The Arrival!

Mary Shannon: Well, we arrived safe and sound. No traveling hitches thankfully! Though I had been informed of Belize's landscape, climate, etc, it was still odd to descend from the clouds without any view of a tall building or industrial park. Instead of the ground being peppered with identical suburbs, there was an endless view of trees, ponds, creeks, and dirt roads.

Joel and "D" (as I call her since I cannot pronounce her name) from the ministry picked up us in an old white van with a trailer attached for our luggage. With the windows down to let in the breeze and fight off the heat, we set off towards the capital Belmopan.
With them was a 14-year old boy named Brian who reminds me a lot of my cousin. He is from Roaring Creek Village and lives with Joel and D. He is a fun kid, but he keeps threatening to attack me with water balloons when I a least expecting it...
Everyone we have come in contact with speaks English so far, including store owners, and people we've run into in th street. My Dad was a little shocked when I revealed to him our first lunch spot was Cheers (however, its quote was, "-with a tropical twist"). It was open air and filled with other tourists, including a large group from what I'd guess was European.
The ministry compound is very nice. When we arrived we eight had the choice of splitting among three small cabanas, each with two bunk beds and a fan :).
The compound also includes a small church, learning center, the clinic, bath house, kitchen/dining house,and a set of small dorms.
Evette, the cook, is every bit of the good cook we had heard about. Last night we had chicken, rice, and fried plantains.
After settling in, 'D' took us her to her Dads house. (She is from Roaring Creek and was one of the sponsored children from the ministry. She is 19 now, and very witty and a great help to us. She and Joel married nine months ago after two years of dating. Joel is originally from TX and moved down here to help about three years ago).
Her parent's home was truly Belizean. Her Dad had landscaped their yard with all types of flowers and fruit trees . Together they created a nice amount of shade, and a pleasant honeysuckle smell from a tree I cannot pronounce.
Then, Joel and D took us on a small driving tour of Belmopan (about a four-minute drive from the clinic). I was amazed by the lack of what I'd consider for the capital of a country. It was mostly all dirt roads, covered by small shops and makeshift homes. Ironically, the one large compound surrounded by a concrete fortress, with a parking lot full of nice cars was the United States Embassy...
Joel and D also brought us to the place he proposed to her-a swinging bridge over Roaring Creek. Through the fog of acute motion sickness, I saw a flock of parrots flying overhead, and monkeys resting in the trees.
After dinner we mostly unpacked and settled in.

Well everyone, we will try to keep you up-to-date. The computers have been a little difficult, but are working (I am currently on a child's laptop so I apologize for all the misspellings and such-will just have to fix it later...)

love you all-miss you all.
MSD


Beth: we're in belize! we had a great day yeterday, but this morning has been what i've enjoyed most so far. we woke to a cool breeze and the faint smell of something deliccious in the air. yvette made some wonderful fried bread treats for breakfast--along with eggs, beans, and freshly sliced watermelon. yummmm...not a bad way to start the day. plans for the day include church this morning, somethimng tasty for lunch, and then horseback riding this afternoon! if we can keep this breeze and the few clouds in the sky, it should be a pretty great day!

more soon!
love, beth