Go Home Mickey, This Isn't Disneyland!

The visitors have returned.  Guess they didn't read my last post about how they weren't welcomed. This time they didn't even wait until we were home; just greeted us when we arrived late tonight.  I mean what do they think we are running here, a hotel?  I like animals and all but if they keep up these rude visits then I will just have to take drastic measures. Sorry PETA, but Micky has to die!

Going to be up late tonight in prayer.  I would pray the whole "I'll go to Africa" prayer but since I'm already on the mission field I think it's a moot point. Seriously, I'm feeling a burden for the Arctic region -polar bears need God too you know.

Life Is a Highway

This is a very common image around here...yes, we even Facebook and twitter to each other in the same room.  

The scorpion that was over my bed on my last trip to PG.  Thankfully one of the local girls killed it - bad news was she thought it would be funny to chase me with it afterward. 

  

Hey! Anyone missing a fish? 

(This was caught by one of the men here in the church,  he brought it for us to eat.)

A rare find: soda in a can. Double treat: It's a Dr. Pepper!

All soda is either in a plastic or glass bottle and you can only find Coke Cola products here.

Bro. Joiner found this for our peanut butter lover, Korena.  Ladies and Gentleman I present to you peanut butter and jelly....IN ONE JAR!  (sadly it doesn't taste very good...but don't tell Korena that.)

Josey styling her very own pair of Crocs....aren't they cute? 

Darlina Joiner - ready to shop! 

Several Mennonite girls playing.  Shipyard is a Mennonite community about 5 miles from our home here in Guinea Grass.  So far it's some of the most beautiful country I've seen.

Normally the Mennonite children will run away from a picture, however this boy decided he was going to pose. 

"I don't think we are in Kansas anymore, Toto."

Mennonite horse and buggy at one of the local stores in Shipyard. 

Lessons Belize Has Taught Me - Part 2

#1 

My roommates like to keep the A/C on freezing.

 “Um, you guys I think the song is suppose to be “Baby, It’s Cold OUTSIDE.”

#2

It’s necessary to wait a month to tell me that a hot shower is possible.

#3

Checking heads for lice is apparently part of teaching.  

#4

Somehow buying American clothes in a Belize thrift store is cooler then shopping at the Salvation Army in the USA.

#5

It’s amazing the lengths a kid will go to get out of school. 

“Honey, you don’t have a fever, you feel fine. No, sister, it’s in the bones...fever in the bones.”

#6

Don’t freak out if you have a black tail appear under the door near your bed. It’s just the dog who lays outside; for some reason his tail is wagging. 

#7

No, that isn’t your dog’s chew toy you hear squeaking. It’s just the mice

#8

Cooking dinner is like feeding an army. Guess this is what it’s like having a large family.

#9

There is nothing like the possibility of a hurricane to make you realize you are still an American tourist at heart. 

#10

Nothing beats listening to a scary story during a rain storm, at night, without electricity. 

This Crazy, Everyday Life...

Our youngest missionary.....Josey Hernandez. This is the youngest grandchild for the Joiner's and is Haley Joiner-Hernandez's first child. She is so cute and precious. 

My first student, ready for school to start with her cute smile.  Marklay Joiner started kindergarden this year and was so proud of her new uniform and backpack. 

The first place I stayed at for two weeks before moving upstairs to the girls dorm. 

Korena (in the middle) with several of the girls here from Guinea Grass and the pastor's daughter from PG.

Yes, RadioShack is everywhere...even in Mexico. 

My crazy roommates decided to play in the rain storm one night. 

R: Lupia, Chelsea (roommate), Korena (roommate)

My roommate, Korena with two of our school girls. 

Got a craving for Burger King and Starbucks.  So we traveled about an hour to Mexico to eat and shop at the mall.  Got a few cute items but I think next time we are going to McDonald's...the chicken sandwich doesn't taste the same. 

Coca-Cola has a big plant near by, every one drinks Coke products.  You can either get a Coke in a plastic or the old fashion, glass bottles.  I haven't seen a can since I got here. 

