The Happenings

Well, I really don't remember what happened two weeks ago.  Last week I did plan to update but then, life got very busy with the crusade.  Still really busy, but I'm going to go ahead and blog.  Where to begin.  Oh, I remember some things that were two weeks ago.  Wow, that's only been two weeks, not even.  Well, I've been getting more and more involved with the students.  It's really nice and I feel more appreciated and important to them too.  I don't remember all details unfortunately, but I will talk about a Thursday.  Not last Thursday but the Thursday before that.  Oh, I'm remembering more.  I'll even go earlier than that.  I've been tutoring after school on Mondays and Wednesdays for those who want help in Math.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays are sports so it's too late to tutor after that.  I've been tutoring and it's nice to be more personable with the students and meet their needs.  Like two students in my First Form Math class.  They just sit in class and don't do anything.  Sometimes they talk.  That's pretty much it though, it's really frustrating because they don't even try.  They were still around after school so I told them to come in and I started helping them.  They were getting excited because it was making sense to them and they found out it isn't too hard.  One even said, "This is easy.  We just never pay attention."  Why!?!?!  It felt really good that day letting them know they can do it and it's not too difficult for them.  Unfortunately they still don't seem to try.  I've helped other students though and they have been improving.  Also helping one of those two boys helped him on his test score.  The tutoring has been adding to my busy-ness.

Then Thursday, after sports, a student named Judith stayed afterward and was playing with another teacher, Denny Cabanas, and I asked Kelly if he wanted to go play with them and he was down.  We got changed and went over and played for a while.  It was fun and got some exercise which is always nice.  When we were done playing though I went to the staff room because I still had to write a test for the next day and Judith just sat in there and talked with me.  I listened too, I wasn't just writing a test.  She was sharing a lot and I really think crying out for attention.  She plays the tough, cool kid, but she really listens to us teachers and respects us.  She told me she started drinking when she was 5 years old.  Her dad has always been into drugs and alcohol.  Judith has had a tough life.  We talked for a long time, well, more she talked and I listened but I did chime in every once and a while.  It was really nice.  That Sabbath she came to church too.  We talked a little after church and I was able to give her a Steps to Christ.  I'm not sure if she has finished reading it, but I know she likes to read.  She use to read Nancy Drew books in class.  She said she was going to go to church this week too, but I was out at another church promoting the school, but I'm sure she'll come again soon.

Last Sunday, before we began our crusade, we had a Health Expo.  I helped set that up and then they needed someone to do the exercise portion, and so I was the man for the job.  I had to take people's pulse, have them exercise, take their pulse again, have them rest, and take there pulse one more time.  Now have about 50 or so people go through and keep track of all of them.  It was crazy busy for me and I can't multitask well, I'm a man and all, makes it difficult.  After my fun with touching people's wrists, I helped take down the place and move bricks, tables, whatever have you back to there places.  I got home, had to bathe and eat, then go right back for the meetings.  Ever since then, the crusade has been every night.

This last week was a busy busy week that has been very exhausting.  I'll share some positive and encouraging parts though, then I need to get to bed.  Earlier this last week, about 5 students came up to me and asked if they could start practicing and have me coach them for basketball for sports day.  Now let me explain a little.  Here in Belize there is 5 or 6 Adventist Highschools.  They all get together in April, and have a sports day and compete against each other.  I was a little surprised because it seems really early to me and I have a lot on my plate already, but I told them soon.  Maybe next week we can start, after the crusade.  They also invited me to play basketball in Belmopan on Sunday because they play there every week.  Another encouraging thing is a student in my Homeroom, 3rd Form Class, Daniel, has gone to a couple of the meetings.  He has always seemed to follow along in devotions and likes to sing the songs.  It's nice knowing that God could be using me to get to him.  It's sweet, he came again tonight too.

This weekend quite a bit happened too.  We went out and promoted our school.  We put on Sabbath School and Church Service for a place not too far away.  It went well.  Then since the boys invited me to play basketball on Sunday, I asked Denny if I could stay with him in Belmopan and he said sure.  We were chilling in the afternoon and had nothing to do, so I asked if he minds going to a little park that I've always seen and haven't been able to go to and he was into it.  We went there and I saw a lot of leaf cutting ants.  Also got to see a lot of different trees and it was nice to walk out in nature like that.  I've missed that for sure.  Then in the morning I woke up early to play some ball, then none of the students showed up.  I played anyways, I also got to meet the Belmopan pastor.  They all said I can play good and invited me to come again.  It was fun, I will most definitely play again if I can get a ride there and back.  Actually, after I played basketball I hitched hiked back to Valley of Peace.  It sounds dangerous, but it's honestly quite safe.  I was at the gas station right next to the turn off to go to Valley of Peace and there's nothing else out there so if someone is going down that road, they're more than likely going to go all the way to Valley, so I hopped in the back of a truck with a old man in his 50s-60s, an old lady in here 40s-50s, and a young lady in her early 20s with a little child either 2 or 3 years old.  All of us were strangers and it was really neat.  I was enjoying it and taking it all in.  The wind blowing through my hair, the sun was shining, all the beautiful bush and fields on the way to Valley.  I was free and traveling and hitch hiking in Belize!  I got back in time to talk to a bunch of my good friends too.  It was amazing and really great.  Anyways, I should probably get going and sorry everything is in too much detail.  I hope you still enjoy it anyways.  As I usually say, I'll try and blog more often, we'll see though.  Thank you for your prayers and thoughts.  I miss you all and love you.

