Time Capsule Letter – October 2016
Greetings, Global Citizens!
I hope this note finds all of you well, happy, healthy, and grateful for all that life has provided our unique lives.
How in the world time has flown so quickly, I will never know, but it sure has been wonderful to think about all of the memories we made together in Belize this summer! I will never forget everyone’s pure enthusiasm during the scavenger hunt at the TEC, and the awesome, warm greetings you always gave Juan when we got on the bus! You all are so wonderful!
Each of you were instrumental in the beginning of a new partnership with the village of Cotton Tree. The power and enthusiasm behind your camp songs from day one to ten was so much fun to watch unfold! Oh man, I miss you all. It was very evident that you all built some pretty amazing relationships in your classroom with your students. How wonderful was it to read the words that Ms. Coleman wrote on her thank you card to us on our final morning at summer camp? I think half of us had teary eyes and full hearts!
More than anything, I can’t believe that we were witnesses to Hurricane Earl within our first week of our program together. Again, thank you so much for your trust and flexibility. It was so fun to play telephone charades as we waiting for the “go-ahead” to get back to the TEC! I am grateful that we were there to be of support to the community and Ms. Coleman at such an ominous time. #goodbyeearl
A handful of favorite memories:
- Your awesome acting skills during Nicos’s game!
- The winds and rain of Hurricane Earl!
- The TEC scavenger hunt
- Walking through the village of Cotton Tree and your students coming out of their houses along the way. We nearly had a parade walking though the village!
- Cave tubing, turning our head lamps off, and floating in pure darkness
- Picking the perfect oranges in the citrus field with Juan
- Sharing genuine thoughts and feelings during our Compliment Circles
- Receiving beautiful bookmarks from Ms. Coleman and Mr. Francisco on our final day of service
- Our photo-shoot at Altun Ha! One more group pose! One more group pose!
- Relaxing in the hammocks on Caye Caulker
- Trying every hot sauce at Marie Sharp’s Hot Sauce Factory
- Inspiring a young student from camp who recently dropped out of primary school, Melford, to sign back up for school in September! Great job, Liz & Cate!
Know that we are thinking of you often, and hope that Belize has put a hop in your step to reach your goals and dreams!
YA MON!
Kelli & Lauren
Summer Blog Posts
July 29, 2016
Greetings from Belize! August 2016 adventures are underway!
A few students arrived this morning, while all remaining students arrived into Belize for our August program by dinnertime! Great conversations were had by all over chicken, rice and beans, coleslaw, and plantains – mmmmmmmmm! The students are beginning to explore and make the Tropical Education Center their new, comfortable home for the next three weeks!
Students have shared their excitement, how they chose to travel to and explore this small, beautiful country, and what they’re looking forward to!
Here’s to an adventurous, meaningful experience with new friends!
G’night!
leader of the day, Yailin: July 29, 2016
Whats up Fam,
Today was our first full day at the Tropical Education Center where we started off our day at 8:00 AM with an amazing combination of french toast, orange juice, yogurt, and fruit for breakfast. Afterwards, we played bonding games in order to get to know each other better. Then, we went into talking about what the program requires and what will be expected from us until it was lunch break. After lunch break, we had time to ourselves, which was converted into a photo shoot session by the amazing photographer, Brooke. We then came back together around 2 o’clock and talked about the material, the kids, the lessons, and what our planned days are looking like. We then had an hour break from 4pm to 5pm. To be honest, this is when it hit me. “Wow, I’m really tired.” I said.
However, life here is so exciting because there is always someone to talk to, something to do, or something new to learn about. When 5 o’clock arrived we got to meet the prodigious principle, Ms. Coleman, from the school we will be teaching. We went from talking about the kids to talking about the village life to talking about school opportunities. We finally got to have dinner with this amazing principle and chat a little more about her motivation systems. Singing, dancing, talking, and eating smores around a bonfire and under the stars was the most marvelous way of ending our day with each other (of course). It has only been two days and we already feel so comfortable and like a family. However, most importantly, we all see the value in this trip, and can’t wait until we get to meet and teach the kids.
Quote of the day: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker
Love and hugs,
Yailin Garcia
August 1, 2016
So today was a time set to prepare for the school in the morning. Everyone was assigned into their learning groups. I specifically was placed with the second youngest children and with another student. We went to the school in the morning to help set up the classrooms for the children. It was interesting to see how different the children’s school life is compared to my own. It got everyone to fully understand how to appreciate the things that we have back in the states and in Canada. I also got to chat with Ms. Coleman who is the Principal and she explained how tiring to is to have to setup classrooms year after year. This truly opened my eyes to what she does for the school and how much she does for the children themselves. Whether they realize it or not she is a true hero for the children in Cotton Tree, and they are very lucky to have someone as dedicated as she is. The group also got to bond with each other in creating lesson plans and games for the children to play. We are all very excited to see the children and give them the education they deserve.
