Beautiful Belize

I’m still basking in the afterglow of a week-long mission trip to Belize, reveling in the beauty of that country, her people, and how God smiled on the team He put together.

Belize, bordered by Mexico to the north and Guatemala on her south, is a tiny country one-tenth the size of Minnesota and one sixth the size of Iowa. She is gloriously underpopulated at only about 420,000 people with a wide variety of ethnicities – 52.9% Mestizo (mixed Spanish and Mayan), 25.9% Creole (mixed African and Caribbean), 11.3% Mayan, 6.1% Garifuna (mixed African and Amerindian from the island of St. Vincent), 3.9% East Indian, 3.6% Mennonite, 1.2% White, 1.0% Asian, and 1.2% other. Interestingly, it’s estimated that a thousand years ago, up to one million Mayans lived here.

One of the most beautiful things about Belize is that although there is such a mixture of people here, they are not a divided nation. Racism and division are noticeably absent from daily life. Even her national flag depicts a Mestizo man and a man of African descent standing together, harvesting mahogany. Although her history as British Honduras was steeped in slavery associated with the mahogany trade, slavery ended in 1838 without war or widespread bloodshed. Independence from Great Britain came in 1981, again without war or bloodshed.

Her British roots mean that Belize is the only country in Central America whose national language is English. Her currency is the Belizean dollar and it is permanently tied to the American dollar at 50 cents. A $2 bottle of watermelon juice (delicious and very popular here) is one US dollar.

Also refreshing is that there is not a single Wal-Mart, McDonalds, or any American big-box store here. The government has said, “No, thank you” to businesses like that. You can still get a fast food hamburger or a pair of Chinese croc shoes, but they are sold by small, local shops.

That’s not to say Belize doesn’t have her problems. The south side of Belize City has very high crime and drug rates associated with the prevalence of gangs. Some of the rural government schools have struggled with low literary rates and poor performance. (They say, “government school” instead of “public school” like we do.) Poverty is not uncommon in Belize.  An internet search says, “the 2018 national poverty rate was estimated at 52%. Poverty is particularly concentrated in rural areas, among children under 15, and in households with fewer educational opportunities.” 

Our GoServ Global team partnered with The Belize Project to help increase literacy rates in the Government Schools in those rural areas. Ruth Hu, Director of the Belize Project, was with us during the week helping and guiding us. Early in the week, as she was describing her native country, she said something I had to write down: “We speak English, we think in Spanish, we dream in Mayan, and we dance to the drumbeat of the Garifuna.”

Our base of operations was a sea-side hotel in Corozal in northern Belize, just nine miles south of the Mexican border. The San Pedro Government School was an easy drive of about 20 miles away. (Traffic is light in most of Belize, although speed bumps are common.)

There are about 90 students at the San Pedro Government School and they were all standing in front of the school when we arrived holding signs welcoming each one of us by name. Principal Bobadilla, the teachers, and the students put on a beautiful program welcoming us complete with a song written just for us (to the tune of “Hi, Ho, the Deery-O”), poetry celebrating our visit, and a traditional and colorful Mestizo dance. I have never been welcomed anywhere with such a beautiful and elaborate event.

We spent the better part of the week working at the San Pedro Government School. Some of us helped with needed painting and maintenance, while others helped in the classroom. I was allowed to sit in on Mr. Alex’s fifth and sixth grade classroom. They were studying Belizean history, math, reading comprehension, and other subjects one might expect. I was asked to participate on several occasions, and even gave a devotion about our status as adopted children of God out of Ephesians. On Friday, Mr. Alex asked that I lead the class for about 20 minutes, so I asked the class if they had any questions about what it was like to be a missionary.

At first they were shy, but we had a wonderful discussion. The Belizean government and its schools have absolutely no problem talking about Jesus in their classrooms. In fact, every classroom has a copy of the Belizean National Prayer posted on the wall. I felt absolutely welcome and encouraged to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with these wonderful children and their teachers.

The respect and order at the San Pedro Government School was amazing. After the second day, I told my team members that during our time there I had not seen a single child picking on or disrespecting any other child. I was very impressed. Principal Bobadilla said they have a zero tolerance policy for bullying.

But, this doesn’t mean the children didn’t have fun. One of our team members, Marty, had great fun playing frisbee and soccer with the whole school during recess periods. I handed out some bubble kits we brought and this 67 year-old man had great fun filling the air with bubbles with my new and much younger friends. Rachel and Carrie went into the classrooms and sang with the children about the wee little man named Zacchaeus. 

Each night, after supper, our team shared some high points of the day they had experienced with these children. After our first day at the school, Jeanne said a young girl had come up to her, given her a smiley face medallion from a piece of jewelry, and told her she loved her. Jeanne, who was on her very first mission trip, was brought to tears by this simple act of love.

And that’s why I go on mission trips. 

This is the part I love. When the Holy Spirit reaches out, comes down, and that agape love is multiplied, this is what being a disciple is all about. This is the full and abundant life Jesus came to bring us. This is what real Christians do. I love it.

On the last day at San Pedro Government School, as the children were leaving for the weekend I was sitting outside the school and many of them stopped for a final word with me. Rosemary, the shy girl I had helped with a math problem, gave me a hug. Frankie, the young man with the infectious smile who wanted to grow up to be a pilot with US Marines, gave me a solid and firm handshake. Zeta, the girl who didn’t have a phone and felt unpopular and less than she truly is, shared several hugs with me as I encouraged her that she was smart. 

And then an athletic young man of about 13 years who had not spoken to me at all during the time I was there came up to me and gave me the “bro” handshake and said, “When you come back, I want to hear you teach more about God!”

I was speechless. 

It was probably the best compliment any one could have ever given me at the moment in my life. 

And I can’t wait to go back and fulfill his request.

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” John 13:34 (NLT)