Tom’s Thoughts & Excursion – A summary and closing thoughts

Amazing. Fantastic. Adventurous. Well planned. Heartfelt. True ambassadors. Purposeful. These are words I use to describe this annual trip to Belize. It was truly an experience that has warmed hearts and made servants.

You have heard about the “Great Amazing Adventures” we all had getting to Belize. These adventures couldn’t have been planned better or more perfect for the program. 36 people in five teams with a goal to reach Belize City was the perfect bonding experience anyone could ask for when first arriving to the Louisville airport packed with 10” of snow. Groups of 12, 6, 6, 5, 6, and 1 worked their way through Chicago, Louisville, Nashville, and Miami to get to Belize City. During these adventures the small teams relied on each other, learned from each other, and experienced international travel to the fullest. It was perfect.

View more photos here.

Belize is an amazing country filled with many amazing people. There is a kindness in the people. There is also enormous national pride that can be felt in every interaction. This kindness and pride taught our students many things about service, giving, and national honor and pride. While we left the United States as a delegation of University of Louisville students, we returned as international ambassadors. Personally, I could not have been more proud of our students, their positive attitudes, their commitment, their humanity, their openness, and their representation.

During the trip I observed many things from our students such as the “kid coming out in all of us.” I observed students teaching students how to teach, help, and make a difference. I observed kindness worn on each person’s sleeve. I observed students sharing knowledge across all disciplines. I observed students teaching families and parents how to be better parents, men, and women, I also observed students learning that in many ways the people we encountered were very content, happy, balanced, and capable of doing all they intended to do. This perspective, by itself, was probably the most educational moment for a proud U.S. citizen to have during this trip - that while our efforts may have a bit of nobility to them, nobility was not what was needed. Simple caring and support went much further.

During Belize 2008 I traveled to many locations throughout the country. While I spent many hours each day with the delegation, these travels were in search of stories, people, and site locations. Many of the locations I traveled were previously locations for the program or places I simply needed to re-establish UofL as an annual presence. For example, I traveled to the villages of Georgetown and Maya Mopa. These two very small villages were a couple miles from each other but distinctly different. One village was Garifuna while the other Mayan. One had a formality, as observed in student uniforms and processes, and the other did not. I noticed kids playing and learning constantly, people lounging and observing, and industry taking place. When talking to residents of these communities there was an openness to my visiting. Surprisingly they had heard of Louisville and a group of students coming to the area every year to help others in the area. Some wondered why we did not come to their village. As a Black man, with a tinge of Native American, Irish, and Filipino, going throughout the villages and countryside was effortless and often very unnoticed.

View video of Tom's Georgetown and Maya Mopan Tour.
View video of Tom's Dangriga Tour.

After leaving Georgetown and Maya Mopa I traveled to Dangriga and Hopkins. Dangriga is located along the coast and has a lot of new development on the Cayes. This was the site of one of the original settlements of the Garifuna. This city of 14,000 was hustling with activity and history. My journey took me first to a Museum where I had a personal tour from the Museum director. Beaming with pride as he spoke, he shared with me the history of Belize, the community, and the culture of the Garifuna. A native of Dangriga he took time and patience in sharing with me many of that communities issues, their challenges in real estate costs, education, culture, language, and many other items that seem all to familiar. When he learned I was an administrator from the University of Louisville, a different tour transpired. We talked for 45 minutes. He also recounted many other students that have visited his museum from UofL in the past. To reconnect with Dangriga was purposeful and respectful. As a community that has grown very fast, and one we have served in the past, to talk to people and help them see UofL still cares was worth every moment of the drive to that community.

View video of Tom's Hopkins Tour

My final excursion took me to Punta Gorda. This is the largest city in the most southern part of the country. It was fairly isolated as the route to it still has 10 miles of unpaved and very bumpy road. However, the drive is full of small communities and businesses. In Punta Gorda I spoke with fisherman, businesspeople, and educators. None of this was planned. I simply was a curious educator and someone each freely spoke to when I asked them for their time. Punta Gorda, a place we have had a program in the past, was also in search of identity, acknowledgement, and service. What I found interesting was the fisherman I spoke to lead me to different businesses that he referred to by who owned them at the time. For example, the best restaurant to eat was Mr. Wilson’s restaurant. Or, the market that was owned by Mr. Johnson. The restaurant waitress asked me about scholarships at UofL. The Belize Army soldiers, that were on break in the shade along the street, spoke of national pride. Each had a story and a perspective on the community.

