Conquering the Imperfect Paradise

The online ads for the YWAM base Destination Paradise in Belize show an ocean scene with swaying palm trees. Terry and I were looking for a place to serve, so we applied to volunteer there for nearly three months. The reality of living in community in a developing country soon hit us.

The YWAM base is housed at a former resort about four miles north of San Pedro, the only town on Ambergris Caye off the coast of Belize. The facilities are rented, but the owners do not maintain them at all. The buildings are old and are literally crumbling, rusting, peeling, and decaying—falling apart. The toilets need tender, loving care and are limited to the ones in individual casitas. Only a few air conditioners work, and there is only cold water in the casitas.

We have had to deal with the challenges of heat with high humidity, mosquitoes, sand fleas, fire ants and sudden tropical rainstorms.

Sand Flea Bites

 Raccoons live under the buildings and find their way into the main building to forage for food in the garbage can or break the eggs left on the shelf. Terry was constantly trying to patch holes in the ceiling or board up the windows so they couldn't get in. I have had to deal with the challenge of baking when necessary ingredients were not delivered or only soft margarine was available. Add to that the challenge of ovens with inaccurate thermostats, and the humidity and heat making results unpredictable.

There is always something breaking down on base. The WiFi system, the plumbing, the water, the electricity, and one of the dryers.
Things are fixed, then they break down again or something else breaks down. We are down to one microwave for 65 people. The other one broke down when a long line of people microwaved their Saturday leftovers, one after the other.

At first I wondered what I was doing there. Did God really send me, or was it my own idea? I didn't quite want to go home, because I knew how much Terry liked the warm weather, and it had already begun to snow in Alberta. Then I wondered what good I could possibly do. I knew in theory that I was supposed to be a servant, and doing my daily tasks freed up staff to teach and interact with the students. That didn't make it any easier nor did I particularly feel any joy in doing laundry, cleaning the speakers' rooms, or baking for the student body. I felt disconnected to the whole community.

One day a perceived injustice brought all these feelings to a head. I was upset that I

didn't know about an event on base, and had a tearful conversation with one of the staff members. She carefully pointed out that I was supposed to read the weekly schedule to find out what was going on. I was used to announcements made to the whole group. We talked it out, and I felt better at having communicated my discontent. Of course I didn't mention all the above challenges. I had just told another staff member in a prayer threesome how I struggled with the weird, the uncomfortable, the strange and the outrageous.

When I asked God, “What shall I do here?” God spoke to me through the girl's dog. He answered me with a picture of Riley walking obediently and calmly by Brittany's side as she held the leash. I got it! I just had to walk closely to Jesus. He has me close to Him, and he has His hand on the leash, and all I have to do was to follow Him.

Brittany and Riley

 From that time on I started to notice my blessings, and my perceptions completely changed. In random order:

• We began to see ourselves as a vital part of the YWAM community, and enjoyed many interesting conversations with students and staff
• We got to attend a cool church, where we even took part in an outreach to the homeless one Saturday.

  

  Our friend with no legs, but so happy

• We often were given a ride home from church or Bible study on a golf cart
• I had the privilege of listening in on a few of the weekly speakers' sessions
• When I desperately needed another pair of shorts, I found a nice pair in a thrift shop for 50¢
• We saw many wonderful birds and other critters: raccoon, snakes, tarantulas, hermit crabs, crocodiles, iguanas, lizards and geckos, scorpions, a large grouper and small lobsters, monkeys and bats.

• 

  A Hermit Crab walks in his shell

• A little bit more clarity gained from working through a workbook and a video series on co-dependence
• New experiences like snorkelling, zip lining and cave tubing, even jumping off a rock into a river
• Getting victory over baking which was such a trial at first. The Crisco sitting on the shelf the whole time was a picture of Jesus always being there to help, even in this situation. Another lesson about perfectionism. Students were appreciative of the baking despite the imperfect results.
• We were given the use of a golf cart on a couple of occasions to explore the Island, north and south
• A swimming pool behind our casita provided many pleasant swims.
  
