With this blog we will keep you updated on our daily events of building a school in the Country of Belize. You will also be able to jump in and help with this adventure of a life time.
And anyone that is so inspired might find some of this information helpful in your efforts to build a quality school in any community or country around the world.
Stay in touch and lets change the lives of young people, one at a time.
Last Saturday was St. George Caye Day. (The Battle of St. George's Caye was a short military engagement that lasted from 3 to 10 September 1798, off the coast of what is now Belize. However, the name is typically reserved for the final battle that occurred on 10 September.)
The town had festivities over the weekend. A couple of events included students from the local schools in a parade, as well as the traditional "greasy pole". The object of the "greasy pole" was to climb up to the top of a greased up telephone pole where a flag was waiting to be successfully retrieved. Many Belizeans tried as one person stood on top of the other. Several fell like dominoes in their attempt. At last, in the evening, a group of about 10 were successful. We knew one of the guys near the bottom who had worked on the property with us in the past.
Next Wednesday, September 21, Belize celebrates it's 30 year anniversary of independence!
Kayaking, Snorkeling, Fishing, Lobster Diving - These are the activities LTA volunteers and a local Belizean partook in Sunday after fellowship.
It was certainly an underwater adventure as everyone took turns casting their rods and diving for lobsters. Surprisingly enough – the Caribbean lobsters do not look like the typical bright red lobsters with claws we are accustomed to in the States. Instead, these Belizean lobsters have razor sharp antennas (word of advice – do not hold lobster by the antenna) and their shells are white and brown. They live in holes/caves at the bottom of the sea. The lobster head can be used for making soups and the tail contains all of the tender meat.
Not only was it an enjoyable time of fellowshipping together, but it was also an informative time learning how to live off the natural resources that the beautiful country of Belize offers. The LTA staff house now has some fresh snapper and lobster tail in the freezer. RSVP and we’ll save you a seat at the dinner table.
These three words best sum up our travel to Altun Ha, a Mayan ruin on the mainland of northern Belize.
We took the rollercoaster of a boat ride across the sea to the mouth of the NorthernRiver. The NorthernRiver was long and winding and led us straight to the small village of Bomba. Once in Bomba, we boarded a blue school bus and took it to Altun Ha where we learned about the history of the Mayans, saw and climbed many of the excavated ruins, and also browsed the gift shops on site. From there we boarded the bus, went to the Maruba Jungle Spa where we had about two hours to browse the place (which, yes, really was in the jungle).At , we boarded up the bus and returned the way we had come by bus, river and sea.
Our tour guides, local Belizeans, Devon and Leon were very knowledgeable and shared with us many ‘fun facts’, such as:
Belize has six districts (similar to states in the USA) and over 200 villages.
There are three types of mangroves: red, white and black which only thrive in salt water.
Belize is home to over 59 kinds of snakes. Even the most deadliest bites can be cured by natural herbs found in the jungle.
Four different types of large cats exist in Belize, the jaguar being one.
Iron wood is found throughout Belize. Next to iron wood, zericote is the strongest and is often used for carving; rosewood is used for carving as well.
Cashew wine is a treasured commodity in Belize. We learned that cashews actually bloom from a fruit (similar to a mixture of mangos and apples) and that is what the wine is made from.The shell of a cashew is so acidic that it would be harmful to eat. Cashews go through a long process including burning and other things before consumable thus the reason they are so expensive.
We learned that the Mayans at Altun Ha did not participate in human sacrifices as opposed to those in other locations. They did, however, sacrifice other things to their gods. The coolest part is that we had the privilege to worship the one true God on the same spot where the Mayans had once sacrificed. It is a privilege to know The Truth.
Needless to say, it was a thrill to see and experience another side of beautiful Belize.
Volunteer staff enjoys playing his ukulele for the crowd as they sign along...."Joy to the world, all the boys and girls, joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, joy to you and me."
Today was a first in many ways. It was the first day of the rainy season, and I snorkeled for the first time out side of a bathtub.
Getting Ready to Snorkel
Snorkeling in the Rain
"Go Under the Water So You don't Get Wet!"
There is a lot of snorkeling and SCUBA diving on the barrier reef in Belize because of the marine life. Being the second biggest barrier reef in the world, it spans the entire length of Belize. It is a barrier that protects the islands from being sunk by waves.
We snorkeled at 2 famous dive/snorkeling spots on the barrier reef: Hol Chan (which means little channel in Mayan) and Shark Ray Alley. Both are marine sanctuaries. Although I have seen many documentaries about marine life and reef life, there is nothing that compares to feeling the warmth of the water and being surrounded by fish and coral.
Nursing Sharks
Hidden Ray
Snorkel Instructor Showing Us the Reef and Fish
Seeing all the abundance of life down under the sea made me so thankful to God for all of His abundance that He has made available to us, His kids. This was absolutely an Ephesians 3:20 experience for me. Although the detail that God put into these underwater creatures is so meticulous it doesn’t come close to the detail in His Word. He magnified it above all His name!
Yesterday LTA volunteers enjoyed snorkeling and kayaking next to the barrier reef within binocular distance from the staff house.With the kayak having a see through bottom and the water being so clear, volunteers were able to see the seabed from the kayak.Some parts of the sea were only a couple of feet deep, however there were some drop offs to the barrier reef.
In the afternoon while driving through town, the team stopped by the Manager of Education’s office to touch base on the overall project of LTA.Representatives had met with Ms. Armstrong during a previous visit, however this was our initial visit since the purchase of property. She was thankful for us keeping her informed of our progress.
