Reflections of Corozal, Belize
As I sit here tonight and think about the past few days of this incredible trip, there are so many thoughts going through my head that I really cannot bring them all together and will likely not write it all down. But the best part is that I will have the memories to remind me of so many things about Belize that I may never experience in the states.
The best “image” of this trip is not one single moment. It is the continuous beautiful smiles on the faces of the kids as they sit and wait at the field for our teams to drive up. No parents are there to bring them to the camps - or even pick them up. As a matter of fact, outside of the coaches’ kids, I met one mom who came twice to watch her son play briefly. These kids will smile when you encourage them, play with them, mess with them, and even when we would drive by at night taking some coaches back home after the day of camps. (I actually looked forward to getting back each night for some of the kids to run out of their house or ride by on their bike to see us (the “gringos” as we called). They have an inert desire to be shown attention (which is really no different than our own kids at home). The biggest difference that I have noted in their reactions when you encourage them is that they do not expect it, like so many of our kids do. They genuinely appreciate when you tell them what an awesome job they are doing - and they show it with their beautiful (bonita) smiles!!! That is definitely a favorite memory for me - and one that could get me back to Belize).
I have also learned a new definition for family and friend relationships. There is not a lot of TV, video games or other distractions that take kids away from their friends and family so much of the time. Most families are large in this part of the world, and they really look after each other. Many of them also stay in the same place all of their lives, so the family heritage is strong in this area. You can also tell that they value their friends, as the community thrives on relationships like this. I will do my best to not take advantage of my relationships in the future - learning from my San Narcisco and San Antonio friends.
Last but not least, I want to express to you what I have learned about “poverty”. All of my life, poverty has been described as materially-poor, not wealthy, low net worth, etc..... However, I have finally learned the true meaning of poverty - one who does not have happiness in life. Money and having more assets have proven over centuries that those things cannot make one happy. Actually, these items can put someone into poverty - having no spirit for life. The kids and friendly people this week have taught me that it does not take material things to make someone rich.
Belize is described as a third-world country. However, when I meet people on the street on my morning runs or greet people as we drive through, and of course, the “bonita” smiles of all the kids we came across, these Belizeans do not know the word poverty. This is all that most of them have ever experienced. Having little money, shacks for many of the homes, and small assets do not compare to the family and friend relationships that they value so much. I wish I could bottle up these smiles and bring them home with me. I know many days I wish I had their same “rich” outlook on life.
These are all memories that I will often reflect on as I pack up and fly back home. I hope that I can take the things that I have learned from these wonderful people and apply them each day going forward.
His humble servant,
Mark
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Not on My Watch!! (7/24/08)
As I draw closer to the end of my trip, I realized that as far as coming on a mission trip, I have not come down and "saved" anyone in particular. But the coolest thing did happen to me this morning that I want to share with you.
As I completed my run (a.k.a painful jog) this morning, I stopped at the bay to cool down and stretch. I saw a fisherman in the bay, throwing his net out. I went to speak to him and learn more about his fishing. After speaking with him for a few seconds, I looked down the bay wall and noticed a little dog trying to stand on a little space on the wall as it sloped (ever so slightly) into the water. It was not a normal place for any living thing to stand, with the water beating up against it and rising slowly. The man told me that someone threw the dog in the water down a few yards away to kill it. (Corozal is full of dogs......just not sure if there are owners for most of them.) That scene broke my heart. I could not stand there and wait for a dog to get washed up in the bay water to die.
I walked over to the bay wall and stood over the dog. He was obviously too far down to reach standing up. I tried to lean over the wall - no luck. I sat on the wall and reached down - still no luck. So I silently prayed that I would NOT fall into the bay to save this dog (as the dog would have fared better than me in that water) and locked my ankle on the wall and stretched down to grab some part of that dog. I grabbed he top part of his ear and made it down to his neck and yanked him up to the street - safe, sound and ALIVE!! He stood briefly for a second (as if to safe “Gracias amigo!) and took off down the street, with his tail tucked between his legs - to fight another day. I had completed my one heroic act during my mission down in Belize!!
That was a great way to end a morning jog!!!
