I'm Baltic Avenue! - 10/28/06

So, you may or may not have noticed the fund raiser information on the left of our blog. So far we have had two events to raise funds for the senior trip to the cayes. The first was an incredibly successful community movie night, where we projected the movie “Robots” onto the side of a truck and served dinner to the whole community. Last night, we had a talent show/auction that was wildly successful.

Each student going on the trip and any volunteering community member had to perform a talent, with Melissa and myself acting as emcees for the event. Maria worked concessions with some other students. Between each talent segment, a couple students would be auctioned off to the highest bidder for 8 hours of work on one of the next two Saturdays. Melissa, Maria, and I were also up for bid. I was so worried that my students would wise up and pool their cash, buy me, and make me their slave for a whole Saturday.

Then, the day before the auction, they also figured that out. One of my students said to me in class, “I’m going to buy you and make you spend 8 hours building fence at our farm, then you can finally see how hard our cowboys work!!”
“Um, I never said your cowboys didn’t work hard, Mr. Defensive. I didn’t even know you had cowboys. Calm down.” That whole day my students tried to come up with money and ideas for the work they could have me do. I never prayed so hard…

I was one of the first two people to be auctioned off. The minimum bid was $30 – a pretty good deal for 8 hours worth of labor on any project. I went for $60. Not bad! I went for double the minimum bid! The student auctioned off before me went for $65, purchased by her boss who will make her work anyway. One of my students’ fathers bought me. He owns a farm. I don’t know what I’ll be doing – tutoring their son or kickin’ cow pies all day. I tried to emphasize my talents before the bidding began – I told them I could herd Junior High students and, if you need me to, I can hunt for you with my two guns – at which point I flexed both biceps and kissed them gently. I still only went for $60. I think I need to work out more.

As the night wore on, the bids got higher and higher – the opposite of what I expected. The second to last girl was auctioned off for more than $400. The very last senior girl was auctioned off for $825. Are you kidding? $825? If this were monopoly, those two girls would have been Boardwalk and Park Place. I was one of the lowest bids. I WAS BALTIC AVENUE! Dear Lord, I’m Baltic Avenue! Melissa broke the $200 mark, so she’s one of the high-end yellow properties on the board or maybe one of the green ones. I’m the purple pit stop past Go…

The highlight of the evening was that we probably won't have to run another fundraiser. With the profits from concessions (which was 100% profit since everything was donated) and what we made from the auction, the grand total was $3,780.75. God is so cool! The lowlight of the evening was when two of my students, bless 'em, decided to tell blonde jokes from the internet as their talent. "Why wouldn't a blonde make a good cowboy? Because she can't keep two calves together!" Seriously? Is that my student? I tried my hardest not to react so the crowd wouldn't catch on to how inappropriate the joke was.

It was so much fun though, and the crowd loved it. I had so many students’ parents come up to me and say, “I should have bid on you!” One mom wanted to buy me and give me the day off. She was going to have me ride horses with her son all day. That would have been cool. And it would have increased my final sale price…

The Caye to Our Hearts - 10/23/06

Okay, for those of you who were wondering, the word “caye” sounds exactly like the word “key.”

Melissa and I made a break for Caye Caulker since we had a four-day weekend. She and I broke our backs during the week to get all of my exams graded and recorded by Thursday night so that Friday morning I could record grades and get report cards ready for Tuesday. It was successful! Friday afternoon we drove to Belize City to catch a water taxi to the cayes.
Thank you God for this beautiful country! And for the relaxing weekend. It was instantly rejuvenating. Even the 30 minute ride on the boat was just fun! Melissa, Maria and I took turns facing the wind and relaxing our mouths – letting the wind blow through our lips and make them flap like a hummingbird’s wings. The locals sitting around us pretended not to notice, but they were laughing at the overworked teachers on vacation.

When we got there, a golf cart from one of the hostels was by the pier looking for potential tenants. We decided to take advantage of the ride and opportunity to learn more about the island. The woman driving the cart heard we were teachers from Belize and proceeded to tell us of the school they just built on the island and their desperate search for teachers. I think the three of us nearly soiled our shorts at the same time. Teaching on a tropical island! Dare we dream?

That was right before she also told us that the teachers aren’t paid anything – it’s a volunteer position and the books and other materials are hard to come by. Most teachers there take the water taxi every day to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye to teach at the Island Academy there. Oh well. And just about the time that dream died, so did the motor of the golf cart. From that point on, we Fred-Flinstoned the cart along the path – each of us stuck a leg out the side and kicked it along as our “guide” steered us through the island. It was funny.

Once we chose our hotel (nicest room on the island – thank you Maria for your bargaining powers) we spent the rest of the time swimming and relaxing in the sun. We were a little surprised that there isn’t really a long stretch of beach on the entire caye. There were many sandy spots that allow you to walk into the water, but they’re next to a restaurant or hotel, so not very popular for sunbathing or swimming.

There is a spot on the island called “the split” where everyone swims. It seems the last hurricane that came through literally split the island in half, and the section that was blown away became a great swimming spot with a sandy bottom and some decent snorkeling. Melissa and I rented snorkel gear and swam out there, looking at fish, conch shells with giant hermit crabs, giant starfish, shark rays, urchins … your typical Caribbean underwater life. It was so shallow for so long that we were a scary distance from the shore and could still swim to the bottom of the water to pick up seashells.

