The scouting begins...Day 2

New day...day to really begin scouting out the land!  Slept pretty well last night, you know having to get used to new surroundings.  Gordon woke way before I did.  He was able to take in the sunrise over the ocean.  He also informed me that this morning when he showered that he had HOT WATER!  LOL

 This is our hotel The Barefoot Caribe and some of the views from our room...(the hotel from the outside is starting to rust and stuff, but it really is a nice property...)

So we got ready to share in the ministry today.  We headed out the hotel and as we were walking, people would yell out asking if we were Jehovah's Witnesses!  It was amazing, they just knew! Gordon had to stop for his cup of coffee.  The Kingdom Hall is about a 10 minute walk from our hotel.

The island is so small, that while I was waiting for Gordon to get his coffee, I looked to my right and saw water and looked to my left and saw water ROFL!!!

We arrive at the Kingdom hall and no one was there!  Oh no!  What if no one shows up!  So we wait, and around the corner comes a woman who we immediately recognize to be a sister.  Her name was Janice and she was visiting for a few months from Alberta, Canada, can anyone say brrrrrrrrrr?  She informed us that there is not a meeting for service on Mondays.  That is the day that everyone stays home to clean and do laundry.

Janice laminated a cover of the Watchtower and has it sticking out of her bag.  She said that the locals assume that single women come to the island for a 'particular purpose' if you know what I mean!  So she makes sure that she displays the literature as she is walking around to let them know why she is really here!

She then told us that Larry and Diane Haggerty lived right next door.  Brother Haggerty was our contact given to us by the Mexican Branch.  The Caye Caulker English Congregation currently has 20 publishers, 2 elders and 2 ministerial servants.  Brother Haggerty is not only the COBE (Coordinator of the Body of Elders) but also the Secretary.  He's a busy brother.  There is also a young couple that moved in from the States that are the congregations 2 pioneers.

We were able to go next door and visit with the Haggertys.  It was awesome, because we were able to fire questions at them about the congregational needs and island living.

I was told by Diane that they cover their territory which is a total of 6 every three weeks.  They laughed when I asked about the territory maps because they do not have maps.  But they said that even the locals can tell you where each territory starts and ends!  LOL  Diane stated that their big need isn't help with the territory, it's help within the congregation and for brothers to serve.  She said there is a need for strong marital couples to serve as an example (I guess that rules Gordon and I out..just kidding!  LOL).  The next thing she said pulled at my heart strings.  She mentioned that there were so many young ones in the congregation that just needed someone to take an interest in them.  "The young boys want to go and play basketball, but there is no one!"  Really?  I told her that we just love teenagers and spending time with them.  She just kept expressing the need for that.  That won my heart!

I had to stay focused though, I wanted to be able to have relevant information so that Gordon and I could make an informed decision regarding our future, and can have specific things to focus our prayers on.  So we asked about things like hurricanes and how they deal with them.  Healthcare was high on my priority list!  Diane explained that you do not want to have a heart attack at night in Caye Caulker because you will have to wait until the morning to get to the mainland, because the last water taxi leaves at about 5 pm.  She explained what hospital is used by people who can afford to pay for healthcare (the prices are no where near where they are in the states...imagine that!).  We asked about the cost of housing...for an apartment with hot water and electricity and plumbing its about $400 a month...Belizian money, so that's about $200 a month US.  One of the most expensive things is the internet if you want a decent speed.  The Haggertys spend about $100 US per month for internet.  $20US per month for a house phone, and about $18 US per month for cable, and they have more channels that we do at home for a fourth of the price!

It was interesting to hear that when the Haggertys first moved to Belize that circuit overseer combined the English congregation with the Spanish because there weren't any brothers...only 6 sisters.  So for a little while there wasn't an English congregation here...in an English speaking country!  Imagine that!  LOL!  But then eventually a new circuit overseer arrived.  By that time the Haggertys moved to San Pedro because they couldn't understand Spanish and they spoke with him about Caye Caulker.  So he came to visit and suggested an English group being started, and then they had all of their meetings being conducted and then eventually the English congregation was then formed on Caye Caulker...again!

We asked about groceries and purchasing meat and produce and they explained all of their tricks of the trade and where they shop. It was awesome to be able to pick their brains.

We also talked about crime and safety on the island.  They mentioned during the day you are good to go, but at night you want to stay away from the beach and off the beaten path.  They encouraged us to stay in well lit areas where there are people, but that is anywhere, right?  It's just about using common sense.

But even after a few horror stories about trying to get their Visas and people getting robbed (which happens everywhere Mom, so don't worry LOL) I told them that it still must be a wonderful place because they came to visit for a month each year for about four years and then finally moved here four years ago, so they must love it!  They said they did.

