Four days flew by.....

I cannot believe the time is going so fast. I have been at the school four days. I fell right in to the flow of things like I was never even gone. Felt more like I had been gone for a sick day or something. The children are a little taller and some look like they grew up but other than that I am just here again. I love these children. I have gotten notes from children asking me to please not forget them. They have loved the students and the students have been really great in working with them and the community. The students are doing home visits with the children they worked with and it is going very well. The Ole Miss students are a little tired though....tomorrow we are takinga trip to the mainland. Then it is our last weekend and yes, I am sad already.

Roads in San Mateo!

2Keep the faith and put away the fear of failure. The community meeting on Saturday night had 23 people!! They were different people that the original 6 that met. It was very cold, rainy and windy but people still came to a meeting that was held underneath a lean-to (outside). The community members agreed that the roads would only be built if they build them. They were all willing to work and decided to create a committee to guide the work. The Belizean people and especially the people of San Mateo are so strong and such hard workers! They were very passionate about wanting the roads and being able to accomplish the work with help in buying the sand, gravel, gas for boats and shovels. They will meet again on Saturday night at 7 p.m. One member is to contact the Area Representative so they can work together on the plan. The materials will be bought directly and the people of the community will do the work. They talked some about where the road could be built.

I went to church in San Mateo on Sunday morning. It was great experience and it was truly the right thing to do and the right place and the right time.

At school today!!!!!!!!!I have been seeing the smiling faces!!!!!!!

golf cart touring!

This is a hard experience to describe. Touring on golf carts on rain soaked - pot holed - almost a lake in the middle of the road - muddy roads - ask Mary Claire! I think she got splattered! The students saw the north end and the south end and all stopping points in between. they organized a mainland tour with Marlon in which they will see the zoo, go cave tubing, and see a Maya ruin. the downside - we have to get up and be at the boat at 6 am on Sunday morning. This is after going snorkeling and to Caye Caulker on Saturday all day and running a community meeting on Saturday night at 7 p.m. They also have a meet the teacher's dinner at 6 pm on Sunday night.

The students listened to the Area Representative yesterdya morning and asked some very good questions. I sent one student out into the community to see where we would be meeting on Saturday night. The message was - the upstairs of the purple house and "even though there are no lights now - there will be by Saturday night and tell Ms. Kim to stop worrying - we got it covered." The students are doing such a great job of including the families of San Mateo is major planning and organization. I am so impressed by their understanding of working in a culture that is very different from their own and in their community organization skills. They have a newspaper representative involved in their work. The people are amazed that they have the trust of the community members to even show up at a meeting.

The roads just have to be built. No more waiting around for the government. The government does not have the money -so other means must be discovered. The situation is dangerous to so many people and especially the children. The bridges are not safe and the water below is contaminated with who knows what. That is all.

We are in the paper - front page. Going to the store to buy some! I cannot describe the excitement and passion and how contagious it is! My whole mind and body is just alive with the possibilities that the students are creating and I keep wondering what all they are capable of regarding making a difference to the people of San Mateo.

Did I mention?- I am so happy! Of course - relaxation involves football games and kareoke...got to have balance in our lives!

Yes, we are in Belize!

First, I apologize for those of you anxiously awaiting news from Belize. I have not had internet access in my condo. I have tried to make time to be on the internet in other places but we have been very busy. Right away, we were invited to New Year's dinner at a family home in San Mateo. The students crossed the "London Bridges" for the first time but were rewarded with an awesome dinner and lots of family fun - inlcuding jump rope and punta dance lessons. The students were given a wealth of information from the father in the family about the living conditions in San Mateo and what has been attempted in the way of change. This has ignited a spark in the Ole Miss students. In three days of actual work in the community they have talked to many people - just introducing themselves and sitting on porches and in sparsley furnished rooms and finding out what life is like in San Mateo. They have organized a first community meeting for this afternoon and hopefully community leaders will come at 4 p.m. The newspaper came this morning to interview them about the eyeglass donation and the fundraising for eyeglases and the students told of their work in the community. The reported was very impressed and is retunring this pm for the community meeting.

Ole Miss professors - you would be very proud of the knowledge and skills that the students are displaying regarding community organization and empowering the comunity members. They are very passionate and are doing al lthe right things in a very guarded and non-trusting community. Be proud!!!

