Travelling to Who Knows Where

A LONG, HEAVY SIGH

So Belize has been accomplished! I miss it already. I am currently back in the states. As soon as I set foot in the states, I realized I was back home. America gave me a warm greeting with its long line of customs to walk through, people busily rushing through the airport, technology boasting at every turn, and an unusual chilly night greeted me as I stepped outside to feel the Atlanta air. For two months, I had been used to 80 degree weather just for my day to turn gray as I realized I was completely underdressed for the chill. By no surprise, I faced my third cold/allergy attack in 6 weeks. "Umm, excuse me... Can we fly back to Belize? ... No? ... Oh okay, thought I should at least ask."


Belize gave me just the shot in the arm I needed. Although our brothers and sisters financial and material situation may be that of a third world country, and their technology may be what we had 10 years ago, Jehovah bountifully feeds those friends spiritually. They are lacking nothing in the form of instruction, love, and happiness from Jehovah. The basic way of life truly provided for a way to get back to the root of life. Phones, televisions, and internet all seemed to be nonexistent. Without having a job while I was there was like getting 8 extra hours back in the day. It was as if I controlled time for two months.


The last week in Belize I gave my 4th and final Public Talk in the Cayo Sign Language Congregation, considered to be the most beautiful district. Rolling hills, mountain ranges, and waterfalls are highlights of the area. I had the privilege of having the Belisle Family host me for 3 days and 4 nights. I am very fond of them, for this is where i enjoy the best of bestest meals. This sister wakes up at 5am to start making breakfast and lunch for the day. While I was there, our plates varied from Stew Chicken, to Spaghetti & Chicken Meatballs, to Johnny Cakes and beans, to papaya and homemade bread. We also had great spiritual discussions every night.


Here in Cayo, they also have some fruits I hadn't seen yet in the country. Star fruit and Pataya, delicious! Also, here I was able to order El Salvadorian food where they make some of the best fast food around. I think they are most famous for their pure fruit juices of canteloupe, watermelon, papaya, and pineapple.

Don't mess with the Belize Bus System!

Now although this has never happened to me, watching people get on and off the public bus system is truly a self-teacher. I have seen locals who are waiting on the bus trying to handle some business maybe 30 feet away from the road, see the bus come, and try to flag it down at the last minute, and the bus will leave them! I have also seen people standing right beside the road and if they don't act like they want to catch the bus, the bus will leave you in its dust! I have also seen the urgency in which people get on and off the bus. No person should be a hinderance to the bus ride. When the bus stops, people QUICKLY climb aboard, and when you hail the bus to stop, we urgently exit. No time for dilly-dallying. Learn the system and learn it well.

Sign Language Convention:

I did learn a some vital lessons in Belize and was encouraged in many ways. First of all, I feel aglow with the Pioneer Spirit. I hope not to put my foot in my mouth, but I want to set the goal of starting to pioneer in the next 3 months. I also learned that a sign language congregation is not dependent on having fluent, skilled signers. Although it is helpful, what I was really impressed with was how each member of the congregation supported each other before and after the meetings, how they recreated together, ate dinner together, associated regularly with each other outside of the meetings, and showed love even when formal occasions were not being conducted. Jehovah's spirit is truly upon them. It's always interesting when I think I'm the one going to encourage another congregation, and I end up being the one encouraged. It truly ends up being an interchange of encouragement; all building one another up. This has encouraged me to set a new goal with my congregation here in the states of being more sociable on an informal setting when we are not at the meetings. I noticed in Belize that association with your local congregation outside the KH has a true gelling effect for each person who actively participates. I always feel like I grow on trips like this one and would love to still be there today. We'll see what the future holds.