In Punta Gorda I also stopped at the University of Belize – Toledo District. I not only spoke to the campus administrator (the person that ran that branch campus) but also a UofL doctoral alumnae who returned to Belize to teach and help administer the campus. Both individuals spoke of the need to have much greater teacher preparation and train the trainer programs. Education, as expected, was very important. What was also important was the autonomy to adapt the campus to fit the needs of Punta Gorda and the Toledo District.

View video of Tom's Punta Gorda Tour.

From the very beginning (which as last Spring 2007) my whole purpose was to provide our students and faculty a meaningful and educational experience in Belize. This purpose was limited by logistics, history, and discipline. As you have already read, we (the faculty) were determined to bring a delegation that was manageable in size and capable of working and staying together throughout the trip. The reason for these limitations was to enable the students to better get to know each other, learn from each other, and control expenses. It worked and worked well.

Amazing. Fantastic. Adventurous. Well planned. Heartfelt. True ambassadors. Purposeful. The trip to Belize was all of this and so much more. From a student playing in the grass with little kids, to restoring teeth, to teaching in the primary and secondary schools, going house to house to survey community residents, to health workshops for women -- the experiences that the UofL students had appeared to be remarkable. Watching incredible faculty teach and add perspective to each moment was also fantastic. The faculty of this program are clearly the worlds best at servant leadership, teaching, and mentorship.

My greatest joy was observing the camaraderie, service, and ambassadorship by every student. Each student cared for the other. Each student engaged the other in deep intellectual and profound discussion. Each student helped the other learn their discipline (trade). And, each student represented the University of Louisville and the United States with honor, integrity, and genuine humanity.

Written by Dr. Tom Jackson, Jr., Vice President for Student Affairs, University of Louisville (Team Leader)

Airport Time

Had a little time at the airport to post some photos. Here are a few more.

Few More Photos

Here are a few more photos, then we have to pack up and head to the airport.

Photos

Thursday Evening

We made it safely back to Belize City. It's been a truly great trip. Our students are terrific people and give so freely of themselves to help others.

On the way to Belize City, we stopped in Belmopan, the capital of Belize. We toured the U.S. Embassy and talked with department heads there. The ambassador was out of town, but we learned a lot about the work of the Embassy in Belize.

The Justice Administration team and a few others headed to tour the prison and talk with corrections officials there. They had a great experience. The prison system in Belize has come a long way and many improvements have been made.

The remainder of the group went to the Belize zoo. The baby jaguar was by far the favorite. He came right up to the fence and let everyone take pictures of him. The monkeys, birds, and tapir were other favorites. A beautiful zoo.

I just want to take a few minutes to praise and thank our students and faculty. They handled travel adversity, hot weather, bug bites, and long days of hard work in a gracious and thoughtful manner. We all shed a few tears from time to time and high fived each other at other times.

The caring additudes and enjoyment of serving others was evident in all that they took on. In addition to the planned work in the dental clinic, schools, and community; they played with children, talked with women, listened to the men, and really tried to develop relationships in the short time that we had in the village. It changed all of our lives. Service to others has a way of doing that. I loved spending time with each of our team. They are incredible people, and I'm happy to have the opportunity to work with them.

I'm very proud of all of the ISLP group, but I also want to talk the folks back home who sacrificed their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, and friends and family to travel to Belize for the week. You may have helped financially, taken on more responsibility at home, or with moral support, but they left knowing that people back home were thinking about them. We all appreciate that support.

I'll post more pictures later tonight and Dr. Jackson will add his comments. The blog will end with his comments. Thank you for reading it and keeping up with our journey. We'll be home soon.

