Taking Belize Home

You've heard about our experiences throughout our adventure in Belize, and you've seen a glimpse into the things that have made our hearts smile while we've been journeying throughout. Since there wasn't time for us to write every single memory down on our blog, we'd like to recap some of our favorite moments for you. We hope you enjoy!

Erin 

Favorite part of the trip: It's hard to say what my favorite part of the trip was but since I have to choose, I'm going to say it was having devotions every morning with the teachers.

Most challenging part of the trip: It was challenging to be up and awake at 6:30 for breakfast every morning. I was also challenged as a teacher because I wasn't able to use the technology and resources I usually depend on. 

The most unexpected part of the trip: Constipation.  Not to be gross, but most of us were expecting quite the opposite of what we got. 

The thing I'll miss most: The thing I'll miss the most is the Victorious Nazarene school. I will miss our awesome principal, the great teachers, and most of all, I'll miss the students, especially my standard three class (5th grade). 

The item I wish I would have packed: I didn't have room for it, but I wish I had brought some snacks from home. You don't want to see the price of a bag of Cheetos here. 

The thing I hope to always remember: I hope I remember the relationships that I have built here with both the Belizeans and the education students. 

Andrew

Favorite part of the trip: The best part by far was how in depth Miss Janell and I went into conversations about education in Belize. Her experience teaching in Belize, retiring to USA to be an anger management counselor, working with 13-15 year olds who got caught up in drugs, and back to teaching in Belize again... Her perspective was absolutely amazing.

Most challenging part of the trip: By far, the hardest part of this trip was closed minded peers.

The most unexpected part of the trip: Being offered a job or somehow finding out that I inspired my teacher to see hope and enjoyment in teaching again (UNEXPECTED)

The thing I'll miss most: Being in a classroom all day.

The item I wish I would have packed: My robe.

The thing I hope to always remember: I do not understand their culture, I cannot fix their problems and they will continue to live this way; but, I will always remember that I am able to be the role-model that is needed for the next generation of students and that I am an effective teacher.

Elizabeth

Favorite part of the trip: My favorite part of the trip was the entire trip. I enjoyed meeting new people and getting to know my students.

Most challenging part of the trip: The most challenging part for me was the food. It took some time to get used to but now I hope to not eat rice and beans or chicken for awhile.

The most unexpected part of the trip: Teaching an eight year old girl in my class to read a book by herself was the most unexpected part. She knows some sight words but after working with her for about an hour, she was able to then read more than just sight words. The look on her face was amazing and I would have never imagined I would help a young girl to read.

The thing I'll miss most: I will miss being in this beautiful country and will definitely miss the wonderful students I had in my class.

The item I wish I would have packed: The item I wish I would have packed is more bug spray and a mosquito net.

The thing I hope to always remember: Snorkeling in the Mediterranean Sea but most importantly, the students at Howard Smith school. These students were amazing. Not only did I observe and teach the students but I have also learned from the students.

Felicia

Favorite part of the trip: My favorite part of the trip was the whole trip. I loved ever moment, even the rocky moments. This trip was an amazing experience and I cherished ever single moment.

Most challenging part of the trip: The most challenging part for me was adjusting to the food. I finally adjusted but I will be glad to not see rice and beans for awhile.

The most unexpected part of the trip: The weather. We couldn't control the weather but the weather controlled our plans.

The thing I'll miss most: I will miss my students the most and just being here in this beautiful country. 

The item I wish I would have packed: More bug spray, more sunscreen, and aloe for my sunburn.

The thing I hope to always remember: My students, Ms. Ingrid (The principal), Aby and Amalia (our wonderful cooks), and the new family I have gained in this group.

Aria

Favorite part of the trip: My favorite part of the trip was working in the schools. I learned so much from my CT and students, and have grown as a teacher and person. 

Most challenging part of the trip: The hardest part of the trip was being away from my husband and family for so long. 

The most unexpected part of the trip: The crazy, but loving students that I got to teach and work with. They were wild and almost uncontrollable at the beginning; but by the end they were great listeners and excellent students! 

The thing I'll miss most: I will greatly miss the love and thoughtfulness of the people of Belize.

The item I wish I would have packed: Extra shorts for after school

The thing I hope to always remember: This experience has taught me that relationships are more important than getting the next item on your list done. Take time, slow down and invest in others. 

Julia

Favorite part of the trip: I had so many favorite parts of the trip, but my absolute favorite was my last few days in the classroom. I had a really hard time in the classroom, and after a few days of wanting to cry and change classrooms, The Lord gave me some hidden strength. After I taught my last two lessons, I felt extremely accomplished but so humbled by the experience. I feel like I am a better teacher. 

Most challenging part of the trip: My classroom was the most challenging for sure, but once I cracked their shells, I fell in love. 

The most unexpected part of the trip: Definitely the friendships, the people journeying with me are awesome!

The thing I'll miss most: I will miss the sweet smell of the Belizian air, the kindness of the people, and the joy of not worrying.

The item I wish I would have packed: I wish I would have packed a normal sized pillow- that travel pillow doesn't have anything to sleep on, I slept on a folded towel too!

The thing I hope to always remember: I hope to always remember that trusting Him can get me through any situation. 

Emily 

Favorite part of the trip: My favorite part of the trip was something that in the moment, I never would've seen as my favorite part. Starting the second week at Howard Smith, both of the standard 4 (6th grade) teachers were out sick.....So I was on my own for the day without any plans or materials (well- in English anyways) and with 33 rowdy students. At the end of the day I was at my breaking point and at the edge of tears, BUT I made it through the day and survived. I was able to use the knowledge I've acquired from classes and apply it to my teaching practices. I gained the reassurance that this is what God has called me to do and with his presence and strength (cause I for sure know it wasn't mine), I was able to make it through what will probably be my hardest school day ever. 

Most challenging part of the trip: My placement for the two weeks was a huge challenge for me. The classroom didn't have a management/accountability system in place and gaining my students respect was hard- I didn't just receive it, I had to earn it. It took a few days to find the right style of management to use with my students but by the end of the 2nd week, I was no longer an outsider. 

The most unexpected part of the trip: All of the us coming together each night at our big table in the cafeteria, building friendships and sharing our days. We worked together to build lessons plans and supported each other. We were able to plan and talk through lessons, which improved our practices and strengthened our lessons. 

The thing I'll miss most: The genuine love from the students. Everyday I was tackled for hugs, hung-onto, and was over flooded with gifts from all the students at the school. 

The item I wish I would have packed: More bug spray and more spray sunscreen. There's a lot of bugs here! 

The thing I hope to always remember: New friendships gained, old friendships strengthened, and the experiences we got to experience together. And the family I've gained both in Belize and within our group from MVNU. 

Tori

Favorite part of the trip: I loved getting to teach in and immerse myself in a new culture! The experience I had in the classroom definitely broadened my perspective on diversity. I also loved getting to know everyone even better on this trip and becoming a family.

Most challenging part of the trip: It was hard to get used to a culture who is not very prompt. I like to know what is going to happen and when it is going to occur, but that wasn't always the case. I also did  not enjoy coming into contact with tarantulas. 

The most unexpected part of the trip: Probably how similar the schools were to the US schools. They did not have nearly as many resources, but they did many things the same!

The thing I'll miss most: My students and teacher! The homemade tortillas will also be missed terribly.

The item I wish I would have packed: I wish I would have packed a raincoat because I did not expect it to be so rainy!

The thing I hope to always remember: God puts you in situations to grow and shape you into the person that He wants you to be.

Jackie

The most unexpected part of the trip: Roosters going off at all hours
The thing I'll miss most: The friendships I have made and the lyrically Creole accent.
The item I wish I would have packed: Yoga pants.
Most challenging part of the trip: Missing my family was the most challenging part for me. 
The thing I hope to always remember: My final day in the classroom and the round of applause my students sent me off with when my lesson ended. Hallmark moment ;)
Favorite part of the trip: The last week in the classroom because I had established a rapport with the students that made things shine like a new penny.

