"Your mom's an 'effing' Legend!" - 5/22/07

This statement was uttered by a particularly drunk, but very well-meaning, Irish student on our third evening in Caye Caulker. But, I am getting a little ahead of myself…

Mom was here a total of 10 days and we had a great time. It was really nice to have someone to show around this beautiful country. Mom has a great adventurous spirit, so she was ready for all we were willing to dish out! After Chan Chich, we headed back through Blue Creek and out toward Belize City, making a stop at the Mayan ruins of Lamanai. We have 2 previous blogs about Lamanai, so I won’t go into all the history and what-not. I just want to say that mom climbed the ruins, braved the Central American mosquitoes, dodged the army ants, searched for and hooted at howler monkeys like a local. We had an amazing time and got some wonderful pictures.

That night we continued to Belize City where we spent one night and caught a water taxi to Caye Caulker the following morning. We arrived on the island and began the sweaty task of finding a hotel for 4 nights. Yes, I know what you are thinking, you think we should have made reservations somewhere. Well, low season locals know it is better to ask around for a room than to make a reservation because you are more likely to get a good deal. So, we found two great rooms with A/C and cable that were right on the beach. Mission accomplished, it was time to find out what the island had in store for us.

We signed up for the same sunset tour Nathan and I took on our last trip to the Caye. So, at 5 pm, we and about 10 sunburned tourists set sail. It was a beautiful evening. The sun sets behind the island, so they sailed a few miles out and we watched the sun disappear and the stars and moon grew brighter all around us. Stop for a moment and try to picture this. The gentle rocking of a sailboat inside the reef, the sound of the water against the side. The wind is blowing gently, bringing the clean, refreshing smell of the ocean along with it. The only light you see is the streetlights on the distant island and the glow of the heavens. And then the raucous sound of a half dozen Irish college students bellowing drinking songs at the top of their lungs. …Oh yeah, there was also lots of rum punch. As soon as we set sail, they chopped up some delicious fresh conch ceviche- which, for some of us, was the only food we had had since breakfast. After they finished making the ceviche, they began passing around pitchers of rum punch which they had all prepared in a 5 gallon jug. Yes, the surroundings were beautiful, paradise even, but everyone knows that Caribbean + tourists = rum!

Anyway, the college students were singing Irish drinking songs and my mom was teaching them YMCA camp songs in return. They also taught me an Irish phrase which they told me meant, “Hello, nice to meet you.” But, surprise, surprise, it doesn’t mean that at all. It means something much more offensive. So, the boat docked about 2 hours later and we continued the rest of our vacation, which included getting some food in our stomachs.

It was two days later that Nathan and I came across the charming young man who provided the title of this blog. He saw us, immediately recalled the evening with mom on the sailboat, and wanted to wake her up and have her come drinking with him and the rest of the college students. Reggie you’re right, this certainly is a new world.

We also went on our final snorkeling tour while we were on the Caye. Mom was not excited about snorkeling because she had only gone once before in Cancun, which has no reef and was recently hit by a major hurricane. But, she was awestruck by the beauty of the barrier reef in Belize! We saw some striking bright blue coral, TONS of beautiful fish that would cost a small fortune at a pet shop back home, sting rays, sharks, a moral eel and 2 bottle-nosed dolphins all backdroped by beautiful sun-soaked coral. Mom, who before this trip wasn’t excited about either sailing or snorkeling, can now be classified as an “enthusiast.” It was the perfect day for our last snorkeling trip in Belize.

We headed back to the mainland on Tuesday the 23rd and made two more tourist stops with mom. We went to the Belize Zoo and got some great pictures of the local wildlife and Old Belize, which is like the “Old West” of Belize, where you can purchase great wooden souvenirs. Finally, we headed back to the Radisson for dinner and mom’s final sleep in Belize. Dropping her off at the airport the next day was sad, until we realized we could say, “See you in three weeks!” It was a great way to end an unforgettable trip.

Back to Basics - 2/10/07

We have been back in Belize for nearly a month and life is back to normal. Internet access continues to be a problem, so Nathan and I have been avoiding it altogether. This is less stressful and disappointing for us, but less convenient and informative for you, our friends and loved ones—and the occasional stranger—who keeps track of our lives through this blog. So, here is a quick run-down of what we have been up to over the past month…..