Also, today was my birthday and I got a really cute Oreo cake which was so good, and I don’t think I’d want to spend it any other way.
-Bzu
August 3, 2016
Greetings from the Log Cabin,
Today we had a sudden change of events because of the tropical storm Earl. But not to worry we are all safe, we are currently in San Ignacio in a very beautiful hotel that has air conditioning and wifi!!! It’s great! We are all very sad that camp had to be cancelled tomorrow because of storm, but excited to bring it our all when we resume on Friday. Through out the past three days, we have managed to establish amazing connections with the children who attend our class. We have seen them really express themselves and we have seen their eyes light up when they learn something new. We have really learned so much about the Belizean culture through them and observing the way the community functions when faced with difficult challenges like a hurricane. Overall we are loving the time that we are having here and we look forward to the fun adventures that are to come.
Good night! Miss you all so much.
Jaydel Hernandez
“When life puts you in tough situations, don’t ask why me? Just say, try me.”
! GLA blog special parent edition:
Hello to the GLA Belize Students and Families!
The past few days have been eventful for visitors and residents of Belize. Since arriving here with my daughter Isabelle just prior to the start of GLA, I’ve been touring the country, and decided to take my chances and stay for the storm. It was a very severe natural event. I will never again underestimate a Cat 1 hurricane. This was weather with fury.
First of all, I want to commend the GLA team for their excellent communication. For parents and family members back in the states, the communication may have seemed sporadic–but cellular and data services were the first to go and the last to return–after power is up, roads and bridges reopened and cleanup underway. This has preoccupied Belize since Wednesday. That GLA staff’s communication was so timely is a tribute to their preparedness and professionalism.
Secondly, as I attempted to evade the storm by moving to the mountains above San Ignacio, I was able to visit the Log Cab-Inn, where GLA staff moved our students for safety. It was an excellent choice–a good structure with easy access to the main road and in little danger of flooding or isolation. Unfortunately I arrived there just after the group had left for their return trip to TEC, so didn’t get to meet the group. Again, good choices by GLA staff on the ground here.
My experience of the storm and from talking with locals is that, because these storms turn counter-clockwise, it is possible to predict the areas in the most danger based on the path of the storm’s eye. In this case, the eye passed south of Belize City, pushing the most severe effects north to San Pedro. As it turns out, the eye of the storm passed exactly over the Cayo district where San Ignacio is located. This central and western mountain/rainforest region of the country absorbed all the rainfall, which led to the flooding you may have seen. (In fact, GLA transported the students to a much safer location to where I ended up–in a flash flood zone.) So, after seeing the destruction and experiencing the challenges (transportation, communication, access to services) first-hand, I thought I would assure my fellow parents and family members back home that the students are in a good place, with people who have done a good job looking out for them.
Sending gratitude and kudos to the GLA staff, and best wishes for the students and staff for more good (and safe) adventures!
Jeffrey Berke
August 3rd
Greetings from the Log Cabin,
Today we had a sudden change of events because of the tropical storm Earl. But not to worry we are all safe, we are currently in San Ignacio in a very beautiful hotel that has air conditioning and wifi!!! It’s great! We are all very sad that camp had to be cancelled tomorrow because of storm, but excited to bring it our all when we resume on Friday. Through out the past three days, we have managed to establish amazing connections with the children who attend our class. We have seen them really express themselves and we have seen their eyes light up when they learn something new. We have really learned so much about the Belizean culture through them and observing the way the community functions when faced with difficult challenges like a hurricane. Overall we are loving the time that we are having here and we look forward to the fun adventures that are to come.
Good night! Miss you all so much.
Jaydel Hernandez
August 4th
Hello families!
We’re very happy to report that we’ve survived the hurricane! A lot happened that night, but thankfully, we’re all okay. We were in San Ignacio longer than originally planned, but have made it happily back to our home base for dinner and prep for service tomorrow.
Speaking of service, we’re so happy to have made it halfway through our first week of service. Despite not having service today, we’re so excited to resume teaching our classes again tomorrow. We all missed and were very worried about the kids and Cotton Tree village and are so excited to see them again. We’re also excited that Emily and her family, one of our mentors, had their flight delayed. We know it must be hard and she must miss people back home, but we’re happy she’s staying for a few extra days.
So far, this has been a great trip for all of us! We’ve been out on some great excursions and we’ve had an amazing time getting to know each other and bonding. We’re all starting to get really close and we know that the friendships we’re forming are going to last much longer than this trip. We’d like to wish everyone the best and to have a good weekend!
Love from Belize!
