The washing machine looks normal, but don’t be fooled. You put your clothes in, drag the hose over and fill it up with water. You put the soap in and turn it on. It washes the clothes. Then you take your clothes out and drain the machine. You put your clothes back in, drag the hose over and fill it up again. It rinses the clothes. Then you take your clothes out and drain the machine. You put your clothes back in and it spins. Then you take your clothes out and hang them on the line. And THAT is laundry.
It was a moot point yesterday when I brought my clothes down to take a stab at it, because the water in this part of the village was turned off. Ms. Ida washed all my clothes in a bucket while I was at school, and you know that dream where you accidentally go to school or work in your underwear? Well, you can imagine my horror when I walked up the dirt road with all the school kids to find my underwear strung up all over the yard! OMG.
Here is the laundry room
Saturday morning (I was still up at 6am- its what they DO on this little road here, unfortunately) I unpacked all my clothes, folded and organized, and repacked while listening to “strike it up” on the karaoke bar speakers next door. There is always music playing, on every street at some house from sunrise to sunset. I sort of like it, though it was eventually replaced mid-morning my trusty ipod. The temperature was about 80 degrees at 9am with a slight breeze, not a cloud in sight, and all the birds were chirping. It was the perfect Saturday morning, and it did not involve magazines or coffee at Borders. Imagine. (Although I could have used a nice Sprinky or two.
At about 10:30, I walked the mile to Antonia’s house and helped her put her own laundry on the line before Belizean cooking lesson #2. She had me cut up cabbage, cucumber and tomato for the coleslaw using the one and only knife in the house- imagine peeling delicate fruits and veggies, and also chopping chicken bones, and also fixing the shower in the bathroom with this, because those are all things we did today with this magical knife which has no handle and was embarrassingly hard on my little white no-calloused hands:
Other things I did today:
- Rode across hammock bridge on the back of Ricardo’s motorcycle
- Visited 3 stores in San Ignacio in search of cranberry juice
- Watched all the Mennonite kids swim in the river- right off the bridge we crossed everyday on the way to Santa Familia
- Ate bbq chicken
- Visited the San Ignacio farmer’s market
- Saw a sign that read, Today’s Special: pig foot soup & tortilla
Things I can’t live without:
- My little tiny blush mirror- it’s how I get ready every morning and the only mirror in the house
- ipod
- Beth Moore devotional
- Off bug spray
- Floor fan
- The OC
- Tea Tree oil
- Granola bars
- Emails and comments from friends and family- easily the most anticipated moment of my day
Hello 
I have enjoyed reading your blog and have had an eye-opening experience through your ministry. You are in our prayers as you do His work in Belize. Love, Pam and family
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holy cow. thank god your laundry experience isn’t like the one at uncle louie’s wife’s house. member that one? wowsers. all that filling and draining and re-filling. makes me annoyed just thinking of it! i’d just get a bucket. but since you’re working with the do-it-all-knife that doesn’t even have a handle(what?!), i’m not so sure you can just grab a bucket. and look at you! cooky-cookerton! they’re really puttin’ you to work. what’s the tastiest thing you’ve made/had? um, and i told marsha, heidi, and jen about the taco for breakfast and then a taco between bread for lunch!! they DIED!
oh, and heidi from the hills called off her engagement to creepy spencer.
you’ve GOT to read this…http://www.lproof.org/Devotions/2007/AWorkerUnashamed.html
miss you, bwookie!
love, elaine
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did you hear about the taylor youtube contest?
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I am totally blown away by the life you have there, as amazing as it is, the culture, the kids, the views…oh man..the bathroom, the laundry, the knife….hang in there, I know you must feel blessed everyday, to be helping these people. I pray for you daily. You are not forgotten. We think of you often. The weather seems to be lovely…It’s cold here…snow today..
we love you…Aunt Pam & Uncle Phil
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my saturday DID include magazines, borders, and coffee(of course)…but it definately wasn’t the same without you. however, i would trade that in for what you did in a heartbeat. i miss you, and it was good to hear your voice tonight.
loveya,
sprink
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WOW! Talk about a life experience that you could never even begin to pay for! Girl, you have experienced more in one week than some people do in a lifetime. When people say they have gone to Belize, most won’t even be able to relate to what you have done and will continue to do!
My two questions: Would you like some very large ziploc, traveling wash bags?
Can knives be mailed? (I will never whine about my insufficient knife collection again!)
{Yeah, Heidi! Life is too precious for guys your friends think are creeps!}
Brooke, do you mind if I share the blog with some 6th grade teachers who are going to be starting the Central America unit soon?
Praying daily for your experience, health, influence, spritual growth, happiness and joy! Keep smiling – and taking pictures!
Love, Suzanne
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Ok…
A. I am behind. I just made it to this space…I’m sorry. I don’t know what happenend, but i’m so myspace centric that I just didn’t do it. Ur now a webpage favorite, so i’ll be here daily.
B. I LOVE you. I just sat here and read every post and cried my eyes out. I don’t know why. you know i’m a freak with the crying, but this whole adventure of yours makes me cry. Joy, happiness, pride (the good kind), sadness, fear, love, excitement and on and on. I just can’t take it. All the emotions have to get out of me and it happens in the form of tears. Good.
C. Iguanas = scary, but in a cool way. it’s like a train wreck. I can’t stop looking at them.
D. These kids are soooo beautiful and so lucky to have you there. Give them hugs from your crazy friend in Oregon.
E. Hang in there lady. I love you. It is sooo Awesome what you’re doing.
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