It was just so nice relaxing for the few days we were there. We had good coffee, good food, and good company (a couple other teachers with their families came for Saturday and Sunday). It’s not as expensive as the popular Ambergris Caye directly north of Caye Caulker. Though San Pedro on Ambergris has a longer beach, Caye Caulker was the destination for many locals to enjoy the Caribbean culture. It was fun, too, when people asked us where we’re from. “Orange Walk.” Yup. We’re locals. Though, Melissa’s the only one with the skin tone to make it believable….

So, unless we join the pastor and his family next month for a day trip to Goff’s Caye, we won’t go back until December when my Auntie Moe and Uncle Max come down for Christmas. Anyone else for a tropical getaway during the chilly months? I know this great place to take you…

57 Push Pins - 10/20/06

Every morning, my class and I pray together. Some days they’re into it, other days I have to really encourage them. We take turns, one day I’ll pray, the next day a student prays, then me again and so on. I thought that by praying every other day I could help model for them how to lift their petitions up to God. We have a prayer request board in the corner of the room where the students can post a request for our daily prayer. Every time a student reports an answered prayer, they push one pin into the board to give God the credit.

We have had all sorts of prayers answered, from safe travel for family members to sicknesses healed and cheap plane tickets for relatives. By the last day of the first quarter, we had 57 push pins on the board. That’s at least a prayer answered a day. By the end of the first week of the second quarter, we are up to 64 push pins. God is so good! I love how this board acts as a testament to God’s power as well as how He works in our lives. It’s a good faith builder for my students, too.

It’s not the only thing we’re building, though. Bible is just one of the subjects I teach. Unfortunately, many students were not doing so well by the onset of midterm exams. So, I decided to host a study session in the open room by our apartments for any students who wished to get extra help in Science and Belizean History (their two most difficult subjects). I had 15 students show up, including two kids who weren’t even in my class. It was a big success! We played some review games, and the kids who brought their own ingredients got an espresso to help keep them awake to study. Note to self: Junior High students need no additional energy at any time during the day. Overall though, it was an incredibly helpful evening for the students.

So, the first quarter of my teaching job in a private school has come to an end. Here are some things I love about teaching here and some things that continue to challenge me; the yin and yang of Linda Vista School:

Yin

• I get to talk about God with my students
• The community is incredibly welcoming and supportive of teachers
• I live in a tropical country, two hours from paradise
• The other teachers are friendly and supportive of each other

Yang

• I teach 9 subjects every day in only 7 periods, to grades 7-12 (since I also do High School Spanish)
• Food is our biggest expense because we are in a 3^rd world country and everything is imported
• I have incredibly limited access to internet, and my classroom has no access to newspapers, a library, a principal, or classroom technology (overhead projector, VCR/DVD player, computer, etc.)

As you can see, the yins outweigh the yangs. I would not trade this experience for anything, I have learned so much and Melissa and I have grown even closer through it all. Thank you God for bringing us to Belize!

And now, for your reading pleasure, an un-ordered list:

Reasons why I’m crazy … CRAZY!

• I once ate an habañero
• I hate cheese but love pizza
• I moved to Central America during summer, 60 miles from the cool ocean breeze.
• I teach junior high on purpose

I am married to a GENIUS

Nathan has officially finished his first quarter of school in Blue Creek. I know he won’t get on here and brag about himself, so let me tell you all what an AWESOME teacher Nathan is...

Everyone who has known Nathan for any amount of time can recognize he is a natural teacher. He loved most of his teaching classes at WSU and enjoyed all of the actual teaching experience he had before we moved out here. His students have always liked him, especially the boys, and he just seems to have a knack for working with kids during that awkward, energetic Jr. High stage. I have known all this about Nathan, but to see him be just as successful in a foreign country, away from all the comforts of home (like Smartboards and...I dunno...reliable electricity) has been so wonderful.

The kids here really like him, but it is obvious that he also has their respect. They enjoy stopping by the apartment for a mocha or to play video games (which says so much in itself) but they understand he is an authority figure. One day Nathan came home from school and told me about a student he had to discipline in class. The boy was acting out and being disruptive, so after more than enough warnings, Nathan informed him he had lost his recess privileges. Well, that did the trick and the boy calmed down. But not without first saying, "Fine, I don't like you anymore." To which Nathan replied: "I'm here to teach you, not to be your friend," The boy smiled (I wish you knew this kid) and announced in front of the whole class: "You can't make me not like you Mr. Lemanski!"

It's not just the kids who know how great he is either. The parents are very impressed with him. I have heard, "Nathan is absolutely an answer to prayer." "Nathan is just so good with the boys- and they are just drawn to him." "Oh, my son told me he is studying more this year just because he likes Mr. Lemanski so much!"

I am so proud of him and all of his hard work so far this year. Last week he went the extra mile and held a study session for his students in the empty room that serves as our backyard. The kids here have actual mid-term exams, like we had in college, and their marks on these exams count quite heavily toward their final grade in the class. He saw the kids needed extra help and so he just did what comes naturally- he taught them on his own time and his own turf! Most of the students took advantage of this opportunity and got quite a bit out of the extra study session. He even made iced mochas for the kids who brought their own ingredients!

He is intelligent and talented and darn good at what he does!

