A good start to the week

Every Sunday night we try to have a team meeting where we discuss what we’ll be doing over the week with different projects and backup plans if anything falls through. That happens surprisingly a lot here. This most recent Sunday was different as it was the first team meeting with the new volunteers. Kyle and Kristina went over house rules as well as general safety rules while being in country. These are pretty standard so I won’t go into detail. The different projects were explained in more detail and we mapped out our weeks.

            My week looks like this:

Monday: Morning: Meeting with Bernard/grocery shopping for group/computer lesson planning,

   Afternoon: Special Olympics and King’s Orphanage in Belmopan

Tuesday: Morning: Cornerstone lunch program

                 Afternoon: Computer Class @ Cornerstone

Wednesday: Morning: Cornerstone lunch program

                      Afternoon: Cadet program @ Police station

Thursday: Morning: Cornerstone lunch program

                   Afternoon: Computer Class @ Cornerstone

Friday: Morning: Deep cleaning apartment

              Afternoon: Cadet program @ Macal Park

The schedules are always tentative though and really depend on whether or not people show up to appointments and classes. I’m glad I have the Cornerstone lunch program to count on because it’s consistent and reliable. Plus I’m able to help feed a lot of children that wouldn’t have the chance to get food if they were not on this program. The cadets is new for me as I didn’t do it last wave so I’m excited to work on that as well. And of course my computer class has been fun too.

            Monday morning Trellany and I had an appointment with Bernard to plan for a youth summer camp at St. Andrews school. However as I’ve said before TIB (This is Belize) and things don’t go to plan. We weren’t able to contact Bernard for a meeting so we went on and did whatever else we had planned. For myself that was getting groceries for Carmita so she had something to cook for us. I’m not too sure if I’ve said anything about Carmita yet. She is he hotel manager and she also cooks for us. Breakfast on Tuesdays and Thursdays and lunch Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

            I went with Sarah to get groceries and we got things for Carmita to make stuffed jacks. Jacks are very similar to Indian Fry Bread but instead of being flat circles there in half circles and you can fill them with various fillings, breakfast meats, eggs, beans, or even jam and butter. They are delicious and I want to learn how to make them. We picked up some flour and chicken breasts and then grabbed what we thought were refried beans but they were just regular beans. Oh well.

            For lunch Carmita made the stuffed jacks and they were awesome. Sarah and I had to eat quickly because the bus for Belmopan left at 12:30 and it was 12:10 by the time we started eating. We scarfed down our lunches and then literally ran to the bus station. By the time we got to the station there were a ton of people waiting and we were glad we didn’t miss the bus. We waited there but the bus never showed up, again TIB, and it wasn’t that surprising. However the next bus that came around at 1:30 was absolutely packed full and they were cramming more on. I figured the time it would have taken us to go to Belmopan and then take a taxi to the school for Special Olympics it would have already passed.

            Sarah and I were waiting at the bus station when Kyle and Jessie met us at the bus station. We had originally planned to go with Jessie but she was still at Cornerstone when we had left. So luckily she was still able to go to Belmopan with us after all. The 2:30 bus came early at 2:15 and we got on the bus to Belmopan.

            After the hour bus ride to the capital we walked the 10 min walk to Kings Orphanage to spend time with the orphans there. When we showed up we saw another big group of volunteers from a church group that had just arrived for the week. I think there may have possibly been more volunteers present than there were kids. My previous experience with the orphanage was somewhat negative. It had nothing to do with the children, but the lack of staff and direction was a big deterrent from wanting to further work with King’s orphanage again. Nevertheless I came again hoping for a more positive experience.

            Inside the orphanage was a small room with two large bookshelves filled with all sorts of books. One little boy had Sarah sit down with him on the floor reading a book. He saw me and promptly ordered me to sit down beside him and read with him and Sarah. I followed his order and sat on the dirty floor next to this little boy who just wanted someone to read to him. He told us his name was Lindy, and he cuddled up next to me as I read him a book. I felt bad for him and the situation all those kids were in but was also glad I could help be a friend for at least a few hours. It’s a sad reality that many back home have no idea exist and when faced with the reality simply turn the channel to whatever football game is on. I honestly wish I could do more for these kids and improve their situation. That’s why I’m here to try and help even if it that entails sitting on a dirty floor reading a book to a child.

            Tuesday was like most of my previous Tuesdays have been here. I accidentally hit the dismiss button on my alarm clock instead of the snooze so I was late to Cornerstone in the morning. Trellany was already there and there were just finishing up the lunches getting ready to go. I opted to stay behind this time so I could meet the kids that come to Cornerstone for lunch. Normally around 25 kids come for lunch at Cornerstone but Tuesday only 12 came. I don’t know why but it seems that the closer school gets to getting out for the summer less and less children actually attend school.

            At 1:30 I started my computer class and wouldn’t ya know it, I got a new student! Hurray. Trellany and Laura had made fliers on Monday to advertise my computer class for me and it seemed some of the fliers had actually been seen. Rita, the head of Cornerstone, said a man had also come in the morning to enquire about the class, however I didn’t see him in the afternoon. So my new student actually attends the sewing classes also held at Cornerstone so she knew previous of the class but finally worked up the nerve to come.

            I worked with Anna as well as Jaclyn and Anne helped me teach this time. That was nice because I was able to focus on Anna while Anne helped introduce Microsoft Word to Jaclyn. We worked with them until 3:00 and then I locked up the building.

            Anne wanted to grab a bag from the market, apparently she didn’t grab one from Xunantunich, and so we walked around San Ignacio for an hour. It was nice to get out of the house for a bit, and oddly enough the market wasn’t selling the bags that day. It had been raining so a lot of what they normally sell wasn’t out. It was a good day overall and the afternoon I just relaxed in a hammock on the veranda. I accidentally fell asleep and my leg was eaten alive by mosquitoes. Nevertheless I’m still alive and without Malaria so all is well here. Thanks for reading.