Day 2

Hello from the rainy jungle! This is not actually Day 2, but it is Day 2 of our work at Tumul K'in.



We have had gentle rain on and off all day. Taking an outdoor shower while it is raining outside, is a new experience to add to the list now. The plants and birds definitely love this weather. The jungle is as green as can be and the birds are singing back and forth to each other quite loudly. Life in southern Belize is full of adventure.




Our very own St. Anne's Journalism Team spent time today conducting interviews with students and teachers at Tumul K'in as a continuation of the video project we began at Somerset School. It was a wonderful experience. The students at Tumul K'in are clearly passionate about studying their Maya culture and traditions. They are equally passionate about their future, as Maya people in the 21st century. The teachers and leaders at Tumul K'in have true vision, and hold every hope for Tumul K'in students. It is very exciting to watch this project come together!



Our work on the radio station is progressing very quickly. Yesterday was a wonderful example of a cultural exchange in terms of getting the job done. The task was daunting: how to get a cement mixer up a very steeply graded 1/4 mile gravel and sand road without a truck to pull it. While we stood around talking about the possibilities, a group of teenaged boys, students at Tumul K'in, placed large tree branches under the mixer so the branch stuck out on either side, and then lifted the branches to their shoulders and hauled the mixer up the road themselves. A group of our men joined them for the last 10 yards, just to say they had done it. :)

The rest of the afternoon was spent mixing cement and pouring footings for the base of the radio tower. One wheelbarrel of cement at a time, but put a group of St. Annians and a group of Tumul K'in leaders, students, and teachers together and anything is possible! It is so exciting to watch this project come together.










Meanwhile, back at the ranch, (or down in the open-air dining hall and meeting center), another group of us worked with the director of Tumul K'in on a public relations and communication project for the school. We cut and painted large wooden arrows naming different school buildings and areas, which will be staked on a wooden sign post at the school entrance. The signs read "Office", "Girl's Dorm", "Boy's Dorm", "Library", "Radio Station", etc. They are painted in traditional Maya colors - red, green, yellow, and black - and they add a lot to the school entrance.

We also made a sign that reads "St. Anne's, Minnesota" and points....north. :)
















It is difficult to convey in writing the experience of being here. It is difficult to convey the true need here. Difficult to convey how good it feels to give and to receive, here. Difficult to convey the gratitude that we feel from our friends in Belize, and the gratitude we feel toward our friends in Belize, for the true relationships that are continuing to develop and grow. We will post photos when we can, and of course will share stories (maybe more than you want to hear!) when we return. For now, we can only say that we live in a beautiful world, and it is an honor to be able to be a bridge between our corner of Minnesota and this corner of Belize - two particularly beautiful parts of it.

With love from southern Belize.

p.s. We are covered with bug bites!!