we survived guatemala!!

In case you were wondering...Guatemala was a success. I did not get molested or decapitated by the drug lords. It really was one of the most amazing days ever!! Because of some really sketchy stories we heard right before, I maybe was expecting every van we saw to pull us over and rob/kill us but we made it in and out alive! It truly was such a fun day! And yes I got one more stamp in my passport :)

 The beautiful Guatemala!!

 

Outside Tikal at the Zip Lines...

So from San Ignacio (where we are staying) the Guatemala border is only about 20 minutes away. Once we got to the border...we payed our entrance fee, exchanged some belize money for guatemalan quetzales, and met Robert our driver for the day. And can I just say Robert had some pretty sweet rides for us to drive in. Definitely better then our precious purple chrysler town & country we've been using. AND we all had our own seat vs. cramming as many as we can in the van (which is secretly fun)! We then left for our 2 hour drive to the "Canopy" zip lines right outside Tikal National Park. The drive over was pretty great...there were a couple moments I was wondering why we were driving on the left side of the road or not on the road at all but that is just how they do it in Central America! There aren't ANY rules so all you can do is just enjoy the ride and say a little prayer to the man upstairs!

The zip lines were seriously incredible!! I had done some zip lines in Hawaii before but this was a completely different experience. Maybe a little more unorganized, but it was all part of the adventure! We had 4 guides who helped us through the 8 lines and showed us little tricks we could try but honestly I felt safe the entire time. I just kept thinking while I was flying through the sky that most likely never again will I be zip-lining through the jungle in GUATEMALA! We definitely saw some spider monkeys swinging around us too...then the monsoon rain started...which I have decided I love here! I mean we all don't get ready anyway and look like homeless men half the time so we have just learned to enjoy getting completely drenched everywhere we go! It really was SO fun. Definitely worth everything I spent for it!

 

The Zip Lines...yes that is me trying a move called the "Superman". I am so grateful it is zoomed out 

 

One of the road signs we passed on the way...leopard crossings are normal in Guatemala, who knew?!

After the zip lines, we had a meal that for real changed my life. These enchiladas weren't your average enchilada...they were different, Guatemalan style but ohhh they were AMAZING!! I may have gotten food poisoning from them but it was definitely worth it. Then it was Tikal time....we were running a little behind from the zip lines so in what would normally take 3-4 hours to hike we HAD to do in 2 and a half. So we were practically sprinting/speed-walking/slipping our way around the place but it was again, definitely worth it. These ruins were incredible...they were HUGE and were so well built.

Some of them honestly took my breath away when you think about the people that lived there and climbed these buildings daily! And the hike alone to the different temples was also pretty exhausting and imagining people back then having to do that all the time was crazy! But after climbing to the top of one, we realized why Tikal is so well known. It was one of the most beautiful moments in nature of my life. All you could see were miles and miles of jungle and mayan temples all around you. This view was absolutely breathtaking and I knew right then and there that this was only the beginning of traveling for me. Seeing something like that set something off in me that made want to see everything and appreciate so much more of what the world has to offer. Yes that was a little cheesy but its real. The only thing missing now is some cash flow...

 The incredible view!! Panoramic from Brenna...

Anyways, Guatemala was amazing. I am SO glad we decided to go. I would recommend it to everyone for sure if you like a little adventure. This week should be another exciting one....our plans always change as usual but I'll keep ya updated on our different projects for the week. I can't believe I am halfway done! Peace and Love!

I gave in...

So once upon a time one of my friends in 5th grade went to Mexico. I was maybe feeling a little resentful that she got to miss school for a week but she promised to bring me back a gift so I felt a lot better. Little did I know that when she got back I would feel feelings of jealousy like I had never felt before in my life. Not over her tan, her new puka shell necklace, or her cool new shirt she got but over her HAIR. Her neatly braided, AWESOME hair. EVERYONE was obsessed with it and I knew right then and there that someday I would HAVE to get braids. I promised myself.

So here I am 22 years old in Belize and I gave in. I got my hair braided. Do I love it? Well...lets just say me and Jaden Smith look like siblings. And I look like his older brother, not sister. So yes, I don't like it as much as I thought I would. I just now don't want to run into the lady that braided them cuz they are comin out tonight! oops...ya live and learn right?! But I am glad I tried it...it fulfilled a dream from my childhood. So it was definitely worth my 5 bucks! For all you out there who have always wanted to try braids...do it, but just be prepared to maybe having to take all of them out within 24 hours. Happy Thursday! And yes here's a really special pic of me with them done...

cooking with mama kay...