Little known fact: I’m super clumsy and even Belize does not have the answer to that. So I’m waiting for a bus to Belize City, so I rush inside a store to grab me some Doritos, M & M’s, and a Coke for the 2 hour bus ride. In my hurried rush, I forgot to pop the top off the glass coke bottle. So I get on the bus, finish my Doritos and M & M’s, and now face a dilemma: wait 2 hours to drink this ice cold coke or find a way to open it on the bus. I pick the latter. How do I do it? In between the two glass window panes is a small gap just big enough to pop the cap. The only problem is that I have to turn the bottle more horizontal than normal. Low and behold, when I pop the top, I blast 6 bus seats, at least 7 passengers got ‘Coked’, me taking the blunt of the blast. I look over my left shoulder to see two girls in disgust at how I had sprayed them. I gingerly said sorry and turned quickly back around. Thank goodness I got drenched in Coke, because I was asking for a beat down if I didn’t look so pitiful after the incident. So as I look back at the girls I sprayed, I see them signing and I realize they’re deaf! What are the chances! So it was a perfect introduction to starting a conversation and seeing how I knew sign language too, they quickly forgot about the incident. It’s always like that in deaf culture. When you meet someone at random who knows sign language, you’re instant friends. Funny story though, because they said they are coming to the asl assembly Saturday, and I’m the chairman that day and I know all they will be thinking about is: That’s the brother who splashed us!

So I’m in the restroom at the Kingdom Hall and I notice there are 16 spiders with their ‘homes’ built in there! So I’m thinking to myself, ‘Three congregations meet here and not one of them have taken the time to knock down these cobwebs and spiders?’ So after the meeting, I asked the brothers “Do you know how many spiders there are in there?” Instead of answering the question, they said, “What’s the problem? Are you scared of them?” “No, they just don’t belong in there.” They immediately began to burst into laughter without remorse. It was funny and all, but I had to take matters in my own hand and take them all down. I just can’t get used to the spiders.

Although most of the world has already had theirs, our 3 Day Convention was the weekend of October 29 – 31. The convention was held in a covered, but open building in Ladyville. It was interpreted from English to ASL, the first in many years. Here are a few ‘give-or-take statistics’ of the ASL portion of the convention. We had 1300 in attendance, 150 of which supported the ASL, 45% of the talks on the program were interpreted by sisters, 20 deaf, 6 Elders and 4 Ministerial Servants support the 3 congregations, and 20 brothers and sisters from outside the country were on hand.

Initially, I was assigned 3 parts to interpret, but after meeting with the District Convention Overseer twice, I ended up being assigned a total of 7 parts to interpret! I felt completely overwhelmed and had to turn 2 assignments down. Due to the abundance of ASL support back in my congregation in the states, we hardly ever interpret in formal settings, so I felt totally out of place being assigned 7 assignments. I would have hated to have given my first talk on the convention program and realize I have no idea what my hands were interpreting! What is worse, the amount of preparation material we had for interpreting the talks was very limited. Many times, all we knew were the scriptures being used and the theme of the talk. Many of us were interpreting the talks on a first time basis, which is truly a challenge and a disadvantage to the interpreter AND the audience, particularly the deaf. Here were my assignments: Saturday Morning Chairman, the Questions Portion of ‘Answers to Questions about Jehovah’, Full-Time Service Strengthens Your Relationship…, the Symposium on Abraham, and the Symposium on being Appreciative. Honestly, I felt pretty comfortable while interpreting 4 of the 5 talks. The other talk that I felt could have had done better, the friends really supported me afterward. I remember one sister emphasizing, “You did your best, right? Jehovah knows that. We know that. You did a great job.” That was just what I needed to hear. It just goes to show it is not about being long-winded or saying something profound. Sometimes when we express ourselves to someone, all we need is a pat on the back, an ‘I’ve got your back.’

On Saturday, October 30, Superdad(Super D) arrived in Belize! Father n’ Son duo going international! “Go, Baby, Go!” His arrival was at the right time, because not only is the assembly in Ladyville, so is the airport. So a quick dash during intermission to pick him up was no problem. As soon as the afternoon session of the Sunday program completed, we did a Superman move, changed clothes, and jumped in a taxi, 6 deep, and took off for the island of Caye(pronounced ‘Key’) Caulker. I was excited to go to the islands because it was my first recreational activity since I had arrived. So we take a 45 minute water taxi to reach the island. Now let me tell you: if you wanted to know how to slow down time, this island will do it. We walked the island every morning, had King Fish on the bone grilled right in front of us, fresh Lobster and Shrimp on the Barbie, and a great place to stay for $15 a night! The island carried tourists from all over: America, Netherlands, Germans, UK, and Australia. While we were there, we snorkeled the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world, swam with the eels, touched the nurse sharks, and saw varieties of underwater life. Although snorkeling sounds fun and easy, it is not for those who can not swim. Super D stayed in the boat the majority of the time as he just could not get the hang of it. But I guess it makes sense though right? We’ve never seen Superman swim either, have we?

