Belize: Pressing On

Today was a day of finding ourselves.

After a breakfast which reminded me of the combined British and Maya influence here in Belize (johnnycakes, made from corn and in our case, with a bit of cheese inside), we jumped right into service projects. One of the neat things was in addition to painting the church building, our leaders had the idea to construct some additional benches to increase the seating capacity, so they left to go fetch wood and the materials to make that a reality. In the meantime, we jumped on finishing the interior from a dull primer to a bright and cheery two-tone white and rose color so typical of Latin America. Judging by the reactions from everyone seeing the transformation, our work was being met with delight. It's only Tuesday, and we've already made a difference in the eyes of our hosts.

Fast forward past lunch (chicken with rice and beans, which was elevated WONDERFULLY in the sauce the chicken roasted/braised in, a fresh shrimp ceviche, tortillas, and ever-present fresh juice, which makes me look at the American stuff with heartbreak). Three of my boys wanted me to come with them to one of the local grocers while they took a group of the local boys with them. Their mission was simple: buy refrescos! In Belize, Coca-Cola isn't hard to find and it's even more delicious, so it's just that much more special. So in this case, to go on a stroll with your new friends and be just given a tasty fizzy drink in the heat of the day was pretty cool for these kids. Plus, they had some time to just goof around, tell my guys silly things in Spanish, laugh when they figured out what it meant, and just bond. Probably the funniest part was while on the walk home, I'd watch them take a few sips, shake up the bottle, and then excitedly watch a fountain a Coca-Cola erupt out the top. I personally enjoy drinking mine but to see their delight in the fountain of fizz was pretty funny. I can only imagine their reaction in seeing a Coca-Cola fountain with Mentos mints in them.

While the rest of the crew went down to the waterfront for a quick swim (Luda and our hosts figured out it was safe for us), I decided a rest was in order after our walk. It was a nice opportunity to bond with some of my kids and a few of the boys who went with us. Between the lighthearted stories, I could already tell bonding was happening between everyone and more importantly, God had already been at work in these guys' hearts. At one point, Jared, one of my younger guys, asked me: "Tyler, when are we coming back here?"

That question hit me hard. I honestly didn't know and my heart broke a little when he asked me because I wasn't sure. Although our pastor and trip leader, Scott, said the plan is to go every four years, in my heart, I'm not sure we can wait that long if the impact is already that profound. I don't think I could.

Our swimmers arrived looking positively refreshed, a bit wet, and ready for a tough afternoon of fútbol with some competitive kids, working on the church, and making arte. They did exactly that; it was another solid day of hard playing, painting until almost dinnertime, and more hilarious stories and camp-style songs with "Loco Larry" as he called himself. I was reminded of ye olde days at Center Lake of singing the Chicago Fire song over the lake about Mrs. O'Leary, the lantern, and the shed, and it made me smile.

And our carpenters arrived! In Belize, buying wood isn't like going to Home Depot. There are Mennonite communities dotting the country where you find your log or tree trunk, bring it to the sawmill, and they'll cut it to your specifications, sort of like custom-tailored clothes. A bit of planing to smooth it out, and boards! They worked just as long as our painters and by dinner, there were three absolutely stunning new benches taking shape.

After a non-Belizean dinner of shrimp and chicken chow mein, we had kids arriving again for an evening of games and a short Bible study with Scott while the men and women gathered for Bible studies. Although we did discuss the "Armor of God" passage out of Ephesians 6, the prevailing theme of the evening was simply the sense of God answering prayers that had been prayed for years to continue the work of Templo Hermosa. When we arrived, the church looked recently-built but evidently it had stood for the better part of 4-5 years, so for us to have finished in a matter of two days so much brought joy and tears to the faces of these men. It really reminded me in a profound way that prayer requires persistence and patience and that God's answers don't always come in matters of hours, days, weeks or months. In this case, it took years. However, the evidence was undeniable and swift.

The one question still lingering in my mind: the kids have been bonding so well with the kiddos here. For that, I couldn't be more pleased. Although I've focused on the service aspect, I'm wondering if I'm connecting? Will I? Definitely something to pray for.