Saturday, March 3, 2012

Trio Village

One of the fondest memories and experiences so far has been mine and Tati's visit to Trio village, to meet and stay with the Garcia family. This is a family made up of a husband and wife, Fidel and Vilma, and their 5 children. The two oldest sons didn't go to high school because they could not afford it, and so every day they go work in the fields with their dad. In Belize it is really easy to get land, and very cheaply, so the Garcia family has 75 acres, 50 that has vegetation on it that is currently reaping, which include orange trees, corn, beans, grapefruit, limes, pineapples and casaba (Yuca root ;). Their oldest daughter is 15 and has been sponsored by someone in the states to go to highschool, which is a huge blessing for their whole family. As we pulled up their driveway, they were SOOO surprised and happy to see us (mainly Tati of course haha) - they greet everyone with hugs regardless of who you are, which was so sweet, and they are so hospitable despite the fact that they have cement and dirt floors, an outhouse for a bathroom, and cardboard and flimsy boards to separate rooms. One of the girls gave up their bed for us to sleep in, and around 5 am I woke up to the VERY LOUD gobbling of turkeys and crowing of roosters outside the thin wood walls of the small house. 












Vilma took us to go visit the boys out in the field!












Look how horrible the roads are!










Beautiful orange groves











nice hot day, nice long trek through the fields















I seriously NEVER knew that pineapples grew from the ground like this! I guess I thought maybe they grew on trees? 











The boys machetes












Prickly things, those pineapple bushes































I am in the (long and annoying) process of uploading to youtube the video of him cutting this pineapple, stay tuned








he cut us some pineapple for us to eat for our little visit! 












scorpio














little dog just hanging out in the shade














we had to walk with our hands on our heads!
























































This is how you get oranges and grapefruits out of the trees!

















this is how you retrieve them to put them into the truck!














corn fields








Machetes!





































their living room











Tati playing go fish








Minolo their precious baby son









just chillin in the hammock









nice cold shower














































































They do family so well. So loving, so welcoming, and though they have so little, they know how to play, laugh, learn, share and take care of one another. So refreshing and sweet. They shared lots of memories of visiting other times with our friends from back home in Georgia, Kat and Jesse and Justin. They shared about a pasta meal Kat made for them, worship songs played with them, and learning the "Joyful Noise" dance :) Next week some friends are coming down, and on Thursday and Friday we will get to come back and visit with them again! So excited.




Friday, March 2, 2012

Punta Gorda Time

Tati and I traveled to Punta Gorda, which is the southern-most area of Belize, and about a 3-4 hour drive from Belize City. We set out, and spent the day driving through the mountains and really reflecting on some pretty big things. We started talking about how easy it is for people to get so into the routine of life and business, that they lose their passion and forget why they do what they do. It could be Christian business people, Christian musicians, pastors, doctors, teachers etc - anyone, who really was called by God, or had a passion to love, help, serve - whatever it is - and then to do it for so long that they lose the passion. You see it everywhere. I don't know the antidote to keep it alive besides walking and waiting in faith for each next step that the Lord prepares. I can't say that I have ever been the best with commitment, consistency, attachment and things of the like - but the Lord is healing these areas in my life. All-to-say that I don't have the real-life experience, and a pretty terrible track-record, but I know that with the Lord, everyday is a joy, everyday is an adventure, and His mercies are new every morning. We started talking about how SO many preachers preach "the Prosperity Gospel" and so many preach with "Fire and Brimstone" scare tactics, and while yes, the Lord moves people's hearts by His kindness, and yes, He is a righteous and just judge, people aren't being motivated out of the right places. It came to me that we are to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul strength, and we are to love other people, but why are people not taught any more to HATE SIN?!?!?! It is sin that separates, that devastates, ruins relationships and tears families apart - that brings pain and loneliness, fear and lies, oppression and depression, addictions, confusions and delusions. . . If you can love God, you can hate sin; and you can't help but love others, and keep the greatest commandment and the great commission . . . etc. Anyway . . . we had a great talk and revelation as we approached this PG place!

We invited pastors and clergy from Anglican, Catholic, Nazarene, Baptist and Pentecostal churches. . . and it was great! New experiences as we met with nuns and deacons . . . the more atypical invitees.



































































































elaboration pic from a previous blog








ew





















































































































coffins for sale . . . nice










































































































































































oh the irony!












































































really?












um yes. seriously.