Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Great Girlfriend Giveaway!

Hi all!

Yes, it's been a week since I posted anything. My mom is due back from Belize any minute now, and I am anxious to hear the perspective of a 70 year-old woman, traveling to the west. She did "train the teacher" training for people from all areas of Belize, and stayed in the cities of San Ignacio, and then Belize City, so she did not get to experience the fun of the creek, or the fun of the swarming bugs!

She did, however, manage to find a house out west that I could easily afford. Some developers are trying to entice Americans there, offering subdivisions that rival southern Florida, for around $250K (starting prices). LOTS cheaper than Naples, but that's not the kind of house I can easily afford. The one she picked was around $25,000. Can't wait to see it! I wonder if it has indoor plumbing!!

OH - You are probably wondering about the title "Great Girlfriend Giveaway." I am attempting to downsize (to a $28K in west Belize???) and have way too much stuff to accommodate. Rather than having a garage sale, I would much rather give it away to my friends first, then I'll donate what's left. If you ever wanted a coconut monkey, I happen to have one, up for grabs!!

Call me, or just show up Saturday, July 26th at 6pm!! 614-783-5529

Thanks everyone!!

One more thing - Many of you know how passionate I am about childhood obesity, and the dangers it presents to the next generation. Obesity is one of the leading causes of heart disease, and we are seeing a marked increase of young adults with high blood pressure, heart failure and stroke. I am raising money for the American Heart Association to assist in the campaign for a healthier generation. My goal is to raise $2000 to Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation of $25?

Visit the link below, and thanks so much for considering it!

Leah

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=258537&lis=0&kntae258537=B8933C36A99B4670932A6195446A5CFA

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

The VIDEO you've been waiting for!!

Hi All!!

We found the very unusual connection cable to the pink camera, and have managed to transfer the Sensitive Plant video. I like this first one much better than the second, although I wished I had "macro" on for this one for getting better resolution with the small leaves.

Hope you like it!!

Leah and Tabor, your host!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

The Mayan Ruins



On our last full day in Belize, Ray took us on a cross country tour. Pretty funny that you can do that in a single morning!

We made a couple of stops, first stop was at this Amish place for breakfast. We had heard it was great food, but had never had the chance to stop. We read the breakfast menu and decided on breakfast burritos. Yeah, can't get enough tortillas! I was thinking of McDonald's breakfast burritos, and thought two of those for breakfast should be good. $7 for breakfast. That's $3.50 to you and me! Oh, and the burritos - not quite the size of Chipotle, but definitely 2-3 times a McDonald's one! Tabor and I shared one plate.


Next stop, Pastor Marcos' house. He is the pastor of the Nazarene church in the village of Armenia. I kept thinking "Albania? Argentina? Algeria?" It was humbling to be in his home. We walked down a path barely worn in the grass, past the mother hens and their offspring, running the other direction. We entered through the low door, into a two room home. The concrete floor was swept clean, and the two chairs looked comfortable, but well worn. The hammock was tied up toward the ceiling in an overhand knot, and the the thin mattress was against the wall for the day. We stepped down into the kitchen area. Against one wall, there was a small stove, and for a pantry, two short wooden shelves with some oil, seasonings, and a few items on the shelves. Out one door was a low shed - probably the chicken coop - and out the other, a small yard. Kittens dashed in and out, while Tabor held the mamma cat on his lap, stroking her contendly.


In this 'kitchen' area, there was no table. But, in the middle of the room, was another hammock, cradling the smallish frame of the pastor, in black pants and blue short sleeve shirt. He has had a fever for five days, with death a real possibility. Justa, his wife, told us of how she spent the night watching him, and then at 1:30 in the morning, he began to shake with chills. She covered him with her body, to try to warm him. There were no blankets in sight. I could sense her helplessness in recounting her night of "in sickness and in health."