We arrived back in Belize after "The Great Wedding of 2007," on January 15th and Nathan went back to work the next day. Nathan has begun his second and final semester as the 7th and 8th grade teacher at Linda Vista School. He has added two new subjects to the Junior High curriculum this semester- Spanish 1 and Public Speaking. The kids are really enjoying both, especially public speaking. They have given three speeches so far, including a demonstrative speech. Kids talked about various subjects, including how to wash dishes, how to make different kinds of food, and one kid even explained bull castration! Wow! Thanks for the info kids! Nathan is enjoying a bit of a lighter load this semester, with two other teachers stepping in to help him teach some of his classes. He still has more subjects than class periods, but his schedule is definitely more manageable and he spends much less of his Saturday playing catch up and planning the next week’s lessons.

My days have been much less exciting since our return to Belize as I am no longer at the school two periods a day. I am still in charge of detentions, and the kids have been keeping me busier than usual the past couple of weeks. I am also still tutoring students after school. Since I generally don’t have anything scheduled until 3 pm, I have been spending more time getting to know some of the women in the community. One woman in particular, Susy, a young mother of two vivacious girls, has been a lot of fun to get to know. We have played volleyball on occasion and are involved in 2 bible studies during the week. We also get together on Tuesday evenings with our husbands and 4 other people and eat a potluck dinner together.

Also, I am taking advantage of all of my spare time to continue to hone my cooking skills. I have become a master bread baker (without a bread machine!) and even got together with some women in the community and made tamales. I arrived at the house where the tamales were being prepared and was SHOCKED to find them sitting around shucking 200 ears of corn. I stopped and stuttered, “Wha-? Corn! Corn? We’re making them from corn?” I don’t know why I was so surprised. I should have learned by now that everything is truly made from scratch here—even cornmeal is a shortcut! The ladies got a good laugh at my surprise and patiently walked me through each step of the tamale-creating process. It was a lot of fun, very educational and of course, delicious!

Oh yes, and the biggest football event of the year did not pass us by just because we are living in Central America, where futbol is much more popular than football. One of Nathan’s co-workers, John, had a Super Bowl party at his home and quite a few people turned out to watch. Everyone chose a team to root for, but it was very obvious that these were not die-hard football fans, much less Bears or Colt fans. Never-the-less everyone enjoyed themselves! We even had great Super Bowl food! Two ladies, our friend Hilda and the pastor's wife, Corrina, made Belizean Style Hot Wingz!!They're cooked outside on a grill that looks very similar to a wok, called a "disco." They were soooo spicy and soooo good! None of the Belizean kids were interested in watching the game at all, I have no idea where they boys went, but here are the girls jumping and jumping and jumping on the trampoline. I joined in for a while—I just couldn’t resist!

So, that’s all for us! Nathan went on a great hike with a friend, Daniel, but I’ll let him tell you about that. For now, you are nearly caught up. We are currently spending a long weekend in Cancun and will write about it soon. For now I will leave you with this unbelievably beautiful picture of the breathtaking view from our hotel room.

iAdios!

Féliz Cumpleaños! - 2/4/07

Happy Birthday To You!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday dear Jocelyn
Happy birthday to you!

One year ago today, Jocelyn Karalee (Joss the Boss) blessed all of us when she entered our lives. She is so stinkin' cute! It makes me sad that we live so far from her, but that won't last forever. We'll get to spoil her soon.

Judging from the pictures her mom sends us, she gets cuter as each month goes by. Now, you may be thinking to yourself, "I don't know, she's pretty darn cute there - probably can't get much cuter than that." But you're wrong! You've never been more wrong than you are now! She won the genetic lottery, as our pastor's daughter-in-law pointed out. So imagine how cute she is two months after this picture was taken! Mind boggling...

Happy Birthday Jocelyn!

She did it! - 1/13/07

Oh my gosh, have you ever seen a more beautiful bride in your entire life? Yeah, I know, I'm biased, but just look at that girl!

