This
is a picture of the whole team. (starting from the left) Me, Bobby Hartman,
Erin Cross, Cyndi Randolph (my mother), Wendy Simmons, Clay Simmons, and
Rachael Simmons
From the very
beginning, there was adventure! This is an old, rickety suspension bridge
crossing a large river far below. It swayed with every step. You can
barely see me in the middle.
While in Belize, our
team stayed with a family from New York, the Braatens. As missionaries to
Belize, they try to help anyone they can.
One such recipient of help is Phillipa (to the left). While
walking, Phillipa was hit by a reckless driver, shattering both of her
legs. Afterwards, her husband died. She has twelve children (the
youngest in her lap). She is still unable to walk properly. Imagine
running after twelve kids!!!!!
This
is Phillipa's house, where she lives with her twelve children. It consists
of a kitchen, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small gathering area. During
the day, the girls painted while the men did the heavy-duty stuff. After
our visit, I will forever be grateful for everything thing I have
(especially some personal space).
In Belize there may be no swimming pools, but who cares when you have rivers and springs and waterfalls? Yes, that is me in the waterfall. I had so much fun! We swam, played in the springs, jumped off the rocks, and wrestled in the mud. I'll never want to get in a swimming pool again.
When
I found out that we would be visiting Mayan ruins, I was so excited. After
a bumpy ride up a dangerously rocky road, we found ourselves at "Cahal
Pech." Translated it means "place of ticks." Thankfully, I
didn't come back with any, at least I think.
The ruins consisted of
several sections with various rooms and passage ways. One of the more
interesting "rooms" was the "pit." This hole went very
far down into the mountain. It was used for sacrifices and getting rid of
the unpopulars.
Talk
about a step back in time! Visiting the "modern" Mayan village
was definitely an eye-opener. There was no running water, electricity, or
floors. Most of the children did not attend school. They couldn't afford
the $25.00 per year. When we arrived back in the states, we raised
enough money to send the whole village to school.
PARADISE!!!
Our last day, we visited the Cayes (pronounced keys) of Belize. Tiny
islands of white sand and palm trees lined the Caribbean coast. There was
no electricity, no life guards, and no tourists. I never knew such a place
existed. For a snack, we cut open some coconuts with a machete. Yummy!
The
coast of Belize is also home to the second largest coral reef in the
world. I had never been snorkeling, but I picked it up quickly. I
spent hours checking out the amazing underwater world. I later spent hours
soothing a horrible sun-burn. It was worth it! Check out the school of
blue fish my friend Liz is swimming towards.