We prayed with Pastor Marcos before we left, and trusted for God to heal him, whether by supernatural intervention, or by a doctor's hand. He needs two surgeries - one for a cyst on his liver, and another to have gall stones removed. The doctors won't see him until he pays for half of the surgeries up front. He doesn't have the money. $10,000? No. $5,000? No. $1000? No. Four hundred dollars. Two surgeries for $400. That's less than what I would have to pay for surgery for my dog. Or even a root canal. Or some weekends at the mall. That's some food for thought.


Next stop - Belmopan and the Art Box. The art box is a shop run by Christians, so we are encouraged to support them. BEAUTIFUL handcrafted wood products are a highlight. You can check out their website via Ray's blog - he gets a percentage of sales if you click through from his - http://www.neusnews.blogspot.com/


Ray had to stop in Belmopan to get his cell phone activated, then we were finally on our way to the 'main attraction' of the day - Xunantunich - a Mayan ruin just 8 miles from Guatemala. What a spectacular site! I love old architecture, so this was right up my alley. And did I mention, it was also quite a workout!

We went to Benny's for lunch, an outdoor place that has great food - looks funny, tastes great. We stopped by the camp where my mom will be spending next week, helping to train teachers for children. We swung by the local naz church where they were working on the ceiling, then headed back to Belmopan for ray's phone. And some bolts. Tabor and I explored another market. Gas is so expensive, you have to cover lots of errands in a single trip.





We went back through Armenia to see how Pastor marcos was doing, and he was at least in the chair, which we took as a good sign. He had received some antibiotics the day before, so they were beginning to help. We were also surprised to see the church next door teeming with 75 children there for vacation bible school!! It was exciting to see the volunteers, and to hear them speak of how great God is. One of the ladies is from Florida, and came to help her daughter and son-in-law hold this bible school for the kids. Two of the kids were left locked in their home all day while the parents worked - young kids. Another pair of brothers couldn't attend until they finished their work, so they went to the markets at 4am to finish by 8 am. Wow. Again, we seem so lazy in comparison.

Finally, we made it back to the camp, and Remigia had made pizza for our "last supper." I had asked for her to make something that we could all share, including her family. Her three sons had all come for an extended visit, along with a new grandbaby. We had a great time, and Tabor taught Felize how to play "Battleship".


This entry is so long! Thanks for sticking with it to the end. Here are some great views from the top of Xunantunich.










Leah and Tabor

Monday, July 7, 2008

Scorpion count - 1, Spider Count - 2, Gecko - 1


Okay, last time I was in Belize, I kept a running total of the number of scorpions i killed. I made it up to 8. As of today, I've only whacked one. Disappointing.


Spiders - you know what's worse than finding a spider in the bathroom in the morning? Going back to get your shoe and not being able to find it!! I was getting ready on Saturday, did just that, and couldn't find the spider ANYWHERE!! I eyed my cosmetic bag, with the zipper undone, and thought, hmm, wonder if he's in there. I forgot about it, until I reached in and he came flying out. EWWWWWW!! Yes, that gave me the heebie jeebies!


Oh, and about the gecko...it was an accident, and apparently, he was only MOSTLY dead. And as everyone knows, MOSTLY dead is SLIGHTLY ALIVE!! So, the gecko has been set free, and is scampering about, tailless. But i had nothing to do with that, that's how we found him.


Saturday, July 5, 2008

Just a couple of pictures for you!





This is Zoyla, the pastor's wife from Silk Grass. She's a quiet, petite woman, but I think she has an inner strength and wisdom that isn't visible to just anyone. She is a pillar in her community, and a wonderful example of love and humility.








This is Margarita and her oldest daughter, Elsa. Elsa is 11 years old, outgoing, and very charming! Margarita has an endless smile and an open heart. She wants to see her church thrive, and is praying for a leader for Pomona.




These are Margarita's other two daughters - Myrna and Sandra. Myrna would NOT give up my camera yesterday, and insisted that we have our picture taken altogether. I taught her how to do a 'self portrait!'
It seems that the "bunny ear" thing is universal, and Myrna gets Tabor at his own game!

