Belize

Last weekend, my friend Karina and I went to visit Len and Carrie Blauwkamp in Caye Caulker, Belize. Here's a look at our adventure!













The border of Belize and Guatemala: we were instructed to get out of the bus and walk all our stuff across the border!






















Once we crossed the border into Belize, we followed a bicycle race the entire way into Belize City...ask me how I felt about that slow trip!

















I got my hair braided by Anita, the hairbraider who has been on the island for 7 years now.
















A beautiful Belizian sunset















Len, Carrie, and me at a smoothie joint on the ocean.

A beautiful Belizian sunrise

Randomly, on the island, I found a sign pointing the kilometers to Kalamazoo MI!!!!

Of course, we get back into Guate and...NO POWER at the bus station

And...not on the island...Kiersten Ann Witte!!!!

Servant Days

The past week has been full of adventures, stories, and amazing opportunites...too many for one post, so I'll start with servant days. The freshmen class (21 students), along with five adults (ha, yes, I am an adult) headed out last Thursday morning for Pixabaj. Pixabaj is in the region of Solala, one of the poorest areas of Guatemala. In addition, it has the highest rate of illiteracy in the country. You may wonder, "how did you end up there?" Well, it's a phenomenal story.

Carlos Nevarez, a dad of a whole slew of students at our school, used to live/work at a children's home with his family. Through a string of events, he got connected with the pastor in Pixabaj. On his first visit to the village, the pastor presented Carlos with a petition from 12 families, pleading Carlos to help educate their children. It was signed with thumbprints because the parents could not write their own names. Carlos took the plea to heart, and raised money for the children to go to school. After two years of this, God laid it on his heart that he was not necessarily being a good steward of money. For the same amount of money it costs to send 12 students to school, Carlos could pay an entire staff at a separate school. So, he started raising money, asking for supporters, prayer, and after two years The Christian Academy of Pixabaj opened, completely funded by donation. On opening day, last January, the first generation of children in the area who will ever be able to read and write Spanish entered school. Since it is a Christian school, this is the first generation of children who will ever be able to READ the Bible for themselves. THAT is a story of grace and peace!

The goal is for the school to host 400 students in its 11 rooms. There are two sessions a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Our task was to prepare three of the new upstairs classrooms. In addition to many little tasks, we completely sanded the rooms by hand, primed them all, and painted the ceilings. A team is coming this week to finish the painting. We also whitewashed some of the outside of the school. I felt a bit like Huck Finn when I had five little indigenous girls whitewashing for me ;)

In typical YL fashion, I had the student blowing up latex gloves on their heads in some downtime...

The unanticipated hitch in our trip: vehicles broke down TWICE, which made us hit a road block and a 3 hour trip turned into a six hour trip!

Update

A few minor things to update:

1) I have A NEW NIECE! Kirsten Ann was born at 8:11 today, and weighs 6lb 11oz. Poor Noah is going to have to learn to adjust to a little sister. Scott and Mark can address how big an adjustment that is ;)

2) Current leaders in the posting battle: Phyllis 6, Hannah 4, Mom 3...many others tied at 2.

3) Check out how insanely cool Trinity is...all you who ever questioned the Troll will surely enjoy this. http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/news/story?id=3224604

Recent happenings...

(we had the school play last week--The Princess Bride--Erin, among other parts, was the priest. "mawwage is what bwings us togedder today.")

The weeks are flying by! I can't believe I've been here for a month and half already. The past couple weeks have been really fulfilling. My classes are going well, and I've seen some students really kick it in gear and work harder than they have all year. Some highlights inlcude the super amazing Middle Ages project my social studies class completed--the process ended in a knighting ceremony; check out the pictures :)

A funny moment from that class: One of my Korean students was writing about the importance of the printing press, and he wrote, "if Johann Gutenburg hadn't created the printing press, then communists would never be able to read books." Yeah, he meant commoners, but hey, I'm sure the communists are grateful too!

Monday night ESL classes at a local church are FUN but challenging--try explaining to a person who knows very little English how to say the word "would." Then add on the fact that Spanish is much more of a phonetic language than English, and you get "wooooulllllld" with some funny head movements. We're making progress though!

A few prayer requests for the next weeks:

1) Next Thursday-Saturday we have servant days. High school classes go out of the city to serve at different missions for a few days, middle schoolers do day trips around the city, and the elementary students work at school. I am a freshmen class sponser, and we're going to Pixabaj to work on a school that was recently built up there. Pray for safety in all the travels and that the students can put themselves aside and experience true servanthood.

2) I a couple weeks I have the opportunity to volunteer with International Justice Mission--an organization that works against injustice worldwide. In Guatemala it is specifically focused on freeing children from sex slavery in and around the city area. A girl at my church is a lawyer for IJM, and I'm going with her and others from my church just to hang out with the children and give them a "joy day." Basically a party so, even for a few hours, they can be kids and not immersed in the pain of their daily lives. Pray for that day, the kids, and the victims of atrocities like this, and the amazing organizations that are working HARD to bring joy and freedom to these people.

1. Elisa the Enforcer with her coat of arms and sword.

2. Rebeca with the MOST AMAZING CASTLE EVER!

3. Armando being dubbed a Knight.