Well, before this weekend, our family just wasn't big enough! For those of you who know us, you know I am kidding. 2 moms + 2 dads + 4 girls + 3 boys + 1 son-in-law = 1 big happy 21st century family! But, I could not have picked a better person to squeeze into our already crowded family pictures than my sister's husband, Jeff. My lil sis, Katherine Denise, tied the knot with Jeffery Dana Wiedemann on 1.13.07. Welcome to the family Jeff! You and my sister are so beautiful together, I know God will richly bless your marriage as you continue to seek Him and serve one another in love.

Here is a poem I wrote for the toast, just a portion of what I said, but I thought I would share it with all of you who are keeping up with our lives via this blog.

When I was just a little girl

With no sibling to fight with or hug

I was blessed with a wondrous gift

Her name was Katie Bug

A tiny baby sister

Had come into my life

And today that baby sister

Has become a wife

So here I stand before you

To toast the lovely bride

And I hope I communicate

The love I feel inside

The woman you see before you

Who married on this day

Means more to me than she'll ever know

More than words can say

Even as a child

Though we didn't always get along

She was someone special

Someone sweet and shy and strong

I remember playing "Princess and Slave"

And I convinced you it was fun

But after that came "Katie Rules"

The games weren't over until you'd won

There is a special bond

That only siblings understand

It happens very naturally

It isn't forced or even planned

And now that you've found Jeff

And made your solemn vow

Mom's got her fingers crossed

That a grandchild isn't far off now

Jeff, my brand new brother

We now share a common goal

To keep her forever happy

Because her laughter makes us whole

And to you, my baby sister

I hope you'll someday see

The joy you bring into to world

The joy you bring to me

And may the joy that surrounds you now

Stay forever in your heart

Because a wonderful future is ahead of you

Today is just the start

North American Adventures! - 1/9/06

We've had a lot of fun since landing in Seattle on New Years Eve. Every day has been filled with wedding preparations, bridal showers, family fun, and reuniting with long lost friends! Here are a few pix of our US adventures so far...

Nathan, Katherine, Jeff, Lis and Harvey cheering on the Hawks and rejoicing in their victory over the Cowboys (sorry Grandpa)!

Getting ready to go get some eats at Katie Downs on the waterfront! Michelle, Russ, Harvey, Nathan, me, my mommy, Lis, Nate, and Sara! Yay "the couples" were FINALLY together again! Thanks for making that long trek across the snowing, scary pass just to see us guys!

Riding the train to Portland to visit my lil sis and her fiancé. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to sip a little Starbucks! Yeah, that's a scarf, it's brrr cold here!

Heeeere's Nathan! He’s my favorite traveling buddy. We had a great time on the train, it was a great way to get to Portland!

We went to Pizza Schmizza as soon as we stepped off the plane. It's YUMMY pizza and look how eco-
conscious the delivery boys are! Only in Portland!


We went to Powell's bookstore after this. For those of you who don't know, Powell's is the COOLEST bookstore in the world! We bought 9 books to take back to Belize with us and I had a great time browsing the kids section. We finally got to Kate's apartment where Jeff made us an AWESOME Indian dish. He followed it up with vanilla ice cream topped with homemade wine sauce. mmmMMM. It was fun hanging out with my lil sis and her soon-to-be hubby!

Back at mom's house, I took some time to play fetch with Jorja, the family dog. Even though it was raining, and less than 40 degrees, she still wanted me to throw the ball into the lake so she could swim after it!

Pix of Kate, Jeff, Nathan and me, goofing off in her new car!

We're hilarious, we know it, do you?

We still have a lot more people to see and a lot more stuff to do. After all, The Great Wedding of 2007 hasn't even happened yet, but we've already done so much! Keep checking in on us!

AmericansinAmerica.blogspot.com - 1/1/07

The last day of 2006 found Nathan and I spending a long, but not unpleasant day traveling from our familiar home of Blue Creek to our old stompin' grounds in the Good Ol' US of A! My mom, sis and very-soon-to-be-brother, Jeff, met us in Baggage Claim with piping hot decaf soy peppermint mochas!! We landed at 11:49 P.M. and rang in the New Year right there in Baggage Claim!

This morning my step dad, Reggie, made one of his signature breakfasts, which we all washed down with New Years Day Mimosas. Tonight my dad, step mom, brother and little step-sis came over along with my aunt and uncle for our final Christmas celebration. Mom made beef stew, because she knew Nathan and I would be craving some good ol’ home cooking. And of course, it was Costco pumpkin pie for dessert.
Oh yes, fun was absolutely had by all!