Bandwidth issues

Sorry to disappoint everyone, but we couldn't post the video - it timed out before it loaded. We'll be sure to do it when we get home!

About today --

This morning, I had my first experience of actually driving in a foreign country. I also picked up two sets of hitchhikers -- the first set was two young boys. Their father is a household caretaker in a village called Gale's Point, their mother lives in Hummingbird Village. Their mother is ill, and the boys were going to visit. They were YOUNG, maybe 15 and 12. And the one-way trip for them was about 30 miles. They hopped a ride on a tractor for part of the way, and I picked them up near the camp, and took them to the junction, where they planned to get a bus north. So, I took them about 7 miles down the "coastal highway". That's the name of it, but it resembles a US highway NOT in the least. Imagine a farm, where the owner has driven a tractor on it a few times -- that is BETTER than the HIGHWAY!

Remember a couple of weeks ago, a tropical storm blew through, and then last Friday, the entire village flooded. Well, when that happens, the Coastal Highway becomes its own raging river, collecting water and funneling it toward the Mullins River. When that happens, the loose dirt is washed away, leaving open pits, huge rocks, and a 'washboard' effect on the road. You can make fun noises as you bump your way to the paved road 7 miles away. It takes about 20 minutes to make that trek.

Today, I drove to the village of Silk Grass - with just Tabor - and picked up some ladies from the village that we learned with yesterday. They were so excited to go and meet with the ladies from Pomona. It was difficult to get them to start talking yesterday, but today, I asked 'who would like to tell the story today' and one of the ladies quickly volunteered. They truly want to learn how to tell stories, and make the gospel alive to those around them. I don't know how many times I heard today, "I want to learn!" It was very, very cool.

We drove to Pomona, and met with four people there. We planned to tell new stories, but the ladies from yesterday wanted to tell the same stories so that they could learn them even better! Again, very, very cool. It was a great experience for all of us. Then, they started speaking in Mayan, which is easier for them. I'm hoping it wasn't because they wanted to leave me out. But I found myself just listening intently, hoping to catch a few words. If they don't have a mayan word for something, they often use English or perhaps a Spanish word, and I guess I somehow feel satisfied when I hear one of them say something I actually know. I know about 7 mayan words now, including a couple of fruits, how are you, I am fine, and I'm hungry. Just the niceties and the important things - feed me!

Not so cool - trying to fit 13 people in a car made for 7!! We like to live by the philosophy, there's always room for one more. However, in this case, one more would have had to have been very small, or have to ride on the roof!! We were nearing that point!

Okay, before everyone starts to go into shock that we were driving 13 people around in a car, we did drop off three of them before we got back on the highway. This is the Hummingbird Highway, however, which is actually paved. We tried to make it as smooth as possible for the girls in the back, but I couldn't guarantee it when we hit the sleeping policemen a little faster than we should have. Thank goodness the car is a rental - and Ray already cut the tires on the rocks on the Coastal Highway.

On the way home, Tabor and I stopped at the local Shell station. We picked up some Coke Lights and a package of homemade cookies. We stopped and picked up a woman and her daughter, who were coming back from Belize City. They took part of the trip on the bus, and were hoping for a ride to where she had parked her bicycle. I told her I could take her as far as the bridge, and she said her bike was at the "spanish-people's house". Ironically, I KNEW exactly who the Spanish people were! They live right across from the camp where we are staying, so I took Phyllis and her daughter Elizabeth to the bike, and they rode the bike the rest of the way to Mullins River Village - maybe another 2 miles or so.

Once we got back to camp, we made quesadillas with the tortillas left over from breakfast, and tried to post the video of tabor with his plant demo. It didn't work, as you know!

Tabor helped Remigia in the kitchen, making mashed potatoes and cutting up a whole chicken. Yes, the kind with bones and all the parts attached! The potatoes were incredible. He also single-handedly made oatmeal cookies, AND lit the gas stove himself with the lighter. He's more confident already!