  
  
• The Lord showed Terry exactly how to fix a freezer lid that wouldn't close.
• We are grateful for an opportunity to see another part of the world and to experience more lessons from God

Our world will never be perfect until that day when we transition to the other side and meet Jesus face to face. I'm grateful that He's getting me ready for that time even now. It's almost time to go back to our earthly home, and I will be sad.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

Adventure Day

It was a very wet and bumpy ride to the mainland of Belize due to huge waves crashing over the stern.  Some people in the boat got thoroughly

soaked, but they were good sports.

Two hours later we were ready for a delicious breakfast.  This time I captured the traditional Johnny Cake before devouring the biscuit stuffed with scrambled egg and bacon.

First stop—zip lining. I'd never tried this sport before, and was a little nervous. It was all right. Fun to be so high up in the canopy of the rain forest, zipping over a river far below.  I was mostly focused on the speed I needed to maintain, and yet land on the next platform without having to be pulled in. I did it!

getting my gear on

coming in for a landing

Terry's ride

Next came cave tubing. We had never heard of this sport, but it's just what it sounds like. A group of eight or so tubes was linked together, and pulled through a cave with stalactites dripping off the ceiling.

 That was so peaceful, floating along and staring up at the ceiling of the cave. I was sorry when the opening came into view again. The best part was swimming in the river for the short distance to our starting point. The water was so wonderful! I don't think I've ever been in a river so warm, yet refreshing. 

Terry on the right

When we got to our destination some students started jumping into the river. Without missing a beat I said to Terry, “Hold my glasses; I'm jumping off the rock.” Other people jumped off and survived, so I figured it was safe. What a rush!

The Mayan Ruins at Altun Ha were a bit bigger than the first ones we saw several weeks back. The weather was cooler, so we climbed up the steps along with the others. 

No birds to be seen; late afternoon is not the best birding time. Terry did get a picture of a Bat Falcon, which we had seen before.

An exhausting but wonderful day!

They weren't perfect

My task for Tuesday was to bake Snickerdoodles for the students at the YWAM base. Baking is a challenge here in Belize because of the heat and humidity. I didn't realize there was hard margarine in the fridge because it had been taken out of its box, so I reluctantly used the spreadable tub margarine. I mixed up the double batch of cookies only to find the dough was very soft and not at all conducive to rolling into balls to put on the cookie sheets. Without really pondering the problem, I added two more cups of flour. Bad idea! After this, my helper, Laney, and I decided that putting the dough into the fridge to chill would be a good idea. We waited about half an hour to attempt to roll little balls. That worked well. The cookies took forever to bake, though, and it was difficult to wedge the large trays into the ancient gas oven even though Terry had banged on them to make them fit.

The cook in the kitchen sampled them, and said, “They need more margarine and sugar.” I put in half the amount he suggested, and did not add more sugar. He didn't think the end product was very good even after this.

The rejects

Laney and I decided it didn't matter, that the students would appreciate them anyway.

When I expressed my frustration to a wise staff member, she said, “Give me the cookies.” I soundly slapped her hand in a kind of halfhearted 'high five'. That was a symbolic gesture to release their imperfections and not take on false guilt over my lack in baking them perfectly.

 I still felt glum over this situation most of the afternoon, until I had my daily swim in the pool. I love the water; it has a calming effect on me. I swam back and forth not really thinking about anything. Finally, reaching the edge of the pool I gave up. OK, God, I know you still love me even though I make mistakes. Thank you for that.   Instant peace.

I've struggled over perfectionism all my life, only recently realizing that I don't have to try to please God and others with what I can achieve. He loves me in spite of myself. That's why Jesus died for me. I don't have to strive for approval, He loves me anyway, always. It's a lesson I have to be reminded of over and over.

By the way, as the students ran past from the dining area they called out, "Thanks for the cookies!"

San Pedro Town

There are not many new places to see on Ambergris Caye, off the mainland of Belize. The main settlement, San Pedro Town, has about 10,000 residents. This number swells in the 'high season', which is beginning now in early November. This statue of St. Peter stands in front of the Catholic church; the patron saint of fisherman, after whom the town was named.

