Sunday

Today we woke up to a calm sea for the first time. All week it has been very windy, which was perfect as we needed it to keep us cool while working at the school. The sea was like glass and it reminded us of Revelations where it talks about the sea of glass that the crowns were thrown upon. Since the waters were calm, we could see the bottom for the first time and the Turquoise colour of the water was really accentuated, it was truly "Unbelizeable".

Today we got to go to the Presbyterian church in Corozal. Once again we were welcomed warmly. We arrived around 10am in time for the main service to begin. The service was in both English and Spanish. We found out that this was not just for us but that there are members that only speak English (some of the kids), some only speak Spanish and then there are a mix that speak English and some other languages. They sang both familiar and unfamiliar songs, but for the 50 or so that were in attendance, they sang their hearts out. Truly heart moving. It was a very beautiful experience to see the different languages and cultures interact. The message was on the marks of the true church and we spent time on the "True and complete teaching of the word", not only the preaching of it, but the living it out in life. The people that we met in Belize are living it out, it is central to their lives. They have been such a good witness and inspiration to us to live out our faith more clearly in our lives back home.

After church we were treated to lunch at Blues by our hosts. A really nice spot on the ocean, see the one picture with the branch hanging down in front of the water.

After lunch we took a bumpy drive out to Orchid Bay to spend some time resting at the beach. Along the way, there was a road sign which read, "Difficult roads lead to beautiful places".  How true that is, not only with respect to the beach that we enjoyed, but in all walks of life.  This place was a snapshot of paradise, with the warm Turquoise water, white sand, thatch huts and beach. As soon as we got there we went into the water, and we bumped into the team from Abbotsford BC. We exchanged pleasantries and a number of us actually played volleyball together for most of the afternoon. We also bumped into the principal from the high school at the beach; we had missed her when we were doing our tour of the school. We also learned of a new serve, thanks to S. Lowry. He referred to it as the "Flying Squirrel". It’s too bad we didn't get a picture of it, as I'm sure Volleyball Canada would soon be implementing it across their teams.

The ride back and forth to Orchid Bay was only about 20km, but the road was quite rough and there were two small ferries along the route. The engines of these ferries were actually the people. They had what looked like a bicycle sprocket and chain system which pulled the craft along some cables. It worked quite well, as the spans were only about 75 meters.

After getting back, we had dinner and Devos. This time the Devos were facilitated by Kate, one of the younger team members. She did a great job. Some commented that it was the best Devos yet. We all had a good time of reflection and at the end we gathered together for a huddle prayer on the grass out front of the hotel. A few more tears were shed, but it felt good. Nathaniel is determined to come back next year, he said he just wants to work and help out the kids.

Another walk to Central Park was in the works, and there were many people mulling about.  We found out that many of the locals hang out there because of the free Wifi!  After a while, a few people started complaining about insect bites around the ankles.  The culprit ended up being huge lines of ants marching in neat formations, carrying leaves from one side of the walkway to the next.  The locals actually value these ants and take every effort to protect them.  Apparently they are the best weather forecasters in the nation, when they carry out this process, it indicates a storm is imminent.  Truly fascinating.  Most of our crew was hoping for the storm to come early - possibly allowing our flight to be delayed a few days, or maybe even cancelled all together.  We will miss this place with all our hearts, but the memories will no doubt last forever.  The Belizeans have left a lasting impact on all of us, one that teaches of the importance of faith, family, love, devotion, and peace.  We have all been blessed by their teachings, their natural natural way of living.

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