Day 2 on the island takes us to the island of San Pedro, where we rent bikes for the day. We found ourselves sipping on some sweet watermelon juice as we cruised the streets. As mentioned before, the best part of the island trip is time seems to stand still for you while you refresh mind, body, and soul. Have you ever heard someone from New York come down to Georgia and say ‘Everything’s so slow here.” Well the islands take that ‘slow’ thing to a whole new level. We stayed a total of 4 days and 3 nights.

The following weekend, Saturday, November 6, Mom arrives to the Belize Airport! We swoop her up and bring her back to Orange Walk. The following day we head out to Lamanai. Lamanai, named for its abundance of crocodiles, is one of the many Mayan Ruins found in Belize. It is found 30 miles deep in the jungle of the Orange Walk District and many times it is accessed by a boat. So that’s exactly what our families here decided to do. The Hernandez Family of 6, The Jackson Family of 3, and the Lewis Family of 2, all piled into a small pickup truck, loaded up on snacks, fruits, and chicken, and rode to the river. When we got there, we chartered a boat and a tour guide. As our boat surfed the waters for 60 minutes, we saw crocs lurking on the banks, exotic birds that appeased the eyes, rushing wind that squinted our eyes, and laughter that echoed the shores. As we approach the shore, we hear the boisterous, bellowing ricochet of Hollering Monkeys. Their ‘holler’ sounds as though they will be the size of gorilla with ferocious teeth! As we hiked through the woods, we spot several hollering monkeys, only to be surprised that they are the size of the “Curious George” monkey from back in the day! As we hiked Lamanai, we see several ruins the Mayans used for daily life. We climb the highest ruins that was a staggering 300 feet! The climb was so steep there was a rope that we had to use to ascend. The view from the top was impeccable! We could see out for miles all that Jehovah had created in this lush jungle, kept in its natural beauty away from the destruction of man. The air clean, refreshing to the soul.

At the present, we currently have 9 people living in one house, and yet only one bathroom, but somehow when love is in the mix, it doesn’t seem so crowded. The family unit here at the Hernandez House is strong. They should be a Yearbook Story. The do the Family Worship and the WT Study together. The Family Worship impressed me. We were reviewing the assembly program this week and we opened and closed the meeting by singing Kingdom Melodies. Everyone in the family participated in the study, recalling points they enjoyed. We eat almost every meal together if possible. Carolyn, the wife, is the epitome of Proverbs 31. A capable wife in fact; her sons have risen up and pronounced her happy; and a crown upon her husband’s head she is indeed.

Mom and Dad have forever left a mark on the friends of Orange Walk. While we are conducting the field service meeting in ASL in the back room of the Kingdom Hall, my mom and dad are attending the English meeting in the auditorium. You can hear my Dad laughing and talking throughout the entire meeting we had for service! One of the friends looked at me and I simply said, “That’s my Dad!” The friends seemed to really have enjoyed some extra company. Some of the friends have mentioned to me, “Brandon, I really love your Dad. I wish I had a Dad like that. Don’t ever take that for granted. You should be proud.” Others said, “Your mom is so sweet. I really wish they could have stayed longer. We could use a couple like that here.” I appreciated hearing that. Sometimes other people’s viewpoints and expressions can truly be upbuilding for enjoying the blessings Jehovah gives us. Sometimes we only look at what our eyes see and not what others see. It’s important that when we have something positive to share, that we share it with others. ‘A word at its right time is O how good!’ as the Proverbs would have it. You never know how deep a few words can touch a person. I waved my parents goodbye at the airport thinking I was glad to have my space back again, just to find out I missed them as soon as they left my sight.