They are living in an apartment that is owned by a sister, and they are currently taking two apartments and making it into one big one (that's why you see it looking like a construction scene in the photos!  LOL!)  We sat and talked for about 3 hours, and we were very appreciative for their time and information.  BTW...Gordon even agreed to give the Public Talk on Sunday!  He said that it will be a little different because the brothers do not wear ties or a jacket on the platform!  LOL  They said that they do not run AC in the Kingdom Hall because they keep the door open (Diane said that cats and dogs come in and sit on the platform during the meeting, and that passerbys will stop and wave and yell to the brother on the platform!  ROFL!!!!)  So they said that it is so hot that they can't wear their jackets.  So this will be a new experience for Gordon!

We left Larry and Diane did a quick change and headed to the Happy Lobster for lunch.  Let me first say that at noon it rises to about 200 degrees!  The streets empty...its quite surreal!  And everyone cooks for lunch!  The kids come home for lunch, and they make big meals!

At the Happy Lobster Gordon enjoyed some stewed chicken with beans and rice and I had a barracuda steak which was quite tasty! I then had some home-made ice cream..strawberry cheesecake!  YUMMY!  Cellulose....ha!  LOL!  And I don't know what is different with their ice cream, because usually I have ill effects that Gordon will have to suffer from, but I felt nothing..it was pretty cool.  We then took a short walk and stumbled upon this stand that makes fresh smoothies for $5 Belizian...$2.50 US!  You watch the man cut the fruit right in front of you!  Gordon had mango, papaya and banana and boy was it good!

Then as we were walking back to hotel to take a rest (at about 2pm the temperatures drops to a very nice temperature!) and as we were walking by the shops we ran into Dayani again that we met last night.  She said she was tired because she works too many jobs...she's only 15!

Then we walked past this stand and Gordon, who is very observant, asked whose stand it was.  The woman walked over and apologized and asked how she could help.  Gordon then asked about those gray books behind the counter...you guessed they were our new Bibles!  He asked who they belong to, and she said to herself and her two daughters, that she is studying the Bible with the Witnesses and they are Jehovah Witness Bibles!  We told her that we were Witnesses and she said, "I saw you walking by this morning!  I told my friend that you looked like Witnesses probably out preaching!"  Her name is Tracey!  You'll see the Bibles in the background...

Her friend then walked by and she called her over, "Remember we thought that they were Witnesses!?!?!"  Her name was Mahalia and she has been baptized for two years!  We hugged and were so happy to meet one another!  Mahalia lives on the mainland in Belize City.  I felt so great because she said that she was so encouraged that we were considering moving to serve in Belize.  She was away from the congregation for about 7 months and just returned about 3 weeks ago, so we expressed how proud we were of her and tried to give her some encouragement.  She asked that we come to Belize City so that we can spend more time with her.  We're going to try to make that happen!

While we were at the sister Tracey's stand, Gordon being Gordon start selling her necklaces to this lady, telling her that stuff was made of volcanic ash!  The lady was believing him!  I just shook my head!  My husband is a hot mess!  Gotta love him!

We returned to our room and spent a little time in the good ole hammock! Gordon took one of his "power naps!"

 

We then headed back out to say our good-byes to Mahalia before she left on the water taxi for the mainland.  Then we took a stroll around the other part of the island that we hadn't been.  There is a location called "The Split", this is where a hurricane came thru and split the island into two.  They have swimming and snorkling.  The water at the beach is rather interesting, because it was like walking on a carpet...in the water, because there's so much...much...growth of plants and stuff (that's the best way I can describe it!  LOL)

Later this evening we headed back out for dinner.  Gordon had a 'Tierra Style Dinner' consisting of Chick peas, salad and rice...was pretty good actually and I had a blackened fillet.  It is so funny how the dogs mysteriously come around while your eating.  Earlier today Gordon fed a dog during lunch...his name was Hydro, so this evening I told Gordon not to feed that dog!  Well...I couldn't resist.  That dog was mealing!

The restaurants here are pretty cool because they have tables with swings for seats!  Here's Gordon stylin and profilin'!  LOL

We then walked around a bit and talked to a few people!  Gordon was tempted to buy some cakes from a man off the street...but then said under his breath he said, "I'm scared!"  LOL  We laughed as we walked away because I told him that he should have been scared!  The sister told us earlier today that she got sick from food twice, because she ate at someone's home who didn't have running water.  Not all the homes here have running water.  Some still have outhouses that many houses share.  We don't know where 'the cake man' lives...so yea, we need to avoid that!

So we are back in the room, drained from the heat and the food...oh and the walking!  Tomorrow there is definitely a meeting for service at 9 am, so we will rest up for a busy day tomorrow!  Gotta watch Downton Abbey first though!  LOL

Until then friends and family...