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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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
