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