Hearts Full - Our Final Day in Belize

Birds singing and dogs barking signaled that it was time to wake up for our exploration day in Belize. It was a beautiful morning on the patio to hear Gretchen's devotion about "The People that in Darkness Sat." We wondered if the message in our morning hymn is heard by the people passing on the street, the close neighbors, or others at the hotel. Will the message take root and grow? We pray that the message Pastor Rios shared at the clinic will root and take hold in the people of Belize.

The dogs and chickens at Pastor Rios’ home have become accustomed to our arrival! Ruth and Yolanda had prepared oatmeal, toast, jam, bananas, and papayas to fortify us for the day ahead. Pastor Rios thanked God for the work that was done at the clinic and prayed we would have a good day on our river cruise.

And what a day it was! The fifteen of us packed ourselves into Victor’s van to head for New River or River of Strange Faces where a boat was waiting to take to the Lamanai Mayan ruins. Vladimir was our river guide, and pointed out the flora and fauna native to the area. He was on the lookout for crocodiles on shoreline, but mostly saw “crocologs!” We did manage to see a few crocs gliding through the water.

The male iguana with its orange coloring was easy to spot in the green trees. Iguana change color to attract the females, and we spotted a female in a close by branch. Vladimir drove us up close to small bats clinging on a tree before he scared the bats (and us) to make them fly away. Vladimir also pointed out the birds and trees along the river. The flower picked from a Santo Domingo tree was so unusual and beautiful.

The narrow river meandered past a sugar cane refinery where Domino sugar is produced and a rum distillery that burned down several years ago. The Mennonite community of Shipyard owns many acres along one side of the river. We discovered its name comes from their barge building business. We had visited their farming area earlier in the week.

The 36 mile river ride to Lamanai took almost 2 1/2 hours! Before our trek to the ruins, we had a picnic lunch of chicken, rice and beans, potato salad, slaw, fried plantains, and choice of Fanta or Coke. As we ate, we could hear a troop of howler monkeys in the forest, sounding upset about something!

Listen to the monkeys!

Barbara and Pat stayed behind as the rest of our team followed a guide to the ruins. Lamanai, meaning submerged crocodile, was a large Mayan city established about 1500 B.C. and lasting to 1640 A.D. Several of the structures have been partially excavated, with many more in the area still to be done.

The Jaguar Temple was very impressive, and we were allowed to climb up the steep, narrow steps. That turned out to be an unfortunate choice for Becky. On her way down the stairs, she fell and injured her knee and ankle and couldn’t continue on the mile path through the ruins. Michelle and a new friend from the boat assisted her back to the picnic area where she could ice the injuries. Barbara made arrangements to get her to a private clinic when we returned to Orange Walk.

Our guide at Lamanai was Mayan and was very knowledgeable about the ruins and the plants of the area. In addition to Jaguar Temple, we learned about the High Temple, Mask Temple, and the ball court. Close to the Mask Temple, we did get a glimpse of the howler monkeys.

Becky was a real trooper to be assisted back to the boat, even though she was in pain and facing a 36 mile boat ride ahead of her. Vladimir gave a quite an exhilarating ride on the river with its many switchbacks and narrow channels. We made it back in half the time it took us going there!

When we arrived at Pastor’s home for dinner, we were so thankful that Becky was back from the clinic, but with some new equipment - a knee immobilizer, an ankle boot, and crutches. Becky handled it with smiles, laughter, and an “Oh well!”

Ruth and Yolanda prepared a special dinner of barbecue grilled chicken for our last night in Belize. Pastor said a blessing for the food prepared, for the work at the clinic to be blessed, for Becky, and for our MOST team.

After the meal, Jan was very surprised with a large chocolate cake for her birthday, along with singing Happy Birthday and God’s blessings for another year. The delicious cake was made by one of the translator’s mother and said “Feliz Cumpleaños Jan!” Local ice cream was served with cake for all to enjoy. What a special celebration!

Feliz Cumpleaños Jan!

The evening ended on the patio back at the hotel with a devotion by Christian and singing “Here I Am, Lord.” Barbara went over the logistics of departure on Saturday. She encouraged us to recognize how our lives going forward will be changed from our experience of serving the Lord in Belize.

It was time to pack our suitcases for our return to home. Our MOST suitcases are lighter, but our hearts are fuller from God using us to share his love with our team members, Pastor Rios and his family, and the people of Belize.