=="Brrr! I'm Freezing!"==
Temperature: At night, the temperature goes down to a FREEZING 65 degrees and the locals are throwing jackets and sweaters on and cuddling up, and balling up for dear life. My folks and I have been laughing at this because we don't think its cold til we hit those temps of 40 degrees with wind chills in the 20s.

Traditional Food: Rice and beans with stew chicken is one of the most famous dishes you can find out here. The locals can help you find the best in town. With my host family, we eat beans seemingly religiously everyday and they are having their effects. As they say, “Beans, Beans, good for the heart. First you eat ‘em, and then you….” Tacos, garnachas, tostadas, tortas, and tamales are also very popular here. So one night Shadrach, Krrissia, and I are sitting down enjoying some chicken tamales when they ask me… “Americans don’t eat chicken parts, do they?” “What do you mean?” “Well, the feet, gizzards, etc.” At that very moment, I notice I am picking out these little baby bones out the tamales and realize I am eating chicken feet. Indeed, I lost my appetite.

Ketchup: They eat ketchup on everything out here! Rice, Chinese food, chicken, you name it, they put it on it! So I had to see what was up with this fascination with ketchup. I tried it one time and now I’m hooked! If you see me put some ketchup on some green macaroni cheese, don’t say I didn’t warn you. They do not use the infamous Heinz Ketchup either. They use the Grace Ketchup, which is a spicy hot tomato sauce.

Hard Times Cookies: They have some cookies here called Hard Times Cookies and that’s exactly what they taste like: Hard Times. They’re good enough to eat when you have nothing else sweet to eat, but they’re nasty enough to be the last thing you would eat if you had more than one option. They taste like cornbread mixed with cookie dough mixed with biscuits . . . . .”Huh?”. . . . . Yeah that’s what I said.
Hurricane Richard: On Octber 24, a hurricane came through Belize. The brothers and sisters seemed excited to tell me what to expect: ripping winds, floodicious rains(is that a word?), and people rowing in boats down the ROAD from all the flooding. So I was actually anxious to see all this since I’ve never been in a hurricane before. As it turns out, not to make light of a potentially dangerous storm, but I was thoroughly disappointed. A few gusts of wind and sporadic downpours of rain. Cayo got the blunt of the storm, but none of the friends were seriously hurt or killed. 24 families suffered loss to their homes. But thanks to the quick organization of the DRC and volunteers, 70% of the relief work was completed in one week! Jehovah takes care of his people.

P.S. I'm Sick . . . . . Again.

Living here is very different since I don’t have to work. Its amazing that even though I’m not working, I’m still busy! Do you want to know a secret? Field Service is not just for preaching; it is also how you get to know your brothers and sisters. It’s amazing how I walk into a new congregation, but you learn about the needs of the friends, the joys and struggles, the fine qualities each publisher has, AND its also where you get invited to gatherings. Due to the lack of brothers in the congregation, the sisters are a ‘large army’ for this small congregation. They are ‘zealous for fine works’, ‘aglow with the spirit.’

Have you ever heard someone say: ‘When you lose one of your senses, it heightens the other four?’ Well being in a congregation that is small in size and in need of support reminds me of that saying. Although they are small in size, they are mighty in spirit. You would never guess that the congregation is only made up of 15 publishers when you see the talks given and the support in the form of comments. Their spirit of joy and willingness is that of the mustard grain, small in size, but gives so much.

So let’s have some real talk for a second here: Belize is a 3rd world country and part of the Caribbeans, so there are some things that take some getting used to. The water is not safe for drinking, everyone selling food on the street is not safe for consumption, there are outhouses here, and you see unsanitary living conditions here everyday. The medical care is not up to par. Cars and a/c are considered a luxury. Walking, riding bikes and buses are normal means of transportation. Finding creatures crawling throughout your house and getting bit by insects are an everyday occurrence. There are at least 10 stray dogs on every street. I take cold showers everyday and I sleep on a bed made out of foam or sponge as they refer to it here.