Caribbean Internet Cafe

We Live 2 Hours From THIS - 10/22/06

We have been in Caye Caulker, an island about 30 miles off the coast of Belize, since Friday evening. We drove 2 hours from Blue Creek to Belize City, left our truck, and took a 30 minute water taxi which landed us on Caye Caulker! Each person who arrives to the island is greeted by a beautiful mural at the end of the pier that reads “Go Slow.” This seems to be more than a motto; like most vacation destinations—it is a way of life.

Nathan, Maria (our neighbor) and I landed on the caye about 4:30 and had only one hour to find a hotel before sundown. We heard from some friends back in Blue Creek that it is better to haggle for a room once you get to the caye instead of booking a hotel ahead of time. That goes against every American bone in our body, but we decided to listen to the locals. We saw a few small places which offered the bare necessities, then we came to Barefoot Caribe (you really should google it). Another teacher had stayed at this hotel for $70 Bz a night, and we told the manager this information upon our arrival. He showed is a nice room and said it was normally $80 Bz, but agreed to give it to us for $70. We pointed to the 3^rd floor tower rooms overlooking the Caribbean and asked to look at them. They were PERFECT! He told us they were $150 a night and went down to $100 right away. I looked at Nathan and pouted, telling the manager we really wanted to stay but that it was too much; Nathan and I were going to use the “just walk away” method of driving down the price. Maria, however, had another plan. She used the straight-forward, in-your-face, I-wanna- stay-here- but- I- am- a- poor -teacher-and-*really* -can’t- afford-to-pay-that-much-approach. It worked!! We are staying in a large king bed suite with air conditioning, cable, a beautiful deck overlooking the Caribbean, and a bathtub (something I haven’t seen since leaving the States)- for $40 US dollars!! Just to put it in perspective, our hotel room is costing us as much as we pay for 4 jars of peanut butter (that info was for you mom!) And check out our view!

The caye is very small, we can walk the length of it in about 20 minutes and can walk across it in less than 5 minutes. We have only seen two motor vehicles on the island; most people seem to get around by bicycle or golf cart. Most of the locals seem to drive golf carts around, but they are careful to observe the posted speed limit- the signs simply read, “go slow.” Golf carts and bicycles are for rent, but our bare feet seem to be getting us around just fine on the sandy streets.

On Friday evening, after getting settled into our room, we met back up with Maria and went to a funky-looking restaurant on the beach called Rasta Pasta; having no idea what to expect. What I certainly didn’t expect was to have one of the best Thai dinners I have ever eaten! WOW was it good! We washed it all down with some Happy Hour Rum Punch Specials and hit the beach--even though it was already dark. We ended the evening sitting on a pier, listening to the water hit the dock and looking at the palm trees on the tiny island silhouetted against the clear, starry sky. Ahhhhh…..

Saturday started with a walk around the caye in search of breakfast. We were pleasantly surprised to find a funky little coffee shop featuring art by 11 local artists. More exciting was the fact that the owner made her own fantastic chai tea and served it to me with soy milk! Yum! We went back to the hotel and changed in bathing suits and got busy sunbathing. We soaked up the Caribbean sun for a while before jumping in and exploring the clear, green water, the white sand, and everything in between.

We found Maria and grabbed a quick lunch right off the beach, from a man selling chicken kebobs and tortillas off his bbq. The beach is lined with people selling bbq every day at lunch and supper time. You can buy chicken, shrimp, lobster, conch, crab, or whatever else the chef was able to catch that day. The smell is irresistible!

Tonight we will again, end up on the pier, with a glass of rum punch. Tomorrow, I think we’ll rent some snorkel equipment and explore the nearby reefs.

My Arm Hair Changed Color - 10/9/06

One of our favorite fruits here is apple bananas, as I think Melissa has mentioned previously. The mother of one of my students asked us to come over to their orchard and pick a bunch of apple bananas since they have so many. So generous! We went to Earl’s house and walked around the banana section looking for a ripe enough bunch to take. He chopped down the tree that had a bunch of green bananas with a machete. Each time you harvest a bunch, you have to cut down the tree it’s on. Then two to three more will sprout up from the base. Otherwise, the plant will die. Don’t ask me why, I didn’t design it...

We learned there are several different kinds of bananas including plantains and crazy purpley bananas, along with the regular kind we get back home and the sweet, tart little apple guys. Those are the crack bananas! I also learned that Earl has not been telling his mother the whole truth regarding his homework and how much he ACTUALLY has. Hmmm….somebody’s busted! It’s so nice when my students’ parents invite us over for some real conversation…

While we were there, he also loaded us up with white grapefruit, red grapefruit, and Washington oranges. I hope he doesn't think this is a bribe to lighten the homework load, because that sure won't work! They also have apricots, a kind of blackberry that grows on a large tree, cherries, and coconuts. The blackberries look like small purple raspberries with a soft stem that you eat with the whole berry. They were really sweet. Freakin’ sweet! The berries are the only fruit we’ve seen with actual color. I want to take a picture of all of them side-by-side for you. The grapefruit, oranges, lemons, limes, and plums are all the exact same color. Green. My students still try to convince me that my life has been a lie; that fruit in North America is dyed and painted to look that way.

