More Thursday

Thursday, June 26, 2008

We met our host families last night. Jeanette and I (Alecia) are with Naomi and Brenda and their family- there are a lot of them! Brothers Evreal, Devane and Ashton, sisters Kayla and J’lynn. Their father died when they were very young. Their home is luxurious by Belizean standards. They have a refrigerator, freezer, clothes washer, TV, DVD player, and even cable. They are quiet and shy, and the youngest ones are not very interested. I wouldn’t be interested in two quiet adult ladies either, if I were their age. I seem to have lost all my charm but I’m still trying! I slept so well last night! Before bed, we went to a church celebration for a mission group from Minnesota. There were songs, preaching and some ceremony. It was hard not to feel an interloper because of the close, genial bonds they had clearly formed with one another over the years. The relationship this organization (mission) has with the village is long-standing and productive… certainly something to which we should aspire. Contemplating how best to implement this portion of our visit with kids is challenging. It will take considerable guidance and preparation, hand holding, reassuring… if I’m feeling less than confident I can only imagine how our sheltered, inexperienced children will feel. -- Alecia Berman-Dry