But the good far outweighs the bad! There are two things I cherish most about my current assignment: getting back to the basic necessities of life and having single brothers in my congregation. For one, my host family are very clean. Every Wednesday, the house is thoroughly cleaned. Secondly, I feel like I am reliving my childhood here. Do you remember when we didn’t have cell phones and your friends would just pop up unexpectedly at your house? Or what about when we would just play outside and ride bikes? The stresses of work were seemingly none existent. Well here, I get to be a kid again, so to speak. In the states, I had gotten accustomed to walking out the house and then right into a car, and missed all of Jehovah’s Creations. Here in Belize, I walk 20 minutes almost everyday for field service and I ride a bike quite often. Also, it is normal for the brothers and sisters just to pop up at the house to pay each other a visit. TV and internet aren’t in the house. So I have to ride a bike to the Internet Café, where I have to pay for the service. That means I only go when I need it, take care of business, and I’m off. When I walk down the streets, you end up getting to know your neighbors because we speak to each other. Everyone is not caught up in some electronic device, burying themselves in a sea of technology. The food here is the best I’ve ever had and pollution is seemingly non-existent. I’m allergy free!

So this past week, I got invited to give the Public Talk at a neighboring congregation about two hours away, but then a very unusual question presents itself. After arranging a brother to pick me up from the bus depot and arranging a host family to accommodate me, they ask: “How many nights will you be staying with us?” I was like: “What chu talkin bout, Willis?” Here, they offer you a place to stay not just for the day of the talk, but for the whole week if you like! That is just common courtesy here! So the day of the talk, I call myself getting spiffy and sharp, with my yellow hanky hanging out my coat pocket. I didn’t notice it until after I had finished the talk, but I was the only one wearing a jacket at the meeting. Did someone forget to tap me on the shoulder to tell me I was completely overdressed? Even the chairman and the WT conductor gave their talks without a jacket. Needless to say, the friends still graciously accepted me with open arms.
So I decided to take the friends up on their offer to stay a few extra days, a total of 4 days and 3 nights. Belizean Love, I tell ya. They gave me my own apartment that is fully stocked, has a/c, and a real mattress! What was nicer than that was having my own living quarters to myself for 4 days. I needed time alone to rejuvenate. Right on time.

The economy here really allows my money to stretch. For example, minimum wage here is $1.75. Can you imagine if I only made minimum wage at $7.25. I still would be making over 4 times the minimum wage of Belize. So congratulations, Fry Guy; you’re an upper class citizen.

Belize makes two things obviously clear: you don’t need to be rich to be happy and the international brotherhood is REAL! We hear about it all the time, but to experience it , no matter where you go in the world, really allows you realize how Jehovah’s spirit leads the organization. Can you envision how important that will be during the Great Tribulation when we may be imprisoned, even in another country, and then you find out that the guy across from you is your brother? An instant bond forms. It’s a deep thought when you allow your mind to meditate on that.

If you wanted to call me, you can, although it will have international charges attached. If you must though, I suggest using Google Voice unless you can find a better rate. Google is $0.22 per minute if calling from the states. My number is as follows: 011 501 627 9440

October 8, 2010
Okay I must confess: I get into a fight everyday here in Belize. I have fought off so many flies, I cant even count the number of mosquito bites I have. I’ve actually taken a pledge out on killing more mosquitoes than the bites I have. I would guess I have more than 30 mosquito bites. There's even one on my ear and big toe! The locals cant seem to understand why I get bit so much because they don’t have the same problem! We’ve decided one of two things: either they like American blood OR they see the chubbiness and they say to themselves: “ooh! BEEF!” Either way, its not a pretty picture for me.

So yesterday, we preached from 9am – 630pm and we preached in a town called Corozal, next to the southern border of Mexico. We walked for miles and the brothers and sisters I was with said that was nothing! Had we called on the RV that was further east, we would have walked an hour there and an hour back! Anyway, the ministry is very fruitful here. We called on some RVs and some Bible Studies and all the deaf I have met so far have an eagerness for the truth. On the hour bus ride home, a brother and I are signing in front of all the people packed in the bus. This stirs up interest as one of the guys sitting down questions whether we are deaf or not. He says we look so happy. We preach to him the rest of the way home and place magazines with him and invite him to the meeting. Jah really has his spirit upon us, encouraging all of us to be in the Pioneer Spirit, witnessing at every opportunity, using all the methods he has suggested.

