Belize Day One

Today was a fantastic start. We went to the elementary school not exactly knowing what was in store for us, and it ended up being amazing. Walt and my first assignment was shoveling gravel for 3-4 hours to help with the construction of a new classroom for the school. Meanwhile, Kat was allowed to remain in the shade grading homework and tests for the teachers while they worked with their students. Later on, Olive brought us to lunch and we walked through the villages on our way back to the school.

Kat was a major hit with the kids. At one point, I looked over and she had 20-25 girls surrounding her, and approximately 7 hanging on her back and neck. Walt and I had some very interesting conversations about Belizean life with the two men we were working with. The ins and outs of Belize City, relations with Guatemala and the drug trade, and their hilarious perspective of bin Laden. Later on, we took videos and photos of the kids (which they loved) and got some great footage of Olive and Michelle, a Peace Corps volunteer with a very interesting perspective of Punta Gorda. Throughout all of this, it was about 100 degrees and dry (they haven't gotten rain in 2 months.) Celia mapped out our entire week to the day, but we may audible and ask to go back to the school again. Some great fundraising opportunities there, which we dialogued. How in depth do you want us to get on our check-ins? The wireless is down, but there is plenty of footage and photos when we get back. The interview with the peace core lady especially: all about NGO relations in PG, and how the one thing they are forgetting to do is to empower the locals.

Off to Payne's Creek tomorrow, just went grocery shopping for our dinner and breakfast (rice and beans, of course). Couldn't have been a better Day 1.

****** Michael Morris