Morgan

Favorite part of the trip: I loved getting out of the van at school and hearing my students yell "miss!" And seeing their smiling, joyful faces. I also loved getting to know all of the people on this trip. 
Most challenging part of the trip: We had a lot of early mornings and I am not a morning person! Missing my family and my dog back home also made it difficult. The most unexpected part of the trip: how close the group got. We often gathered around our giant family table and enjoyed many meals and good conversations together! The thing I'll miss most: the warm weather and the beautiful sunshine! Also, the delicious fresh pineapple juice and flour tortillas. The item I wish I would have packed: a raincoat! The thing I hope to always remember: to soak up every situation and find the beauty behind it....even if that means waiting in an airport for 7 hours. 

Jenny

Favorite part of the trip: My favorite part of the trip was lunch time. Not only was the food delicious, but it was the time of day I got to spend getting to know the students. The relationships I made during this trip are more special to me than anything else. 

Most challenging part of the trip: The entire trip was a challenge. A good challenge though. The kind of challenge that makes you a stronger person. There's nothing about this trip that is comfortable. That's the best part of the adventure. 

The most unexpected part of the trip: I was surprised at the welcome the Belizeans gave us. My CT welcomed me with open arms. I was overwhelmed with the love we experience. 

The thing I'll miss most: The thing I will miss the most is the collaboration with my peers about lesson plans. It was nice to come back from school everyday and share stories while planning for the next day. 

The item I wish I would have packed: I wish I would have packed another pair of tennis shoes and my favorite treat from the states. They don't have Reese Cups in the whole country, guys. Remember that when packing!! Introduce them to the wonderful mixture of peanut butter and chocolate next year!! 

The thing I hope to always remember: I will always remember how important it is to laugh with my students. Some of the conversations where I learned the most about my students was when we simply sat down, talked, and laughed. 
*If I could say something to students considering this trip next year...I would say GO!!! It may be scary, but it is life changing. You will experience God in ways you never thought possible. You will have adventures and sights that will blow your mind. You will meet people who surround you in love and will make a lasting impression. Go. You won't regret it. 

Taylor

Favorite part of the trip: My favorite part of the trip was being able to see the impact I had on my students. Even though I don't get to see the long term results, I got to see the difference I made in multiple students lives by grade increases and completion of assignments. Even just the comprehension of sight words; I was able to make a difference and I will cherish that achievement forever. 
Most challenging part of the trip: My most challenging part of the trip was having to be around the same group of people basically 24/7. I enjoyed all 21 days, but a change of atmosphere would be nice. Also, I am a hardcore social media person and 21 days with sketchy wifi, no wifi, or limited access to the internet was super hard for me. 
The most unexpected part of the trip: The most unexpected part of the trip was when I walked into my classroom for the first time. My stereotype was that it was going to be bare walls, hot rooms, and no visual stimulants. All of those were proven false. My class was full of color, posters, and centers for different subjects. It had windows and two doors that allowed for an amazing breeze. Lastly, there were so many pictures and informative materials all around the room. Needless to say, my eyes were never bored. 
The thing I'll miss most: I will miss the smiles and beautiful landscapes. There were always smiles and laugher, which I LOVE!! Also, the nature and beauty of the country was unexplainable. Everything was sooo gorgeous!! 
The item I wish I would have packed: Oddly enough, I wish I would have packed more warm clothing. Even though it was generally hot or humid in the day, there were at least 4 or 5 nights and mornings that were freezing!!! Global warming I guess ;)
The thing I hope to always remember: Two things come to mind when I read this: the kids as a whole and snorkeling. The kids smiles, conversations, willingness to learn, their love and joy for life, and the open arms they showed towards me. Snorkeling was probably the craziest and coolest thing I have ever done. Swimming with sharks and stingrays and the second largest coral reef will definitely be something I never forget! God is Good and his mercy and grace will never fail me! 

McKenzie

Favorite part of the trip: I could not possibly choose just one favorite thing. I absolutely loved my class of 59 students, my Cooperating Teacher, and the relationships I built with them in only two weeks time. I loved laughing, collaborating, and doing life with the 19 other people in our group. I loved (and was absolutely terrified!) when we went snorkeling with wild sting rays and sharks. I have more favorites, but simply not enough space!
Most challenging part of the trip: Feeling helpless. About the third day in the classroom, I had gotten to know my students fairly well and my cooperating teacher filled me in on some of their stories. Some of the children had lost parents, some of their parents were addicts, and some of them came from excellent families, but had little in terms of earthly wealth. I felt overwhelmed, wanting to "fix" them and realizing that two weeks was a much shorter period of time than it had sounded at our first meeting in October. I realized that I could not go home with them or love them enough to make up for what they did not have, but God could. Turning my students over to God was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but it gave me peace. I know that He loves them more than I ever could and that they are safe in His hands.
The most unexpected part of the trip: The gifts the students would bring me. Whenever I showed up it never failed that one of my students would bring me something. I received flowers, notes, a bracelet, a keychain, a pen, and even a piece of birthday cake. What was especially touching was when they would bring me food that they had bought with their own money...I could only wonder if they went without. Their generosity had  no limits.
The thing I'll miss most: The students calling me Miss. Every time a student wanted attention or had a question they would say: "Miss! MIss! Miss!" They would always greet me with: "good morning, Miss" or "good afternoon, Miss." It was so different from the greetings in the States, but so sweet. 
The item I wish I would have packed: Cough drops. As I was teaching, I would be speaking rather loudly and combined with the dust and whatever else...it made for one super sore throat.
The thing I hope to always remember: That kids are kids everywhere. While I was immersed in the Belizean culture and trying to make sense of it all, there would be moments of clarity where a little boy would laugh at a silly face his friend made at him or a middle school girl would blush when she was being teased about a boy.  I loved seeing how the older siblings would be protective of their younger siblings and it reminded me of my brother. It made me realize how similar we are within our differences.

Christy

Favorite part of the trip: I loved being in the schools and just fully immersing myself in the classroom. When we are in field placements in the states we only go for a few hours a day once a week. So being able to experience full days and going everyday fully immersing myself in the culture and in the classroom seeing my students in every part of the day. I also enjoyed seeing the true beauty of Belize. 
Most challenging part of the trip: 20 people with 20 different opinions and 20 different thought processes is just a lot to do and please. Plus we were all education minded people with a lot of the same personalities. So just learning to work with everyone and live alongside so many different people. Although it went a lot better then I thought it would. 
The most unexpected part of the trip: I never thought that I would adjust as well as I did. It was a big change in some ways but in others it was something I was used to being an outdoor lover roughing it wasn't new to me. So the fact that the culture shock wasn't as shocking to me as I thought it would be was a nice surprise. 
The thing I'll miss most: I will miss the love and kindness of the Belizean people. The smiles of my students will also be greatly missed and although I have tons of pictures they will never give justice to the true love I felt from their hugs and smiles. 
The item I wish I would have packed: I don't know if I could think of anything to put here. I was the person who literally packed everything. I was cutting it close with the weight limit at the airport when we left the United States so I received all sorts of jokes about how I over packed and was crazy but turns out I had a lot of things others forgot. So in the end it paid off. I really didn't have a need for anything while I was in Belize. 
The thing I hope to always remember: I really hope to remember this experience as a whole. This was truly something I never thought I would be able to do so having this opportunity and learning so much was such a blessing. Although the sunsets and rises, the people, and the food are all something I want to forever carry with my not only in my mind but in my heart. God is good and I was reminded of his beauty in the people I came in contact with on this trip as well as through the beautiful creation I was able to be a part of thought this past month. 
Thank you for all of your prayers and support. We couldn't have done it without you ❤️

Cassidy

Favorite part of the trip: The relationships built with others on our team, the teachers and the students. 

Most challenging part of the trip: Learning and adapting to the culture and working with students who are older than tan the age group I am used to working with.

The most unexpected part of the trip: Schedule changes! No plans and times are set in Belize! 

The thing I'll miss most: the beautiful country and the students!

The item I wish I would have packed: ANTI-ITCH MEDICINE!!!