As I've said before...Mama Kay has changed my life. She seriously is the sweetest and has the biggest heart but can instantly make you pee your pants laughing over the most random things. Sunday we had decided that we wanted to have mama Kay cooking lessons tuesday. So...we made a list, bought all the ingredients, and had homemade tortillas/banana cream pie made specially by mama. We had a big group and a lot to make but had a lot of fun! 

 She didn't want any pictures but I snuck this one :)

Our beautiful pies!

 All the tortillas rolled out

This woman can COOK good...let me tell ya. We always have fun and she may or may not have tried to force each of us to have at least 5 huge tortillas. She didn't quite understand the concept of feeling full but it was worth it right. We walk around 15 miles a day anyway from place to place so it works out! We hope to have a lot more cooking with Kay...this is definitely going to become a tradition. We love mama Kay!

a beautiful RAINY sunday...

I know I posted a HUGE one yesterday but I had to post another one about some experiences I had yesterday. As usual, every Sunday I have multiple deep moments about life. I just always think about my future and all the many blessings I have...usually it's triggered by church of course. But yesterday I had a lot more than usual.

Being here in Belize has opened my eyes to so much....to how different life can be-- from where you live, what you eat, how you get from place to place, where you buy what you need. Nothing here is like the U.S. Which is all part of the experience that I love! But Belize has also opened my eyes to the people-- they really have so little here. I have never experienced poverty first hand like this in my life before. I'm not gonna lie, it has been pretty hard to handle sometimes.

There's been many moments I've just wanted to breakdown and cry. I just realize how truly blessed I am and how I should be giving so much more to those around me. There is so much that I worry about back home that in reality doesn't matter at all. There are so many things I take for granted every day at home that are so apparent while I've been here-- like shoes, having a closet full of clothes, a bed for myself, running water, electricity, the chance I have to receive an education, having my own car, having a family that loves me....there is so so much.

Yesterday at church I just was looking around at all the people and realizing that each of them have a story and a purpose in this life. It was so clear to me of how much Heavenly Father loves them and even tho they have had so many trials and hard experiences...He will never leave their side. Through Him they will find the peace and hope they need to get through anything. It was just a beautiful moment to understand how deep God's love is for all of us no matter where we are in the world.

We had a testimony meeting (a meeting we have in our church where we talk about why we believe what we believe) and these three ladies story's especially stood out to me-- one talked about how one of her sons was murdered and after his death she fell away from the church and God for a while. But she realized that God and his gospel was the only way she could ever find peace and happiness again. She just had such a sweet testimony of repentance and how it is never too late to come back to the Savior.

Another lady has been a single parent to her two children for 16 years and was saying how difficult it was to provide and raise a family on her own but she had faith that everything will work out and someday she will find someone she can share her life with. This woman was so amazing to me...not that being a single parent is easy in the states, but here in Belize women make hardly anything for working so incredibly hard. My heart just went out to her and her family and I truly was amazed at the faith and love she had.

The last woman is Sister Kay. This woman has changed my life. She is someone else who has been through so much but decided to come back to the church 3 years ago and has sworn she will never leave again. She would do anything for anyone and is just so special to me. She has one of those testimonies that captures everyone's attention, I just love her so much.

There really are so many more stories I could tell. Everybody in the branch is truly amazing. I can't wait to spend more time with them and learn more from their experiences. These people are so much more loving then I ever imagined. I've learned so much from them...things I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I just love it here so much!

After our wonderful church meeting we walked home in one of the biggest rain storms I have ever experienced in my life. All of our clothes were instantly soaked within 10 seconds. We all have just come to accept the rain here and never really get ready in case we get completely drenched wherever we go. Then we got rescued by the Senior Missionaries and got to have another ride in the back of a truck for the weekend. Ah gotta love rain. Anyways that is all for now! Happy Monday!

second weekend in belize...ya ya

oh my this weekend has been so SO great! I have, as always, so many things to catch up on. I truly have amazing experiences every day and am so grateful to be here!

Friday was a very busy day! We started our day with Adobe stoves. We had 2 families to work with for the day. Michelle, Andrea, Kayla and I got to work with Joe and his family who live in this little town called Succotz. They have 2 kids, a boy and a girl, and are so excited to finally have a place to cook. We weren't real familiar with how the stoves should be built but we could start it until more help came.

We started off leveling the ground where the stove would go, then we dug a trench where the cinderblock foundation would be, then mixed cement for the actual foundation and poured it in the trench...sounds simple but let me tell ya it wasn't easy. Joe's cute wife then made us homemade lime juice from their Jamaican lime tree which was seriously unreal good! It is truly amazing to me how little these people have but are so willing to share and give to others. It was so fun to meet this cute family and play with their youngest girl Amy. After working on the stoves for a while, we then had to head out to our next project. We have a lot more work ahead of us but we got a lot done!