We have been quite the hit with the kids lately. We took our PS2 over to a friend’s to play Dance Dance Revolution (the video game at the arcade where the kids are jumping all over the pads on the floor). It was such a hit that somebody brought us a spare television to borrow so we could play it in our own apartment. We couldn’t do it before because there is a small cable Y-adaptor (readily available in the U.S. for $1.25) we needed for the sound. Now, kids shout up to us, “Can we play DDR? Hey! We want to play that dancing game!” Now the Americans have the Mennonites dancing! Gasp! It’s funny, too, because so few of them actually want to try it, but when they do they can’t get enough. Even the “tough guys” are hittin’ the floor and planning on buying their own for their playstations. Too funny.

Oh! We were also offered a microwave to babysit until we leave! The kindergarten teacher has a daughter in my 8^th grade class and two high schoolers in my Spanish class. She’s going to let us use their spare until they need it again. Add that to the fancy “beanless” bag chairs we got in Mexico and you’ve got yourself the beginnings of a comfortable home! Add a little Sirius (on its way soon – thank you Lynda!) and we’re going to forget that we’re not in the U.S.! Except for the heat. And the humidity. And the geckos. And the vultures. And the fact that the Caribbean is nearby and Mexico is to the North of us. And the crazy tropical fruit that looks like this...

Mexico, Mayans and....McDonalds?? - 10/8/06

We spent the weekend in Chetumal, Mexico. Chetumal has a real shopping mall, the Caribbean Sea, and a hotel with A/C and wireless internet! wooHOO!! What more could we ask for?

Driving toward the mall, I had to do a double-take and pinch myself. Ahead to the right....are those golden arches? What the.... Yup, after two months of being secluded from civilization I am in a parking lot of a mall containing Office Depot, Burger King and McDonalds! Not only was there a HUGE Micky D's in the parking lot, there was one in the mall food court and a little McDonald kiosk in the mall that sold ice cream and McFlurrys. Mexico, I am sooo sorry for what my country has done to you... Nathan and I ate at a local restaurant that was trying desperately to be an Italian deli. The food was okay, it definitely looked more healthy than the Big Macs and super sized fries everyone else was shoving down. "No thanks, I didn't eat that back home, no point in starting now." The fries did look good though...

It was so fun to window shop in a climate controlled environment again! I got two new t-shirts and I picked up a new skirt and some jewelry as well. Food is cheaper out here, so we did some grocery shopping. But it was nice to spend money on something other than necessities for survival.

We also got to see an actual movie in a real movie theatre!! We saw Las Torres Gemelas. For those of you who don’t have to watch American Movies with subtitles, we saw The Twin Towers. Suffice it to say, we haven’t seen any previews and, since the title was in Spanish, didn’t really know what we were getting ourselves into. If you haven’t seen the movie, take Kleenex. If you have seen it, let us know what you thought. I assumed it would be a political movie about the planes, the terrorists, and Al Qaeda. I was surprised- and glad- it focused on the heroes of 9-11, the every day police and fire personnel and their families. It felt surreal sitting in a Mexican theatre, surrounded by our new Canadian and Belizean friends, watching a movie about the worst American tragedy of the New Millennium. But I was encouraged when the movie ended and the lights came up and I realized it wasn’t only the American girl in the 6^th row that had been crying- everyone was touched by the movie. Kinda like how everyone was touched by the tragedy of the event itself…But I really just wanted to see a comedy.

…Anyway, back to our great weekend…

The hotel was perfect and fairly inexpensive- 650 pesos, which equals $65 US or $130 BZ. The grounds were amazing, the buildings were beautiful, and the rooms were clean (a rare thing around here). The wireless internet and A/C secured it as a hotel we will go back to if we ever make it to Chetumal again by ourselves.

Getting back across the border was another great adventure. One of the guys, Henry, is the High School PE teacher and he bought about 20 gazillion soccer balls, basketballs, and volleyballs in Mexico to use at the school. Abe helped him haggle the duty price down so that he didn't have to end up buying them twice. Nathan and I bought a brand new backpacking bag that will be perfect for weekend trips like this one. We stuffed it with some new blow-up plastic couches for our "living room" and my new t-shirts. When the customs official asked us about the bag, Nathan jumped in and told him it was our "beach stuff." Nice save. Then, he eyed our Sauza tequila and a few computer gadgets and lectured us on trying to bring both across the border. He talked about charging us a duty, threatened to charge us a duty, but when I offered to pay the duty he just put his hand in my face to cut me off and said, "I'm just telling you." I think he thought he was being helpful, but he just confused us.

Also, during the border crossing, we found out it is actually illegal to transport soda into Belize. ILLEGAL! Isn't that insane? Apparently, because there is a Coca-Cola factory in the country, soda is regulated and controlled by law. Of course, I found that out after I was safely on the Belizian side of the border and sipping my cold Diet Pepsi. Rebellion tastes sweet!

So, we are back, safe and sound. We have a few new articles of clothing, some computer parts that make our lives easier, some whole bean coffee and blow up furniture that makes our apartment look a little less like a sparsely-furnished apartment in a 3rd World country and a little more like a college dorm room. But hey, at lease we finally have somewhere to "entertain!"

Young Marrieds Retreat '06!! - 9/24/06

"A place for everything and everything in its place" must be a mantra of Mennonite living. They have a club, group, or association for every aspect of life here in Blue Creek. Since Nathan and I have been married for 10 yrs. or less, we qualify to be a part of the "Young Marrieds" group. This weekend the Young Marrieds retreated to the Cahal Pech Ruins in San Ignacio, Belize and Nathan and I went along!