Usually we take the Coastal ferry, which we call the 'water taxi' although it has a regular schedule. We can be picked up just by virtue of sitting or standing on the dock next to the YWAM Base about four miles north on the caye, as the dock at the Base was wiped out during the hurricane. In fifteen minutes or so we can be in town.

The Coastal Ferry

It was great to be dropped off at the Sea Wall, closer to the church,but it really was an unscheduled stop. One day our boat's propeller scraped the sand, and we were told the driver would not drop us off there any more.

Or, we can walk to town, which takes an hour and fifteen minutes. Walking along the beach is said to be easier and shorter than going via the road.  We try to start early in the morning while it's still cool. 

Just before getting to the tall cinema building in which church services are held on Sunday morning, we leave the beach and briefly follow the road.

Sagebrush Community Church

Crossing the bridge that spans the river we walk 20 minutes to downtown San Pedro. 

The speed limit is 15 mph, with the majority of vehicles being golf carts and bicycles. A few vans act as taxis, and there are a few delivery trucks.

church parking lot after the rain

getting a ride on the YWAM golf cart

The buildings are old and decrepit, but interesting. Bright colours predominate where buildings have been freshly painted.

Sprucing up a building

More colours

San Pedro Preschool

Lagoon Street

No one calls the streets by their real names, but by the former Front Street, Middle Street and Back Street, which run parallel to the beach. I'm guessing this is Back Street, as the lagoon is on the other side of the narrow caye.

San Pedro is a laid back, casual place, with friendly people.

Mayan Ruins at Lamanai

Terry and I heard that the trip to the Mayan ruins at Lamanai had a two fold benefit. We weren't all that interested in the architecture, but the site was supposed to be great for birding.

A bigger boat than the regular water taxi took us all the way to the mainland, high speed all the way.

It had to skirt the southern end of Ambergris Caye, the island where we are staying off the coast of Belize.  Finally we made our way through an opening in the mangroves which came into sight after an hour or so stretch of sea.

Mangroves grow in part salt, part fresh water

Weaving back and forth through a lagoon like area we arrived at the small village of Bomba, population 70. The inhabitants had connected to power a mere month ago!

The village of Bomba

Breakfast time. We hungrily dove into individually wrapped Johnny cakes, freshly baked fluffy biscuits filled with egg salad spread, that our hostess took out of her bag, and had some orange juice, delicious banana bread, and watermelon. Unfortunately, I was so focused on eating, I forgot to take a picture.

The little toilet shack even had flush toilets! Hopeful vendors had their wares spread out, but no one bought anything.

Carved wood dishes for sale

This bus bumped us along for another hour along the Northern Highway, with a bit of rudimentary pavement, but mostly not. Tolerating the bumps, we kept our eyes peeled for any birds, but none to be seen at that speed.

Choice real estate, anyone?

We transferred to a riverboat for another hour long ride along the Rio Nuevo.

When the driver slowed down we knew there was something to see.

Tiny bats cling to a dead tree

Eat the peel if it's ripe, toss it if not!

Time for lunch: Surprise! The 'typical Belizean lunch' was exactly what we've been eating at the base: rice, beans, chicken, coleslaw, and fried plantains.

The Lamanai [ the name means submerged crocodile] site was a national site, so we had to pay another $5.00 US, and wandered around the small museum. Soon we were drawn outside again by an unearthly noise, sounding as if it came from some futuristic movie.

Black Howler Monkeys! We didn't see more than black blobs moving high in the rain forest canopy as they foraged for fruit, leaves and berries. Their howls, however, were said to be heard from several kilometres away.

Here are a couple of shots of the ruins, but we were not energetic enough to climb them in the heat.

 Instead, we veered off as our guide pointed out various birds he saw and heard.

I got my heart's desire: we saw the Keel-billed Toucan! I giggled as I realized why this bird is on the Kelloggs Froot Loops box. He eats fruit of course! And on the way back, our boat startled a flock of Roseate Spoonbills.

