Palcencia, Placencia, Placenta...where are we going?

Well, I feel like I just finished with the last update and now it’s time for another one. Time really seems to be going fast. I just submitted my work schedule for June (don’t have too much of a celebration with that, Reading!). I know many of you wish I was on my way home already. But to be honest, this trip has so far been amazing and exactly what I needed, minus the sunburn. I could have done without that. Belizean sun is a whole different ballgame compared to the States, even compared to Oklahoma when I got scorched and looked like a lobster. Pretty sure I looked like an even darker lobster this past week and there’s no chance of not peeling afterwards. Even Yelsi, a Guatemalan, burned and everyone with spf of 45 got burned. There was no hope for my ridiculously white, never see the sun, night shift skin.

So on March 20^th, we left around 3am to start our 16 hour journey to Belize for a missionary retreat. We drove about 10 hours that day and stayed on an island, Flores, in the northern part of Guatemala. Absolutely beautiful. We had a room on the 3^rd floor with a balcony overlooking the water. We went swimming for a while as a family, took naps, took a boat ride across the water, and then walked around town and ate in one of the restaurants by the water. During the boat ride, it was starting to get dark and we could see the whole town lit up with lights and at one point a tiny little fish jumped into our boat. The water was a bit choppy, but the driver was great and made the ride as smooth as possible. The town was packed with people. It was the beginning of Holy week and people had off school and work, plus there were a bunch of tourists. We played apples to apples that night and then continued to Belize the following morning.

It took us about 6 more hours to get to our destination in Belize. At the border of Guatemala and Belize, we had to go through the process of getting stamped on Guatemala’s side, walk across the border to go through customs on the Belizean side, take all our bags out of the van (for the guy at customs to chuckle and say, “They’re all yours? Um, yeah, I’ll just spot check 2 bags.”). The van had to go through a car wash to spray for bugs and we had to buy an insurance type of sticker for the van. As we were driving through Belize, I felt like we were in PA on a hot, humid day. Rolling hills, pastures everywhere with cows and horses, saw the national 4-H center, everything so open, rather than fences, barriers, and guards like they do in Guatemala. A lot of Belize has jungle and then all of a sudden we were at the beach. While we were driving, the water was on both sides of the road, fairly close. The place we were driving to was Placencia, Belize. But none of us really knew how to say it correctly. Palcencia….Placencia….Placenta…where are we going? Even the person in immigration at the border said it wrong. So the joke the rest of the week was “what is the name of the town?”

The first 2 days we were there, it was really cloudy. So the temp was wonderful and the Caribbean sea felt like bath water. It was great! When we arrived, we were greeted by the wife of the couple running the retreat. When I said my last name, she said “Oh, that sounds like a name from Souderton.” Um, yup, born there. Once we were settled, we jumped into the water. Families started coming from Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize for this retreat. One was wearing a Phillies shirt and we got to talking and quickly realized they were from my hometown and had support coming from Rockhill Mennonite Church, the church where we were originally from and where a lot of my relatives still go. Another couple came and said they don’t see too many Penn State shirts around here and asked where I was from. So I told them near Raystown Lake, but on the Blair county side. He asked if we were near Martinsburg. Yup. He said he’s driven on Clover Creek road before and probably has driven past our farm before. Other families continued to come that first day and most were from PA and a lot near Lancaster or Philly. Small world. It felt like a PA reunion, honestly.

So morning and evening, we’d have worship and a teaching time. Yelsi, another couple and their daughter, and I were in charge of the 14 children. We played games, did activities, and had plenty of time to play outside in the sand, sea, and pool. There was one kid I just absolutely loved. Don’t get me wrong, they were all great. But there was this one kid who cracked me up. At one point, Cindy said to me, “I can see why you 2 get along so well.” So at one point, while he was coloring, I asked him how old he was and he said 5. I asked him how old he thought I was. He stopped coloring, squinted his eyes, and said “Six….seven….NO! ELEVEN!” I laughed and said nope. Another girl guessed 20, 23, 25, 29. When I said, “Yup, 29,” the boy stopped coloring again, looked at me in all seriousness, and said, “Whoa! That’s A LOT!” On Wednesday, it was sunny and we were outside with the kids literally all day. That’s when I got fried. I had a great time with the kids and hanging out with that same boy in the sea, riding the waves and keeping him from going under for a while. I finally went inside in the late afternoon and knew it was too late, that I was scorched. That night, I didn’t feel so hot. Out in the sun and didn’t drink enough water that day. So after getting some good sleep that night and pretty much most of the following day and drinking a ton of water, I felt ok again. I had a great time with those families and made a ton of new friends. Our room had a good night of playing dutch blitz and getting to know each other better.

   

We started our trip back to Guatemala and made a pit stop in northern Belize at the couple’s house who did the teachings while at the beach. The next morning, we drove to the northern part of Guatemala to stay at a couple’s children’s home that they just built. This place is absolutely beautiful. Out in the middle of nowhere with huge mountains and hills surrounding them. The house is just amazing. I felt like I was living in the States in a brand new huge home. The couple are amazing. They are just waiting for last approval from the government and then they can start to take in kids. On Sunday, we went to their church and then met up with a family who was at the retreat in Belize who live in the same area. We had a good time all hanging out together. Drew and Cindy did a training for the staff of the home we were stay at on Monday and then we traveled back to San Lucas (our home) on Tuesday.

It was so therapeutic being at the beach. I haven’t been there since some of our family vacations years ago. We all know that part of the reason for this 3 month leave of absence was for me to pull my crap together and heal from so much loss over the last few months. The one family who knew people from Rockhill Mennonite Church were friends with Glenna. It was so great to be able to talk to them about her. And being at the beach gave me so many reminders of Jo. She loved the beach. It was so peaceful. We drove on Hummingbird highway to get to the beach and passed a store called hummingbird furniture. I found a bunch of seashells, had a hummingbird all but fly into me as we were packing up to leave, and just felt so at peace and not stressed about anything. It was wonderful. I had a co-worker tell me that she could see in the pictures I’ve been posting on facebook that she hasn’t seen me look that relaxed and happy in a long time. I knew I looked pretty rough for a while, but didn’t know it was that bad! Haha. I feel like after this week away at the beach that I feel ready to go back into doing medical stuff again. It was a much needed break and now I’m ready to hop back into it. I’m excited that we’re back home in San Lucas and I can start to help at medical clinics in the area. When we returned home Tuesday and were trying to unpack and get back to our normal lives, I was sweeping off the steps of the house and the whole time had the song “When peace like a river” (It is well) playing through my head.

When peace like a river attendeth my way, 

when sorrows like sea billows roll; 

whatever my lot, 

thou hast taught me to say, 

“It is well, it is well with my soul.”

For those of you who don’t know that song or the back story of it, it was written by a man whose business was ruined from the great Chicago fire and he decided to travel to Europe with the family. He sent them ahead on a boat, which sank and all of his children died. He traveled to Europe to be with his wife and wrote this song, saying that no matter what happens, God’s got it under control and it is well with his soul. Well, I feel like for the first time in a long time, that I’ve hit that point. It is well with my soul.