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We left Punta Gorda on Monday, July 6, 2009. Our friends, co workers, fellow Volunteers, and Belizean family wished us farewell as we boarded the plane bound for Belize City. We would spend the next week in the capital city attending appointments, interviews, and meetings, as we prepared to exit the Peace Corps system.
Saying goodbye to our loved ones in Punta Gorda was difficult and sad, especially since I was leaving on such short notice. I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye, but as I reflect on our time in Belize and the many people who played such an important part in our lives, I am not sure I would have ever been ready to say good bye.
Punta Gorda has been our home for last two years. We have had a wonderful time in PG, and we will miss living there. We will miss our home, the ocean breeze, the rain, the sunshine, and so much more, but what we will miss most are our friends. Those people who have taken us in, fed us, laughed with us, cried with us, nurtured us, and loved us.
Collecting books and organizing the St. Benedict R.C. School Library was a major project during my time in Belize. I worked with several organizations to collect books, and in late June we received a large book donation from family and friends in Houston, TX. Upon the arrival of the shipment we began a total reorganization of the library. The staff and students were very excited, and the project would continue through the summer holiday break. Unfortunately that didn't work out when I broke my leg and had to return to Texas several weeks early. I was determined to get this library into shape, and with the help of a few friends and fellow Peace Corps Volunteers I was able to leave St. Benedict with a beautifully organized library space. For three
days we sorted, labeled, taped, and shelved. The work was amazing and
I couldn't have done it without the help of some very special people. Miss Jan has even volunteered to continue work in the library during the coming school year.
Thanks again to the Peace Corps Belize Staff, Hoover Oil Supply Company, and the Clark Family for gathering, collecting, shipping, and transporting the books for St. Benedict R.C. School.
And a special thank you goes to Mike, Dov, Sussanah, Emily, Pat, Karey Manley, Jan, Gary, Patrick, the Jesuit Volunteers, Traveling Mission Group, Miss Olive, and John. Once again words cannot describe how grateful I am for your willingness to help. I couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
When the St. Benedict Butterflies Girls Club began in June 2008, I went over the various activities that the girls would be participating in.Painting a mural was on the list, and the girls were very excited about painting and couldn’t wait to get started.
We began planning the mural in March.Fellow Peace Corps Volunteer, Cheryl Frances, is an excellent artist and has a background in mural painting.With Miss Cheryl’s help and funding from Kids to Kids, we began the mural project.
The first step was deciding what the mural would include.We spent several sessions discussing and voting.The girls came up with everything from an underwater scene to a wall decorated with various Belizean foods to a jungle scene and kids playing with sports equipment.In the end the St. Benedict Butterflies decided they would like to paint a mural of the Belize National Symbols: the black orchid, tapir, keel billed toucan, and mahogany tree.Over the next few weeks the girls drew pictures and designed various sketches for the mural.Miss Cheryl took the girls’ drawings and combined them into three different pictures. The girls voted and chose the design they liked best.Of course there were a few changes, and the girls were excited to begin.
The next step was practicing how to paint; how much paint goes on the brush, staying within the lines, taking your time, not mixing paint, etc.The girls did an excellent job painting and they were eager to begin painting the wall.Miss Cheryl did a great job of explaining the steps of painting a mural. She talked about the process and our plan.
Finally the girls were going to get to paint on the wall.We would paint the mural on the new kitchen building.We started with primer, and even got a little help from DeSmet High School.Then we put on the base coat.The girls were getting more and more excited.We did our best to keep paint off of the sidewalk and off school uniforms, but by the time we finished with the base coat, we had paint every where.
The girls were so excited the day Miss Cheryl came to sketch the picture on the wall.That afternoon, we began painting the grass.Each day a few girls would paint various parts of the mural. The girls did an excellent job painting.I would assist with shading and outlining, but for the most part it was their project.
The plan was to finish up the mural during the first few weeks of the summer holiday break.Unfortunately, due to my injury and an early departure date we had to finish the mural in two days.I was committed to seeing this project finish, and thankfully I had some good friends who were ready to help. With a little help from some fellow Peace Corps Volunteers, Jesuit Volunteers, and Missionaries, we were able to finish the mural.The St. Benedict Butterflies met one last time on Friday, July 3.We played games, had snacks, made bracelets, painted, and said goodbye.
I am so happy with the way that the mural turned out, and I know the St. Benedict Butterflies are too.The mural project was so much fun, and I am so glad that I was able to see it through to the end.The girls have something at St. Benedict that they designed and painted.The mural gives them ownership of the school and something to be proud of.
Thank you so much to the Kids to Kids Organization, DeSmet, Miss Cheryl, Mike, Dov, Sussanah, Emily, Patrick, Karey, Jan, Pat, Miss Olive, and John.Words cannot describe how grateful I am for your willingness to help.I couldn’t have done it without you!Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I have truly enjoyed my work with the St. Benedict Butterflies, and I will miss them dearly.They have been such an important part of my Peace Corps Service.I look forward seeing each of them in the future, and I hope that they have enjoyed being a part of the St. Benedict Butterflies and learned more about themselves, each other, and their community. I know I have.