Punta Gorda

How do I put into words and select pictures that would give you, the reader, an idea of what my life here is like?  As much as I try, I don’t know how successful I will be in sharing the wealth of information I have learned in my (almost) one month here in Belize.  As many of you know, the youth group here traveled to the daughter work located in Punta Gorda, or locally known as PG.  This beautiful region is about a four hour drive from my home here in Guinea Grass; longer if you are taking a slower vehicle like the church bus.  Belize is sectioned off into “districts”, with each district having a capital “city.”   Unlike the United States, we don’t have “cities” but “villages”  most simply a small collection of homes with a few local stores run out of the front of someones home.  

PG is the capital of the Toledo District and is the most southernmost town in Belize. The land is beautiful and mostly rain forrest but extremely poor economy wise.  Right on the water you can see the border of Guatemala from the shore.  The town is populated mostly with Mayan Indians, Guatemalan and Honduras immigrants. There is also a large population from the nearby Caribbean islands. 

The church we visited was comprised of Kekchi Indians from the local town and neighboring villages. These people are very poor, living out of dirt floor shacks and walking to church since they don’t own vehicles.  I got the pleasure of visiting these people a few days after I arrived here in Belize. This last trip I stayed three days, staying at a “resort” that was located on some land owned and run by a group of Mayan Indians. 

Waiting to take our stuff to the “girls dorm” room. Needless to say it wasn’t your normal “five star” hotel. 

One of the Mayan homes on the “resort” land where we stayed. This is actually a nicer home then most in the area. Many are simply made out of dirt floors, tin roofs and bamboo like walls.  For those living in Southern California and have seen the shacks of TJ, Mexico, those homes would be weather then many in the PG area. 

While not luxurious by any standards, it was a pool with clean water and cold. We spent most of the day on Friday swimming and “laying out by the pool.” For those of you that are wondering, no we didn’t have bathing suits so we just went in our street clothes. And no we didn't swim together...the guys and girls took turns using the pool.

Friday evening’s service at the church in PG.  The men sit on one side of the church while the women sit on the other. The “church” is simply a concrete garage with wooden benches that are low to the ground for seats.  

On the way home we took a short cut which included us traveling over this “bridge.” It was held up by wooden posts and the tracks looked like they were coming apart.  Most of us got out of the bus and walked over the bridge in case the bridge couldn’t hold the weight. 

One of two rivers we have to cross on our way to PG. Due to recent floods and storms the older bridge was destroyed (the remains you can see sticking out of the water).  This bridge is even smaller and more rickety then the one pictured above. There is always people bathing and washing in the water when we drive by. 

A typical home on the way to PG and even around Belize in general. Most homes are small or constantly in the process of construction. Most people build as they have the money so homes may not be done for years.  

It was a long journey there and back. The bus blew a tire on the way home which left us stranded on the side of the road for about two hours. Lorraine Joiner decided to simply take a nap....

The Visitors

We had our first “guests,” sad to say they were very rude and completely unexpected. Thankfully I didn’t meet them but my roommate, Korena was there to greet them. Have you ever had unexpected guests before?  Worse yet these “guests” were very much unwelcome as well.  Let me say, visiting in the middle of the night and scaring someone isn’t nice. I mean, who likes to be woken from a dead sleep, by your “guests” running across your face and down your arms? Not me I can tell you that. Yet, our visitors did just that and didn’t even bat an eyelid. To make matters worse they then helped themselves to some of our food we had left out.  They liked banana's we found out, and were total slobs by leaving it half eaten.  

So out of fear they might stop by, we have now moved all the food downstairs into our old apartment. This means that any time we want a snack or to eat breakfast, we must get dressed before marching downstairs.  Part of me is seriously considering moving back downstairs until they need the room.  But the huge A/C and double bathroom is keeping me upstairs for now. The shower is also in on the conspiracy by teasing me with the semi-warm water it spurts out when I step under it’s somewhat inviting stream. I just have to remember not to touch the shower head, as I’ve heard it gives a mean shock.  Maybe if I bribe them with cheese they will go and leave us alone? 

I never have liked mice or rats before......

Wait! Did you think I was talking about people? :)