Another Two Weeks

Alright, I'm sorry I didn't blog last weekend, unfortunately when I had time to use the internet, the internet was not working.  But I do indeed plan on talking about what happened two weeks ago.  Basically because a lot happened and was more interesting two weeks ago too.  I wrote last on a Monday.  That Monday I went to Belmopan, like the letter I got told me to, to pick up my work permit.  There they told me I had to go to Belize, the letter is wrong.  Oh when I say Belize, I mean Belize City, it's what we call it here.  The principal and I decide that Monday is the best day let's go to Belize.  We get there we show them the letter and the person at the desk gets the paper work out.  Then they tell us it will be $1000!  I'm a volunteer, that's ridiculous to have to pay $1000 for a permit.  We told them that too.  Apparently, whoever wrote the letter made a mistake and only wrote on the paper "Teacher" not "Volunteer Teacher"  so instead of paying $100, we would now have to pay $1000, or we could go back to Belmopan and get that fixed.  Let me say, Belize is about an hour to and hour and a half a way from Belmopan and Valley of Peace is 45 minutes away from Belmopan.  We decide to go back to Belmopan and figure it out, because it would be cheaper to renew my visa each month than to pay the $1000 for the permit.  We go back and see if they can fix the paper.  Apparently they can't just print another paper and it will take a long time.  It's frustrating and annoying, but life goes on.  It really doesn't matter for me to stay here, it'll just cost a little extra.

Then that next day, someone from the Education Ministry from the government came.  Asked each teacher some questions, what students we teached, and what books we used.  She used up my lunch time so I had to teach 6 classes straight and be interviewed and have no lunch.  Then on Wednesday, we had the Math Olympiad.  Kelly and I took about 20 or so students to it, five were participants.  Everything was last minute and we didn't get information about it until the week before and grades were do so we didn't prepare at all.  This was the school's first time participating in it too.  We got some points too!  It was great, we beat three other schools.  The students were really motivated and excited.  They felt good about themselves and about being from Valley of Peace and felt better about our school.  That they aren't the worst, they know this stuff and are just as good as the others if not better.  It was really nice to see the students motivated and being excited.  The ones that participated also got given nice new scientific calculators.  The whole event was great and students we'll be more prepared for next year and will do better no doubt. 

Then Friday, I went to Belmopan.  I was hoping to have a package in the post office, but to my misfortune, there wasn't any.  I was a little sad and was walking to the market, then someone asked me if I would like to buy some weed.  I told the man no thank you and continued walking, but it made me smile and laugh to myself.  He made my day, ha ha!  Later that night we had small groups.  We were singing in our small group and a drunk guy comes to the door and we invite him in.  It was something.  He was like a Pentecostal, Catholic, Adventist mix religion.  He knew some hymns from the Adventist Hymnal, he was clapping and also doing the Father, Son, Holy Spirit crossing.  It was fun.  He spoke English so I could talk with him.  His name is actually Matteo.  He was crying and telling me he doesn't want to drink anymore and some other things.  He also at the end said he would come back the next week; unfortunately he didn't show up this week.  But it was still a great experience.  It made me think of how the Pharisees asked Jesus why does he dine and in the company of the sinners and tax collectors.  The healthy don't need the doctor, the sick do!  Being in the presence of the drunk man and inviting him in to participate in our small group made me smile.  Made me think this is how we should act to everyone, especially those looked down upon. 

The Sabbath last week was "Fellowship Day" in Belmopan.  The whole country of Adventists went to meet in Belmopan.  They had the vice president of the GC there and they treated him like royalty!  It was crazy.  How they walked him in and how they had a banner that said welcome Lowell Cooper.  I believe that's his name.  It was something, it was also nice to experience something new. 

This past week not much has happened.  I have been teaching my classes and more talkative with students. Kelly and I played basketball with some students for a while after school last Thursday.  There's also some students that have been wanting to play me one on one.  I had time to play and one guy was asking me so I told him alright let's do it.  I should have probably made it closer for his self esteem, but also want to show him whose boss and what's up.  Long story short, playing by 1 point per basket, 21-5.  Also, with some points taken away because of some comments he said and I didn't want him to have any excuses.  The next day though he did ask for a rematch, so I'm excited ha ha.  I know I shouldn't take this much pleasure in beating highschoolers at basketball, but it's so fun! 

Who stands out?  My students are actually only on the first two rows.

Four of the participants at their table.

Participants, me, and Kelly getting our rewards.

Behind the school near sunset.

Sabbath evening with the Landeros. 

Last night we had a night of prayer.  It was from 6pm to 12am.  There were a lot of talks, and we prayed too.  We had it for the up coming crusade.  Oh, by the way we're going to have another crusade.  It begins the 20th.  It's going to be family talks and we'll have a Health Expo too.  Anyways, probably the part I enjoyed the most last night was when Mr. Tun, a deacon in the church, came up to me and told me to hang on.  Don't look and keep hanging on.  It was nice and encouraging.  Then he invited me to see his farm.  He said he's astonished and truly blessed.  Others have been complaining about their crops and his are flourishing.  I believe he is truly blessed.  He has been doing so much for the church this year and I believe God is blessing him.  It reminds me a little bit of Abraham and how no one could claim to have made him rich, only God could because of his blessing.  I've been going through Genesis recently too.  Well that's what has happened and is going on here in Valley of Peace Belize.  Now I am off to bed and starting another week.  I miss you all and thank you for reading and your prayers.  God bless!