Recently the St. Benedict Butterflies headed to the school kitchen to make play dough. This simple recipe was lots of fun to make, and the girls had a great time taking turns mixing, stirring, and kneading the play dough. Though a little messy, it was a fun afternoon
Work continues on the school mural, and be on the lookout for the completed project.
Every year on May 22 people around the
world celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity, showing support for
conserving the Earth’s biodiversity.
This year’s theme was invasive alien species, a major threat to
biodiversity.
This year Sustainable Harvest
International, an international organization that provides farming families in Central America with the training and
tools to overcome poverty while restoring our planet's tropical forests, chose
St. Benedict R.C. School as the site for a tree planting ceremony as a part of the Green Wave.
Teachers, students, parents, government officials,
and community members gathered in the school yard as students planted a
mayflower tree. Despite the heat, it was
a successful day and students are taking great care of the new mayflower tree
in the yard.
Religion and spirituality are an
important part of the curriculum of St. Benedict R.C. School. The students in Standard III have been
preparing for First Holy Communion since January.
Recently seven students received their first communion at St. Peter
Claver Catholic Church. The students were all dressed up and sat
nervously in the pews, reciting their prayers, and answering the questions
Father Perl asked. After receiving
communion the students talked excitedly about how the communion wafers tasted and
how it stuck to the roof of their mouths.
After church we enjoyed a small reception at St. Benedict. It was nice day and I was glad to be able to share in the joyous occasion.
A few weeks ago DeSmet Jesuit High School, an all
boys Catholic School in St. Louis, MO, visited Belize for their annual Service
Learning Trip. Our relationship with
DeSmet began last year, when they were assigned to work at St. Benedict R.C. School for a week. This year, we began
communication early and came up with a plan to help meet the needs of the
school and provide a meaningful service oriented experience for the boys.
We started the week off celebrating
Mass together Sunday Morning at St. Peter Claver Church. Monday
was a holiday, so the team enjoyed a nice day at Hokeb Ha in Blue Creek. On Tuesday it was time to get to work. We split the boys up into two groups, half
working, assisting teachers, and getting to know the students, and the other
half working in and around the school. After
two days we had the groups switch.
We put the team to work painting,
building book shelves, organizing books, constructing volleyball poles,
digging trenches, pouring concrete, laying bricks, and putting on an after school soccer/futbol
camp. The team worked hard in the hot
sun and did a fantastic job.
We can not begin to express our gratitude for the students and staff of DeSmet. We are so thankful for all of your hard
work. The book shelves are great, the school looks fantastic, we can't wait for volleyball, and the students had a wonderful time at futbol camp. We hope you had a wonderful week, and we
look forward to a lasting relationship with DeSmet. Thanks for everything guys!
Last weekend John and I went to the
wedding of Miguel Cho and Ruth Pop, parents from St. Benedict R.C. School. Their three children are a delight, and I
enjoy working with Teresita and Noraldo at school.
We received our invitation several
weeks ago, and Miss Ruth wanted to make sure that I brought my camera
along. Miguel and Ruth got married at
St. Peter Claver Catholic Church at 2:00 in the afternoon. Miguel and Ruth walked down the aisle hand in
hand with their children leading the way.
The witnesses and the parents of the groom followed behind. The couple looked great, Ruth in a beautiful
wedding gown and Miguel in a nice new suite.
The wedding ceremony was a traditional Catholic Mass and the guests
threw confetti as the newly married couple recessed down the aisle.
After the wedding, we rode our bikes
to Miguel and Ruth’s home for the reception.
Friends, family, and neighbors joined in the celebration. The food was delicious and guests enjoyed
chicken caldo, BBQ pork, stew chicken, rice and beans, and shrimp. The bride and groom cut the cake, and Ruth made sure that I got pictures of everything.
We had a wonderful time celebrating
with Miguel and Ruth, and we were honored to be a part of this joyous time in
the lives of the Pop and Cho Family.
The 3rd Annual Toledo Cacao
Fest took place over the Commonwealth Holiday Weekend on May 22, 23, and
24. We were excited to take part in this
year’s activities, since last year we were visiting our family and friends in
Texas.
The Toledo Cacao Fest is a three-day
celebration of cacao,
culture, and the rich flavors of the Toledo District. The event is sponsored by the Toledo Cacao
Grower’s Association and the Belize Tourism Industry Association Toledo
Chapter.
The weekend was full of great
activities. The Wine and Chocolate
Dinner was a favorite of many, and tour companies offered kayaking and
snorkeling trips, as well as tours of nearby organic cacao farms. Early Saturday morning we checked out the
Taste of Toledo Fair, which featured local chocolate made in Toledo, Belizean
artisans, local musicians, and Cacao for Kids, a kid’s tent with face painting,
mural painting, and coloring. I took our neighbors to the Miss Cacao Fest 2009. The
festival wrapped up on Sunday with the presentation of the Moro Dance at
Lubaantun and a concert at PG Central Park.
It was
a wonderful weekend celebration, and we had a great time joining in the fun.