The weekend was great, wonderful speaker with excellent material from the book Love and Respect, a book I have just finished reading and I highly recommend! But we didn't just sit around in an air conditioned room with a great view the entire weekend. We had a lot of free time which we spent bonding with other couples during volleyball and croquet matches (yes dad, I have now played croquet in the Caribbean!), canoeing the Maya River, which passes directly by the ancient ruin of Cahal Pech, lounging by the pool and exploring the open air market of San Ignacio! Central America is sooo COOL!!

Friday was a holiday, so we headed to San Ignacio at 10:00 a.m., right after I finished tutoring my little 1st grader (I tutor two students for "extra" money and to keep me from being bored during the day). We arrived at our resort 3 hours later and one of the leaders passed a blank sheet of paper around which contained all the rules for the weekend. Get it? A blank sheet of paper? There were no rules!! Oh yeah, Mennonite couples getting crazy in Cahal Pech!! It was also announced that breakfast would be served the following morning at 7 a.m.

Cut to 7 a.m. Saturday morning, we shared a suite with Rosy and Cuatro (see my birthday celebration for their pictures) and as I was emerging from my bedroom, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, there they were, fully dressed and showered, ready to start the day. Nathan and I went down to breakfast without having showered or brushed our teeth- in fact, I was still in my pajamas. Everyone else was bright-eyed and scrubbed clean! Most of the group headed out to golf immediately after breakfast and since Nathan and I were not ready to face the public, we were not able to join them. Instead we opted to shower, hang by the pool, and go on a canoe tour of the Maya River and it's "rapids."

What a beautiful ride!

We saw iguanas the size of beagles (that's a big ol' boy there, on the left), beautiful tropical birds, HUGE termite nests (at least they were in the jungle, where they belong) dozens of fruit bats flying by our canoe, and Jesus Christ lizards ran across the water alongside us. I always thought they were small, which helped them run across the water, but we saw one that was about 7 inches tall, pretty big for a lizard that can walk on water! We had a wonderful time and got some great sun! You can see Nathan there on the right with his pearly white skin just ready to soak up the its rays! He burned, of course, but I walked away a few shades darker. We could not have asked for a more pleasant outing and our guide, Clifton, was soo friendly! After the canoe trip, he even dropped us off at a HUGE market before taking us back to the resort.

Oh the markets here, I must take a minute to talk about them! I LOVE THEM!! So many people, speaking any number of languages, selling their colorful produce, hot food, second hand clothing, jams, pickled EVERYTHING, canned fruit, pirated DVDs and CDs, and so much more. There is always someone preaching. At this particular market it was a woman, speaking Spanish into a microphone connected to large speakers which broadcasted her every word. I did not catch her message but I heard over and over, "para la gloria de Dios" for the glory of God.

At the market, I bought a bunch of apple bananas, which is my new favorite fruit. That's right, I used "bananas" and "favorite" in the same sentence! But these aren't your ordinary no flavor, squishy, blech bananas. These are a lot firmer and smaller and they have the tart taste of a really crisp apple! I can eat them raw but I also made amazing apple banana bread out of them! Here is a bunch that I saw in the market, I bought some of them, but I snapped this picture first.

It was a wonderful weekend, we had a great time seeing more of the countryside and making new friends. Hopefully, this was the first of many weekend getaways for us!

Independence Day! - 9/21/06

Happy Independence Day! Again? Really? I did this already this year. Oh, what? I get the day off for it? Awesome! Belize rocks! Yay, Belize! *waving miniature Belizean flag*

I have a three day weekend now…

We were told however at the last staff meeting that the responsibility for organizing the festivities for the Independence Day Celebration would fall on the school. Each class was to come up with a skit, song, poem, or game to perform in front of the community. Oh, my students. Bless ‘em. They are SO JUNIOR HIGH! The ideas they came up with! They didn’t exactly fit in with the tone of the evening. The first graders wanted to recite their memory verse for everyone, the 3-5 graders got together to sing a sweet song, the high schoolers had a quiz game about Belizean facts and history. Then there’s my class...

They wanted to paint a large cardboard bus. They wanted to make paper mache birds to have flying over the bus. Then they wanted to paint the birds black. They wanted them to be the large vultures you always see around here. Then they wanted to act out a tragic bus ride (rolling over dogs and other animals) with kids falling out of the bus and getting hit, dying on the road, and the vultures (the “oss aka“) feasting on the junior high students in their one-act tragedy.

Hmmm……no. Creative, but, no.

We ended up keeping the bus idea because for the life of me I could not get them to let it go. “This is an Independence Day Celebration. We don’t need a bus.” Really, when all was said and done, I think they just wanted to paint a big bus somewhere. (Did I ever tell you about the clinical study proving that adolescents have the same brain patterns as the clinically insane? I work with crazy people).

In the end, they wrote a song about the road to Orange Walk, which they sang to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus.” Here are some lyrical highlights of what we came up with as a class for your reading pleasure:

The road to Orange Walk goes BUMP BUMP BUMP [all jumping]
BUMP BUMP BUMP
BUMP BUMP BUMP
The road to Orange Walk goes BUMP BUMP BUMP, all the way to town.
The kids on the bus go OW OW OW [all swaying back and forth]
OW OW OW
OW OW OW
The kids on the bus go OW OW OW, all the way to town.
The road to Orange Walk NEEDS TO BE PAVED
NEEDS TO BE PAVED
NEEDS TO BE PAVED
The road to Orange Walk NEEDS TO BE PAVED, so our bus won’t break!