Hmmmm...it just started pouring rain, and I am 40 feet from my room. Last night Tabor and I walked back without a flashlight. It is so incredibly dark here, that we LITERALLY could not see the house until we were 5 feet from it. I was absolutely amazed. I'm glad there was nothing lurking in the grass! Tonight, I remembered the flashlight, and Tabor has already gone back to get a shower for church tomorrow, so the lights are on. I think he likes not having to take a bath every day. No point here, really.

Tabor played on the computer, and Ray and I played a word game, trying to see how many words we could make from the sign on the refridge. Try your hand at this yourself:

Soda
Large Water
Small Water
No change please, only bills.
Thank you.

Yes, you can only use the letters that are actually there - one i, no f's. I found out that Ray is a big fan of boggle, and 'slightly' competitive, so the two of us made this game last a lot longer than either of us thought.

Did you find "egregious?" Yep, that's fun in the jungle!!

Leah and Tabor

Friday, July 4, 2008

Happy July 4th!

It's kind of interesting to be in another country for July 4th. I miss the fireworks, and as many of you know, I LOVE to be downtown in the middle of everything for Red White and Boom. Tabor and I wished each other a happy 4th, but that was the extent of the holiday celebrations. I guess we did get a little "fireworks" when we went to the local hot sauce factory, Marie Sharp's. GREAT STUFF. Tabor asked for a bottle small enough to carry on the airplane, so he could put it on his airline food. I didn't have the heart to tell him the hot sauce may not be that good on a bag of pretzels.

Today we spent the day with the ladies in the church of Silk Grass. Eight women met with me and Tabor, and we talked about the story of the persistent widow in Luke 18. She was a woman with no status, having no husband to speak for her, coming to this powerful man. Yet because she believed so strongly in what she needed (justice), she came every day asking. What is so important in your life, that you will bring it up to God every day? Job? Circumstances? Love life? The one thing that kept coming up from the ladies today was that they pray for their families to see the love of Christ so that they will come to know Him. Good one!

We took some of the ladies to another village (actually, most of them - 9 people in all in a Toyota XR-7), to invite ladies from that church to share in some stories tomorrow. The goal is to teach them how to do the stories, then they can share the stories with others. The Bible is full of treasures, if we take the time to look.

Tabor is loving the plants and animals here. He discovered a plant that when you touch the leaves, it curls up. He knew all about this plant, having read about it in a book. But today, he discovered that if you touch the stem, the stem actually wilts too. He said that this is the plant's defense mechanism, so that it looks unappetizing to herbivores (his words). We got a demonstration and commentary on my camera, but I didn't have the chip in. We still got it, but it's on the camera memory and I don't have a way to put it on my computer yet. I'll try to see if he can give another demo, then post it to the blog.

Guess what was for dinner? Yep, chicken and rice!! It was great! It was cooked with carrots, onions, green peppers, and some of the spice from Marie Sharp's. I picked some up today, so I'll be sure to try this one out on the unsuspecting people at home!

Tabor is making our tortillas for breakfast tomorrow. He also learned how to light a gas stove with a match. He doesn't like anything potentially dangerous, so this was a big step for him. However, he is very adept at scrambled eggs, and this morning was no exception. Oh, did I mention the mangoes? They were "okay" by Belizian standards, but out of this world for central Ohio!

Thanks for taking the time to check out the blog. More later!!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Stay away from RED ANTS!!

Tabor and I arrived without incident in Belize yesterday (Wednesday) at around 11am. We got through customs with minimal invasion, and proceded to the airport, which is essentially one big room with ticket counters (for Continental, Tropic Air, and Mayan Air). A separate terminal holds American Airlines.


We checked in for our 'connecting flight' on a Cessna Grand Caravan. And yes, it did frighten me that the airplane and a Dodge share the same name. You could, however, fit more people comfortably in the Dodge, even without the third row seats.