Wednesday

The crew wrapped up our work on Wednesday. Our final day of work in Red Bank was bittersweet. It was comforting to know we could help in some small way, but at the same time none of us wanted to leave. In the morning a group of us went into the primary school in Independence to teach a bullying workshop. We worked with two classes and had a blast both times. The kids here have a problem with bullying and they know it. We're hoping we gave them some alternative behaviors to practice. The good thing is that they really responded and seemed to retain the lessons we were teaching.
Back in Red Bank we went back to Red Bank Christian school one last time. The JA team taught one last bullying workshop while the Health Communication team taught about goals and goal setting. It was another great opportunity to learn about the children and how they interact within the school environment as opposed to outside of school. The teachers have small piles of books and a chalk board and do such a good job teaching their students. As the rest of us were teaching, the dental team was finishing up a few last patients and breaking down the dental clinic.
After one last dinner at Cardie's we headed out to the Hokey Pokey Water

1st Year Dental Student's Perspective

The trip to Belize has been both exciting and frustrating; in the midst of this contrast the word that comes to the forefront of my mind would have to be... rewarding. The various disciplines involved with the program have all been able to work together to help the people of Redbank. In doing so, I think we have learned more about ourselves in the process than anything. It is wonderful how people with so few resources have been able to help those of us with so much. We, in the U.S. are truly rich beyond measure with regard to financial resources, whereas the people of Belize, and in particular the people of this small village, are rich beyond measure in their spirit. They are truly a content and happy people.

It has been great to help the people of Redbank with the various services that we've been able to provide (education, communication, justice, oral health, etc.). Seeing the various groups come together and serve along side one another has been truly exciting. I really enjoyed the opportunity to help with the profiling and educational endeavors. While profiling, I met a young man named Juan who is 19 years old. He is a native of Redbank and is currently going to the University of Belize to study Business Management and Tourism.

One of my most exciting experiences while here was working in the dental clinic. I feel as if I have learned more about dentistry in the past 48 hours than I have in the last 7 months. I have had the opportunity to do many injections of local anesthesia, as well as several extractions. Today is our last day in the clinic. I hope to get to opportunity to do at least one restoration, as well as several more injections and extractions.

The ISLP to Belize has truly been a blessing in my life. I am very thankful for this opportunity and look forward to returning in future years. The people of Belize have touched my life in a special way and I look forward to giving back to the people that have given so much to me.

Truly blessed,
Jay B. Burton

Tuesday

We had a full day on Tuesday. More luggage arrived, but we are still missing 5 suitcases, so we are all pitching in to help those who don't have their clothes yet. A true cooperative effort.

Community Profiles - The teams going from house to house doing surveys and learning more about the community have been terrific. They have learned much that will help us on future trips. The families have been very welcoming and given thoughtful answers. Many insights about culture and understanding have emerged.

Women's Health Classes - These classes have been very successful. Thirty-forty women came each day to learn about general health and women's issues. The health communication students gathered supplies and gave each woman who attended bags of useful first aid and health supplies. Some education and dental students also particpated in the discussions.

Dental Team - Wow, this team has provided exceptional care for a large number of people. People have come in with swollen faces and much pain, and left OK not happy yet, but already in less pain. They are so thankful to have good dental care in their village.

Schools - We delivered several hundred books and school supplies. Several education, communication, and dental students taught classes and worked with children.

Bullying Workshop - Sticks and Stones went over very well. The Justice Administration students and others who joined Dr. Robbins and Dr. Foster did a great job at the bullying workshop.

I'm going to let the photos tell the rest of the story. It's been a wonderful trip so far. The faculty and students have worked very hard and provided much service. The village appreciates our efforts and have expressed their thanks over and over.


Margaret

My Belize story so far... Definitely the best Spring Break ever! Part 1 - by Socio (Mike Oghia)

I was told many times that international travel is unpredictable. That has been an understatement

Alright everyone so here’s what’s happening with me and the group so far, it’s crazy! It all started on Friday. We (the International Service Learning trip to Belize) got to the airport at 4:30 AM… it’s snowing in Dallas. That’s bad, very bad. At like 5:15 AM we discover our 7:00 AM flight to Dallas-Ft. Worth is cancelled. So now 40 people, 50+ pieces of luggage, and a whole day is left in front of the American Airlines counter. The person going with us in chare of logistics, Cheryl Utz, goes into hyperdive and our man Sysco working the ticket counter begins a very long journey trying to get us to Belize, the whole time being really nice about it.