-Isa
August 5th
To everyone at home,
Today, after a hurricane caused hiatus, we returned to the people of Cotton Tree village and their children at St. Joseph R.C. school. Although the day was anything but ordinary, it felt like a return to routine and to our mission here in Belize, to teach English, Math, and life skills to the children in our classes. As a result of the hurricane, only about a third of our regular students came to camp. Our hearts sank and hearts opened as we discussed the impact that hurricane Earl had on the village of often weakly constructed houses. Everyone was impacted, but it is fair to say that the severity of the impact on places like Cotton Tree was magnitudes worse than in places like The Log Cab-Inn, where we weathered the storm. Children in Cotton Tree experienced the roofs of their houses blowing off, allowing everything in their homes to be soaked by rain and ravaged by wind. Many houses were destroyed completely. Imagining the shock and grief that things like these would cause for my family made my heart drop into my stomach. I could not even begin to imagine what the effect would be if my safety or the safety of my loved ones wasn’t guaranteed.
Although the effect was terrible, it was inspiring and heartwarming to see the community rallying to help their friends and neighbors. As we taught a class of younger students in a room in which Earl had installed a skylight, men climbed on top of the classroom and replaced the metal roof. We worked hard all morning helping the school recover from the hurricane. Always eager to help us were the children of the village, who jumped to our aide and carried pieces of roof and awnings that had blown off in the storm. The most surprising moment of the day came when we opened up one of the classrooms, a room which had small openings near the ceiling to help with ventilation. It had been used for storage, and had been filled with chairs, desks and tables. Accompanying them was a single can of sky-blue paint. Wind had entered the room, swept up the can of paint and ripped off its lid, and carried it around the room, creating a scene that was reminiscent of one of Kandinsky’s paintings. In the humidity and heat, we carried everything out into the courtyard and built a barrier of chairs around a power line that had dropped into the middle of the path, so that none of our students would be burned or injured by it.
Over the backdrop of the aftermath of the storm, we taught to our students one of our favorite activities. It was a lesson on story writing followed by a period during which our students could craft their own stories. During my class’s discussion of the impact of the hurricane, one of our students chimed in over and over with fantastical stories of playing catch in the storm, flying through the air, and wrestling crocodiles. These were of course greeted by choruses of laughter and whispered comments. As usual, the girls of the class were motivated and focused but this boy and his friends lagged behind. My favorite moment of the day came when after much encouragement from my fellow teachers and I, this boy took his ability to craft ridiculous and often hilarious fictions and applied it to the activity we were teaching. I saw him transform as he was given an outlet to unleash his creativity. At the end of the day his story was the longest and one of the most syntactically complicated we saw.
After we returned to the TEC, half of us engaged in a cooking class taught by the staff of our dining hall and the rest in a discussion of American and Belizean communities and cultures that was enjoyable and enlightening. I continue to be delighted by our group discussions and how intelligent and eloquent everybody is. After dinner, we ended our day with an activity known as the “values line” where Kelli read aloud sets of words and we moved to opposite sides of the room based on which we more closely identified with. When we were asked whether we would choose to feed or educate ourselves or our children and to make choices like food or water, education or electricity, the choices which so many Belizeans are forced to confront and make on a daily basis, it helped us bring into focus all that we take for granted and feel entitled to. Finally, Lauren led an activity that was one of the most powerful and impactful thus far. We were somewhat randomly matched up with others and instructed to draw each other, dance hand in hand, and the toughest among them, to stare into each other’s eyes for an uninterrupted 3 minutes. The most impactful part of this exercise however, was when we were asked to discuss with these people whom we have only known a week, yet in many cases feel so close to, what our biggest regrets are, how we deal with stress, what breaks our hearts, and what brings us up again. After much hugging and heartfelt discussion, we broke for bed, preparing ourselves for another full day.
-Nicos
August 6th
Hello from the other side,
Today didn’t exactly turn out the way it was suppose to. We traveled an hour away from home base at the TEC to San Ignacio. We went to a beautiful hotel and resort to visit some very interesting iguanas. A man called Nigel led us to a huge cage filled with iguanas all shapes and sizes. As soon as we walked into the extremely large cage iguanas were all over, there were at least 45 iguanas all together in the cage. As soon as we started taking pictures with and of the iguanas they immediately started scratching people, Kaitlyn especially. Nigel ended up putting one on someone’s back and everyone filliped out. When we left the resort after the iguana attack we left and had lunch at “Hode’s Place” and we were planning to go to the San Ignacio market but we got rained out (weather has not bee on our side on this trip). So, we ended up going back to home base, but not before we stopped at another Chinese market. We got back to home base and kind of relaxed before a very unexpected emotional game, step-in step-out. I don’t want to talk too much about it to respect privacy but I just want to say they I have so much respect and love for every person on this trip. But, even after being rained out and being very emotional, it was definitely another successful day in Belize.