So the town I’m in is so small! The next day, the same guy we met on the bus yesterday drives past me and toots his horn at me and I get my first shout out ever in another country! That was uniquely cool. Also, to show how small the town is… a brother asked me to take a bike to a sister’s house while riding a bike at the same time. I looked like a fool for the first 5 minutes as the locals stared in bewilderment. I finally managed to make it to my destination and I decide to head home by way of the highway. I pass the nicest restaurant I’ve seen in town and decide to take a break. Although it may seem expensive to the locals, I ordered 2 margaritas and an appetizer dish for a grand total of $8(that’s tax and tip included!) I give a tip which is uncommon here. So not realizing that its dark outside, the brothers have sent out a search party for me. Within minutes of leaving the restaurant, I am spotted by a brother. LOL. Its like Mayberry out here!

So this past Wednesday, I conduct the Congregation Bible Study for my first time! The support I got in the form of comments was fantastic. It is so upbuilding out here. You always think you go to an area to encourage them, but you end up being the one encouraged.
Ok so the 3 day convention from Oct 29 – 31 is fast approaching and I have received my assignments! Here are the parts I will be INTERPRETING: On Friday Morning, I will give the Morning Symposium – “Abraham”. On Saturday Morning, I will be the Chairman. Then on Sunday Morning, I will give the Symposium – “Appreciative”. I have to admit I’m really nervous, because I haven’t had the opportunity to interpret much. So much practice and prayer is being put into doing a quality job.

Sunday Preaching is so encouraging. The attendance on Sunday morning is more than the publishers of the congregation! We had 19 out today and we all go to a remote town called San Juan and Cornicopia. So we take the 19 of us and split up in 2 trucks, 11 in one truck and 9 in the other lol. We travel on some horrible roads and as we go over this BOMP, one of the trucks knocks off(the engine stalls), which begins the first of several engine failures on the day. We get the truck going and we preach all day in the area. After a fruitful day of enjoyable conversations, we head home on an alternate dirt road to avoid the pothole road we originally travelled on. Halfway through the trip back, the truck stops again! This time its out of gas! Oh no! But Breds Hezron is a mechanical genius. This brother pops the hood out his truck, pulls out some connection, somehow ciphers gas from the ENGINE AREA, and adds it to the other truck for gas! So now, both trucks have gas! Now during our 'pitstop', we are surrounded by Sugar Canes. So all 19 of us get to pickin our own Sugar Cane while we wait for the truck to be fixed. Ahh the joys of service!

Ok so i need not remind you of the food i enjoy EVERYDAY out here: breakfast, lunch, and dinner(ABSOLUTELY no fast food). So moving on... The weather is great! Nice cold fronts have been rolling through. I am sleeping much better with this cooler weather and my health is back! I am in the bed by 9 or 10 every night. I must admit this trip is really renewing my spiritual vows. I have absolutely no excuses for not being thoroughly prepared for all my meetings and personal studies. What a blessing it is to have this time to get back to the basics of purely focusing on Jehovah for 6 weeks! I'm feeling so spiritually enriched by the friends and the abundance of time I have with Jehovah. Our mental attitude towards Jehovah's work is everything and this has been so refreshing. Being active in his organization and involved in his preaching work proves there is no better place to be.

Shout out to the Fam! Well that’s it for now! Till next time!

Greetings from Belize!
I have so much to share already, but I hope to stick to the exciting details as to not to bore you with mundane details, so here we go!

I finally made it back to my home away from home! First of all, what a blessing first class was beyond the pampering… Being one of the first to get off the plane, I was the first one through customs too! That sort of thing can keep you held up in the airport for hours. So from the minute I retrieve my bags, I see a brother who works at the airport from the last time I was here and he immediately knew who I was! He wasn’t even the brother picking me up, yet he was expecting me.