Since the holidays mean family, food, phresents, and fun, here is the newest family pic, taken tonight at my mom's house. Here you will find nearly all of my brothers and sisters. We are still missing Joseph and Michael, but I don't think we're all ever going to be in one place, so this is the most complete photo of my brothers and sisters you will ever see! Are we a good lookin family full of Kodak smiles, or what? And who is that tan girl with the curly hair? She looks Belizean...

Incentives To Visit Us! – 12/26/06

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a great vacation!

Our first experience hosting visitors has come to an end – my aunt and uncle fly back to Washington State tomorrow. This has been such an exciting adventure for everyone. It is so nice to have family here experiencing our life, and it is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for them. We look forward to the opportunity to host future guests, so here’s a taste of what could be in store for you, too, if you choose to visit us. Think of this as a tantalizing incentive; a vacation brochure for what awaits you during a visit to the Lemanskis of Central America...

Part of what made this experience so great is that Melissa is such a thoughtful hostess. Auntie Moe and Uncle Max stayed at the Klassen property, which has a fantastic view of the hills of Blue Creek and the flat savannah beyond stretching past the hills of Mexico. We blogged about this location earlier in Melissa’s original tour of Blue Creek. She really rolled out the welcome mat for our family, borrowning a plug-in cooler in which she included baked treats from the pastor’s wife, sliced tropical fruit, orange squash (home-made Belizean orange juice), bottled water, and a fresh bunch of delicious apple bananas. The breakfast included at the Klassen House each morning was just as welcoming – a filling farmer’s breakfast made fresh daily by their friendly maid (or kyeksha). Except for Wednesday morning, of course, when Melissa made crépes for everybody.

My aunt has an extensive background in horticulture and was just as excited to see Central American flora as she was to visit us. We decided to take her to the jungle resort/Mayan ruins of Chan Chich, close enough to the border to see the hills of Guatemala in the distance. The ride is an adventure in itself and we hoped it made them feel special since you can only visit Chan Chich if you have a reservation (which are incredibly expensive) or are personal friends with the American owners. We are lucky because our friend Abe is friends with everybody. He simply called the owners and asked if we could visit for the day.

The jungle setting at Chan Chich is a fantastic introduction to the wildlife and plants of Belize. The monkeys are abundant there, and we learned quickly that monkeys don’t just throw their poo on people. When you think it’s starting to rain – but there are no clouds in the sky and your guide jumps back while screaming “Get out of the way,” you realize that these dirty primates can just as easily urinate all over people who are standing on the jungle floor, staring up at them with their mouths open in amazement. Luckily, we all escaped without feeling the wet wrath of wild monkeys.

One thing we missed on our last trip to Chan Chich is the painted stucco that still exists on the inside of the king’s tomb. We also learned that here, as well as Lamanai and most other Mayan sites, kings would build their temples directly on top of another king’s pyramid to assume their authority and absorb their power. So when excavating a pyramid or temple, the further you dig reveals an additional layer of the building – each with its own art, inscriptions, history, and stories to tell. That, and we also saw a bat with cute little bat feet that had a particular fondness for Melissa – it actually flew at her. It’s still cute, though. Look at those little bat toes!

The day after, we took them horseback riding through the bush, along the edge of the rainforest. One of the school board members had his horses saddled up for the four of us to use, and we walked through the back country of Belize, enjoying the views and birds along the way. It was a fun way to see what the Mayans and the Mennonites cleared out to establish their communities while at the same time enjoying the beautiful day.

The next day, we all headed to Belize City to spend a few days at the Radisson Fort George. Not after a slight delay, however. You see, there aren’t many police patrol cars in Belize. Instead, there are police checkpoints where they examine the registration and insurance stickers in your windshield. Our insurance sticker, however, fell off. We spent 45 minutes at the checkpoint waiting for proof of insurance to be faxed in while the officer explained that he could both impound the vehicle and put me in jail for improper documentation. Thank you, Susa, for coming through for us! It was my favorite fax ever.