And, well, you get the picture. These kids are as funny as they are crazy. They act like their brains are broken, but then they show a very proactive, very mature side. They all want to write “social action” letters to the people in charge of making the road-paving decision. Then they want to send them all - one student’s letter each week - until everyone’s voice is heard. I love my job!

Packages Galore!!

The past two weeks have been pretty exciting as they have brought packages, mail and well-wishes from our friends and family back home! First, we recieved the shower curtain from our "Wish List"--thank you to the mystery friend who sent that!! (Was it you, Sara?) It was exciting to find that our Wish List acutally works!!

We have also recieved a package from Auntie Reda--thank you thank you THANK YOU!! And our birthday package arrived from dad, Debbie and their crew! Thank you for the wonderful gift you guys and when we're not using them for their intended purpose, they make beautifully colored knick knacks for our empty shelves!!

Grandpa Cliff and Grandma, we got your card, thank you for you generosity and for remembering us. I hope Grandma is healing well, I love you both!

Just so you all know, we appreciate the gifts, pictures, kind words, and moolah. We are saving the money for a nice weekend trip. This weekend is the "Marrieds Retreat" and we may use some of it then. Two weeks from now is the "Teacher Retreat" and we may use some of it for a fancy, romantic dinner at that time!! We love you all and miss you very much!

(By the way, Nathan hasn't been able to post anything for a while because he has been busy, busy busy. But, just today, he was able to post two new entries. You'll have to scroll down to read them, they were saved between some of my older posts.)

It Takes a Village - 9/10/06

This is a loooong one!...

We are quickly moving from observers and foreigners in a new country to active participants in this community that has become our home. Both Nathan and I are finding our nitche and building relationships with the people of Blue Creek. We are beginning to become a part of the landscape of Belize.

Nathan and I have both recently, and unexpectedly, found ourselves in "mentoring" roles with several of the students. In each case, the kids seem to come to us, not out of curiosity, but out of a genuine interest to build relationship. For Nathan, one of those kids is Earl Dyck, who he wrote about as the "Croc Keeper" in an earlier blog. It is obvious that Earl is a big fan of Mr. Lemanski!! He comes to visit us after school at least twice a week to talk about video games, drink an iced mocha, or just visit with his teacher.

Another student who seems fond of Nathan is a 10 year-old boy named Jonathan Dyck. He has 4 brothers and sisters, including an older sister who is one of Nathan’s students. Jonathan first entered our lives the day before school started when he walked into Nathan’s classroom while we were setting up and said, "Hi! My name is Jonathan. I am just coming around to meet the new teachers. Who are you?" After brief introductions and a few pleasantries, Jonathan said, "Well, I have to be home soon and I still want to meet the other teachers. Can I come by your house tomorrow and show you my bug collection?" (How cute is that?) "Sure Jonathan, do you know where we live? "Sure! You live above the store!" Oh okay, so our lives are open books, we thought so, but thanks for making it official. Jonathan did come by but he didn’t wait until the next day, he arrived at our apartment about 2 hours later-but he didn’t bring his bug collection- he brought his little brother, Bryton, instead. He is in Liz 1st grade class. It turns out that all 5 of the kids in the family are not only adorable but good-natured, loving and a lot of fun. They live with their father, who was out-of-town all last week, so we had them over for dinner on Tuesday. I made sloppy joes, broccoli, and mashed potatoes. Since most of the kids are very young- the oldest is Nathan’s 14 year old student Mary Anne, they pretended to be picky eaters at first. But, everyone cleaned their plates and ate plenty of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies for dessert- I think little Bryton snuck 3. Nathan enjoys all of the kids, but seems to have a special connection with Jonathan, who continually asks how long we will be staying here.

While Nathan seems to be building fast relationships with the young men, I have been blessed with the company of the High School girls. I am continually reminded that God’s timing is perfect. A year ago I couldn’t stand girls, didn’t want to even work with them as probationers, now it seems I spend most of my evenings surrounded by them! Skye, it’s a good thing I co-lead Girl’s Circle with you, it was like bootcamp, preparing me for this year!

One 12th grade girl, Cynthia Dyck, (pictured on the left) recently asked that I be her prayer partner as she goes through baptism classes at the church. The Mennonite faith does not practice infant baptism, instead they opt to have dedication ceremonies for infants and give the kids the opportunity to choose baptism later in their life. Cynthia decided to participate in the classes this year. Each participant must chose a member of the community with whom to meet once a week, share and discuss the baptism class curriculum and pray. I was overwhelmed when Cynthia asked me to be her partner. As a non-Mennonite, and a new-comer, I would have never expected to be asked to fill such an important role. But more overwhelming than that, is the kind of person I had already found Cynthia to be. She is a humble, bright, compassionate young woman with a hunger for God and a fierce desire to grow in her relationship with Christ. She comes from a well-respected, close-knit family and both of her parents are very active in the community and the church. At first I thought, "God is this one of those times where I am going to learn more than I teach?" But I have already found that I have much to give this girl. Her heart is good and she asks a lot of questions. I am reminding her that questioning her faith is good, it leads to more study of God’s Word and will eventually strengthen her walk with Him. She is a joy to me and I enjoy our Monday evenings very much.