Love from the other side,
Clarissa Huerta
August 7th
Hello from Belize, and happy birthday Lauren!
Sunday has finally arrived, a day full of excursions and fun. We started off the day sleeping in, and eating breakfast a bit later than usual. After breakfast, the leaders created a scavenger hunt for us. We broke up into two teams, and then we were off. The scavenger hunt consisted of many different tasks, some of which were learning the Belize national anthem, and others that involved taking pictures of different birds. The scavenger hunt ended in pulling appropriate pranks on the other group. One group threw the other group’s pillows on the roof, and the other group got back at them by pretending two girls fell in the lake and got attacked by the crocodile. After the tiring scavenger hunt, we were all ready for lunch.
After lunch, Juan, our awesome driver, led us on a nature hike at TEC (our home base). It was a pretty short hike, and we looked at all sorts of nature along the way. Right after the hike, Juan drove us to an orange farm. It was awesome!! The farm is owned by a couple from Ohio. Juan drove us all around the farm, and it was huge. Then we went to a part of the farm that has oranges that were very ripe. The oranges are actually green in Belize. Everyone picked a few oranges from the tree, and Juan cut and peeled them for us. They were delicious. They were so fresh, and people that usually didn’t like oranges loved them. Everyone was so happy we went.
After the farm, we went to a restaurant called Cheers. Most people ordered milkshakes and fries, and everyone was super excited about having wifi. After we got back to the home base, we rested in our rooms and planned our surprise party for our amazing mentor, Lauren. We had dinner and distracted Lauren, and set up her party upstairs in the classroom. She was completely surprised and we had an awesome night of dancing, eating cake, and celebrating Lauren’s birthday. It was overall an awesome day, and everyone is excited for one more week of service to come at the school!
-Cate
August 15
Hello from Belize!
Today was our first day at the camp for the kids! After a thunderstorm that cost everybody an hour of sleep due to noise at 4:30am we still awoke enthusiastic and ready to meet the Belizean children at Cotton Tree Village. We were immediately greeted by numerous shy kids who were ready for our 10 day camp at their local school in Cotton Tree. We were immediately divided up into our various classrooms ranging from 3rd to 8th graders in Americas grade system.
Each kid definitely took time to warm up and come out of their shells and some were easier than others but with a little perseverance and a light-hearted attitude we had them up and singing to camp songs, and playing math and English games in no time. Recess was a blast for us and the kids (it’s harder to tell which had more fun.) We all scattered around the schoolyard to play hand games, jump rope, basketball, Frisbee, and soccer. After recess we returned exhausted but ready for more teaching with the kids. We continued to do work our of a workbook that will help build self-esteem and English vocabulary with the students while also having fun times playing games we picked out ourselves for each of our classrooms. It was so nice to see the kids learning while also engaging with the two-four GLA students assigned to them. By the end of the day after a short trip with every student to pick up the trash in the school yard we said our goodbyes for the day.
One of the most touching parts of the day was the goodbyes; the students whether they were in your class or not came up to hug us goodbye. Some of the students were even given small gifts like food which really shows us the cultures tendency for such great generosity despite the fact in reality they don’t have much to give. After leaving the village with warmed hearts we returned to camp for some quick lunch and a short nap break and then began planning our lessons for tomorrow while learning more songs to teach the kids. It’s safe to say we all anxiously await tomorrow and to make more memories with more kids tomorrow and for the next nine days to come.
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you- it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you…Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”-Anthony Bourdain
-Maggie
August 18
Well, just like that.
Just like that . . . and 14 vibrant, young leaders from the states and Canada formed bonds, created memories, laughed, cried, and were of service to beautiful Belize.
Thursday, August 18th, brought us a pancake breakfast, sharing plane letters, hugs, a few tears, and a thoughtful bus ride to the Belize City International Airport to return to our friends and families.
How will you share your story?
How will you explain your experiences?
Who impacted you the most?
What did you love the most about Belize?
What are you going home valuing more than ever before?
How do you view at the world now compared to June 29th?
How do you view your role in this ever-changing world?
August 18th is a full moon. I hope we all have the chance to take a look at the beauty around us in a new light – moon light – in a way we did before GLA Belize from all the places we call home.
We’re all different people from Day One. The Day 21 hearts and souls that carry us forward have so much potential and a fresh energy to BE THE CHANGE.
Thank you, Maggie, Isa, Nicos, Nic, Miriam, Jaydel, Clarissa, Meghan, Cate, Liz, Yailin, Daphne, Kaitlyn, and Bzu, for creating what was a meaningful experience for all involved!
YA MON!!
Be the Change,
Kelli & Lauren