The thing I hope to always remember: I hope to always remember that this experience made me a better teacher and that going out of your comfort zone it not as uncomfortable as it may seem. 

Tiffany

Favorite part of the trip: My favorite part of the trip was learning to overcome obstacles in the classroom that I used to fear. This trip has really allowed me to grow as a future teacher, and I owe it to Belize for the new confidence I have. Also, I made some amazing friends on this trip. I'm so blessed to be going home with friendships that will only keep growing back in Ohio.Most challenging part of the trip: The most challenging part was learning names! I was one of the two students teaching in the high school so I had 130 students. I didn't master them all, but I gave it my best shot hah.The most unexpected part of the trip: I was surprised that the cooperating teachers were ready to learn from us. I thought it was awesome that I was taking from their culture and at the same time, the Belizean teachers were taking from mine.The thing I'll miss most: My 130 students. The 80 degree weather. Pineapple juice. The cavalier :(The item I wish I would have packed: ALOE!!! Thank God for Aria's bottle. The thing I hope to always remember: I hope to always remember how it feels to stick with something even when it's difficult. The high school students proved to be a difficult group to manage, but God allowed this experience to prepare me for my future more than any field has in the past. I stood my ground and established my role as a teacher to earn respect. I know that I'll never forget how it felt to walk out of the classroom with a smile on my face because I had taught a successful lesson to a group of students that gave everyone problems. 

Brody

Favorite part of the trip: I finally connected with my students in a placement field. This was the first time that I felt apart of a classroom as a teacher. It was really neat to connect and bond with my students. I couldn't believe the impact I was able to make in just a few weeks. Most challenging part of the trip: Getting out of my comfort zone in many different aspects. This allowed me to build new relationships with my peers that will hopefully last forever. The most unexpected part of the trip: How accepting and friendly everyone was around me. The thing I'll miss most: The little things, like talking or playing with the students. It was awesome to bond with all students. The item I wish I would have packed: Warmer clothesThe thing I hope to always remember: That I'm very minuscule and I really have a lot to learn. God blessed me with this incredible experience that has changed my perception and attitude toward life.   

Misty

Favorite part of the trip: My favorite part of the trip was - hands down - my standard six classroom!! I love the joy, humor and warmth each student brought to the classroom every day. 

Most challenging part of the trip: The most challenging part of the trip academically turned out to be one of the biggest blessings. While technology was limited, and I planned an entire lesson using three grammar books and no internet, I was blessed with the understanding that we don't need technology to teach. Most people will say, "A good teacher differentiates," or "A good teacher utilizes multiple resources in order to be effective," but, in all actuality, a good teacher weaves passion, creativity, and love into an intricate package placed in the hands of students when, sometimes, they don't even know it! The other most challenging part of the trip? Emotionally? Saying goodbye.

The most unexpected part of the trip: I had no idea it would be so hard to say goodbye to my students after just two weeks. Ten days is definitely long enough to change your entire life. Moments matter. 

The thing I'll miss most: The people - my students, Ms. Shirley (my cooperating teacher), Miss Ingrid (the principal at Victorious), the other teachers at Victorious, Aby and Amalia (the cooks), and probably more that I forgot to mention here. Leaving Belize isn't hard; leaving its people . . . Now that's a totally different story!

The item I wish I would have packed: This is an easy one - Ear plugs!

The thing I hope to always remember: I hope to always remember the joy I felt teaching in an international classroom. I do believe God is calling me to teach English in Latin America, and I have been so blessed to feel His presence each and every day here in Belize. God is good!


God has been so present throughout our time in Belize, and we will be forever thankful for those quiet moments when he whispered softly into each of our hearts. While leaving Belize is sad, we are excited to see our friends and family at home. As for us, we each have 19 small pieces of Belize to take home with us - our new MVNU Belize 2014 family. 

We may have a small confession to make. We have loved you being able to journey alongside us as we have blogged about our experiences. We really believe we were able to accomplish so much because of your prayers and support. However, maybe this blog wasn't for you after all. This is something we will all cherish for the rest of our lives. Seeing how God worked in our lives this month only further proves our calling into the educational field. When we feel discouraged, when we feel like we are lacking, when we feel our job is overwhelming and our skills just can't meet the needs of our students, we will always have this reminder that God is calling us to do things we definitely cannot do alone! 

To my fellow travelers, I guess this blog makes one more part of Belize we will be able to take with us wherever we go. I hope you cherish the memories as much as I do. May your lives be forever changed because of our time together in Belize as I know mine will.

  

Update from the Belize Airport

Our plane from Atlanta to Belize is on the way, so that is good news! It will arrive at approximately 5:18.  They plan on turning it around in about 45 minutes, and then we should be on our way to Atlanta.  The last flight from ATL to CMH is currently scheduled for 9:54.  If they'll hold the flight another 30 minutes, we might make it.

We have full internet access and Delta is being helpful.  They just fed us all a large sandwich and a drink.  The adventure is not over.  We've already been through all phases of Phase 10 and now we're pulling together a euchre game.

We're doing fine, but we're ready to be home.

Flying Through Atlanta

Friends,

We are flying back to Ohio today! We are a little concerned since we have a layover in Atlanta. However, we are monitoring Delta's website and, so far, there is no indication that our times/flights havev changed, other than leaving BZE 30 minutes later.

Please feel free to monitor our progress on the Delta website or on any flight tracking website.  Our flights for today are:

BZE - ATL: DL0664

ATL - CMH: DL2460

If you would like email updates, please email sabina.thalheim@mvnu.edu and she can put you on her email list for flight updates. 

Thank you.  Say a prayer for us today :-)

Dr. Brad

Celebration in Caye Caulker!

No words can describe the beauty that we saw on the island and in the water today! 

Because she also celebrated her 21st birthday today, Morgan is going to tell us about her day:

There are a variety of ways one could celebrate his/her 21st birthday, but I think today trumps them all. First off, I was able to wake up this morning to a BEAUTIFUL sunrise on the dock in front of our hotel. It was gorgeous, but the beautiful faces surrounding me made it so much better. Most of our group came out to watch and sit in awe of the pinks, oranges, and yellows that shone across the sky. God had his paintbrush out, and we were all blown away by His creation! I was also treated to some delicious donuts and an iced chai tea from a local coffee shop where my friends sang happy birthday to me for the 5th time. 

While that alone could make for an awesome birthday, the day was just beginning. At 9:15, we all gathered around a tiny building and anxiously awaited to get fitted for the snorkeling gear we would be   using later in the afternoon. After everyone had their gear, we made it to the boats, got our group picture and headed out across the Mediterranean Sea. Our first stop: the manatee reserve! 

This part of excursion consisted of an hour long boat ride. Needless to say, it was the perfect time to relax and soak up the vitamin D our bodies have been craving! Next thing we know, the boat engines shut off and big poles were being used to push the boats around the reserve. The manatees must have known we were coming, because they tried to hide from us. We had to stop at three different spots before we finally spotted gray noses coming up for air. We couldn't ever fully see the manatees, but we could tell by the shadows they were huge! The captain of our boat even thought two of them were a mother and baby! And anyone who knows me knows how much I love babies!! We made the hour-long boat ride back while eating fresh pineapple and enjoying the breeze! 

After the manatees, we made a quick lunch break at a different island and set out to go snorkeling! Most of us have never snorkeled before, so we all figured we would start out easy... Nope. We were thrown right into shark and stingray alley!! We literally swam with a dozen stingrays varying in sizes and a couple nurse sharks! There were a variety of fish that showed up, including a huge barracuda. I don't think I have ever been so amazed, yet nervous in my life. I would just like to say that on this trip I've experienced a lot of things including holding a snake, feeding a bird with a fish right out of my hand and petting both a shark and stingray! 

Our last stop came too quickly, but it was one we were all looking forward to. It was time to snorkel for real, with our flippers and all, and explore a huge coral reef! My boat's captain, Joe, gave all of us a quick tour of the reef explaining the different types of coral, fish and all of the safety measures. After the tour, we were set free! An ongoing joke for the girls on this trip has been mermaids. Jackie brought "mermaid spray" for our hair that many of us desperately needed throughout this trip. While I was snorkeling and soaking up this beautiful creation, I truly felt like Ariel, the Little Mermaid, and I doubt I was the only one! 