It seems that at least 4 times a week, our evenings our interrupted by surprise visits from various kids in the community. Often, Nathan’s students will stop by in groups and ask for mochas. They have begun to bring their own coffee and syrup with them when they come. I am guessing their parents know how expensive the coffee is and don’t want the poor teachers to go broke. What they don’t understand is that we are from the Pacific Northwest, going broke in our quest to assure the next generation is raised addicted to caffeine is an honor we would die for!

While these visits are usually no more than 15-30 minutes, it is an opportunity to see the kids outside of school, joke with them, see them smile, and send them back out into the world a little more energetic and jittery. Recently, we have also had a few high school students stop by to talk with us or our neighbors. So far, they have come to share concerns and ask for prayer and council—which is a blessing that blows my mind every time it happens!!

Each year, the graduating class goes on a Senior Class Trip to one of the many first class Caribbean resorts all located within 80 miles!! This year they have decied to go to San Pedro, which the rest of the world calls, Ambergris Caye, one of the most posh and popular Caribbean cayes and they have asked our neighbor, Maria, Nathan and I to chaperone! Isn't that wonderful? Exciting? Amazing? I felt like an overstimulated cocker spaniel about to pee all over the kitchen floor when I heard we had been given such an honor. So, come May, Nathan and I will be soaking up the beach, sun, and rum in the Caribbean surrounded by 9 12th graders. Until then we will also be participating in many community-wide fundraisers to raise money for the event.

We have also begun participating more in church activities as well. Two weeks ago, Corrina, the pastor’s wife, invited me to a Thursday morning small group Bible Study with her and 4 other women. At first I though, Thursday morning, I dunno…. But how could I pass up such an invitation? I have been going for 2 weeks now and it has been wonderful to get to know a few of the women of the community a little more intimately. In this environment they are able to let their guard down and speak a little more freely than they do when I run into them at the store. I have learned even Mennonite wives are human- imagine that! It is also nice to hear them ask my advice and offer their own on Spiritual matters and day-to-day life.

Nathan and I also signed up to go on a "Young Marrieds" Retreat, which is scheduled for September 22-24th. Yesterday, Nathan and I were approached by one of the women planning the retreat who asked if we would be willing to do a special presentation at the retreat. She said it could be a song or a skit or a bible study, anything we wanted. We gladly accepted, again, how could we pass up such an invitation?

We are becoming a part of the community in a more significant way than I would have ever thought possible. I have to admit, it is odd for so many of my daily activities to revolve around the Church, but I knew this would be a time of spiritual growth for me. I am not only learning patience and how to sew curtains. I am learning what it means to live out my faith on a daily, even hourly, basis. As Pastor Dietrich (the pastor of the German services) reminded us two Sundays ago;

Someone is always watching you. They know you are a Christian and they want to see how you live.

It's all about the Benjamin's Baby! 9/8/06

..Actually, it's more like the Hamiltons, but anyway, I got my first Belizian paycheck! I know I haven't mentioned it yet, but Nathan isn' the only Lemanski working at Linda Vista School in Blue Creek, Belize. That's right, my official title is "Mrs. Lemanski!" I supervise one period of Independent Study for Algebra 2, Canadian Civics, and Art students. I actually end up teaching quite a bit of the Algebra 2 because it is such a difficult subject for the students to teach themselves. Does anyone else find it funny that I am teaching Algebra? Because I think it's HILARIOUS!! I help the art students quite a bit also and I really enjoy it. I am also finding out that I am a pretty good art teacher! Apparently I have an eye for detail, who knew?

I also supervise one period of Study Hall and oversee Detention on Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays. I laughed when I was asked to be the detention monitor, I thought, "Oh sure, ask the Juvenile P.O. " But I am realldy enjoying it. I was also approached this week to tutor a first grader for 3 hours a week. So, on Tuesdays and Fridays from 3-4:30 I will be sitting in a 1st grade classroom helping a little Belizian boy read outloud and write cursive. Yes I said cursive in first grade!! The curriculum at this school is very advanced. The work that this first grade student is doing was work that I learned in 2nd and 3rd grade!

Anyway, that is what I am doing with my time. Just so you all know. They actually let me be a teacher. Don't look at me like that or I will give you a detention.....I get paid to do that too.....

Mis Cumpleaños! - 8/28/06

Woo Hoo! I'm 29!

Wait, I'm 29. I'm almost 30. What the... how did that happen again?

I was walking home at lunch time, and as I began climbing the stairs to our apartment, I thought to myself, "It's my birthday! I'm 28! Wow! Wait......no I'm not...." Then I realized the last year of my twenties began that morning and I could never again, for the rest of my life, say that I was 28 years old. Which I thought was a pretty good age. I look back fondly on my 28's.

It was a fun day, though. Melissa crossed the river to Mexico and bought me a Nemo Piñata full of Mexican sweets, and then brought it to school. During recess, she surprised me and all the students on my level gathered around for a Mexican birthday fiesta. I, of course, got the first whack. The only thing we didn't count on was the tropical rain that arrived out of the blue. We were under a wide covering, but the wind soaked everyone anyway. It only started at the beginning of recess, but didn't dampen our spirits. The kids were excited too about all the candy. Let's just say that afternoon they were a bit more energetic than usual...

