I had to ask if I was going to get wet and what side I should sit on so that would not happen. Gordon in true "Gordy" fashion asked the captain if he could drive the boat. The captain asked, "where will you take us?" "New York!", Gordon said! SMH. I guess Gordon felt comfort and safety hanging on to the life preserver.
We finally arrive! Welcome to San Pedro, Belize!
Here is some of the scenery...kids going off to school, the beach, the golf carts...
We, I mean I LOL, had a quick bite (some bomb pancakes with real maple syrup! Unbelizeable!) Then we headed to our hotel the Mayan Princess. It sits right on the beach.
It was way too early to check in (about 8:30 am) so we just did our paperwork and discovered that the front desk clerk was one of our sisters. (I think she overheard us talking to some other guests about why we were in Belize.) Her name is Sophie! She looks like a baby, but she is thirty-four, married with two kids!
Since we couldn't check into our room, Sophie called a taxi for us and we headed to the Kingdom Hall. Now San Pedro is wayyyyyyy different from Caye Caulker. If Caye Caulker is Harrisburg, PA then San Pedro is New York City! They have many cars and golf carts and bicycles and lions and tigers and bears...oh my!
This Kingdom Hall was very nice, check out the year's text in Belizean Kriol...
Don't over think it...just sound it out and it makes sense! LOL
This is their territory map and their library...
The friends were very nice! We met friends visiting from England and a brother and sister, Chris and Nia who just moved to San Pedro to the Kriol congregation. Chris was trying to convince us to serve in Kriol. He's only been in San Pedro since December and he already has 9 Bible studies!!!!
We also met a young pioneer sister names Shari (pronounced like sorry). She was a sweetheart.
Kriol and English met for service together as a group. The Kingdom Hall houses English, Spanish, Kriol and Sign Language congregations.
Everyone headed outside to their golf carts or on foot to head to the territory. I worked with a sister by the name of Ingrid who serves in the Kriol congregation and Gordon worked with Brother Foreland a brother who also serves in the Kriol congregation.
This is what the territory was like in San Pedro...
Ingrid and I visited a few of her calls. The one young lady that we visited worked at a resort. She is a former Bible student of Ingrid, but she works 6-11 hour days! Wow! The resort is under new management and she is a little worried about her job. She's so tired. I had the opportunity to share with her the scripture in Isaiah stating that Jehovah will give to the tired one power. She really appreciated the thought.
We then drove to Ingrid's next study, who unfortunately wasn't there. She had to take her child to the clinic. Now let me tell you where she worked...the thrift store!!! In Belize! And they had some pretty good stuff! Now any one who really knows me, knows that I'm not walking away from a good thrift store...so I bought a shirt! LOL!
I carried around Skittles and Starbursts for kids that I met in the field, and there was this little boy there that was so adorable! He couldn't speak English, only Spanish, but having Skittle juice run down our face is universal! LOL
Don't worry...don't worry, I did have the opportunity to witness to his mom while I was shopping! LOL
Ingrid and I had an enjoyable time together in the ministry. We have so much in common and she was trying to teach me Kriol. She was telling me about her Bible students. There was one in particular name Desiree or Desi that she was telling me about. Okay, Desi is in her early to mid thirties and has 9 children!!!! 9 I said!!!!! The youngest is a few months old. Ingrid didn't know that she was pregnant. She is unable to progress because she is living with a man who won't agree to marry her. Now, here in Belize they do not have government subsidy or assistance of any kind. She is supporting herself, nine children and her "man" who happens to be in the country illegally. We went to visit her.
This is her apartment building. Her apartment consists of her kitchen and a bedroom. One bedroom. Uno bedroom...she has nine children! I was blown away! Ingrid said that living can be rough on San Pedro.
She had a little girl that awoke from a nap who's name was also Desiree...kind of like a female junior. She is two years old. I gave her some candy so that she would like me and let me take her picture...
Then awoke Shemika...she just turned three but is the size of a 5 year old...they call her 'Big Mama'! I gave her candy too! LOL
Ingrid decided to give Desi (Sr.) some space because while she was studying with her Ingrid found out that she was pregnant with her last baby. But during that time Desi made it to the Circuit Assembly. She said that it was the best time of her life! She really enjoyed it and said that she is planning on attending the Tuesday and Sunday meetings from now on! I pray that she is able to realize that "boyfriend" needs to go!
