Day 8

 Unlike all the sunny days we’ve had, we were greeted with the howling of the wind very early in the morning. We had a full day of educational activities and we were all hoping that the rain would not accompany the gusty winds. We all had breakfast early in the morning and we were on the bus by 8 am to the Mayan Ruins. We met our tour guide who shared several facts on the Belizean customs. He told us that most of the lobster we eat in America, comes from Belize, high schools are called colleges, religion is a must in every school, and when hurricane hatti hit, Belize city was covered in 12 feet of water for more than 30 hours. I guess it doesn’t help that Belize city is 3ft below sea level. He also mentioned that it took nearly 90 miles to get to Mexico from Belize and 3 and a half hours to Guatemala. I thought that was pretty cool since it takes nearly half a day to get anywhere out of Texas. On our trip to the Mayan ruins, we made a pits stop at a local grocery store for some medications the girls needed. My stomach has been in knots from being homesick and since today is sunday, normally, I would be at church. As we waited in the parking lot, the bus driver was messing around with the knobs above his radio. I didn’t think too much about it but when I heard the radio turn on to a worship station, my heart exploded. Some of the girls on the bus began to sing “Yes, Lord, Yes, Lord, Yes yes Lord” with all the synchronized hand movements. Once the girls loaded the bus, the music shut off and the tour guide began to share more about the Belizean culture. I continued to look out of the window, still a little homesick, and to my surprise I saw three german shepherds. I know that may not seem like a big deal but part of my homesickness was from missing my 100lb cuddle monster german shepherd at home. I thanked God for the little bits of comfort he gave me for the day and was eager to dive into thousands of years of culture. Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but I was speechless looking at the Mayan sights at Altun Ha, meaning “stone water”. Our tour guide walked us through the temples explaining the architecture, the customs of the Mayan people, the tools they used and the areas in which they lived. He described the chert, cacao, jade, obsidian, feathers, and leopards skin that were traded among the Mayans. He also explained the importance of Jade within the Mayans. Over 800 items were unearthed at that very location, including the jade head, which remains the largest piece of carved jade within Mesoamerica and the western Hemisphere. Not to mention that its also worth over 10 million US dollars. Though the beautiful stone was not there, a replica was displayed in its place. The group began to walk around, admiring the size and majesty of the ruins. Exiting the ruins, gift shops were lined up all in a row. I met a lady named Stephanie, a shop owner. She was pregnant and told me that her C-section was scheduled for this coming Tuesday. Her and her husband was very excited to welcome a new baby and she was waiting for someone to take her place at the shop. I bought two wooden crosses from her and wished her luck. For lunch, we arrived at the hotel for the best meal ive had this week. Lamb, coconut rice and black beans. I had a rice pudding cake for dessert which reminded a lot of my grandmas arroz con leche. It was my little bit of home in Belize. After lunch we were privileged to hear a Mr. Samson, from the University of Belize, lecture about the history and current issues today. We talked about the simple societies, Mayan civilization, decline of Mayan civilization, coming of the Spanish, challenging the Spanish American Empire, British Settlement in Belize, Anglo-Spanish Treaties, Battles of St. George’s Caye, African Slavery, Caste War, Migrations to Belize, Nationalist Movements, and the Belize/ Guatemala Territorial Disputes. I don’t really like history but learning about the culture was so interesting. After the lecture, we met with the undergraduate student who will be collaborating with us at Stella Maris. We created therapy material and a powerpoint to present to the teacher’s tomorrow morning and afternoon. I am very thankful for this opportunity and for the undergraduate I am joining forces with. I am looking forwards to being in the classroom with the children at Stella Maris. I know I will learn so much from them. Probably even more than I could ever teach them.