Later she made a kick-butt dinner for me and we invited all of our friends over. We had eleven people over for dinner in our little apartment! It was so much fun! She made a taco bar with meat, cilantro, onion, lime, homemade guacamole, corn tortillas, salsa, rice, beans, the works! It was SO good. One guy remarked to his wife, "This tastes like Mexican food. Like, ACTUAL Mexican food. Like, if you went to somebody's house in Mexico and they made dinner for you. It would taste like this."

Then she served dessert. Hecka yum! She made one of my childhood favorites that my mom would sometimes make: Yellow cake with chocolate pudding for the icing. And, she poked holes in the cake before pouring it on, so each slice had a little puddin' surprise in the middle. Mm MM mm!

In the middle of all the brouhaha, Melissa's mom called to wish me a happy birthday. It was nice to hear a voice from home. Sounds like everything is going well over there, and we had a good conversation about all the stuff happening here in Belize. I love the people here!

So, stay tuned for the next installment. Same bat-time, same bat-channel. Miss all y'all! Don't be afraid to leave us a comment, it's good to hear how others are doing!

Café Lemanski - 9/8/06

So, who's the most popular couple in Belize? Well, it's not us. However, we have been a hit with a lot of the kids in Blue Creek because we brought with us a fancy-shmancy espresso machine. Many of them have never had espresso. Our mission is now clear. . .

I told my students about some of the priorities we had when planning out move down here, and one thing we had to accommodate was the espresso machine we received as a wedding gift. Some of my students had lived in Canada and got really excited about the idea of being able to have an iced latte or a mocha once again, others were like, "What's the difference between that and regular coffee?"

So, Melissa and I were enjoying an evening to ourselves with a cool breeze coming through the window. The breeze brought with it the desperate cry of an eighth grader, "CAN WE HAVE AN ESPRESSO?" We shouted back, "Sure! Come on up!"

About five seconds later, eleven junior high and high school students were at our door - excited to either finally have another latte or to try one for the first time. I don't think their feet actually touched the stairs on the way up to our apartment. So, we made them all some coffee, and they LOVED IT! A couple days ago in class, a few students whispered to each other, then several hands shot up. I called on one girl who asked, "If a bunch of us come over Friday night with chocolate syrup and coffee will you make us all espressos?"
"OF COURSE!"

So, it looks like we've placed the groundwork for a little espresso bar. And, so many people run businesses out of their homes, Melissa is thinking of doing the same with coffee. Like the woman who has a video rental store in her kitchen with a sign out sheet and cash box by the door. That would be so cool! It would also be a fun thing to do in the giant upper room by our store, like a youth outreach. Just have a "Coffee Night" where the kids can come and hang out (since they don't have a place like that) to talk and listen to music and sip espresso. How cool would that be? It's also a great way to get to know the kids and influence their lives outside of class. What an opportunity! Stay tuned! We'll let you know how it goes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US- 9/8/06

“So, are you guys gonna have another birthday next week too?”

This was a question asked by Cuatro, one of our guests at Nathan’s birthday dinner on Monday, the 28^th. He was referring to the fact that both Nathan and I have now celebrated our birthdays since our arrival here. Apparently, the fact that they are only 10 days apart has people suspicious that perhaps we are just starving for attention!

We celebrated my birthday on the 18^th. Nathan woke me up to say “Happy Birthday” before he left for work. I went back to sleep immediately, of course, since it was 7 a.m. and I had no where to be that early! When I finally rolled out of bed at about 11 am, I went into the kitchen and saw that my neighbors, Liz and Maria, had baked me blueberry muffins and brought in a white board that said, “Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday Dear Melissa, Happy Birthday to you!” That made me smile, what a kind gesture from girls I had known just over 2 weeks!

During the afternoon Liz and I went to check our e-mail at Abe’s house and his parents invited me for faspa, afternoon coffee. When we got back to my place, Nathan had baked a birthday cake and had a bouquet of tropical flowers waiting!!

For dinner, our neighbors went with us to Three Flags where a group a people was waiting to celebrate with us! I had no idea it was going to be a dinner party!! The pastor and his wife, Darryl & Corrina (pictured to the left), where there with their children, Natasha, Kenton, Shaina, and Jessie. Our old friend Abe (he's the blue-eyed gentleman in the picture sipping the iced tea and he is single and ownes his own planes ladies!) was there, as were his sister and brother-in-law, Lisa & Poncho, along with their two daughters Rhonda and Michelle. Rosie & Cuatro, another couple who have been married just over a year, also came to celebrate. (They are the beautifully tanned couple on the left) Rosie teaches 6th grade and she and Nathan pray together every morning for the Middle School students. Two teachers from the UK- Rhoda & Daniel, joined us later. What a blessing to be surrounded by new friends so soon after our arrival. The picture to the right, is Rhonda- Poncho & Lisa's oldest daughter- and Jessie- Darryl & Corrina's youngest daughter- What pretty girls!

After feasting on salbutes and iced tea, it was back to our place for cake and ice cream! Most of those at dinner joined us and our apartment was full, full, FULL! We followed dessert with a little Texas Hold ‘Em—yes even the good people of Blue Creek joined in and learned how to throw those chips into the pot! (No daddy, I didn't win, Abe did actually. But that's good, cuz now he's hooked and will be coming back for more!)

This was a wonderful day, I will let Nathan tell you about his himself…