Belizean Children

Last Sunday we returned to find our house safe and dry after the close call with Hurricane Wilma. I am truly in awe at how wondrously this island is in the Merciful hands of God!

Visiting 900 hundred students to talk about saints this week was quite a wonderful task. They give us responses like…"I want to be St. Michael…I want to be Mary and I have a baby!" or "Miss, I love you" or One day I was praying in the Church during the kids lunch hour when they are aloud to run home if they wish and a boy stopped by and tried to get my attention in the door way. I motioned for him to come and see me. When he walked toward me, he said, "Miss, my mom said if I come she is going to lash me." I asked him what he was talking about and he proceeded to tell me that his mom told him he could not dress up and go to the carnival but he really wants to. Oh…this just broke my heart. I honestly grieve for the parent who chooses to hold their child back from coming to Jesus…big mistake!

So I have learned this past week that it is impossible to out-do the Belizeans in their generosity. The girls and I decided to bake chocolate-chip cookies for all of the people who have gone above and beyond to help us, such as donating bikes, baskets, giving us free food, and watching out for our safety and needs like helping us wash our laundry, etc. Unfortunately our very simple attempt was not successful because the day we passed out the first 3 batches of cookies, each person came back the same day with a gift in return. One poorer man brought us a bag of grapes, which are hard to come by and expensive here. Then our neighbor brought us a loaf of home-made wheat bread, fresh from the oven. The last person made us a whole banana cake! If anyone who reads this blog has better suggestions for us to let these people know how grateful we are…please post a comment!