Terry was pleased to add about 50 more birds to his Belize list. That was a trip worth taking.

Playing Hooky

It's 8:30 in the morning, the sun already high in the sky. The sea is a bit choppy. I'm sitting in the rear seat of the yellow kayak with three-year-old Avery tucked in front of me. Her mom is guiding our kayak, following her husband with their two boys in the kayak in front of us.

The dad has a couple hours off before he has to be in the kitchen again, where he is chef for this group of students and staff at YWAM Destination Paradise. I asked to tag along.

I'm kind of playing hooky, if I go by one of the definitions of this word I just looked up:

"Unauthorized absence from work or school”.

I didn't ask anyone, I just checked my schedule last night. I was supposed to launder all the kitchen cloths and towels this morning. Whoops! Forgot to sign up again! Never mind: the load of towels was in the washer at 6:00 am before the official schedule even began.

A minor glitch; the power was off for a short while, a common occurrence apparently. Sometimes the power outage originates on the mainland, I was told.

Oh! On again. The load finished just as Terry and I finish our breakfast porridge. Stuff the towels into the dryer.

The two kayaks are headed for a white buoy on this side of the traffic lane where the water taxis speed by. It is supposed to be shallow there. Dad's goal is to find another conch to cook and eat. Minimum length seven inches, or else it's illegal to harvest. He had found one the other day; I'm not sure how it's going to be cooked.

Here we are at our spot. We lower the cement block anchors, which lie on the ocean floor maybe ten feet down. Adjusting my snorkel, I slip off the kayak into the water. Patches of sea grass covered the bottom. Mostly it grows sparsely in individual blades.  Super salty water stings my eyes and fills my mouth. The water gets into the mask, so the mom tightens it for me. That's better. I swim around, practising my breathing. I scan the sand. Not a thing to see, except a conch, greenish brown and hairy. “It's dead,” says the dad, lifting it up for me to see. Not at all pretty like the one I got off the island of Antigua.

Mom and Avery sunbathe on the kayak. Eventually they come into the water, Avery in her life vest clinging to mom's neck and riding on her back.

Dad's search for another meal proves fruitless, so we head back.

Mom warns me, “Last time it took me a long time to get to shore; I kept going around in circles.” Dad gives the rear paddler [that's me!] some basic instructions, and soon we are headed in a fairly straight line towards the beach.

Back in the laundry room the load of towels is bone dry, and I calmly fold them and put them back into the kitchen.

There! Half my day's work is done in short order, with a very pleasant interlude, the totally unexpected gift of 'playing hooky.' I like the other definition much better: 'Absence from work or school'. No worries—it was fun.

Replacing the Dining Palapa

On August 4 of this year, Hurricane Earl battered the coast of Ambergris Caye, causing much damage. One of the structures at YWAM Destination Paradise the dining palapa, [palm shelter] had half its roof blown away.

This week, about a month later, work continued on replacing the thatch, enabling us to see this process in operation. This is my 'lay person's' description:

The skeleton of the structure was partially replaced with new skinny poles, curved to fit the original oval shape.

Three Hispanic workers arrived on the job with a load of palm fronds.

These were hoisted up onto the cross-pieces. The worker had climbed up via this rickety version of scaffolding. I noticed that he did wear steel toed workboots!

His helper, sometimes a woman, piled the fronds onto a rope which was hoisted up with a bunch of fronds.

The fronds were arranged neatly in a row by lifting up a couple of the leaves, and lining the whole frond along the crosspiece, beginning at the bottom.

Each successive layer overlapped the previous one.

You could tell where the new row began, as it was a greener colour, as opposed to the weathered, pale thatch.

When the whole roof is complete, the electric lamps will be replaced, enabling us to be able to see what we are eating for dinner!  
We are a work in progress just like this shelter.  Sometimes the winds of adversity blow us apart, but God in His mercy lovingly rebuilds us, until we are a structure fit once again for His use.