 Yes we did fit 14 people in a chrysler minivan

 our future stove

 mixing cement....its harder then it looks

 Amy- the cutest little girl ever...she was right there wanting to help us the whole morning. She loved having us there...we had so much fun with her!

In case you were worried, its lime juice...we just really appreciated the beer cups.

After working with the stoves, a group of us headed off to Georgeville to meet with an organization called Harzoc Falla. We may have gotten lost and wandered around Georgeville for a while but we eventually found it. This place was started by a local family who wanted to give to the community. They decided to start a transition home for girls who are kicked out of orphanages at 16. Most of these girls come from horrible situations and haven't been taught how to survive on their own so when they are kicked out of orphanages they have nowhere to go. So this transition home will be for them to live until they can make it on their own. They want to build these huts that are made out of dirt/cement that have solar powered water for showers. They also have outdoor ovens and stoves and outhouses that they use this cedar compost to break down the waste AND it didn't even smell?! I don't know how it worked exactly but there seriously was no funky odor! I was very impressed. 

The whole goal of their housing and living accommodations is to use no electricity. Which really was incredible after looking at the one hut they already had made. They also had a garden where they had normal crops found in Belize as well as plants they are experimenting with that aren't Belize's normal crops. This place was seriously awesome...I couldn't believe how thought out everything was. We'll find out soon what exactly we'll be helping with but it will definitely keep us busy for the week...I can't wait to get started with this project!

 dome huts where the girls will be staying....AKA flinstone homes. They were legit.

outhouses and oven where they will cook...

 After we got back from our escapade to Georgeville we headed over to the Cayo Music School Concert where we got to hear these cute kids perform. It was a lot different then I was expecting....I definitely felt like I was at an american piano recital with the music lady from high school musical as the director but they all did a great job and were so cute! Afterwards Kayla, Andrea and I may or may not have sprinted in the monsoon rainstorm to make sure we got our Cayo Twist ice cream. I have become obsessed with this stuff. Its this non-dairy, low sugar, soy based ice cream that has seriously changed my life. So it was definitely worth getting completely drenched and getting laughed at by every single person we passed! I have a feeling this will happen again...

Saturday was another great one...we got some breakfast at Greedys, bought some things at the huge market they have every saturday, then Andrea, Kayla, Brenna, Shelbi, and I left for our great adventure of the day. We left around 1 to go to these falls we had heard were pretty cool so we got on this bus not really knowing where to stop, but the busdriver knew where to drop us off so we were ok. As he drops us off he tells us to just walk down a road and we'd see a sign for the walls. So we start walking...deeper and deeper into the forest and the rain starts. Not just a little sprinkle but POURING down rain. We also never see a sign but we just kept walking hoping we'll see something promising...we soon find a trail and ask someone along the way if we were headed the right direction and he told us the falls were just a little bit further. Soon we finally come to a clearing...we see a rope swing, a little pool, and the glorious "falls" which probably should have been called showers. It was a pretty spot but definitely not the falls I was picturing! But we hiked around a little more and just enjoyed being outside.

Then after realizing the bus wouldn't be back for another 2 and a half hours we decided to start walking towards a little town called Cristo Re. This place was so cute! It was just so quaint and small and the people were so friendly! We were fans of the tender place but since it was so small we could only do so much so we started out walking towards San Ignacio hoping another bus would pick us up on the way. And we soon decided if we saw a truck coming we would definitely hitchhike our way back to the city and ask to just ride in the back. I mean its something I had ALWAYS wanted to do....a normal bucket list wish I feel. Soon enough we saw a truck and one by one we stuck our thumbs out and got a ride. That was definitely a high point of my life. The truck may have been a little rickety and the bed felt like it was going to fall off at any moment but it was great! The thing is I have felt more safe asking for a ride in Belize then I would at home. So don't worry mom and dad! The family that drove us were so nice and didn't even let us pay them for the ride. I wish I could take more kind people like that back to the states...

 Cristo Re....cutest town

 i just really appreciate these bump signs ha

 our hike...

 the beautiful falls...

After our really fun adventure we ended our night at the Santa Ellena branch party for a mothers and fathers day celebration. The little children and families in this branch are the sweetest people you will ever meet. They are just full of love and service and make you feel so welcome. I just instantly fell in love with all of them. The kids put on a little performance for their parents and then there was dinner afterwards. We had a good time with all the members....and of course we had to end the party by dancing to the Belize hit "slow tornado".