From Belize City, we took a river tour to the ruins of Lamanai. It was so much fun touring these ruins with my family; they both were so interested in the history of Belize to start with. Lamanai was one of the largest and longest occupied Mayan sites in Belize, but very little of the enormous site is fully excavated. Many of the mounds and hills are identifiable – and the map shows you how many structures there actually are. Auntie Moe conquered her fear of heights on the High Temple (Good Job Moe!). And, the new picture we took of the Temple of the Mask shows the side view of the staircase that once covered the mask. A Mayan king had covered it with his own temple, building a layer of limestone stairs in front of the mask itself. You can see the zig-zag profile of the staircase in the corner above the mask that once extended the full length of the temple. I think each U.S. president should build a new layer of White House when they enter into office; that will offer something just as interesting to excavate in 500 years.

The next day we drove along the Western Highway to the Belize Zoo to see all the animals of Belize not readily visible where we live. Whoah. For a third-world country, this zoo is amazing. Even for a first-world country, this zoo was very well done. For a second-world country, well, nobody is really sure what that is so I would say it’s still pretty nice.

Here I finally got to see a Tapir, or Mountain Cow – the national animal. This thing is bizarre, but docile and you can actually pet it. If you do though, it will wipe its slimy pig-snout on you which moves a lot like an elephant’s trunk (only shorter). We saw otters, birds, a giant Jabiru stork that stood there and shivered like a chihuahua, and all five jungle cats found in Belize. The greatest one we saw was the Black Jaguar. At first glance, it looks just like a puma, but if you look closely you can see the leopard spots all over it. A rare recessive gene produces these beautiful cats, and the zoo had two of them. How fancy!

There was also a large Harpie Eagle that had no fear of man. I’d seen many pictures of these, but didn’t realize until I saw one in person how enormous they are. It stood almost to my chest, with thick heavy feet that could tear my arm off if I put it through the fence. So, I didn’t.

After all the adventure, it was time to relax. So, we took a water taxi to San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye to spend a day relaxing on the beach and snorkeling in the Caribbean. It was so nice to just kick back and take in the views, with the waves crashing on the Great Barrier Reef just offshore. On an uninteresting side-note, this island was the inspiration for Madonna’s 1980’s hit, “La Isla Bonita.” We didn’t like it quite as much as Caye Caulker, but it was a fun way to spend Christmas Day.

Boxing Day (the holiday after Christmas Day) was spent in Belize City. We went to visit the Tourist Village, which can be entered only with a foreign passport. Cruise ship passengers arrive on this dock, and native Belizeans are not allowed in. Consequently, all prices are in US dollars and everything is targeted toward boat people who want to spend a lot of money on their port of call. We don’t make US dollars and can find most of the same souvenirs elsewhere. It’s kind of sad that this is the only impression many people will have of Belize. Thank God for long, incredibly detailed blog entries to fight the misconception that Belize is an Americanized, polished playground for America with all the same amenities, but in a steamy tropical setting.

Tomorrow, my family will fly home. But we will first go to the Belize museum, where most Mayan artifacts end up. There is also a large Belizean flag on display there that was flying at the World Trade Center, then pulled from the rubble after 9/11. Afterwards, we will drop the family off at the airport and Melissa and I will get our Belizean driver’s licenses, since that was part of the documentation I failed to show at the police checkpoint. According to the informative and merciful officer (thank you, P.C. Ramos), foreign driver’s licenses are only good for 3 months here. But, we’ll have local I.D. to ensure we get the Belizean rate for everything from now on!

So, if you made it through all of that, then you have a good idea of what’s in store for you if you, too, choose to visit us in this area that we’ve made our home. It’s fun to host guests, and we would LOVE for any of you to come down as well! We have a whole week off for Easter, plenty of time to plan your vacation…

iBelize Navidad! - 12/25/06

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family, wherever you are this holiday season! This picture of us was taken today on Ambergris Caye. Sorry for the glare, that's the ocean making sure it recieves proper attention as well! We celebrated Christ's birth by snorkeling in the Caribbean, drinking rum punch (not too much!) and getting sunburns. We miss our family and Christmas traditions, but again, we're having a great time.

These past 8 days have been crazy-adventurous as we have been hosting Nathan's aunt and uncle and making sure they enjoy all of the most special parts of Belize. Nathan will write soon and tell you all about it. In the meantime, please post a comment and tell us how you spent Christmas!

