it, which leads to the solution.

Elizabeth and Shannon

UnBELIZEable

March 17, 2009
Casey and Dee

After breakfast, at around 9:00 am, we walked to St. Mary’s. We had planned on doing writing activities with all grades besides standard VI. Each girl was assigned a standard and most taught twice. The lessons ranged from friendly letters, biography and acrostic poetry, and short stories. The lessons were received well by both students and teachers. Everyone seemed hungry to experience the more creative and imaginative side of education. We focused on writing for the upcoming literacy day St. Mary’s will be hosting for the school.
Dee focused on St. Patrick’s Day for her Standard III class. Most of the students in Belize have never heard of this holiday; they were very excited to learn new customs. They especially loved having a reason to pinch peers and even the American teachers and dentists (for not wearing green). The writing assignment was to finish the sentence: If I found a pot of gold I would… The responses ranged from buying a home, a limo, giving it to a children’s home, or attending every Hannah Montana concert (yes, she’s here too).
Casey focused on poetry. After explaining six different types of poetry from a poster she donated to both classes and discussing rhyme schemes, Casey read examples from a poetry book, wrote a short stanza on the board, and asked students to come up to the board to identify rhyme schemes. After identifying the rhyme schemes, students then looked at the poster, or sometimes remembered what they had learned earlier, and decided on what type of poem it was. After she felt that the class was comfortable with poetry, Casey worked on bio poems with Ms. Right’s class. The poems revealed many new things about her students. Many who did not finish even stayed in during break to complete their poem. Casey then moved on to Mr. Mejia’s class, where she repeated the teaching process, but did a different writing activity. This class did acrostic poems and was allowed to paint each letter of their name and then write the poem to the side.
After school let out, all of the teachers and girls met in a classroom to discuss what they had learned from each other. The girls sat panel style in front of the teachers and first gave positive comments, got feedback from their cooperative teachers and shared suggestions on how to make classrooms more effective and how to improve the overall school experience.

Just to share some personal stories we have shared with each other, we would like to write about some of our experiences in the classroom, especially since this was the last full day at St. Mary’s.
Dee had a little boy in her Standard III classroom who is very friendly and immediately took to her and the other AU girls. He loves to create origami from notebook paper and share it with our group, and creates hearts and boats very well. After the first afternoon of being in his classroom, he kept asking Dee if she was coming back, figuring that she would not since the class was a bit unruly at the end of the day. Dee pinky promised (they do that here too) him that she would return the next day, and he was thrilled to see her and the other members of the group return this morning. He loves to hang out with us during breaks and after school, and absolutely loves his picture to be taken, especially when he is pinching us (from the St. Patrick’s Day lesson). He is a precious boy, and he follows us to the end of the schoolyard every time we leave St. Mary’s waving and saying goodbye because he loves each moment he gets to spend with us. For those of you reading this, please keep this little boy in your prayers. He will be traveling to the US to have a surgery in the near future.
In Standard V, no single student stood out to Casey, instead, all of her students were her favorite part of the trip so far. Both classes welcomed her and were brimming with enthusiasm. They latched on to every word and had many questions about the South Carolinian way of life. Both teachers were very nice and welcoming as well. They were ready to let her teach if she wanted. While both of her teachers were very young, it was amazing that they respected her and what she did in the classroom. When she let the students know that she would not be coming back, they were generally disappointed and saddened by her departure. While walking around, several students dropped off notes and poems they had written for her. The fact that the older students opened their hearts to her and let her in was very encouraging and uplifting. She even gave them (after requests) a picture of herself for them to keep.
Shannon had a little boy who most probably has autism. Although her teacher was a very good educator, she just did not know how to handle the boy. Within two days, Shannon, with the help of our professors, was able to help the little boy achieve so much more and not be a distraction to his classmates. Today, during discussion, her teacher praised her on her effective methods. This was definitely one of the best compliments one could receive as an educator.
Gabby’s class had some behavior problems, so she put together a simple set of rules and introduced a behavior chart. Mr. Taylor was very appreciative and even mentioned it to the other teachers at the meeting. It seemed to work very well for the students and help keep them on task.
In just two days time, the Belizean children have reached out and grabbed the girls’ hearts.

Meeting the children

After going to sleep at 10 pm we got a good nights’ rest. We woke up bright and early and started our day with a good breakfast. We walked to St. Mary’s Anglican School which is five minutes’ walk from where we are staying. The students start school every week by going to chapel where they sing songs and recite the Lord’s Prayer. After, they dismiss chapel to start their classes. The classrooms are very small and without air conditioning and lights while some are lucky enough to have fans. We each were assigned a classroom all in different grades. Their system of placement is in standards instead of grades (example: grade 3 = standard 1). Some of us were lucky enough to have experienced teachers while others had fairly new teachers with little experience in a classroom and little to no training. For these teachers placed in a school, it is similar to leaving high school and starting out as a first year teacher. They lack the experience that we as education majors gain through observation and instruction time. After school was let out we went shopping for supplies that we needed for our lesson that we will be teaching tomorrow. On the way back some of the girls saw a street vendor selling jewelry who also informed us about some of the history of Belize. Most of us have come to a realization of how lucky we are and how much we take for granted. As we ended the night by dividing the school supplies for the two schools, we realized what a blessing our friends, family and community have been. We have so many materials to share with the children and teachers—it is amazing!! As American future teachers, we have come to realize that if run out of materials for our classrooms we can easily go to Target or Wal-mart that night. In Belize that isn’t possible as the government controls even the teacher’s salary and that is all they provide for the schools. Everything else that the schools have or need must be donated or bought by the teachers. We all have a greater appreciation for how much our government values education!

First Impressions

After 3 hours of traveling from rainy Charlotte, North Carolina, we arrived in sunny Belize City. We managed to make it through customs easily with all 19 bags plus personal items in tow. With so many bags and 9 people, it was difficult to get a taxi. Half of our group managed to get a taxi within 5 minutes; however, 4 were left to wait 20 minutes for another taxi big enough to carry the rest of the luggage and the remaining members of our team. The taxi ride was an adventure in itself. We realized quickly that the traffic laws in Belize are not enforced. The roads had no lanes, and the taxi driver never stopped at a signal stop sign. This adventure led us 10 miles from airport to the Chateau Caribbean where we will be staying until Wednesday. The hotel is a charming place that is right on the sparkling water. We unloaded the rest of our bags, claimed our rooms, changed clothes, and headed to the dining room. Most of the team is very adventurous at trying new foods and juices. Fresh lime, papaya, and watermelon juices are some of our favorites so far. After a delicious meal ranging from cheeseburgers to rice and beans, most of the group went exploring. Like most tourists, we enjoyed taking pictures along our walk around the community. The reason for the walk was not only to take pictures, but to look at the school we will be working at, St. Mary’s School. The remainder of the afternoon was spent reading and napping. After a few hours of rest and recuperation, we meet in the dining room for dinner. Again, the group tried new foods and enjoyed a pleasant dinner together. Traveling so far from home is exhausting. Our group plans to relax and go to bed early so we will be ready to go to school at 8:30 in the morning. Continue to pray for our safety and our attitudes that they will be glorifying to God. Pray for those we will come in contact with, the children, and our willingness to serve.

Not much longer

With 36 hours left, the seven college girls and two "experienced" professors all plan for last minute preparations. I am sure I am not the only one who checks and double checks, makes a list and checks it twice, and finds just one more thing that could be taken. We will all miss friends and family but know that this is an opportunity for us all to grow in so many ways. We plan to "give" so much on this trip and sometimes forget how much we will really receive in return. We are nine women on a mission!