Our night ended with a delicious dinner from Habeneros. Mine included dessert and happy birthday sang for the 8th time! It was a WONDERFUL birthday and being surrounded by 19 new friends has made it that much more enjoyable. Plus many of us are sporting that red-as-a-lobster look from the day in the sun, but you won't hear us complaining! 

I am truly blessed! 

Love, 

Morgan 

PS Caleb, just two more sleeps and I get to see you! Oh and hey mom! Tell dad I love you and miss you all!  

Well, Aria is already asleep, so tonight's devotions can't be written. However, they were amazing. She talked about making time for God. We were all encouraged by the devotion. 

Make sure to check the "In Preparation" post for return flight information - especially flight numbers. Please be praying for good weather so we make it home on time. I don't think some of us would mind getting stuck in Belize, but we don't want to be stuck in Atlanta!

Adventures in Caye Caulker

Today was a fun-filled day of adventure!

Here's what Felicia has to say about the day:

A few others and I began our day by waking up at 5:00am to see the sunrise, but -to our dismay - it was too cloudy and we were a tad too early. However, it was still worth it because we saw a huge stingray from the dock and we were able to sit and take in the beauty God created. 

The whole group met up and we attended a Catholic Church together. After church we all went our different ways to explore the island. My group decided to change clothes and find a place to eat lunch. We ended up finding a little restaurant and ate lunch on the beach. The view was breathtaking. After lunch, we roamed the island and visited a few different shops. Then we decided to head back to the hotel to get our swimsuits on and go swimming. To our surprise we discovered that our hotel lets us rent kayaks for free. So we decided to go kayaking. I was very scared because I have never kayaked before but Misty was a good kayaking partner :)  After having some great conversation on the sea (Caye Caulker is surrounded by the Meditterain Sea) we changed, again, and then relaxed and played some cards (euchre specifically). Then we explored a little more till dinner. We all met up at the Rainbow Grill and enjoyed a delicious meal, which for some included lobster, fish, bacon cheeseburger, and even fettuchini alfredo. Then again we all went our separate ways. I concluded my night with a very scrumptious scoop of caramel ice cream. Overall, it was amazing day on the little island of Caye Caulker.

With Love,

Felicia

P.S. Thanks for all the love and prayers especially from my family. I love you! <3

Here are devotions from Brody:

Over the past few days I have been reflecting on my experience in Succotz and I wanted to share this as my devotion. I chose the verse Ephesians 5:16-17, "making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." During my experience in Succotz, I saw many students and children that have abilities and potential, but no opportunity. I have realized that we are blessed with many wonderful opportunities that we might not recognize. I struggle with the way I approach these opportunities because many times I am satisfied with being mediocre, instead of striving for greatness. There are many times that I am just "going through the motions," when I should be giving my maximum effort. The Lord wants us to strive for that greatness and we owe it to Him to give our best effort in every opportunity He gives us.

-Brody

It's incredible to see the way The Lord is still working in our lives - even after leaving Succotz. I think we're all sad we won't be returning to the classroom tomorrow, but we are excited to go to the manatee reserve and go snorkeling. 

Arriving in Caye Caulker!

We have officially arrived in Caye Caulker! We were definitely excited to step foot on the white sand beaches here - especially knowing that there's a blizzard back home!

Here's what Elizabeth has to say about the day:

My day began this morning at 5:30 when I woke up to get the cooks with Christy and Mrs. Taylor. I'm not a morning person, but there's something so beautiful about this land here. It's sometimes foggy at that time of morning, but you can still see the beautiful mountains in the distance when you get to the top of the hill.

We had a brunch since we were leaving today around 1. We had chicken, rice and beans, egg salad and doughnuts. Oh my goodness the doughnuts were delicious!!! I had four doughnuts, but I don't feel bad about that because my good friend Felicia had five doughnuts and one doughnut hole!

After brunch, we packed up and waited for about an hour and a half until we departed for Belize City, Belize. I don't remember much of that bus ride. All I can say is I got in a good nap! We soon arrived to Global Village where we dropped off some of our luggage and then continued on to the water taxi which would be taking us to Caye Caulker. The boat ride was not bad. I fell asleep for part of it and then watched the sunset - which was gorgeous. When we arrived in Caye Caulker, we walked to our hotel then went to dinner.

We are now in our rooms and getting ready for bed and a great day tomorrow here in Caye Caulker. Goodnight!

Love,

Elizabeth

While our days of all living in one dorm room are over, our adventure is continuing. It's so weird only going to sleep with three of my peers (shout-out to my awesome roommates - Erin, Felicia, and Elizabeth!) in the same room as me, but we are all excited to adventure here on the island. This is definitely the most breath-taking view I have ever seen in my entire life. 

Well, it's off to bed for us! Getting up at 5:00 AM to watch the sunrise will come early, but it will be so worth it! Although I'm feeling a little sentimental as this will be my first ocean sunrise without my mom beside me. I love you, Mom! 

Leaving Our Hearts in Succotz

Today was our last full day in Succotz. Although the rain changed our plans, we still had a great day. 

While we had plans to go to Xunantunich (the Mayan ruins in Succotz) this morning, the rain kept us from going. Therefore, we enjoyed a relaxing morning playing cards, games, and starting our packing for Caye Caulker. Then, we headed to Benny's Kitchen for lunch. When we finished, we walked down to the markets for some last minute souvenir shopping when we received a great surprise: Xunantunich was open!! We hurried back to camp, changed into tennis shoes, grabbed our cameras and headed out for the adventure!

We took the ferry over to the ruins and then were able to hike to the very top. I even got to reel us back across the river when we came back; it was awesome! Seeing this incredible holy ground where the Mayans sacrificed so many people was so overwhelming. Although it was foggy and rainy, we were able to see a breathtaking view from the top. To see such a big world, standing from the top of the ruins, knowing we are so small compared to God's world is an indescribable feeling. We all left soaking wet and incredibly blessed by the afternoon we were able to experience. 

When we returned, we had our final dinner at the campground. We were blessed by the presence of Aby and Amalia (our cooks) at the dinner table as we enjoyed chicken, watermelon and delicious rolls covered in jelly. 

We then moved onto seminar and devotions.

Here are devotions from Christy:

When I heard we had to lead a devotion during our time here in Belize I was very excited to hear what everyone had to say and the growth that would occur. It then hit me that I too was one of the people that had to create and lead a devotion. For those of you who don't know me, I am an early childhood education major (along with intervention specialist), but as my majors imply I enjoy teaching young children... Not my peers. So this soon became a stress for me. As I talked with leaders from the school professors on the trip, double digit hours of praying, and reading three different Bible translations of the scripture, God laid my devotion on my heart that was pretty obvious; however, I was still super nervous. 

For my devotion I was led to the verse Mark 5:16 which encourages us to let our light shine before others so that they may see God through us. After reading this verse and explaining how it applied to us and our time over he past 17 days I asked that everyone would get out of their seats and "mingle." Each student was asked to find at least six people and tell them how they saw Christ in them throughout the time we have spent here. This was in the schools, around the campground, and anytime you saw them showing the love of Christ through their actions. I asked that they would just take a moment to not only pour out their "cups" onto each other but also to allow theirs to be filled by each other. It was so encouraging to see everyone pulling each other aside and laughing, crying, and hugging out things that just made our last night wonderful. After about 2 hours the last few people filed out, and I could feel a peace of God's work in our group over the past 17 days and tonight in the love we all shared with each other. God is good, all the time. 

Love,

Christy

Overall, today has been an incredible blessing. Knowing that our journey here in Succotz is coming to an end is a sad realization, but knowing that God placed each of us here for a specific purpose is an amazing realization. Although we head out tomorrow for Caye Caulker, I know part of each of our hearts will always remain in Succotz. I for one will always be incredibly thankful for my time here. 

Last Day of School!