Trisha volunteered all day Monday with Dr. Danny the OB-GYN. She continues to go early every morning to help.

It was a little cold the last two days. I know you do not want to hear it compared to the cold you are having. The sun is out today! We are planning a tour on golf carts (of the island) tomorrow! More later!

The night before

The anticipation is all encompassing. There is no way my mind can be on anything else but Belize. Up until this time, I was able to pay attention to everyone else and meet the needs of everyone in my life. It gets to the less than 12 hours until I get on a plane to begin the journey back to Belize and there is no way I can talk about anything but going to Belize. I am so excited. I have said those four words so many times today. I told Courtney (our love for Belize has bonded us) that I would have no words if I did not have "I am so excited." What other words are there to describe this feeling?

I recently attended a conference and one of the speakers said that we should put ourselves in the place in which we we can reach our greatest potential. I think I am the best person I can be in Belize. I am able to give. My skills and talents are needed. I am validated as a worthwhile person. I have thought about why do I feel this so strong in Belize and why can't I accomplish this at home? I have some answers - I think - I would rather talk about them than write them in a blog - so find me and we can have a conversation.

That's another thing - there seems to be time for regular conversations in Belize - not just facebook, email, text and telephone - real face-to-face meaningful, caring conversations about whatever. I need this.

One of my students has never been on a plane or seen the ocean - anywhere. I have to be with her when she sees the ocean for the first time. I am more excited for her than I am for myself! There was a commercial on tv a moment ago that talked about - you are about to have a life changing experience - how cool is it that I can enable the students on this trip to have life changing experiences?! Well, that is my goal....we will see if it is accomplished - I really just set the wheels in motion - the people of San Pedro will do the rest!

I'm Back!

Thought I would start blogging again even though I am not back in Belize yet. I am so excited though because I will be there in two days! This is the hardest time (the waiting) but a time of great anticipation. Every time I go to Belize it is a totally different experience. This time I am taking 7 students with me. They are awesome people and great students so the possibilities of what they will accomplish is endless. Five students are social work majors, one political science and one public policy. They are taking a class in Education, Health and Child Welfare in Belize. This is a service learning class. I also will have four others helping - three social workers and a business person. We are still working in San Mateo and at Holy Cross to help families and try to improve the situations for the children in this community.

My mind is just filled with "what is it going to be like this time?" I wonder what fun memories we will have when it is time to come home. I can't wait to be where there is Kareoke any night of the week! I get to renew old friendships and just feel that sea breeze and sun! After a very wet dreary few months in Mississippi that is very needed for my mental health. I love to see a person's face - who has never been to San Pedro - and when you travel down Front street and get to the city park and they can see the ocean view for the first time - the face lights up and there is a look of awe like no other - a gasp usually accompanies - "it is so beautiful!" - I then know I have arrived and I get to share the experience with someone who is going to have the time of his/her life! I have such a sense of calm and "everything's gonna be alright."

I really feel like I have arrived when I see the landscape of Belize coming into the international airport. I love this country so much that it seems as I first see the land of Belize - I am able to breath again. It is like I wasn't sure that everything would align itself in the world for me to be there again and then I let myself believe it is really true - I am going to really be in Belize. It is like I held my breath until I saw it for real.

So I better finish packing up the bathing suits and sunscreen. Wish you were going with me! and if you are....I am so excited for you!!!!

The connection.

I just had a long lunch with Courtney. I met Courtney in Belize and have continued to email and recently we talked on the phone. We managed to meet halfway and have lunch today. Why is this a blog topic? I just want to write about how Belize connected us. This is another really wonderful phenomenon that occurs among people who love Belize. Like Courtney and I, really great friends are brought together through the common love for Belize. We talked like we have been friends for years. I am so grateful to be able to talk with her and not have to explain my feelings - a common response was "I know". I feel almost like I was sharing stories while sitting at a San Pedro beach bar - just calm and cool and most of all understood. The friendships continue after we get home and are lasting relationships. This just seems pretty special to me.

Life is good. The beginning of the fall football season is today! Go REBELS!!!!! I am so pumped. I am very proud of our football players. I have several of these young men in my classes. I am very proud of them and their ability to keep up their grades whie working so hard on the field. I know that is true for other teams but hey - I love Ole Miss!