So one 12 person group gets scheduled to drive a rental car to Cincinnati and go to Huston then to Belize. Another group drove to Nashville to go to Miami then to Belize. Well, after about 5 hours we were told we have to come back tomorrow same time.

It’s 4 AM again on Saturday and I’m waking up still a little pissed off that it’s snowing still and that we couldn’t go yesterday. Well, at least my friend Jennifer brought me some pictures the day before to take down to them, so it wasn’t a huge waste. I have a small carryon and a backpack which is going to last me a week and I’m in shorts, a polo, and flip-flops when there’s about 5 inches of snow outside. So if you know me, you know that at least the flip-flop part isn’t really that different. We go to the airport, my group meets up again for the 6:30 flight crossing our fingers it isn’t cancelled for the weather. We get to check in at the Continental counter because American Airlines routed us there the day before, to go to Houston this time which is ironically a sunny 64 degrees… go through security and everything seems good. We arrive to the gate and sit there for a little bit then they tell us the plane’s delayed. That’s not a big surprise and at least it isn’t cancelled. While sitting around, OJ Oleka and I (who are the only 2 students left with Cheryl, Tom Jackson the VP of Student Affairs and 2 other faculty coming with us) meet up with this girl who goes to U. of L. whom I’ve seen before but never met. We all become friends and it’s just peachy. I also met a person that’s in class with me while there at the airport, how funny!

After waiting from 5:30 to 11 AM, and after the other group that had to go home got on a plane for Houston and left, they finally tell us that the flight has been cancelled. Damn that snow right? Wrong! Ironically it wasn’t even because of the snow that it was cancelled, the co-pilot didn’t show up so we couldn’t fly! What a slacker…

What are we going to do? We go back to the ticket area but we’re not too down. As Tom and Cheryl start to negotiate again, I run into a really good friend of mine, Kaitlyn Young and I finally get to meet her boyfriend who’s really cool! So we all get to hang out and catch up for a little bit because they’re flight got cancelled too but luckily was rescheduled.

Tom and Cheryl come back and they say, “lets go rent a car, we’re going to Chicago and then flying to Miami then Belize City!” Yes, that’s right, Chi-Town because that’s the closest place that has a flight anywhere near Belize which we can connect too without waiting until Monday… soooooo we go get a van, load up and head for the Windy City, stopping in Indy for some food. It’s not a bad drive at all and it was nice to be so flexible and spontaneous; it was very relaxing.

We finally arrive in Chicago, and that night we shack up in the Hilton that’s connected to the airport because we once again, had to be up at 4:00 AM and this time we were on Central time PLUS Daylight Saving time… our internal clocks were just messed up this morning. Let’s just say, I didn’t feel rich enough to stay at that place, but the beds were really comfy and American Airlines was paying for it and the rental van, so no worries!

We get up in the morning, go to the airport, get through everything and find out they bumped us up to First Class! It was pretty cool, although I think I still do prefer Coach honestly. I like to be in my element. So after an hour of sleep, complimentary breakfast and apple juice, and an entire time of a flight attendant that’s probably been driving longer than I’ve been alive flirting with me (she flirted with everyone, keep your pants on), I look out the window and I see the beach and the ocean! It was so nice and under us was beautiful Miami. South Beach, Feeling the Heat right?

So here I am now, it’s 12:41 PM EST, DST. I SHOULD have been on the beach on a little cay in Belize right now sunbathing with my feet in the sand listening to seagulls caw and the ocean gently splashing up on the beach. But no, I’m in the Miami airport, but it’s cool. I’m having a great time, we’re gonna be in Belize in a matter of hours (given our “third time’s a charm” luck still happens), I’ve gotten to know OJ, and all the people in our group so much better, I’ve been all over the mid west now, AND just remember: good things come to those who wait. Everything happens for a reason, and the best part is looking forward to what is going to come!

Let's see what else fate has in store for us… I can’t wait!

