Day 9 – Joani
After an entire week of construction and VBS, it all comes
to an end…for now at least ;-). We started off our day with cave tubing and let
me tell you, it is gorgeous. We had a
Belizean buffet for lunch, went to the Quan family farm, and ended our day with
Friendships and Brodies.
It seems a little unreal that today is our last full day
here in Belize. I think I can say that the hot, sticky weather as well as every
single mosquito bite was worth it. Why? Because I went from knowing only three
other team members (all from my own church haha) to gaining many lifelong
friendships with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I started off this trip
with one thing in mind: to see God’s work outside the bubble of my home, but I
think it opened my eyes to so much more. Belize is not a third world country,
and it most definitely does not lack people with hearts passionate about
changing Belize for God. No matter where we are in the world, God is there and
God is good.
-Michael
Today the concrete contractors finally arrived to finish the
pavement, the area where the Belize team had so hard worked on. While the
concrete was being poured and smoothed, our team was enjoying a day off at
Xibalba, where we went cave tubing. On the way there our team picked up our
friends from BCE. At around ten in the morning we arrived at Xibalba, later we
rented water shoes after being told that we were not allowed to go bare foot,
due to safety reasons. Before we could enter the cave we had to trek through
parts of the Xibalba’s rivers, 3 in total, and the beautiful rainforest. On the
way to the cave our tour guide, Rick, was constantly explaining specific trees
and their uses. This surprised me a lot that the tour guide knew so much
biology and the uses for the plants. When we finally arrived at the cave we
swam a little in the cold but refreshing waters, and then we entered the cave.
While inside the cave I had mixed feelings of both amazement and fear of the
magnitude of the cave. Amazement from how long the water took to carve out the
cavern and paranoia from the never ending cracks in the roof of the cave.
Afterwards we ate at a buffet and swam at the Quan farm where we had more time
to swim up and down the river.
As the trip comes to an end, I can definitely say that I
learned more than I taught or did. I discovered through the conversations
between the local believe campers and counselors at VBS, that the people are
dedicated to the fullest extent to the changing of Belize’s future and culture;
a change from a drug and crime infested society and culture, to a God based
culture. As I look back I can also definitely say that God has blessed this trip
with protection—no one died and, with diligence, we finished off the construction
one day earlier—and joy. PRAISE GOD!!!
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