It was cute when I was leaving she asked my name again and I told her Erika and she said okay I can remember that! I asked, "why? Is one of your kids named Erika?" She said, "No, it's just an easy name." I said, "Well, you can change one of their names to Erika." She laughed and said, "Okay, how about this one because her name is Desi like me." So I said, "Okay, your name now is Erika!" Little Desi looked at me like I was crazy!!!! As I left I yelled back, "By Little Erika!" And her mom said say bye Little Erika! It was cute!
Ingrid was taking me back to our hotel to meet Gordon. On the way back she showed me where the Kingdom Hall used to be right next to the landing strip. She said it was so noisy. She also showed me a few chiropractors offices (Had to make sure that I would have access to a chiropractor is I decided to move). You would really need a chiropractor here, because the roads are soooooo rough, it would definitely throw you out of alignment!!!!
Oh...and while we were driving we saw this...
He would make some gooooooood eatin'!!!! I name his Charlie!!! Have I already named one of the creatures Charlie in one of my previous posts????
So I get the hotel and Sophie shows me up to our room since Gordon wasn't there as of yet...maybe I shouldn't have done that...don't get me wrong the room and view were beautiful...
We had a beautiful view from our room...it sits right on the beach!!!!!!
So as much as I love tv, and I know that most of you know that, the view was just too beautiful to sit and watch television, when Jehovah provided a moving postcard a few steps away, so I sat on the balcony. A few minutes later Gordon came into the room and he is so sweaty! I asked him service was and he said that he walked miles. I thought that he was exaggerating. I go to look for him and he is laying in the bed and I asked what was wrong..."I walked for miles!!!!" He and Brother Foreland couldn't find anyone to drive them back from the territory so he had to walk all the way back to the hotel. Brother Foreland brought him most of the way, but then he came the rest alone. He as wore out and well spent! Not only was it a great distance, but remember it's about noon at this time, and I know that I told you before that between noon and 2pm the temperature goes up to about 700 degrees! My poor baby!
Not only did he have to walk a great distance, but San Pedro is very noisy, dusty, dirty with dangerous narrow streets that don't really have sidewalks so you are always trying to get out of cars and golf carts and bicycles. This is the best way that I know how to describe it. You know how we all love to go to NYC and shop and see the shows and things like that, but most of us say the we could never live there. Yea, that's the best way that I know how to describe it. If we decide to move to Caye Caulker in the end, San Pedro is a great place to come and shop and eat and do stuff like that...but for us it's not to live, and we haven't even visited the congregation yet! LOL
I kept thinking in my mind, "I want to go home..." No, not home to Pittsburgh. No, not home to Harrisburg. Home to Caye Caulker!!!!
Gordon rested for a bit, and I prayed to Jehovah that we remember why we are here, and why we are taking this journey. That things won't go perfectly and smoothly at all times, but that we are here to test the water.
We went out for lunch and to do a little souvenir shopping. Why were we in a gift shop and my crazy husband kept greeting customers every time one walked in, he would ask, "Can I help you?" And they would say, "No, I'm just looking..." Hot mess I tell you...hot mess!
We were both tired and so headed back to the room! You might wonder why I keep saying "we were tired...we were tired..." it's because this heat will drain you like nobody's business! A sister told me that we would get use to it! LOL Gordon took a shower cuz you know he was a bit ripe from his 20 mile trek today.
We're off again, we take a cab over to the Kingdom Hall. The congregation was a nice size with all of the visitors. Tonight a had to get another bug off of Gordon, but it was only a tiny one! LOL There was this little brother named Gabe who made a comment on the Bible reading. He said, "I learned why you shouldn't have two wives, because if you have two they will just fight with one another!" He was only like...8 years old! It was so cute and from his heart.
We had a chance to meet a few friends who met our Gwen Kemp when she was there for a visit. We couldn't stay long after because our cab driver came to pick us up.
We found out that they have this thing outside of this bar on the beach called The Chicken Drop. I asked this guy what it was, I was thinking that chickens are going to drop out of the air. Do you know what it is?!?!?? They have these boards with numbers on them, and you basically pick and bet on a number, and whatever number the chicken drops on wins $50 US Dollars! Is that nasty or what?!?! But it was packed!!!!
All in all, I did have an awesome time with Ingrid in the ministry. It was very upbuilding and encouraging. It's funny, we were considering hanging around San Pedro tomorrow to just do a little bit of nothing...but ummmm...yea, we will be finding out what time the first water taxi is hitting the water!
I do think that San Pedro is a nice place to VISIT!!!!! But we will still both try to keep an open mind and keep it before Jehovah in prayer.
FYI - Sorry in advance it's been a long day so I didn't go back to proofread this post, so it may have more typos than normal! LOL
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