Belize Part Deux - by Socio (Mike Oghia)

First and foremost, I’m in Belize! Getting there was still not as easy as it would seem…

I left you at around 12:30 PM yesterday, Sunday 3/9, but a lot has happened since then. Basically at 2:15 PM we boarded the plane for Belize. We were sitting on the plane and the pilot came on and said that there may be some engine trouble and it’s being checked out. Baron Bliss was looking out for us for sure, because about 5 minutes later he said it was fine and we were soon in the air.

Everything’s great… well, until we got over Belize… On the way we passed over Key West, but it didn’t look that good from up in the air. I’m sure it’s a big deal though. When we got over Belize there were storms over Belize City, so our pilot started circling trying to see if it was good enough to land or not. Of course, it wasn’t.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I do apologize, but because of the poor visibility, we are going to head to our alternate destination to refuel and wait for the storm to pass.” GREAT! “Oh and by the way, that alternative spot is in Honduras, thank you.”

Well, I’ve never been to Honduras so ok! This could be fun. We land at this tiny airport/grocery store/livestock convention but we don’t get off the plane, we just refuel. Of course my travel buddy OJ and I, just cant resist to meet new friends. We end up a ways up the aisle where I meet this really cute girl named Katie. She was in a group of a bunch of really cool people from University of Florida doing service work like us. They were all really cool though.

Eventually we’re back in the air, 15 minutes later we’re landing in Belize, and we keep running into the UF people. We get through customs, pick up some lost luggage, rented a couple vans, said good-bye to our Florida friends, then headed for this place in Belmopan, the capital, called the Bull Frog Inn. We got dinner and slept.

The next day we got to Red Bank finally, and so here I am now in Independence were we’re staying! It’s 7:06 PM CST here in Belize (non-DST), I’m absolutely in love with this country, we’ve already done many community profiles of Red Bank and played with the kids, done dental work for them and some other stuff. It’s amazing, come to Belize.

It’s UnBelizeable!

First Work Day Photos

First Work Day Notes

"Beautiful, grateful, humble people." Matt Steuer

"I enjoyed the first day of seeing local patients in the dental clinic. They needed help, and they were so thankful for it." Quinn Smith

"The gratitude that the people of Red Bank showed for our services in the dental clinic is overwhelming. I don't think they realize that we get as much if not more from the experience. These people have truly changed my life." Krysta

"The unconditional hospitality of the villagers of Red Bank have made me feel at home. I am happy to be able to provide essential services within their community." David

The personal gratification and personal experience of today was remarkable. Through working in the dental clinic and treating patients, to interviewing families and learing more about the people and the village, I feel I understand much more about the culture and population of Red Bank." Andrew

"The villagers are so happy to see the members of our team. It was really gratifying to be able to help them. The feeling amid Red Bank is one of progress and friendship. We appreciate their hospitality just as much as they appreciate our service and presence in Belize."

"We treated a lady today named Maria. She was our last patient of the day and probably the most difficult. Despite 45-60 minutes of having dental students crank on her teeth, she left with the most mysteriously kind look in her eyes....lovely lady. I was most shocked by how young they have children here and how many they have. The people here are happy, and do are we." Jennifer Wilson

"The village was very peaceful, one of the most relaxing places I've ever been." Armando

"The kids were amazing! They are so excited and happy....and grateful we were there. They have fun doing the simplest things. AND...I got to pull a tooth!! Very good day." Stephanie Hornsby

"I have to agree with Stephanie. The kids made my experience special today. while doing the profiles, I realized how incredibly humble these people are and how much they would benefit from just a little assistance from the outside." Amber Denman

"A very humbling experience to serve....(Freak I don't know what to say! Just say something for me.)" Tyson Perrero

*Today was a great experience. Everyone was so friendly. They welcomed us all in as if we were family." Erica HInton

"Red Bank. Three years here, and never once did I have the opportunity to go out into the village and talk with the people, see their homes, and share with them in a real way. Today, maybe, I was on the village profile team and got to do all those things. As always, it was amazing." Seth Ernstberger