Emotions were high as we set out for our last day of school this morning. 

Here's what Aria has to say about her day:

Today was everyone's last day in the schools. At Victorious, we had our final devotional with our cooperating teachers and principal Miss Ingrid - it was really special and encouraging. We all got a chance to pray and thank God for His goodness and blessings in our life. It was a perfect start to the day. Saying goodbye to the students was hard, but I know that I will never forget them or this experience. This experience has caused me to grow as a teacher, person and Christian. I am so thankful that I got to be a part of Belizean culture and get to know its people. They are some of the most wonderful, kind and loving people I have ever met. I hope I blessed them as much as they have blessed me. Belize will forever be in my heart! 

We ended the night with a delicious meal of rice and beans (although we may be tired of it, I know we will miss it). Sitting family style is always a beautiful thing. And lastly we shared devotions together before getting ready for bed. 

Love, 

Aria

Here are devotions from Julia:

Tonight I handed everyone on the trip one index card with a taped piece of sponge to it (shout out to Cass, Tiffany, and Jackie for helping out). On every card I wrote the words "Be His sponge..." This may seem silly, but I'll get to that later. 

The scripture that I read tonight was first from Colossians 3:10-11 "Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us." Christ has made us new and every day we encounter things that continually renew us (or that's the just of it anyway). My second scripture reading came from Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." I broke this down to say the witnesses are the people we are surrounded by - the Belizeans, the members of the group, all you beautiful people reading this blog; there are a ton of things that can weigh us down - whether it be from the past, present, or future - but we shouldn't focus on these when we are in this fantastic country; and that we are all running a different race, but a race that God has put us on. 

Then I finally gave a purpose to the index card: explaining what we have soaked up on this trip and refuse to squeeze out. My list included His beautiful creation in my students, the challenge and the sweet taste of victory, friendships, lack of importance of time, laughter...all the time, and most importantly trust in the One who created it all. As the group shared there was one thing that was evident: Belize will forever be in our hearts. To end the devotion, we listened to a spoken word (one which I don't know the name of because Andrew gave it to me, but I was super good). It talked about not wasting the time you are given and to be totally present in every moment. My prayer was to enjoy every moment in Belize before we have to go back to all the snow and coldness. We are His sponges, filling everyday until we are dripping wet. 

Love, 

Julia 

It has definitely been a beautiful, tear-filled day. We are thankful for the opportunities God has given us to be sponges on this trip, simultaneously squeezing ourselves out as we are being poured into each day. 

Two Down; One To Go!

Today marks two weeks since we began our journey. As we begin wrapping up the educational part of the trip, our lives and minds are filled with so much emotion. Although it's difficult to out into words, we'll do our best. 

Here's what Erin has to say about her day:

I taught my final lesson today. It definitely wasn't the greatest lesson I've ever taught. In fact, it may have been the worst yet. Some of it was my own fault in planning and preparation, but most of it was just plain misfortune. I've gained a lot about teaching diversely just from this one lesson, and although I won't go into the details of all my mess ups, I would like to share one funny, embarrassing story. 

Let me start off by saying that I've never been a fan of skirts. I'm definitely a dress pants girl. Unfortunately for me, in Belize the women have to wear skirts in school. Skirts, alas, were my downfall. I was teaching on facts and opinions. I started running out of room on the board so I had to crouch down to write an example of an opinion at the bottom. During the process, I had stepped on my skirt and when I went to stand up, I fell backwards. Even worse than falling in the middle of a lesson was having my skirt's buttons pop open as I was getting up. Luckily, I was wearing shorts underneath. I quickly turned away and buttoned it back up while the students continued writing notes. The best part, of course, was that today's lesson was supervised. Did I let humiliation keep me down? Nope. I didn't even cry. I just turned around and kept on teaching. 

All things considered, I've had a great day. It's always good to know that even the worst days can have a speck of laughter - in more ways than one. For example, most of the morning for those at Victorious was taken up by an amazing magic show done by an evangelist from Florida. Scott Humston did a great job incorporating humor and magic into the teachings of Jesus. He even made a different set so that the kids could enjoy watching another one of his shows with their families during Family Night at the local Nazarene church. I decided to go so that I could meet my students' parents. It was a win-win situation. I got to know my students more all the while getting to enjoy another great magic show. I even had the joy to see some of them lead to Christ. I'm glad that instead of dwelling on my day's misfortunes, I was able to end it rejoicing in what the Lord can do. 

Love, 
Erin 

I had the opportunity to share devotions this evening. While I strategically planned to do devotions the night before our last day in the classroom, I hadn't really come across anything that seemed significant - until I heard the following from our morning devotions with the teachers at Victorious:

If I could explain everything perfectly to my students, but did not love each one of them, I might as well be talking to an empty room. If I could find all the answers to educational problems and did not love, my efforts would be futile. If I could buy every kind of educational aid and sacrificed to do so, but did not have love for my students, it would be a complete waste.

Love is patient when it is necessary to repeat a concept over and over to a student who is having difficulty. Love is kind when an irate parent accuses and berates other teachers or me. Love is not jealous when the other teacher has an entire class of well-behaved and extremely intelligent children while mine are not so great.

Love is not proud or boastful when my students improve greatly and really want to come to my class. Love is willing to yield my schedule and plans to fit in with the needs of others. Love does not scream at my class when they misbehave, but seeks to help them understand the importance of self-discipline.

Love does not broadcast all of my students' problems and misdeeds to those in the lounge. Love keeps trying even when it seems a student will never understand long division or the difference between an adverb and an adjective.

Teaching methods, bulletin boards, textbooks, yes, even computers, will eventually be discarded, but love is everlasting. These three things I have learned through teaching: endurance, patience and love. And the greatest of these is love.

As teachers, this is our biggest goal. While there have been many barriers in the classroom, love is definitely not one of them. I encouraged each person in our group to find a way to share love with the kids in the classroom tomorrow despite the emotions. We are here in response to the calling of Christ, and Christ calls us to love. I know it is my hope that, above all else, my students remember the love I have for each and every one of them. 

I hope this brings some encouragement to you, too, as you journey through your daily life. Blessings!

On another note, we are excited to announce that we have reached over 3,000 views on our blog! We feel like our blog has been a way for us to collectively share our stories. We feel blessed that you can join in on a small part of our journey, and we want you to know that we appreciate YOU! Thanks for journeying alongside us, and thanks for praying for us! 

Tomorrow is going to be an emotional day as we say goodbye to the children who have stolen a smallpiece  if each of our hearts from day one. While we all are much richer from this experience, it feels like we are losing a significant part of ourselves. We thought God would use this opportunity in the classroom to bring about change, but I know I didn't think the change would be internal. 

Please, join in prayer with us tomorrow as we say goodbye. I've always been told, "Moving in is simple; it's what you leave behind that's hard." This experience is just one of those times. 

Hide-And-Seek

Today's blog post most closely resembles a game of hide-and-seek. Where do we see God? And how are we showing God to others? 

Here's what Andrew has to say:

Words are a hard thing to use to paint the picture I want to paint in your mind as you read this, but I will do the best I can at throwing words like paint on this blank canvas of a blog tonight. 

Yesterday was an eye opener as my cooperating teacher was almost in tears telling me her personal side of the story of these children's education - a perspective of a loving teacher who feels like a failure, when in all reality she is giving it her best Monday through Saturday. I wrote a spoken word using her words and story right after our conversation. I read those tough words to the group last night and one of my sisters here will be recording me recite it; it won't be until we are back that it will surface the internet, but I encourage you to watch it if you get the chance.

Now today... I guess the question is what was significant enough to put down the paint bucket and pick up a paintbrush to paint something that really stands out. From roughly 4:30 to 7:00 in the afternoon, only a minute down the street, some of us found ourselves covered in mud as we answered a call to love our neighbors and treat them as we would want to be treated. Simply put, a bus was stuck in the mud. Here is where I am able to put down the paintbrush and paint; the final piece of this picture is the light that it takes to see the beauty of the painting. God revealed Himself once again and here is how: my devotion here (on our second day) was about obedience and ended with a poem called I Will Move the Rock by Cindy Lu, which explained how we are called to obey and not necessarily expected to achieve a specific goal. Today, as we crawled under that bus, pushed wood into areas we couldn't see, piled rocks under tires and pushed against that bus, we never gave up as we continued to show love - such actions reflect our Creator's constant pursuit for a relationship with us.