Anyways these last couple days have been amazing! Sorry for the beast of a post but I just have so much to say! I'll try and update what happened today, tomorrow. This place is amazing...i've loved every minute!! AND of course...Happy Fathers Day!!

Peace and Love...

HAPPY PAPPY DAY!!!

 

 Just wanted to give a little shout out to my pasta!! Sad I'm missing fathers day but I am so SO grateful for all my dad does for me!! He sacrifices so much for our family and works so hard. He always knows how to make us all laugh. Being away from my family, especially here in Belize, has made me realize even more of how blessed I am. I truly have so much and am grateful every day for my family! Love you pappy!!

thursday: DAY 10...

Today was paint day. I really REALLY love painting if you didn't know. Yesterday painting was started at Octavia Waight, which is a senior citizen center in San Ignacio, for a physical therapy room. Let me tell ya we worked hard. We may or may not have painted more of each other then the walls but we had a really fun time which is what counts!

There were the cutest old people there too...I wanted to stay all day and talk with them. Most of the time I couldn't quite understand what they were saying but that is normal for me. I want to see a lot more of those cute people! Tonight I'm keepin it short but tomorrow is gonna be a busy day so stay tuned for my life...peace and LOVE!

life is good...

monday monday was another amazing day. It's crazy how fast time is going by here! We woke up monday morning to a pretty intense rain storm. Rain was coming through the windows and getting everywhere...we literally had to pause all projects for the morning cuz we knew every one else in the city was most likely staying inside until it was over too. So we got some more sleep time which I'm always a fan of then a group of us headed over to the Adventist school Hills of Promise in Benque for the rest of the day. It was gonna be my first bus ride of the trip and let me say it was EVERYTHING I hoped for and more. There were so many great people and it really is one of the only ways, besides a pool, to really cool off. And you can't go walking down the street anywhere in Belize without all kinds of men whistling or yelling to our group of american girls. Its always entertaining to see what kind of pick-up lines we hear. But weirdly there have only been a few times where the guys were a little too creepy. Most of the time we just laugh it off and keep walking and we're fine. Literally every man here calls us "babies" or "beautiful ladies"...just a little different from back home.

But at this school in Benque there were the most beautiful children I have ever seen! They were so friendly and they couldn't wait to have us come watch their song they learned for graduation. They also loved having us join them in some jump rope. Yes I had a lot of children laugh at me...these kids dominate and lets just say I need A LOT more practice. I seriously had NO idea jump rope is like the thing to do here in Belize. I also had my first red ant experience which was great. Don't worry it wasn't just one ant but I accidentally stepped on a whole mound of them while I was taking a picture so ya got about 30 bites at once. Those little guys kill! Ya live and learn right.

Then after our day at Hills of Promise we headed to dinner to have our goodbye meal as a group for all the first wave girls that were leaving. It was so sad to see the girls go. Its amazing how close you can get to some people in a week! We'll miss them!

Tuesday morning we had a meeting with the AWARD program about a project we would help them with at the end of June. It is going to be awesome! This program holds treks around the world for youth ages 14-25 who want to change their lives and live better. They have them in Jamaica, Italy, Florida, England...all over the WORLD. So obviously I immediately wanted to get involved. This particular trek is going to be around 40 miles in 3 days...which after I did the pioneer trek for church I thought I would NEVER do anything like that again, but here I am doing this and am so excited about it! We'll be hiking in the jungle for 3 days and 2 night and will leave on Monday and get back Wednesday. We'll be put into groups with a guide who knows the program and route well and with 7-10 youth. It seriously will be awesome! I can't wait!

That afternoon we went back to Hills of Promise in Benque, had a lot more fun with the kids and then headed back home to San Ignacio to have dinner with Raul's family. This cute boy's family is in the Spanish branch up the street and he has been wanting us to come over for dinner so we finally found a time that worked. He was seriously the most adorable thing in the world. I have never met a 14 year old boy who was as polite as he was. He was so excited to have us all there. We had this AMAZING baked pasta dish and tres leches cake that for real changed my life. It was the best meal I've had here yet. His mom was the sweetest woman and his family was so willing to have us over. Most of the homes here in Belize are pretty small so to have 10 girls come over could be really overwhelming but they were so excited to have us. Me being myself almost cried like 5 times while we were there...I just was so touched by this family and how loving they were. It was amazing to me at how giving they were of everything they had. Raul already started planning for a movie night to have us back. It was just the sweetest experience and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Wednesday was the day the 1st wavers left. We're gonna miss them so much! We tried to finish up the square foot gardens in the morning but someone hacked the hammers so we ended up comin back to find other projects to be a part of. We planned out our summer camp we're holding in Succotz in a couple weeks and then ended up going back to Benque for a meeting. We kind of like Benque a lot. We found out about some other potential projects we could be involved with and found the BEST panderia (bakery) in the world. This cute little couple has a bakery in their home and had so many good things so we of course had to try them all. I guess losing weight in Belize isn't happening. Oh well!

