I’m here!

Hi. I’m here, safe and warm and full!

You’ll be happy to know our bags made it onto the plane despite an overage of about 4 pounds per bag (minus 2 gallon-bags of toothbrushes and my strappy black sandals), I ALMOST missed my connecting flight in Miami, but sprinted through 50-something gates and made it. I was the last one on the plane and the gate was closed, but guess which seat was open? The one next to Antonia and Inez, which was not even my seat assignment.

We made it through customs pretty easily, but I’ll have to go to Belmopan once a month to get the equivalent of a Visa extention, and Antonia says she “knows someone” in immigration so it shouldn’t be a problem (isn’t that how it always goes here? Someone knows someone and things get done.)

I stayed at Antonia’s house last night- we got into Belize at about 3:30 and spent 4 hours packed like sardines in Mr. Cabb’s pick-up truck. I think there were 8-10 of us because we picked-up and dropped-off a handful of other family members along the way. We arrived in Santa Familia at about 7:30, spent time with all of Antonia’s family giving out gifts and things from Houston for Christmas, and then I went comatos at about 10pm. Inez let me sleep in her bed, and I slept on towels and wrapped up in my sheets because there was an unexpected rain, and all of the laundry was on the line outside, including sheets & blankets! It was comfy.

It was a good day, and mostly I felt completely at home with a few panicky moments in between…I think by the time I went to bed I was overwhelmed and a little bit lonely in all the activity, so Lisa, your text was the perfect thing to fall asleep to, and Denise, yours was the perfect thing to wake up to, thanks.

All morning I have been walking around the village with Ricardo in the rain- they said I brought a blessing with me since they haven’t had rain in a while- and Lisa, I’m really glad you told me to throw in the rain coat! Ricardo has shown me where friends and family live, where Adan lives and where I will be staying. He said the other volunteers in the past have stayed at his Ms Ida’s house, so she is used to accommodating guests. He said the village population is about 1500 people.

Her house is a 20 minute walk from the school, but if I am out by 8am every morning I can walk with the kids until I learn the way. I’ll be at Antonia’s school first, doing one session each morning and one each afternoon, and I’ll be at David’s school next. They said I have come at a very exciting time in Belize because elections are in February, along with confirmation and Easter in March.

That’s all I can think of for now. But it’s important to note that yesterday every time I started to worry or wonder about connecting flights, housing, food, showers, bugs, sheets, etc. I remembered Becky’s devotional, and strangely, last night I read my own devotional and it said the same thing: Don’t worry, God will give me the next thing when I need it.

Love you, Miss you!

Brooke