Reflecting on a call that I had for our group for this trip and then seeing our group answering it was a blessing. The best part is that this is only one of the MANY times that my brothers and sisters here have done just that.

All glory to God.

Wishing that this wasn't the last week, and with lots of love,

- Andrew Richardson

Here are the devotions from Jenny:  

Tonight I had the opportunity to lead devotions in camp. While in Belize God has really struck me through the beauty of his creation. I have seen some of the most incredible mountain top views and even some shooting stars here. I asked the group to look for God this week in different ways. Some shared they saw God through CT's, students, and different people in the community. One thing is for sure...God is showing up in some sweet ways here in Belize!!! 

The Bible verses we read were Psalm 57 and Psalm 66. God Bless!

I think it's evident that, despite the fact that we are far away from our lived ones at home, the One who loves us is close by!

Almost A "Real" Teacher

We are hard at work planning lessons and strressing out (just a little bit) about observations from our supervisors, we all are still enjoyiing the experience and the time in the classroom.  

Here`s what Emily has to say about her day: 

Waking to the sound of pouring rain, couldn't damper my excitement for today....because it was LESSON DAY! We started the morning with one of our favorite Belizean foods - flat jacks; these delicious fluffy-doughy biscuits are always the perfect wat to start any morning. Heading to the schools was as normal as it could be with the bumpy roads as we weaved in-and-out of traffic. But on arrival into my classroom, I came to the realization there was something different.....VERY different. Well let me start with what my normal day in the classroom looks like first.  I'm in standard 4, which is like 6th grade in the States. After my first day, my feet ached. I stood in the back of they room as my CT lectured for the rest of the school day, which was only a half-day due to parent conferences in the afternoon. My second day was much better...I got my a very own chair!!! I was still in the back of the room in my "little corner" with little interaction with my students except for occasional mingling during breaks. After my first two days. I can least say I was a little discouraged. My CT didn't seem to want to engage with me and because the students switched classes, my time with them was very limited with little interaction.  My heart ached. I knew I had a class to be here and I wanted God to use me, but with my human perspective, I was at a lost for how He was going to do that.

As time passed, I was able to connect more and more with my CT and I was starting to learn my students' names by the time I gave my first lesson, after that, little by little I was gaining more and more responsibilities within the classroom. My CT would hand me the lesson plan for the period and day and say, "go for it"  with little to no prep time. He was gaining in confidence with my teaching skills and my confidence in myself was being reassured. By my second lesson, I had my own "teacher" pen for checking and grading homework, supervising the computer lab, and tutoring students who needed extra help. And about my second lesson....Guess what I had to teach on, and I don't use the words "had to" lightly.....I got to share with my students all about AIDS/HIV. Well...at least I officially get to say that I had the chance to embarrass half a dozen 8-14 year old boys by some white girl talkng about sex. :) 

Well....getting back to today. I walked into the classoom to my students too eagerly informing me both of the standard 4 teachers were sick and there was only one sub coming. I would be on my own for the day. My emotions were running crazy as excitement, fear, nervosness, and confidence ran through my head. The students aren't the most behaved for my CT. The room is always filled with chatter and noises - even during lectures. Individual work never gets done. Most of the students simply refuse to do it but rather spend the time talking to one another. This was going to be a challege for me. During my lessons, I could bribe/threaten losing break as incentives to complete work, but this only worked for a small amount of time. The morning was spent with a game of heads-up seven-up, spelling hangman (girls vs boys of course), writing the week's memory verse, and I handed their Language Arts homework back from the previous week......to say at least I was thinking off the top of my head with no classroom resources. The extra time spent on the homework seemed very valuable. The students hadn't  done well and with the extra practice they seemed to better understand the concept. By the time we were leaving for lunch, the principal brought me the lesson plans for the day....FINALLY some form of organization for the afternoon. After lunch (Brad and Jean took us out for lunch and a quaint little home restaurant....which was DELICIOUUS!!!) I headed back into the classroom with more nerves than ever. At the end of the day Jean would be coming in to observe my lesson and my students weren`t on their best behavior for the morning, and the afternoon was only going to be worse. The students were beyond hyper throughout the whole afternoon and were hard to manage. I was expecting more from them than they had ever been expected to give before. By the end of the day I was exhausted and ready for bed by 5pm. BUT overall, I gained some great experience from today. I know the importantance of eastablishing proper classroom management (thanks Mrs.Shiverdecker :)) and the fact that I can survive a full day of teaching on my own.....and so did the students :) 

Night!!!!!

Here are devotionals from Elizabeth: 

With people having to work on lesson plans, devotions were short tonight. I didn't know what I wanted to talk about for devotions. I had taught my last lesson today, and during it I had begun to think about Joshua 1:9, "Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." If you think about it, this verse plays a huge part for this trip. God has been with us through this whole time and with God, we can get through anything. We ended devotions with a stellar prayer from Jackie.

Goodnight everyone!!!

There you have it. A wonderful Monday of being almost a "real" teacher. 

Cuán Grande Es Él

As we wind down the weekend and gear up for another week of school, we have been able to find blessings even in the midst of a changing schedule. 

Here's what Christy has to say about the day:

The morning started off as usual with the not so faint sound of roosters crowing, dogs barking and an incredibly delicious breakfast made by our wonderful cooks Abby and Amallya. Then came the bumpy ride to church. Paster Reyes was back this week and blessed us with an amazing sermon on Faith from the book of Romans. He gave examples of how our life cannot be complete and there are things that we will not be able to fully understand until we give everything we have to God. We also got to sing the song that Erin taught us in her devotion earlier this week. It was great to be shown fearless love with the open arms and hearts of the church congregation. After church we came back to a warm lunch of spaghetti and chips with homemade queso dip. Not only was this a wonderful reminder of home but the homemade dip is a huge fan favorite. 

After checking the website and clarifying that it was open we finished lunch and then were given the choice of going to the Xunantunich Mayan ruins or staying to work on homework for school tomorrow. As you can probably guess the majority of us practiced our fully developed skill of procrastinating and made the walk down to the ferry. When we got there we were sadly disappointed to find the only way to the ruins (the ferry) closed. Because of all the rain that Guatemala had gotten in the past 24 hours it was all running full speed down into the river. Practicing the one skill that we were told not to come without, flexibility, we quickly made new plans and were given a few options on what we could do until dinner. Part of the group when to Benny's to get some refreshing fruit drinks and relax in the beautiful Belizean air, others started the long trek back to camp, other went to the near by market to do some shopping and then a small group of us went to explore the town that we have been living in. 

My group went to look around the town. We wandered around the town seeing parts of Belize that we had never seen before. Then we came to a hill that we had all wondered what was on the other side so... Of course we climbed it. After huffing and puffing to the top of Mt. Everest we saw one of the most breath taking views we have encountered on the entire trip. It was amazing just to see God's creation all laid out before me and knowing the pictures that I took could never do it justice. From there we followed the road around passing some of our students from school and meeting a woman named Lilly who had met groups of education students from Mount Vernon in the past. She showed us around the village that she lived in as well as where she lived with her family.  She too had an incredible view reaching all the way to Guatemala inviting us to come back again during an evening so we could watch the "wishing stars" as she called them. 

Later in the evening as people started to wind down and work on lesson plans or begin to journal, McKenzie, Jenny, Brody, and I went to watch the stars. To our disappointment, however, it began to rain so not only were we wet but the clouds covered all the stars. As a plan B we began walking only to find ourselves avoiding a puddle every two feet. Needless to say we spent the next hour jumping in mud puddles and playing in the rain. This was just the perfect end to a fabulous day and was a great reminder of God's beautiful creation, that I as a person although I am small am incredibly blessed not only in my life but through this trip, as well as how important it is to enjoy the little things in life. 