Before departing, however, we went to the airport restaurant for our last cheeseburger and fries for at least a week. Oh, and a Coke "light". Not diet. It kind of tastes like Tab, if you're old enough to remember it before it was an energy drink.


So we fly without incident (minor turbulance, and some minutes of being enveloped in clouds) from Belize City to Dangriga. The dangriga "airport" consists of a landing strip (don't overshoot it or you'll be in the Caribe) and two building, each about 10x12. One is the "terminal" for Tropic Air, the other for Mayan Air. It's the funniest thing -- the pilot lands, drives toward this little one room building on stilts, buzzes around, and lets you out - but you have to crawl over all the people sitting behind you, which for tabor and me, was everyone. Lots more room in the minivan, I assure you, but we still had 12 people in there!!


Oh, and "baggage claim" -- some guys grab your bags from under the plane and throw them over a split-rail fence. Then you walk down the 30 foot-long driveway to your car!! It certainly is different. I didn't ask about their frequent flier plan.


The good news is that plane trip saved us about 3 hours in a van. The plane ride was about 12 minutes. Good trade.


Ray Neu, the missionary here, picked us up (by the split rail fence) and we went to the local market. This is best described as flies, fruits, and fun in the humidity, under tarps. We got some great stuff, though. Delicious pineapple that we had with lunch today, mangoes, and tomatoes - completely free of e Coli. (I hope). Then, to the grocery. There were some things that we are used to seeing, including Betty Crocker frosting, and things we aren't, like weird parts of chicken in a freezer. Oh, and it's not like Walmart's freezer with the glass doors to look through. It's 3 of these big freezer chests lined up, with a hand made sign telling you what's in it. Shrimp, chicken, beef, french fries, and ice cream. But not necessarily visible. You have to dig for it! There was not a "Lean Cuisine" or Healthy Choice meal in sight!! Boy, am I in trouble!


We arrived at the camp to familiar faces, and settled in. Tabor and I are in our own little dorm, instead of one of the big dorms down the hill. The caretakers, Ray the missionary, and the dining room are all within 50 yards of us. That's a little safer than us being down and around the bend.


Today, we helped clean the windows of the house, scraping off concrete and paint, so that the 'burglar bars' could be put up. Tabor got tired of that after about the second window, so after lunch, he and Ray filled 5 gallon buckets with rocks to fill in the mud puddles in the drive. Not only does it keep you from getting stuck in the mud, it hopefully will prevent mosquitoes from breeding there. Not like they don't have plenty of OTHER places.


Which leads me to the next topic of the day - bug bites. I have no idea how many I have, but apparently, bottle flies think I am very tasty. You can't feel them biting, but they draw blood, so you know they've been there. I had no fewer than 7 sites on my right shin alone, and three on my elbow. I'm trying to figure out why elbows are so tasty, but I haven't a clue.


Mosquitoes - probably at least 20 bites, and the 100% deet was not that much of a deterrent.

And fire ants -- yeah, not pleasant. I stepped near some while I was working, and before I knew it, my feet were covered, and I was bitten at least 12 times. I don't mind the bugs here - I've seen the scorpions and lots of spiders, and even leaf cutter ants - I just don't like the ones that attack me.


After we finished working, we came back to the house, and Felize, the camp caretaker, came knocking on our door. We heard earlier in the day the call of toucans (yes, those toucans), and he had us come look! There was one in a tree near the house, but pretty high up. It's call sounds a lot like a frog, and it was calling for neighbors, because in a matter of about 20 seconds, there were 4 toucans in a tree! It was so cool!!

Unfortunately, my camera is not powerful enough to get a good picture, but Felize lent us his binoculars, and Tabor figured out that we could take the picture through the binoculars.


It's 8pm in the jungle, and I am exhausted. I am looking forward to the shower, even if it is cold, and crawling into bed. Tomorrow, we will be up at 6am, breakfast at 7, and on our way to Silk Grass to teach some women at the local church about Bible storying. I am a little nervous about it, but I think it will be just fine!!

Leah and Tabor