"Since...today I had the experience of extracting my first tooth on a life patient (which is a rush for any freshman dental student). I was part of a meeting with the citizens of Independence which will improve their ability to help special needs children to receive the attention they need. Through everything I've seen over the past 48 hours, I am most impressed with the hospitality, kindness, and warmness of the citizens of Red Bank and Independence." Melvin Washington

"Incredible experience. Interdisciplinary focus helped students learn about other areas and how they relate to each other." Becky Clark

"Day one in Belize, day four of the trip. What a wild one this has been!! From 4:00 a.m. mornings to 12:00 am nights, this trip has been amazing . Running off of fumes, only the good people of Red Bank have given me the fuel to keep going. Thank you UofL for this experience!!!" OJ Oleka

"What an incredible experience! I am in love with the people of Belize. In the shot time that we have been here, I've seen and learned so much. Can't wait to share it all." Pam Simpson

"I'm in love with Belize! Four years ago, I did a project on it and fell in love with it just based on pictures. Now, a part of my heart is in Belize. The three day travel was worth it because good things come to those who wait, but Belize came to me which was something great. This place is proof that God exists. It is UnBelizeable." Socio

"The people of Red Bank are some of the most friendly and welcoming people that I have ever met. With the lack of resources, they have had to come up with creative solutions for everything from headache pain to carrying children that can't or won't walk. The sense of community here is like something that most people can only dream about. Luckily for us, this dream has become a reality." Tabitha Overstreet

" The people are welcoming, yet shy...they accepted us in their home and for an hour or so they engaged in a conversatin that was life giving...sacred space is what I felt. People at peace with the simply meaning of "true" human needs."

"No matter how poor or oppressed, children's kites fly on the winds of hope."

"Our students seem to have a great work ethic and work well without constant supervision." Dr. David Jones

"The commadarie on the trip must be experienced to be believed. What a hoot!" Tom Clark

Impressions of the first 48 hours.

We are here. We have observed. We have played. We have worked.

Even with plans changing every turn of the head over the weekend, things are finally getting on track. The entire group is now here, and work has begun. I am amazed at some of the things I have seen so far.

During the night time drive down Hummingbird Highway from Belize City to Independence there were several well-kept houses with newer, nicer vehicles and there were several houses that would be shacks back in the states with older, beaten up vehicles. It was difficult to avoid some of the bicyclists on the road as none of the bicycles had reflectors. They did not seem to worry about it as that is just how things are; safety features that are mandatory back home just aren't as big of a part of life here. Lots of people were simply sitting on the side of the road in small groups every so often; was this a social gathering or simply just a place to rest along the walk from one place to another? Getting to Cardies Hotel was another big shock.

To be honest, I had low expectations about the hotel. Once entering my room, those expectations were shattered; this place is wonderful! The staff is courteous, friendly, and excited to please customers. One lady, Candy, knew every one's name on the first night. No service industry employees back home have ever impressed me in such a manner. Sunday provided another vastly different view of the country in Placencia.

Placencia is a tourist spot where lots of money changes hands. The town offers nice restaurants, gift shops, and loads of tourist excursions. I went with a group to snorkel off a small island. The weather was gorgeous and the company could not have been better. After the fun in the sun, there was a great opportunity to walk the island and converse with the group there. One of the guides wanted to stay longer on the island to relax and have a few drinks; he said, "What's the rush to get back? There's nothing to do back on land." That struck me as incredible. I had seen relatively (for Belize especially) poor on the Hummingbird Highway, relatively wealthy in Placencia and yet there is still "nothing to do" for locals. Heck, there were options back in Henderson, a town of 28,000 and a county of 48,000. To see even less available in a tourist area was amazing. The work day provided a great appreciation for being able to work under extremely limited ability due to resources.

The dental site setup team discovered that lots of important articles had been stolen from Gales Point. The missing items included two of the three compressors, three of the four dental chairs, a curing light, and a bag of dental tools. To think that people would steal from a group that is providing a vital service to the area says something about what happens when people are desperate in an area. There are certain things that I will never understand, and human behavior is one of them. The work day in Red Bank was an interesting view of the local populace.

