Belize Mission Trip Secrets

Thinking about joining us for a real adventure next summer?  Here are a few things you might enjoy seeing as you prepare to serve the people of Belize.

Here's the secret.  Are you ready?  We love to serve with love, sweat and tears.  But then, we like to have fun.  Is that right up your alley?  Then you need to join us next summer.
June 22nd - June 30th or June 29th - July 7th

At the moment, we have spots on both trips available but they are filling quickly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrd9l9tz65U&feature=context-cha

Here's what you need to do.
1)  Email conniea@highlandcorp.com to let Connie know you plan to attend
2)  Fill out the trip application http://www.dream514.com/site/trips/trips.html
3)  Send it to Connie Adcox, 622 Darbytown Road, Hohenwald, TN  38462 with a $100 deposit to secure your spot.

If you want either the 1st week or 2nd week, please indicate this on your application in the trip dates.

Barefoot in Belize

Have you ever thought about your shoes?  What difference do they make in your everyday life?  Personally, I hate walking without shoes.  As soon as I wake up in the morning my flip flops are on the floor beside the bed, exactly where I left them as I crawled into my comfy bed.  A simple pair of shoes makes my life more complete.  I wear them to run.  I wear them to drive.  I wear them to go to the mailbox.  I even wear them to shower if I am somewhere with less than adequate shower facilities.  I don't know about you, but my shoe supply is overflowing from my closet and working into the floor of my bathroom.

How would I feel without a pair of shoes as I walked into the school with all my friends?  Many of the Belize students walk into school with the most torn and tattered shoes you have ever seen in your life.  Have you ever tried to walk successfully in a pair of cheap flip flops in the rain and mud?  Here's what I would do - I would take the shoes off and walk in the mud barefoot.  What's in all of that mud anyway?  In a country where a decent bathroom is not the norm, you must wonder...

That is what some of our Belize friends experience daily.   This is why we work so hard to help them get the things they need for their simple health.

Walking barefoot in the U.S. is sometime a pleasure.  Walking barefoot in a Third-World Country is a health hazard.

Jenny

Making a visable difference in Belize

One thing we all noticed this year on our trip to visit Belize was that the children were improving in so many ways.  They were cleaner.  Their hair was brushed.  They had improved school attendance.  They had better grades.  They smiled more.  They held their head higher.  Their self-confidence was better.  They were proud of themselves.  They aspired to keep dreaming.......

Apologies

I can't believe I would ever have taken on the challenge of writing the trip blog again!  I'm so sorry I just couldn't muster up the energy after the long days of work.  The next trip I will have a different plan!  I know we've got writers on our trip.  I think I might could have completed the task if I was able to set up the iphone app.  But, I never could get it to not recognize my personal blog email address.  Oh well....

clinic day 2

What a day!  The Ladyville community was overwhelmed with Dream514 medical teams and educational teams throughout the community.  The clinic was so busy with the people of the community young and old.  Several of our team went out to do a few home visits with some of the most needy.  One older man was being abused and he weighed 70 lbs.  One young girl they picked up along side the road and she was passed out from dehydration.

I asked Lilly was there anything that surprised her - YES! she said there was a bigger lady with a baby and she just started feeding the baby right there - YEP, forgot to warn her about that.  You see a lot of babies being fed.  I never think anything about it until I see the teenagers on our trip.  I should always remind them!

Headed to Bermeaudian Landing this morning and dentist team going to prison. It's going to be hot today!  After lunch we are heading to Belmopan. 
jenny

Good news

Good news - seems they have found a way for Brian to practice Wednesday and Thursday.  So today I'm sending he and Doug Kinnard to do home visits for Dream514 children.  This is something we desperately need to do and I'm so glad they are willing.  It will be rewarding to meet the families and see where the children live.

So - it's off to breakfast.  Clinic set up by 8:30 and ready to run has been rough!  We aren't used to someone telling us to be there at a certain time.  So we leave here about 7:45 , which is 6:45 to most of us. 
Here we go!
jenny

clinic day 1

Today was an adventure.  An adventure in lessons about patience for the entire team.  We knew this year has been incredibly difficult in terms of organization.  Connie has just about pulled her hair out and I think today she probably nearly came unglued.  After months and months of sending all the medical licenses, passports, social security numbers, place of employment, etc, etc, etc the government decides our dentist can't practice.  That was after a trip to get equipment to do fillings and restorations instead of pulling teeth. As disappointing as it is, we hope it might just be for today.  At the end of the day, they called the "higher ups" and said he might be able to practice tomorrow.  Everything here takes forever.  I mean forever.  Something so easy turns into a very difficult and out of our control situation.  So, Connie waits by her cell phone and hope it takes a better turn.  We try to do everything by the books.  We do whatever they ask of us.  We get all the proper approvals.

So, we just know it is out of our control until we hear something. 

