One of the things people do not always consider when moving to the tropics is routine maintenance. Here is an example – On Sunday I was looking for cooler to take to the beach and found many of the zippers were stuck. Within the last 6 months I had done my routine maintenance and used some coconut oil to make sure they were all working well, now most of them need to be re-oiled. A second example would be, the rust that keeps trying to form in the grooves of our cutlery.

Another strange phenomenon that happens here is cheap plastic breakdown, lost count of the times I have gone to pick something up and had a piece break off in my hand.

San Pedro Belize weather report –  still on the cool side, but it looks bright and sunny out there.  I am guessing it may be a few degrees warmer on the street. Planning an afternoon walk to snap some pictures and not sure if I will go south on beach or back road. My Radio is charged, will get Camera now for a bit.

Tropical Living Tip

In some cases it is better to loan something out than not use it. We did not use our spare tv for about 3 months and when I recently loaned it to Dick, the picture took a while to come in clear. The good news  was, after a days use it was working fine. Had I not loaned him the tv, it likely would have deteriorated more by the time we got to using it.

Hot sunny day

Sunset flight

Palm tree tunnel

Thanksgiving at Holy Cross Anglican School

Although not an official celebration in Belize, we asked some of our Std 3 (approx 5th grade) students what they were thankful for. Here are some of their replies:

“I am thankful for the library and computer lab, and for the sports balls and netballs and the food. I am thankful for the principal and the school and for all your time.” Damaris

“I am thankful for the food,the love, the caring, the books, pencils, footballs, softballs, the posters and for all your time!” Stephanie

“I am thankful for the education I received and for the food you give us. Thank you for the shoes and for the books and for the good teachers. Thank you for all you give us. You are the best.” Mercy

“I am thankful for the water, because when I am thirsty I can go to the cafeteria.” Julia (when was the last time someone was thankful just for water??)

“I am thankful for the lunch room at Holy Cross because the other schools do not have this. The food is nice and the juice is delicious.” Aaliyah

This last one just had to be included… “I am thankful for my lunch that they give me free because when you don’t have money to pay the bathroom or lunch they will still let you use the bathroom or eat or lunch. And when you don’t have any shoes you have to go to the office and ask for one and they give it to you and tell you mind it!” (no name).

Feeding program still needs urgent support.
I’d like to thank all of you who have donated already for our most important ministry at Holy Cross – the feeding program,where we give a nutritious lunch to every child at the school. But this program still requires urgent and ongoing support. To help, please go to Holy Cross Education Foundation Corporate Matching Program page to set up a regular $15 donation. Do it before 31 Dec and your first contribution will be matched dollar for dollar!

Better yet – do you know a business, church organization, Rotary or club that might be interested in supporting the school? We’ve created this great brochure that tells people all about us. Please email me volunteerbelize[at]gmail.com for a copy to print pass on to your friends – you never know who is looking for something important to be a part of.

The power of volunteering in Belize
Volunteer teams play a huge role in helping Holy Cross impact the lives of local children. And because San Pedro is such a safe place – and English speaking, it’s an ideal destination even for youth groups.

Right now we are looking for teams or individuals to volunteer in the following areas:

Construction: Volunteers (Individuals or teams) needed from January – July to work on a Cistern to collect rainwater, as well as other projects around the school.

Vacation bible school: We’re seeking teams to run Vacation Bible school for the children over the summer holidays. This is a lot of fun, and a great way to interact with kids. Some experience in running a VBS is a great but not essential skill.

Remedial reading and math: Throughout the year we’re open to anyone with the amazing skill of teaching a child to read. We’re especially looking for teachers who can help with a summer school over the first two or three weeks of July (you’ll be with an experienced volunteer).

If this sounds interesting to you, or if you’d like to find out more about the many ways of volunteering at Holy Cross school, then read Belize Mission Trip document which will give you lots of useful information. Don’t forget to contact the school too!

We also welcome Visitors – so if you’d like to see the school or have a friend coming to Belize who you think would be interested – then feel free to drop in and say hello. Better yet bring along one of the items from our wishlist too.

Once again, thank you one and all for your ongoing support of Holy Cross School.

We wish you all the best for this holiday season.

Sincerely,

Lydia Brown
Holy Cross Anglican School