Heat, Rocks, Lizards, Chocolate Trees, and Shots

It has been one month since I've posted anything.  Sorry, I feel like I'm slacking off.  I will put random photos through out for you to enjoy.

It is Sunday afternoon and about 100 degrees here in Belize.  We are however, very blessed to have a cool breeze that comes through in the afternoons and today it is blowing quite well.  Dennis is under the house right now filling in gaps in the floors.  When it heats up here the wood in the floors start to shrink and often leaves gaps that you can see through.  So, in our never ending struggle to keep as much separation between us and things that bite, Dennis is filling in the gaps.  We laugh at all we have done with the house.  There are some who believe it could float if needed.  What I believe is that I have a great husband who loves me enough to crawl under this house to make his wife a happier and more relaxed person.

The little bungalow.

Perfect spot to watch the sun go down.

We put up some Christmas lights!

Easter just came and went last weekend.  There is not much "Christian" celebration here.  There seems to be a big focus on Good Friday and repentance of sin.  Some Belizeans built small shrines along the road sides.  I'm not sure of the purpose of these shrines, they are very Catholic-like.  I just felt that it was sad to focus on the death so much and not the resurection of Jesus.  Many of the families in the area take the two weeks off to travel and visit relatives.  You can see large groups sitting on their suitcases at the bus stops.  They will sit for hours sometimes on overcrowded, hot, speeding buses because most do not have their own transportation.

Screened in porch makes the house look much bigger.

Dennis and I were invited to the Tucker's house again for Easter dinner.  They are the couple who had us over for Christmas and Thanksgiving as well.  John and Beate and Tim and Carol were there also.  We had an especially nice time down at the creek.  We had to take this back road behind the hill they live on and go into the bush to get to a small stream tucked down into the hills.  It was very "jungly".  The water was clear and cool.  We spent a couple hours there chatting, swimming and looking for rocks!  If I can't be around my children for Easter then looking for rocks in a jungle creek would have been a good second choice.  I brought home a "few".  I will bring a couple home for those who appreciate a good                                                                                rock.  The rest of you who are laughing at me won't get one.

Us at a football (soccer) marathon.
This was taken a couple of months ago.

Three kinds of bananas here.  The little ones on top are my favorite
Applebananas.  The fat ones are Blugars and the rest are what you
find in the states.  I have gotten very good at making banana bread
and smoothies.

A few weeks ago Dennis and I went into Belmopan to get a Hepatitis B shot at the government hospital.  We had checked all around here and we were told that only the hospitals will have it.  We arrived at the hospital with no expectations at all.  We figured that we would be hanging around for a long time.  Belize is the land of "No Signs".  So, we have three choices whenever we embark on a new adventure here.  We can stand still for a very long time and observe what is going on around us.  This doesn't work because we are observing many others who are doing the same thing we are, just standing around staring at each other.  We can go get in a line.  Just pick a line and see what happens.  This is usually what we do.  The third option would be to ask someone for advice but it's hard to find someone else who speaks English.  And it's hard for most of the Belizeans standing around because most don't read English and everything that is posted on the walls is in English.  Most of the time that doesn't help anyways because they are useless bits of information like, "We will be closed Monday", or "Lunch is from 12 to 1 and the office will be closed at that time."  Absolutely nothing is labeled to tell you where you should go.

I said all that to lead up to where we ended up.  A very professional looking woman walked by and I asked her where we might get the shots.  She told us to wait one minute and she disappeared behind an unmarked door.  We stood around staring at each other and about 12 other Belizean people for about five minutes and the woman reappeared and told us to follow her.  She promptly lead us through a maze of hallways until we turned a corner and there in front of us were about twenty-five ladies, each holding a baby.  It was odd because the hallway was so quiet.  I guess it was a "Well-baby" day at the Belmopan hospital.

As we walked forward I almost laughed out loud.  Poor Dennis, poor, poor Dennis.  Every since arriving here in Belize he has had to figure out what to do with nursing mothers.  Out at the village it is usually a "nurse-on-demand" kind of situation.  So, if baby wants to be fed, baby gets fed.  A few times we will be in mid-conversation and the mom just lifts her blouse and starts to nurse.  Dennis has learned how to make really good eye contact with the mom when this happens.  I thought I was going to have to take him by the hand and guide him through the small hallway because at least half the moms were nursing. Later, when we were heading home I asked him if he saw the cute babies.  He said "no"...

Any way, we were lead through three unmarked doors and into a room that was divided up into about seven small cubicles and left there to wait for the nurse.  (I couldn't believe she left us there.  It could take days to find our way back out.)  We were quite amazed when a very smart looking nurse showed up and asked us a few questions, sat down at a computer and made an immunization card for each of us.  She turned around and grabbed a needle and asked which arm?  I pulled up my sleave and was extremely pleased when I didn't feel anything.  It was the best shot I think I've ever had.  And Dennis, who hates needles  was just as happy as I was.  Before we left I asked her what her name was and told her that she was very good at being a nurse.  She smiled and finally made eye contact.  Since Dennis was with me it only took us a few minutes to find our way out.  I am quite dysfunctional with directions.  

Our rock wall that lines the driveway is actually
a hotel for lizards.  Can you see the little man
in the foreground?

This guy comes around on occasion.  I don't think it's just to be friendly, he wants
us to know that we are the visitors at his house.

 I am tickled that I get to grow "chocolate trees"!
They are actually called cacao trees but it's where we get chocolate nibs.

It is now Tuesday and I'm sitting in the bungalow with front and back doors wide open.  I see jungle out back and Dennis out front working on  the Bronco.  God has blessed him with a very productive few hours and all seems to be going well.  Although it is very warm, 112 degrees, the wind is blasting through here at times and it feels wonderful.  I can hear thunder way off in the distance.  Dennis just asked Randy if it will rain and Randy thinks it might later tonight.

We are getting excited about going home to visit on May 9th.  It will be so nice to hug my children and squeeze those grandbabies.  We have much to share.  God didn't bring us here just to enjoy life.  We are here to be his representatives.  Thoughts and plans have started and we have so much to talk about with our church family.

Love you guys!!