Everything else seems to be moving along.  This is the first time ever that the Ministry of Health has come into our clinic.  They made us use their pharmacist working alongside our pharmacist, which we knew beforehand.  It worked well.  Tomorrow we go to Ladyville village and set up in the community building.  Last year this was one of the busy days.  We hope it is busy this year as well.  Ladyville is just outside of Belize City and a very needy community.

Jon Amonette has been busy taking great photos on our trip - he is able to capture some amazing moments.
Many of our team members sponsor children in the areas in which we work.  It is so nice to see them connect for the first time.  There are many memories made during those few moments each year.
 They are always bringing half their suitcase full of stuff for the kids.  I know I always pack as much as possible and when we get here, I wish I had brought more!  

As we visit some of the homes and spend a little time there, you start to think this is ok living conditions.  Then it gets dark.  No electricity.  Then your clothes are dirty and you wash them for half the morning.  Your closet (hanging rack) is hanging above your sofa with 2 small uniforms and 1 little dress.  You walk on rocky roads everywhere with bad shoes carrying your newborn.  When it rains your house gets wet inside - really wet.  There are no mattress covers.  Sometimes no mattress. 

Each day we should be thankful. 
jenny

People are people

It's Sunday here and this morning our entire team was looking good until about 9:30. When church starts, we start melting. Our bible class teachers were winging it and it was a ton of kids out today for Dream514 Sunday. It was so refreshing to see all of their smiling faces after a year. Many hugs and familiar greetings from friend to friend. The bridge. It's a bridge connecting two countries. Our team visited, talked and played with the kids as we met together. We sung a little "when we all get to heaven" and took communion with them. We are all Gods people. Belize or U.S. it makes no difference. All one. Everyone has their troubles, it just might be in different ways. I gave advice to a crying parent...same struggles everywhere. We discussed one young man's future in school...same struggles everywhere. We taught about Jesus helping and loving us in hard times...same struggles everywhere. It's the only way we can get through to the next day. Jesus and support of our Christian friends along the way. Our team saw kids in green dream514 tshirts today on the outside. Once they dig a little...it's the same struggles everywhere. That's why we are here. Love god, love people. It was a good day.

Team safe arrival Belize 2012

It's nice to be back here in Belize! We all arrived safely after traveling all day. I then proceeded to break the team in good as we packed backpacks for 2 hours! As we prepared for bed I thought back and said "those poor people.". I know everyone came to work, but I'm hard on them. They all graciously helped and we packed over 200 bags!

Lincoln Jones Awarded Parent of the Year at Belize Rural High School

Our own minister in Burrell Boom, Lincoln Jones, was awarded Parent of the Year for the school - Belize Rural High School!  Being involved in the schools and community is so important in the life of a family and church.  Congratulations Lincoln!

Congratulations to our Graduates

Congratulations to our 2 Dream514 Graduates this Year!  Monique and Jovannie are both very bright students - Monique was the Salutatorian and Jovannie was 5th in the class.  They are well on their way to success and both are attending college next year!

What happened last Saturday at Burrell Boom Church of Christ?  Some of the girls learned to sew...here they are modeling their new frock.

Sponsored Students love mail!

It makes a child's day when they receive mail from you.  Please if you get a chance, send them a short letter.  Pictures are also wonderful.  They will cherish them - I promise!

Our team will be leaving on Saturday morning, June 23rd.

Drop letters in the Dream514 mailbox at Maury Hills by Friday at 12 noon.  You can also mail ASAP if you want us to take the envelope.
Maury Hills Church
c/o Dream514/student's name
101 Unity Lane
Columbia, TN 38401

Wednesday night services

 Each Wednesday there are many children out in Burrell Boom for Worship services!  They get a snack each week as well.  Many of the children have sores on their feet from walking in the mud from the rainy season.  Hope to provide some healing next week in our medical clinics!

You can see Khristal Jones, Lincoln and Margarita's daughter, teaching the young kids.  If you live in Columbia, TN you might have seen her at Maury Hills with Connie Adcox.  She is attending Lipscomb where she will graduate with her degree next year.  She is a great example to all the students in our Burrell Boom Dream514 location! 

Khristal teaching the Burrell Boom children

Burrell Boom Construction

Our Partners in Burrell Boom, Lincoln and Margarita Jones, currently live about 30 minutes from their work in Burrell Boom.  They have been wanting to move closer to the community in which they work because sometimes they are there 2-3 trips+ a day.  Their dream is coming true.  They are starting the house and wiring some electricity.  Yesterday the cement truck was stuck in the mud due to the large amounts of rain as of late so I'm sure they spent wasted time waiting on it to be pulled out.  They tried a load of sand for a driveway - challenges, challenges.  Each step is difficult!  If you've been to Belize you know what I mean!  Our friends in Arkansas are leading this effort and some of you may have contributed to the effort.  I know they appreciate your contributions!