Way back in May, we planted the seed...an email to Sister Liz (my Mom's 84 yr old 1st cousin) asking if we could come to help at her emerging medical mission in Guatemala. It was a promise I had made to her many years ago while helping her at her AIDS home in S. Dakota. If you know Sister Liz, you'd understand. She looked me straight in my eyes and said, or should I say commanded, "You'll work with me again someday." Without hesitation, I replied, "Yes, Sister." And then our church sent a group to help establish a church in Belize so our second connection was as clear as a bell. There was no need for hours of internet research which was a God send considering our summer & fall: a wedding, preparing & selling our home, & buying & settling into a new one left no time. So with a sketchy itinerary, the Lonely Travel guide book, peanut butter & M & M's and lots of prayers, we're off. The -14 degree and 18" of snow certainly encouraged us to go. Michigan didn't want to let us go but Ben & 4 wheel drive got us to an airport hotel whose heating system couldn't keep up. Brrrr. Our flight out was delayed as the ground crew de-iced us and then struggled to remove the jetway that was frozen to the plane. After a few more curve balls, we hopped on the ferry to Caye Cauker, Belize with 3 minutes to spare.
Caye Cauker
We hopped on bikes to explore this tiny island. It seems to be trying so hard to meet the standard of the tourist but years of poverty and lack of infrastructure is hard to cover up--even with their vibrant colored paint. It's the honest friendliness and gorgeous water that makes you glad you came. The cool, rainy weather gave us more time to check out the little shops, bike down every alley , sit on the dock, read & watch waves break on the nearby reefs we'd hope to snorkel.