'Welcome Home, Bred!" My host family, the Hernandez Family, greeted me with this saying as they gave warm hugs and smiles. We jumped in the truck and off we went on an hour drive to Orange Walk, Belize. The Hernandez Family is amazing! Let me briefly tell you about them. A family of six they are: Husband and Wife, three boys, and one girl. Hezron, Carolyn, Gian(17), Justin(15), Jameel(13), and Brrisset(5)(...and yes her name is spelled with 2 r's). The husband is the ONLY appointed brother in the congregation and he humbly has been feeding the congregation for five years now! Just imagine the number of parts that includes: Public Talk, WT, all the Kingdom Ministry talks, the Bible Highlights, and the Bible Study! His whole family of boys is what keeps the spiritual feast alive.

My Living Arrangements:
Things are wonderfully simple here. I am currently staying with another couple, Shadrach and Krissia Lewis, who just moved into the area from Cayo District. He is a blessing to the congregation as he is an appointed brother as well. We stay in an average sized stucko House with two bedrooms, a living room and kitchen, and bathroom. Here, a/c is considered a luxury and we do not have it here. We use screen doors and the windows to bring in cool air. There is no hot water, so everytime I get in the shower, I’m always like… “oooh! Ah! Brr!!” and those aren’t the good ooohs and ahhs…those are the “I’m freezing!” ahhs! So you can imagine how quick I take my showers. I currently have a room to myself and I love my ‘breds’ Shadrach! We met the first time I came to Belize in 2007. There is no TV in the house(that’s a good thing, no distractions) and the family cooks three times a day, habitually. All the food is fresh and there is no such thing as fast food here. The internet here is slow like turtle speed. Dial-up. Come again? Yeah i said it, Dial Up. LOL.

Things are rather safe here, even at night. You pass people and you GREET them, saying "Good night." Different huh? During the sun's reign, you hear cars and trucks coming down the street, blowing their horn the whole time. I finally had to ask what they were doing and they sell propane gas, or fruit, or tortillas right from their car; the locals can tell just by the horn what they are selling.

The Brotherhood & Preaching:
I have been invited to dinner on multiple occasions and the food here is the best! Fry Jack(Belizean form of fried bread), Stew chicken, BBQ chicken, rice, and the list goes on. Lunch is always the biggest meal of the day and whether eating at home or abroad, the family all sits down together and enjoys each other’s company. We all either walk long distances, ride bikes in service together, or we use the one or two vehicles that are available. My first day in service and we pile 15 people into a small pickup truck! The people we meet are so friendly and everyone speaks. We do not enter the property without permission. “Dias!” or “Good Day!", we hail from the street. Contrary to back home, here in Belize, we can preach to English or Spanish even though we are in the Sign Language Congregation. We have had such some great conversations with our neighbors and everyone comes to speak to you. If you combine walking and bike riding, we have done as much as 10 miles in one day, just preaching alone.

I worked with a young brother Jameel today age 13 and he’s very zealous and outspoken. He treats me like his older brother, telling me everything that’s on his mind. I don’t mind one bit. We chat all day in service and his bible knowledge is phenomenal! He’s great to have around and really thinks about other people. In service, a sister didn’t have a seat. He gladly opened his seat to her. In service, I bought some snacks and drinks and tried to give him the leftover money and he gave it back to me saying… “Breds Jackson, I wan yu to keep it so yu stay longa.” Needless to say, I think moving here would be a dream come true.

Problems I’m Facing:
At the Lewis’ house, the living room area is very nice, temperature wise. But my room is so hot! The first night here, I sweated for the first few hours until I fell out sleep from pure exhaustion. The couple asked me how I slept and I told them how I sweated and they gave me a fan. That night, I put a fan right in my face and I slept like a king, but woke up with all the symptoms of a cold: sniffling, sneezing, sore throat….you know, all those Nyquil adjectives they use. I have not yet fully recovered since. Every night, I try to sleep without a fan, but I simply cannot fall asleep. So I have been trying variations to how I set my fan. I may start sleeping in the living room.

New Phrases I have learned:
“Breds” – Brother
“Right Now” – If a friend is hailing for u to come outside, you say “right now!” to let them know you are coming.
My Spanish presentation: “Nosotros somos Testigos de Jehova. Estamos buscando gente sordo mudos. Conoces alguien?”
“Chauncy Boy” – Risky behavior.

All in all

Anything you want to know about specifically? Drop me a comment below!