October!

Greetings again :)

It's a hot October day in Belize, banks of clouds roll across the sky as heat rises off the meadow outside my window. I'm typing in my office as we wait for visitors from the US Embassy to come and tour our school. It's a fairly important visit, as they can fund us, and our school is working hard to assure continued funding right now.

YES has been really tight for funds this year, and while it's been hard, it's also been teaching me. For instance, most of our girls don't eat regularly at home.They come to school hungry and can't concentrate, so we used to provide breakfast and lunch. However, we can't afford to anymore. When the day came for us to tell them there would be no food, one of the staff surprised us with a case of ramen noodles. There was enough for that whole week, and the girls all ate and were full. The next week, a man from the board donated some boxes of rice and beans. Then the cook, Miss Margaret, came in with fresh conch from her home in the Cayes. Up to date, there has been food on the table for the girls every day. The girls are starting, with some urging from staff, to take ownership as well, and are bringing in what they can - even a lime or a packet of coconut milk. I am learning that sometimes God's provision doesn't look like a big grant commitment or a huge international donor, but comes in the form of each of us giving a little so that we can have enough together. That said - keep praying the food keeps coming! (And, we wouldn't say no to any huge donors either if they happened to offer!)

A bright spot here is my community. I'll tell you a bit about each of the folks I share life/our home with:

Gina - She is from Missippi, and she loves to cook. I love her cooking, so that is working out well! Her work is as a librarian/teacher at the St. Martin's Parish School. She is very perceptive and a great person to debrief with after a long day at work, and has an excellent sense of humor.
Matt - Matt is very contentious, he will always stop to check in on how you are doing or what your opinions are during a community discussion. He is always ready to talk, which I really enjoy. He also writes multitudes of letters and works at the Prison with Jon.
Jon - He works at the prison with Matt, he is one of the two second year volunteers in our community. He is very good at meditating, and likes to share that with us, which is awesome. He looks out for us new volunteers and shares the deep thoughts and homemade popcorn he creates.
Christin - She is the other second  year volunteer, and one of the people who really help me feel at home here. She is good about asking how you really are, and she loves to sing so we get to sing together! She talks Kriol like a local and works coordinating the house building branch of a local ministry.
Jaret - Jaret is from California, and he did Intervarsity at his school. He likes to read, kill mosquitoes, and bake bread. Sometimes we go visit Churches together, which is a lot of fun. He is on the quieter side, with occasional bursts of insight and random humor - a good presence :)
Monique - Monique! We connected on our placement weekend way long ago, and she has been a wonderful friend ever since. She prays with me, which I really value, and we trade stories and help each other process, as well as laugh a lot together. She is from Hawai'i and loves baked goods :)

So, those are the folks I'm in community with. I'm glad to get to tell you a bit about them, since they are a big part of my life here. And, although our meetings can run long and grumpy and we sometimes struggle doing our chores, they are keeping me grounded and supported through this adventure, and I'm really glad for that!

This, of course, does not mean I miss any of you any less! You all are on my thoughts and in my prayers, and I send you love from Belize. And hugs :) Thanks for reading,

Peace,

Leigh Ann