Mommy I love you and cannot wait to see you! I hope to bring back some sunshine for you. 

Love,

Christy

Here are devotions from Cassidy:

When planning the devotional, I tried to find a verse that would speak to everyone. Little did I know, from hearing others share, the devotional spoke to me more than I thought. I read Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." I asked the group what this verse means to them and what may hinder them from allowing God to search their hearts. 

For me, I explained that this verse means that I'm open and vulnerable to God and I allow Him to work through my life. I told the group that what may hinder me to allow God to search my heart is trust. I explained scenarios in my life, such as my senior missions trip where 3 students passed away and a motorcycle accident my parents went through this past May, that have caused me to question my faith and made it difficult to put my trust in Christ. Others shared that this verse means being vulnerable and walking with Christ through situations together. Dr. Brad used the illustration of our heart as a mansion. He said that the mansion is full of different rooms and each room represents a different area of our life. He assured me that walking through those rooms and searching your heart is a lifetime process. I never expected that I would learn so much and be spoken to from a devotional I planned, but I know I have received a new perspective from my peers insight.

Love,

Cassidy

Despite the fact that we haven't been able to see much of the "tourist-y" scenery of Belize, I know in my heart that even if I don't see another piece of Belize, I've already seen the most beautiful part of the country in the Belizean people. I think my peers would say the same. 

Cuán Grande Es Él; How Great He Is!

God's Plan

While the flooded roads changed our plans, the rain didn't stop our fun! Today we enjoyed the beautiful views of the Spanish lookout, ventured through San Ignacio, shopped in the markets and enjoyed some time at the campsite. 

First, I'd like to share an experience that melted my heart today. Let me give you some background information. I am placed in a standard six classroom, the equivalent of 8th grade in the US. While this is a new experience for me as I've always been placed in the high school since my certification is 7-12th grade, I've thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of a primary school. Now, standard six is a little different as all students are preparing for the Belize National Test, a test they have to pass to continue into high school. Therefore, my cooperating teacher stays after school every day with the students working on material for an hour in addition to coming to school on Saturday from 9-12 to help the students prepare. Her passion for education is clearly evident, but that's not the part of the story I want to share.

So, on Thursday, one of my students, Victor, missed school. On Friday he brought me this a piece of notebook paper with something tucked inside. Wrapped inside was a beautiful slate with a turtle (a good luck turtle) carved into it. He carved it himself.

Today as we walked toward the market in Succotz, I heard a precious voice scream, "Miss Mit-zy!!" (Native Spanish-speakers really struggle with the way we pronounce things) I looked up to find the smiling face of Victor running toward me. He proceeded to show me his family's booth and introduce me to his uncle and cousins at the market. Then his face lit up, and his inquisitive eyes looked up at me when he asked, "Did you like the turtle?" I exclaimed, "I love the turtle! I showed all of my friends, and I am so excited to show my family at home! It's the most beautiful gift I've ever received." This was the honest truth. His smile extended from ear to ear, and his response brought tears to my eyes. He said, "I made this for you on Thursday; that's why I missed school."

While I know the teacher in me should have been disappointed in the fact that Victor missed class, my knowledge of the people here helped me understand a very important lesson. You see, Belize is a very relational country. The people here care more about others than they do about themselves. While Victor is responsible for learning a full year's worth of academics by March in order to pass the national test, Victor found it more important to make me - somebody he has known for just one week - a good luck charm for me to take back home with me. 

Victor may be a struggling student in the classroom, but Victor has skills far beyond his years. His love for others far exceeds his need for personal success. Victor understands far, far more than I - as a teacher - will ever be able to teach him. Victor embodies the selflessness of Christ in all of his actions. While Victor has many other responsibilities on his plate, he went out of his way for me. Victor thought he was giving me a turtle for good luck, but what Victor doesn't know is that I already consider myself lucky because God blessed me with the opportunity to see Him through Victor. 

While I was disappointed that our plans changed, and we didn't have the opportunity to go to the pools and see the waterfalls, I know I would not have received this blessing had our plans not changed. The warmth I felt it my heart far exceeded any warmth the sun could have provided, and the little slate turtle that I will be taking home is a gift I cherish for the rest of my life. 

Here's what Tiffany has to say about the day:

As Miss Mit-zy said above, today started of with a bit of disappointment when the group found out the roads to the excursion we had planned were not passable. It is amazing how God spoke to me throughout the day about the frustrated attitude I had in the morning purely due to the fact that I wasn't able to go see the waterfalls here. God began reminding me that my troubles are so little compared to what some people face here. Belize has been hit hard with rain this year, causing many tourist spots to be closed. The waterfalls are one of any spots affected by the rain. In an area that relies on tourism to make a living, the rain has made times really hard for many families. There have been many small markets selling their items at a low price to our group because they are so desperate to make some money. It breaks my heart to think that I was complaining because I couldn't see the waterfalls when there are families struggling to feed their families. This day has reminded me that it's okay to get to do fun things, but when plans change, I still need to remember that I'm blessed to be in Belize in the first place. With all that being said, please keep the families relying on tourism in your prayers. 

With the change of plans, we decided to drive into San Ignacio to eat lunch and see the town. We were able to walk to the markets to shop for some souvenirs, and for the ice cream lovers like me, we treated ourselves to some deicious gelato! Belize is AWESOME when it comes to ice cream :) It was so cool to see all the people roaming the town and crowding the stands to watch the local fútbol game. I wish I could put in words how amazing it is here,  but you all will just have to visit Belize to understand - lol. 

To end the day, the whole group walked down to the local Nazarene church for their youth group they put on every Saturday night. It was here that I truly felt blessed to be in Belize. The moment we walked in the church, a young girl ran into the arms of one of the girls in our group. She wore a huge smiling while saying, "hello, Miss Jenny." In these moments, I see the loving relationships being formed between us and our students here. I know that it will be just as hard for them to say bye to us as it will be for us to say bye to them. On our way back, I got to talk to one of my high school students. She is sixteen years old and lives very close to where we are staying. The walk was pretty long so I had a great time getting to know her more. She melted my heart when we got to where we parted ways and she turned to me and said, "I would love to introduce you to my familly tomorrow Miss Wright. Would you be willing to meet them?" I said, "I would love nothing more than to meet your brothers and parents. I can't wait!" Her face lit up. I only wish she realized how much it meant to me that she trusts me enough to introduce me to her whole family. I'm going to be working with her at lunch and after school on her math homework, so I look forward to continuing to get to know her even more. It's been a great day, but I must go now so I can do some grading - lol.

I just want to say I love you mom, dad, and Nick. I'm so thankful for you, Mom and Dad, for making this experience possible. Nick, I miss you very much and look forward to seeing you shortly after I get back to the states. Bye everyone!

Here are the devotions from Erin:

1 Peter 1:22 says, "Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from the heart." 

One of the things that really caught me off guard about being in Belize is the love that has been shown to me. I had expected a lot of love and acceptance from the children just from the stories I've heard about past J-term trips, but I never thought that many of the adults would be the same way. I shared with the group the story of my first day of field at Victorious Nazarene Primary School. My group showed up early, and we were immediately welcomed to join the teachers in a special time of devotion. At the end of the devotion, the teachers sang a song for us and greeted each us with smiles. Just seeing how easily we, as strangers, were accepted and welcomed to come again really made an impact on me. In the following days, I began to notice some signs around the school that said, "Belize in you; Belize in me." Those words have really stuck with me. Even though I have only been here for ten days, the love and kindness that the people here have shown me will alway stay with me. Belize and this experience is now part of me. 

After my story, a few memebers of the group decided to share their stories about love. Some stories were similar to mine. Many of us have witnessed some kind of love either from our students, cooperating teachers, or perhaps from the stranger who helped us exchange our money. Others have had a harder time seeing this love, but realized that even if it's not reciprocated, we need to be loving and accepting. I ended the devotional by teaching the group the song that the teachers at Victorious sang to us. We stood up and we each greeted each other in Jesus' name. 