Life here really has been great! It's amazing how every day I learn something new and have these moments where I realize how blessed I am and how happiness truly comes from service. There are so many here who have so little but remain happy and are willing to share EVERYTHING they have to help. I love this place and can't wait for al the fun projects coming up! Creole phrase of the day: Ah mi gat wahn gud gud taim. (I've had a wonderful time)

Peace and Love!

DAYs 4, 5, & 6: so so blessed!

Yes I know I have been slacking lately! It was the weekend so of course it was busy. These past few days have been amazing....as usual right. With each day I grow to love this place and the people even more. I can't put into words just how beautiful it is here or how kind the people are. I really just want everyone to REALLY experience this place. I know I've only been here for 6 days but I really feel like I've lived here so much longer and I don't mean that in a bad way at all!

Friday was another day of the square foot gardens. I am so impressed with how well it turned out! And yes we DID build the fence ourselves (with the help of just a couple guys)! I know I know....big accomplishment for us. I came right in the middle of this project so I can't take a lot of the credit but it was so fun to see the finished product. The ladies did a really good job planning it all out. We definitely put a LOT of sweat into this baby this past week (me especially)and we can't wait to see how it turns out down the road...

 

 Friday night we just pretty much crashed. We had lunch/dinner at Hodes, then went over to the Spanish branch's building for an activity. Two members from our group put together an activity to give away sports equipment to the kids in the branch. They made the cutest jerseys for the branch and the kids were SO excited for their new toys. It was so fun to be around the cute families and branch members. I seriously have fallen in love with the people here!

Saturday was relax day! We decided to bum at the pool all day to catch up on our books and sleep. Despite the hill of death to get to the resort...it was HEAVEN! This place overlooked the whole city and had the coolest bungalow/hut things where guests could stay. It was seriously such a fun place to escape to.

  

Today...Sunday has been so wonderful. A group of us headed over to the English branch in Santa Elena (the city across the river from San Ignacio) at about 9. This building was so cute! It was this bright blue house they converted to a church building where they then built this whole other side building where they hold sacrament meeting. These people were adorable and so friendly. I love how EVERY woman here gives you a big hug and a kiss on the cheek...whether they've known you for years or are just about to meet you! Its the cutest ever. And the children here are seriously the most beautiful kids I have ever seen. Mom, Dad...I might bring home a little boy or girl with me to add to our family, or maybe 4 so just be prepared! Ahhh I just loved the cute little Santa Elena branch so much! It just proves even more that the church is true no matter where you are. I love it and am so grateful to be a part of it.

 I fell in love with this child after church today. She was so beautiful so of course I had to take a picture. I have definitely been paparazzi status since I've been here. Everyone is waiting for me almost everywhere we go cuz I have to stop and take pictures of EVERYTHING. I don't want to miss anything!

 

After church we all took naps...chilled and then headed over to the church to see the baptisms of Emir and Michael. These boys were so cute....Emir is in the green shirt and Michael is behind the kid in the striped shirt. They were so happy and you could tell they were so excited to have such a big crowd come on their special day.  It was just wonderful and I truly feel so blessed to be surrounded with such amazing people who have so little but are so grateful and giving. They know that joy comes through service and obeying God's commandments. It really puts life into perspective and makes me realize what truly is important. I really can't believe all that I have learned in just a week! And I can't believe how fast I fell in love with the people.

 After the baptisms we came home to the BEST meal by Sister K. I'm telling you she is the greatest woman you'd ever meet! Ahhh I just love that lady so much!! Then we spent the rest of the night playing cards, dancing to britney spears, chatting about life, and discovering new desserts. The winner for today...brownie mix and water. Mix it together, grab a banana and DIP. Ya it changed my life instantly. Between 6 girls we dominated the entire mix. I can't wait to see what other concoctions we'll create!!

Well this week is gonna be great I can already feel it! It just started pouring down rain and thunder storming outside which means not as much HEAT tomorrow! I'd much rather be wet from rain then sweat...just sayin. Hope the blog posts aren't too boring for the 2 people that read it....mamasita and chucks, but they should get more interesting once the projects get rolling! I have so many things I want to do here! Happy Monday!