We have arrived

God is good!  We've made it safe and sound to Belize with a hearty welcome by Pastor Benson and his big hugs and contagious smile.

The day began at 2am with thirteen groggy team members collecting the their gear and stepping into a cold Simcoe night.  We drove down in two vehicles, and with thanks to our drivers Corrie and Jack we made it safe and sound to Pearson airport by 4. 

We're thankful the flights went well, having stopped in Atlanta before touching down in Belize City.  We left Ontario on the heels of a Canadian snow storm and arrived to a muggy tropical rainshower.  The flowers and palms are beautiful, owing to all the rain they get (as I write half of our team is caught in it - out on a long walk!) 

Sadly, one piece of luggage didn't make it here, but we're all pitching in to help Cor with what he's missing.  While he filled in forms at the airport we drove around the arrivals circle in the bus again and again because the persistent security gaurds kept hastling Pastor Benson out of one spot after another.  We had a good laugh because he kept trying to park in new places to avoid them - but a big yellow bus is hard to hide.  The irony was that not a single plane had arrived since us, making the need to enforce the 'rule' a real joke. 

When the luggage paperwork was done we enjoyed a tour of Belize City, including a stop for late lunch.  We  quickly noticed the differences in culture.  For some of us experiencing it for the first time, or the first time in while, it was helpful to talk it over together.  We stopped at the school we'll help to build, which is an amazing testimony to the grace of God!  It's beside the Presbyterian church, located in the center of a large swamp.  Many houses have sprung up through the lowland, and the need for a local school is clear. 

We met the Belizean contractors who have been working there.  It was exciting to see their progress and hear their plan for the work.  A major job will be bending and tying the re-bar for beams to support the second-story roof.  We'll have pictures to show in near future!

We wrapped up the day settling into Pastor Benson and Carolyn's home.  The men are in one room and the women in an adjacent one.  Rest assured, we'll appreciate our sleep tonight!