Love,

Erin 

Today has definitely been one of those days that God was able to direct our steps. Our plans may have fallen through, but God knew exactly what we needed today. 

Spontaneity

It's Friday! While we've all enjoy our first week in the schools, we are excited to venture through Belize this weekend!

Brody is going to talk about the unique chapel experience six of us experienced at Victorious today:

The six of us that are teaching at Victorious Nazarene always start our day with a short devotion with all of the teachers at Victorious. Yesterday morning during devotion the teachers decided to have a whole school chapel because they wanted us to be a part of it. It is amazing how flexible these teacher and their willingness to change their plans 15 minutes before chapel started just so we could experience this with them. 

All of the students and teachers filled the chapel class by class. Everyone in the chapel got on thier feet, and we started to worship through singing. It was very neat to see that they like to worship the same way we do back home. Half of the songs we sang were in English and half were in Spanish. It was awesome to see my students help translate the meaning of the songs in Spanish to me to help me understand the meaning of the song. I do not think I ever stopped smiling during this chapel because of the joy and happiness I could see in all of the students. 

During chapel at Victorious, different classes will prepare to present either a Bible verse or a song they have learned during the week. I have to give a big shoutout to Miss Christy and Miss Erin for getting on stage with standard 2 to sing and dance with them. The students really enjoyed to see us get involved with thier chapel and I know we enjoyed it even more. Overall,  the word that comes to my mind to describe this experience was FLAWLESS.

Cassidy is going to tell us about her day:

Today was an eventful, tiring day to say the least. The day began by starting another day in the schools. I had the opportunity to observe Julia teach in her class which was an awesome experience. According to the principal at Faith Nazarene, Julia has a class with the most misbehaved children. She has had a lot of frustrations this week, but today she managed her class tremendously throughout her lesson. It was a great experience seeing one of my best friends accomplish a task when she was discouraged several times this week. 

The students have stolen my heart. The more I get to know them, I am reminded of how hard it is going to be to leave. Earlier this week, I found out one of my students has special needs. My cooperating teacher said she doesn't know what's wrong, and she doesn't know what to do to better his education. I worked with him and found out he doesn't know the alphabet. My heart broke when I realized he sits in class all day and does nothing because he doesn't understand any of the activities. The worst thing is that he is supposed to graduate from primary school (which ends at 8th grade) next year. I have been eager to work with him, but since that day, he hasn't returned to school. Since next week is the last week in the school, I feel a little discouraged because I want to give him the one-on-one attention that is normally not available to him, and I'm running out of time. Yesterday for math, I taught on currency and foreign exchange. I had the chance to review with them today, and it was great to see how many students really learned and to whom I can give indivialized instruction. My school was released early, so five of the MVNU students were able to explore the town of San Ignacio. We found an awesome ice cream place that we later took the whole group to after seeing the Mayan ruins. There were so many beautiful sights and lots of steps to climb. It was interesting to physically see and learn about Belizean history.  I know that during this trip I'm being stretched and learning to trust God more everyday. Shout out to my family and friends! I miss and love you all!

Love ,

Cassidy Wilson 

Here are the devotions from Morgan:

Devotions tonight began with an excerpt from the book Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy. The story was called "An Unforgettable Wedding Night." This story was long, so I'll give you a summary. It started how everyone would imagine it would with a new husband and wife leaving their wedding ceremony to go back home and spend a very loving and intimate night together. However, when they made it home, there was unexpected twist waiting for them - a house full of trash bags and garbage thrown everywhere and all of the new wife's ex-boyfriends standing around. 

While this story is extremely unlikely to happen, this happens quite often in our relationships with Jesus. Many Christians often pray for a deeper, more intimate relationship with Jesus, but we often fail to recognize the amount of trash we bring into our relationship. There is so much garbage in our hearts that Jesus can't walk through the door. 

We focused on Galations 5:24 which talks about those who belong to Christ defeating flesh and all the passion and desires that come with it. We are able to become less while He becomes more. The majority of this garbage has been in our lives for so long, we are unable to recognize it without it the help of Jesus. I challenged our group to begin the process of taking out the garbage in our lives and moving to a more intimate relationship with Jesus. And while this will be a very painful and discouraging practice, we can have hope because Jesus already knows the trash we come with and is waiting for us to ask for His help to empty it. He has already died for the sin in our lives because living without us for eternity would hurt more than dying for us. He wants a deep relationship with us and it is only possible when we begin throwing out the other loves in our lives and our past mistakes. So, let's move towards the one man who is willing to die for our mistakes and join in a truly intimate relationship with Him. 

Love, 

Morgan

As you can tell, we are all enjoying our experience - spontaneity and all!

Onion Soup for the Soul

Since when did 75 degrees feel colder than the -40 degree temperatures we experienced just days before setting out for Belize? The answer: Today. Although it has been quite a chilly day, God has still been moving and using our experiences to shape our lives, minds, and hearts. 

Here's what Tori has to say about the day:

Today I was reminded of how I can be a vessel of God's love to these beatiful children. I am in an Infant II classroom (comparable to 2nd grade in the States), so my day is filled with hugging children, sticky hands, and MANY games of tag. Each day I come back to camp sweaty and exhausted, but my heart could not be fuller. One boy in my class, Henry, is eight years old. I noticed he was far behind his classmates, and my teacher explained to me that he was labeled as a slow learner. The Intervention side of my major kicked in to full gear, and I told her that my degree also qualifies me to work with students that have special needs. I volunteered to pull him out of the classroom to give him one-on-one attention.

Henry can only recognize the numbers one, two, and three. He knows two out of twenty-six letters of the alphabet. He cannot read. He stayed in Infant I for two years, and his teachers just shipped him over to the next grade because maybe being in a different grade willl help him retain knowledge. Henry has short-term memory loss. Whatever he masters one day will probaby be forgotten in the next. There is no special education pograms at the Belizean schools, so Henry rarely gets one-on-one attention. 

What Henry lacks cognitively, he makes up for it with his attitude. We did number flashcards for thirty minutes straight (imagine that with the attention span of an eight-year-old!) and a smile never left his face. The same boy that everyone labels as a failure bought me a choco-bananna with his own money because I said it was my favorite Belizean snack. Henry has an outlook to serve others, and he always cares for his friends. Christ could not be more evident in this little boy's heart.

Henry learned the numbers four, five, and seven today. Even though he probably won't remember what  I taught him tomorrow, Henry has taught me far more than I could ever teach him. Henry exemplifies how Christ erases our sins each day. No matter what we do, if we are sincerely sorry, Jesus will wipe our slate clean. He never keeps a record of wrongs. This concept will be in my heart forever.

I love this country, and I can't wait to see where these next two weeks take me and my brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Love,

Tori

P.S. Shout out to my mom and my soul sisters! You guys are awesome!

Here are the devotions from Felicia:

God laid this devotion on my heart right before I left for this trip. Since that time I have been eagerly awaiting my turn for devotion.

The theme for my devotion was time. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 was the scripture I opened with. These verses address how we go through different seasons in our lives and during these seasons there are different times to do certain things. For example, a time weep and a time to laugh, or a time to gain and a time to lose. I feel we have all been called here for a certain reason and this is our time. 

I passed around pieces of paper and challenged the group to write on their piece of paper what they feel their time is here. Some people shared their thoughts which ranged from #mvnulifechanging to a time to trust. It was interesting to see what some people feel their time is and why they feel that way. After sharing I told the group to keep their piece of paper in their journal or somewhere safe and at the end of the trip when we are on the plane to take the piece of paper out and see if what they wrote was true or if God had changed their hearts and this trip was a time for something different. 

This trip is life changing and it is all our time for one thing or another. We just need to dive in full heartily to discover what time it is for us.

With Love,

Felicia 

In addition to working on lesson plans, sitting through an hour of seminar, and processing our experiences with each other, learning that we are all learning to be teachers, teaching to be learners, and continuing to learn about ourselves, others, and the culture here, it's evident that God is teaching us far, far more than we ever anticipated. For that, we are all very, very blessed. Our dinner of onion soup wasn't the only thing that was good for the soul today.