In the words of the great pre-adolescent 19th Century English philosopher, Tiny Tim, "God Bless us Everyone!"

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.)

We have Mail!! - 8/27/06

Yay! During the last week we have gotten several pieces of mail, this means that the address we have given out truly works!!

We got thank you cards from Dad, Deb, and Haley We got birthday cards from Jim and Sheilah, Nathan’s dad and step mom, which was a great surprise! (Hey you two, thank you for remembering us, it is sooo appreciated!) We got a happy, fun, just-thinkin-‘bout-cha-card from Auntie Reda and Uncle Marv. And I got a birthday card from Levy and she even sent us a wedding card!! (Better late than never, Lev!) Ironically, some of our junk mail has also made it across two countries and into our rural mail box as well. No thanks, Capital One, I really, truly, do not want your credit card... seriously... now leave me alone!

Just an FYI: If you are sending anything to us, whether a package, or an envelope, please write AIR MAIL on it. I have recently learned that sending it that way takes about 2 weeks. If you don’t write AIR MAIL on it, and the Post Office does not take pity on you and write it for you, it will take about 2 months to receive a package or envelope. Good info, huh? I thought so! Thanks, your letters are sooo appreciated!

SHOUT OUTS - 8/3/06

Hey all!

I wanted to take a second to make you guys chuckle at this goofy picture and to thank you guys publicly for checking in on us via our blog and for leaving such great comments. Some of you made me laugh out loud (you know who you are!) And of course, some of you (dad) made me cry.

Also, thanks to dad and Auntie Reda for sending pictures so quickly!! I really appreciate it! Mom, I love to open my e-mail and get one from you each day telling me you're praying for me and that you love me. You're such a mom, even though I'm nearly 26 years old!

I also wanted you to know that we are getting your complaints about the mail too and we're not really sure what to do about it. The address we were given is the one posted at the bottom of the page, but some of you have had trouble sending things through Amazon.com. We were never given a county code or zip code of any kind and we have been told that the address at the bottom of the page is our address in its entirety. Nathan has suggested people just put a series of zeroes where you would normally put the zip code. However, I am not sure that will work. I am going to double check again this evening and find out if there is a better address to send to our friends and families.

It is so nice to know so many people want to hear about our lives and see pictures of what we are doing here. Thank you for keeping in touch.

We love you all very much!

THE FINAL GOODBYE- 7/31/06

Here we are at our final good-bye party this evening (Sunday 7/30) at Katie Downs on the Tacoma Waterfront. It was sad to realize this was the last time we would be saying goodbye to friends and family, but I feel I am also ready to discover what lies ahead!!

Many people have asked if I am nervous to make my home in a new country without a career path or even an idea of what daily life will look like. I belive this is because I have been a hard-working and dedicated Juvenile Probation Officer the last 2 years and a student and Teller at Bank of America for the 5 years before that. I have always kept myself busy with school, work and other activities and for now my day-to-day life is completely unknown to me!

During a time of prayer, I was reminded of God's covenant with Abraham, promising he would be the "Father of Many" and begin a new Nation (Israel) who would be His chosen people. Abraham could not have accomplished that task on his own--He needed his wife, Sara, to bear his child, Isaac, for this promise to become reality. God included Sara as an important part of His covenant with Abraham. Now, I am not saying Nathan and I are going to start a family in Belize (sorry mom!) and I am not trying to compare Nathan to Abraham, but I am saying that although God has called Nathan to teach in Belize, I know He has prepared a place and a purpose for me also.

I am so excited to discover what Belize has in store for me, and I need only wait 12 more hours...

TAKEOFF! - 7/30/06

We're on our way!

We had a good-bye fiesta at Melissa's mom's house with friends and relatives in Western Washington. This picture is of Melissa's brother Nathaniel, Melissa, Me, future brother-in-law Jeff, Katherine, and Melissa's sister Haley.

We've been packing the last of our things off and on all night before flying out in the morning - at 3am. Still so excited to go! Even though at this point, we only know the following:

• I have a job waiting for me
• We have a furnished two-bedroom apartment with AC
• We will have internet access at least once a week - maybe more
• Somebody will be at the airport to pick us up
• We have a pickup truck to drive while we are down there

All other details are just part of the adventure! ...right?

So excited!