In between fixing dental equipment and assisting the dental team, I spent the rest of the time keeping the kids occupied. Let's simply say today was the most soccer I have played in my life and the first time I have really played baseball since I was 13. Most of the kids were as sweet as can be and interacted very well. Some of the children were quite different; they often wanted to assert their dominance and broke the rules. To put it simply, it was typical male-male interaction for a group of pre-pubescent. I did feel bad when I had to kick a kid out of the baseball game for repeatedly breaking the rules and tripping base runners. Boys will be boys, I suppose, and I would know. The first work day is over and lots is ahead. I can't wait.

Thanks for sticking around for this lengthy entry.

-Justin

Other Pics

Here are a few other pics.

Packing Bags

The Health Communications Team and the Justice Administration Team worked into the night packing bags to hand out to families when we do home interviews. The students collected, bought, and packed more than 200 bags of lotion, shampoo, washcloths, wooden spoons, bandanas, caps, pens, pencils, clothes pins, etc. Packing this many bags is a cooperative event.

Sunday Night

After a fun day in the rainforest and the coral reef, the team got to work on Sunday night preparing for the planned work.

Community Meetings - Students and faculty representing each academic discipline met with five-sever members the Red Bank and Independence communities. The students introduced themselves and talked about the service projects that were planned. They asked for ideas and recommendations from the members of the community. We listened intently for cultural differences and for information that we should be mindful of as we enter a culture very different from our own. All of the students were well prepared and represented the University and their disciplines very well. The community members talked about the culture, the history, the problems and concerns, and the health of the community. We gained better insights and adjusted our plans. Pamela Simpson commented that this was her favorite part of the trip so far. The communities have similar concerns to ours...health care, education, things for the youth to do, alcohol and drug use, etc. All of us are more mindful of the people and the community needs.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Today a group of us went to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary to hike in the rainforest. Although our hopes of seeing a jaguar were not met, we still had many unique experiences. At the wildlife preserve we saw miniature highways of leafcutter ants, tarantulas, rubber trees, sources of many herbal remedies, as well as a beautiful view of the Belizean landscape from atop a 1900 foot overlook.

Jeff

Fun Day

Today was our fun day ... and it turned out to be FUN!!! One group went to the Jaguar Reserve in the rainforest, and another group went snokeling and SCUBA diving. It's unclear who had the most fun! We'll have to tell you the stories when we get back!!!

I was with the Placencia group (diving and snokeling), though I spent my time at the Purple Space Monkey--a cool and yummy restaurant.

We enjoyed the Hokie Pokie water taxi and the cool day (the temperatures have been quite low). I got goose bumps for the first time ever in Belize!

More soon,

Joy

Sunday Morning

Twenty-nine of us arrived safely in Independence last night. We had a rough start, but it was more than worth it. We flew in from various cities and took a long (bumpy) drive through the mountains-getting our first taste of the local scenery along the way. Many of us are first-timers and the beauty of the country, local radio, and sheer difference in the style and number of homes dazzled our senses. There is so much color!

It was easy to think of things that we take for granted along the way-street lamps, reflector lights for bicycles, etc. just to name a few. There were families and children walking along the road going to or coming from many places. It is a holiday weekend (Barron Bliss Holiday) so there is no school and no work. The weather was amazing-about 77 degrees and not too humid-so many families were just out for a stroll. Luckilly there were no accidents. The vehicles may be few and far between, but the people here are prime examples of car pooling. Everywhere you look there were people in the backs of pick up trucks. Public transportation here consists of a variety of what we would call school busses. Occasionally there were markers for a bus stop but nothing as uniform as our mundane TARC signs.

By the time we arrived at Cardies we were ready to eat! Dinner was amazing-prepared and dished out by the ever-wonderful Cardies' staff. Barbequed chicken, potato salad, and rice and beans-yummm...

After dinner we unpacked the luggage we had and hit the sack, getting plenty of sleep for the long (and fun!) day we have planned today. We have excursions to the jaguar reserve, the beach and shopping, and even fishing, scuba diving, and snorkeling. Stay tuned for pictures and more tales of Belize 2008.... Written by Tabitha Overstreet