Tuesday at school

Today was another exciting one. I have so much to share and am not sure where to start.

Belize schedule is quite relaxed, and most things do not occur according to plan. It is just the way it is, and people in this area are not bothered easily. Justin and I are the punctual ones, so we have had to adjust a tad. For instance, this morning Justin and Ali were signed up to go out on a dive, and Liza and I were going to join them on the boat. Perhaps Liza was going to snorkle. Once we got to the dock to meet Keidel, the boat driver, he had us sit down and relax (once again) while he organized the boat. As usual, we chatted and chatted. A few workers on the dock came to talk to us and usually would kid Ali about how they could beat her in Futbol. Finally after over an hour, they informed us the boat engine wasn't working, and there would be no dive today. I was secretly happy because it was a rough day on the ocean, and I knew I would be seasick. So Liza wished she had stayed in bed. It was good though. We went back and relaxed; I located cough medicine; and Liza tackled some Latin .

Then we walked up the beach to school. It was so fun to arrive and hear the little ones squeal hello and run with hugs. The older boys would give some subtle smirks, showing their happiness to see Ali and Justin. The 12 and 13 year old girls have really taken to Liza. A sweet girl named Elizabeth came running to her asking when class would start. I have made special friends with Mr. Boods' and Mrs. Williams' kids, as they are my fifth graders' pen pals. They were hanging out over their wooden class edge announcing their hard work on letters for me to take back. These students really struggle with reading and writing, so this pen pal project is fabulous for them. I will try to download some video clips from those students to mine. Tomorrow I will spend the morning in the classroom with them helping Mr. Bood. I am so excited. It sounds like they want me to spend some time with Japhet, as he is very bright, but has a really hard family life. His teacher tells me he has so much potential, but odds are with his family situation, he will become another Belize teenage statistic: school drop out and wanderer of the streets.

So we started with Standard 3 and 4 PE classes (10 and 11 yr olds). Then they also tell all the primary kids they are welcome to come play too. So it ends up as organized chaos: Ali with a group of 30, Justin with a group of 30, Liza helping both of them, and me with all of the little ones (ages 4-8) who do not listen well, just surround me screaming and grabbing for a pinney, ready to go. Eventually I had cousins and other neighborhood people arriving as well. If we are not watching the ball bags closely, our balls are quickly scattered in every street and swamp in full action. So we worked hard today to get better control. Clearly they do not have organized after school activities, or even balls and cones, so they are all going crazy to be part of the action. The older kids learned some moves and had some mini competitions, which seemed to work well. My group had a srimmage going on. I was sad to see that alot of the boys would pick on each other. There are no parents around, and they just roam until they make their way home. It seems to be survival of the fittest. I had been noticing one particular bully, Lazaro, for two days. He has a constant scowl, seems to dislike everyone, and is extremely defiant. One of the teachers explained to me today that his father fell off an open cargo truck recently, and another vehicle ran over his head and killed him. It sounds unreal, but there are random half finished dirt roads everywhere, and no real rules about who and what goes where and when. For instance, our sandy soccer field is a throughway for bikers, walkers and vehicles. Literally, mid game, mid drill, beat up cars, pedestrians, grandmothers, anything goes right through. It is just the way it is. No other route.

The official older team practices started at 3. Justin and Liza took the girls, while Ali took the boys. I spent some time on the periphery chatting with some teachers who were leaving, talking to the many little kids who are just there alone, and observing with nothing else to do. It is interesting to see how they play. (See picture of the little one above hanging below the wooden house on stilts right by the sewage water). Marbles are big. They really just want attention though. Our one particular special friend is Geariell. He is the adorable boy sitting in the picture above with his back pack. We have noticed he has been hanging around us alot, with no adults to be found. He is seven, very sweet and for some reason is picked on by the others. When I asked one teacher why he is picked on, he said maybe because he has "mental disabilities" and that kids will be kids. I did not see any mental disability....He walked home with us yesterday and stays right by our sides all afternoon. I had heard that his mother has throat cancer, and there is not money to pay for the medical attention she needs. We just talked for awhile. He says so many kids are mean to him. He explained that he lives with his 18 year old sister because his mom and dad are at the doctor. He talked about his mom's "neck being cut and a big ball being taken out". He is hoping she will come back soon. So I assume his mom has had the operation. He waits until we leave to walk back towards town with us. Both days we got him a drink at a local store and get hugs as he veers off down his sister's street. I will say some prayers for his mom. He told me his teacher sometimes gives him money and am thinking we should sneak him a little too at some point. That is how he gets some food on the way home.

Anyway, I will have alot more after spending time in the classroom tomorrow. Miss you all!