No Rest for the Weary

Sometimes I feel like that is the mantra of a volunteer here in Benque. It kind of seems melodramatic and woe-is-me, but it's honestly just the truth. There really isn't a point to "get to" that means breathing for half a second because we always have something to take care of. That can really make it hard to remember to take care of yourself though, and thus we have the balancing act that every person faces. 

Not all the busyness is bad though. Yes, planning that retreat was exhausting but with a lot of grace and Kelley, we planned a day that didn't even go remotely as planned mostly due to the vast amounts of rain that poured from the skies. And it was perfect. Well, except for the outrageous amount of bug bites I got that day, but they are so disgusting and fiercely mean that I'm not even going to talk about them.

When we got back on campus after the retreat, we found out that the basketball games that were originally scheduled to be away had gotten moved to our home court! We were playing Mopan who our boys had just beaten on Wednesday, two days before, in a true nail biter. So Friday was a big deal and just as exciting, if not more so, as Wednesday's game. It was another game that came down to the wire, made up fouls were being called against us, the rain was pouring on the tin roof covering of the court. It was all quite theatrical. But our boys were great and the proud mom feeling surfaced once more.

Saturday was truly full of adventure, just for us volunteers! Our principal took us about an hour out of Benque to a family's farm (their nephew is one of our students). Now when I say farm, it's not quite what we think with cows and hay and a barn. They live in the bush. Straight up. They live with incredible simplicity yet they seem to have so much. We didn't get to explore a lot of their property because of the rain, but they have land with wild horses, a little boat to go out on the lake, treehouses, and 2 little boys who pretty much act like they are being raised in the wild which they kind of are. They're also only 5 and 7, so that's pretty typical for their age anyways. Well enough boring talking, how about some pictures!

 This was their kitchen. It was very spacious and had a picnic table inside where we ate our delicious lunch of barbeque chicken and flour tortillas.

 This is a giant house right by the kitchen hut. They rent to archaeologists who come and stay on their property which is how they make their living. Right now they're getting a fresh coat of paint on it while it's the slower season.

 Kelley and I being all wilderness-y.

 Miriam overseeing the BBQ though our boys did most of it, specifically Jack. She's really incredible though, with a German mother and Egyptian father, she grew up in Germany and traveled all around the world for her education and came to Belize to do field work for her thesis, fell in love and moved here. Pretty crazy. She rocks.

And here is our group photo semi-crashed by Rodolfo, our principal who decided his perfect spot would be on the cooler right in front. Evan, who's uncle owns the farm is also there.

Saturday night was fun because I was desperate for some introverted time, so Kelley and I went on a date in Cayo. While we were deciding where to eat, we saw the other whites (the student teachers) who invited us to join them since they had just sat down. We had a really great time eating with them especially since we hadn't seen most of them in a couple weeks. After we left them though, I realized how grateful I am for the community I have. Not that they are bad to be around or anything, but it just makes such a difference to be here with people who don't just see it as a job, who aren't just here for themselves. I don't know if that's making any sense. All you need to know is that it was one of those times where my tired anti-social self needed a break from the same 10 people I've been around for 3 months and when I did take a step back, I realized how much I love them. Yep, it's sentimental but there you go.

Sunday was much less outdoors, but still exciting because I got to take a nap! I spent most of the day planning my Sacraments class and rubbing Benadryl on my ankles and despising the rain. Oh! Sunday night was eventful because Belle, our dog, had her puppies! 3 little guys. She decided the best place to have them would be under the stairs outside which is of course right outside my bedroom window. Luckily, it was all over and done by 11, so Kelley and I could sleep peacefully. And the little guys were a great treat to wake up to!

The only bad thing about writing these posts after school is that it gets to a point where I really just want to pack up and go to dinner, so I don't always remember everything I meant to say. But those of you who know me well are probably going, "For the sake of everyone around you, go eat!" So I apologize for the million somethings I'm forgetting to mention.

Oh my gosh! Of course! Today my mom emailed me the flight confirmation for my parents coming to visit! They'll be coming down at the end of February, so I'm already praying that the rainy season will end a week or two early (March is when it usually ends). So that's my big news. I feel much more at ease about going to dinner.

St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us.

Totus Tuus, Maria.