Monday, November 24, 2008

Back to the Jungle!

Tabor and I left the cold and snow of Columbus at around 5:30 on Friday morning. I finished packing at around 2 am, and managed about 45 minutes of sleep before it was time to head for the airport!

The flights were uneventful, and perfectly timed so that we had no difficulty between flights. The exception was my fascination with blankets at Brookstone, and the time flew by. I realized that at 12:25 we probably should be on our plane - the one headed to Belize at 12:40. We got to the gate just as they were making the final boarding call for the McLaughlins. Oooops.

After four flights, and dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Dangriga, we headed to Ray and Becki's house. Quite interesting to sleep in the house I helped build. Of course, I'm noticing all of the drywall work, and wondering if I should have made it just a little smoother. All in all, it looks pretty good for an amateur!

Saturday brought some tropic thunder, and a rainy day. It was perfect to catch up on sleep! I had a wonderful afternoon nap, and guess what we had for dinner - rice, beans, and chicken! Tabor and I helped by making the tortillas, which are now 'passable' for the authentic. We found we probably need to let them rise a little longer to get the puffier version that the Mayan women are experts at. (yes, I ended with a preposition. Forgive me).

Saturday was restful and low key. Sunday was church - almost all day. Remember that nothing is close in terms of time here. It took an hour and a half to drive to church, maybe 40 miles. There is ALWAYS a surprise when you go to church in Belize. Yesterday, it was Harvest Day. Several churches gathered at one location for the service, and each family brought an item to represent the harvest. Some brought oranges, others brought flowers, cakes decorated wtih fruits and sprinkles, papaya, grapefruit still on the branches, corn in the husks, and get this - coffee beans and cacoa pods - the stuff chocolate is made from!! Did I mention several live chickens?

The children and youth paraded the stuff in, and helpers placed it all in a market - type stall outside. After the service, you could buy anything that the people brought, and the money was used for the church.

I only know a couple of Mayan words, but one of them is bo tik. Bo tik means thank you, and I heard it so many times yesterday, that I knew without a doubt that every one of the people in the church yesterday was truly thankful for all that God has provided.

As we think about our Thanksgiving week, and where it all started, it probably wasn't far off from the vision I had yesterday. People from the community, bringing what they had, and celebrating the goodness of God together.

If you are reading the blog, and enjoy it, please send an email to us: leahkm@ameritech.net. Last time, we felt like we were posting things for no reason, only to find out much later that people felt like they were right here with us. Your encouragement is very much appreciated!!

Leah and Tabor