I reflected more about that act this morning on my way back from San Narcisco, and it hit me that many of us are not that different from that dog.......actually at one point ALL of us were in the same position. There was no way that dog was going to survive that strong current of water that was crashing into the wall if someone did not save him. (Anyone could have done that particular act if they were in the right place at the right time. I was not special for this act.) But how different were we - or are we - from that dog if that hand did not reach down to save us. Jesus came to this earth for the specific reason to save us from eternal death. He came to reach His gentle, strong, loving hand down to this earth to save us from eternal death. All we have to do is have faith that He was not going to let go. Best part about that is - He did not and will not let go of us.
Now the next time I think twice about my hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock and not going on that AM run, I will remember that little pup and wonder if there was another opportunity for getting up more than another jog.
In Him,
Mark
PS - Dave and Delara.....The ASPCA might make me an honorary member after this save!!!
As I completed my run (a.k.a painful jog) this morning, I stopped at the bay to cool down and stretch. I saw a fisherman in the bay, throwing his net out. I went to speak to him and learn more about his fishing. After speaking with him for a few seconds, I looked down the bay wall and noticed a little dog trying to stand on a little space on the wall as it sloped (ever so slightly) into the water. It was not a normal place for any living thing to stand, with the water beating up against it and rising slowly. The man told me that someone threw the dog in the water down a few yards away to kill it. (Corozal is full of dogs......just not sure if there are owners for most of them.) That scene broke my heart. I could not stand there and wait for a dog to get washed up in the bay water to die.
I walked over to the bay wall and stood over the dog. He was obviously too far down to reach standing up. I tried to lean over the wall - no luck. I sat on the wall and reached down - still no luck. So I silently prayed that I would NOT fall into the bay to save this dog (as the dog would have fared better than me in that water) and locked my ankle on the wall and stretched down to grab some part of that dog. I grabbed he top part of his ear and made it down to his neck and yanked him up to the street - safe, sound and ALIVE!! He stood briefly for a second (as if to safe “Gracias amigo!) and took off down the street, with his tail tucked between his legs - to fight another day. I had completed my one heroic act during my mission down in Belize!!
That was a great way to end a morning jog!!!
I reflected more about that act this morning on my way back from San Narcisco, and it hit me that many of us are not that different from that dog.......actually at one point ALL of us were in the same position. There was no way that dog was going to survive that strong current of water that was crashing into the wall if someone did not save him. (Anyone could have done that particular act if they were in the right place at the right time. I was not special for this act.) But how different were we - or are we - from that dog if that hand did not reach down to save us. Jesus came to this earth for the specific reason to save us from eternal death. He came to reach His gentle, strong, loving hand down to this earth to save us from eternal death. All we have to do is have faith that He was not going to let go. Best part about that is - He did not and will not let go of us.
Now the next time I think twice about my hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock and not going on that AM run, I will remember that little pup and wonder if there was another opportunity for getting up more than another jog.
In Him,
Mark
PS - Dave and Delara.....The ASPCA might make me an honorary member after this save!!!
Barefoot Soccer (7/24/08)
After playing soccer as a youth for five years and coaching over a dozen different soccer teams for the past five years, I have finally come to really appreciate the game of soccer (futbol) more this week than I ever have - barefooted! I have grown up with having the all the appropriate gear for playing soccer - solid cleats (preferably new), quality shin guards, well-fitted socks, as well as matching apparel on the upper-body. But after playing with the kids from San Narcisco and San Antonio this week, I realized that those items are not required to play a good, beautiful game of soccer.
The bulk of our kids that have come out for each of the two camps have come to play with none of these items, such as cleats, socks or shin guards. However, they play amazing with their bare feet. On the 2nd day of the San Narcisco camp, I thought I would give it a shot and play barefooted as well. There really is no substitute. You really get the feel of the ball when you play, and these kids play amazingly well with no shoes. It is almost as if you are free of the items we take for granted and play like the game was intended to be played.
I have seen some great soccer players in the states, and even in our own community. The soccer here is so natural, and it is obvious that these players are in the right country and environment to let their gifts shine. (I just wish that I could play as well as them. Even the little ones were “schooling me” and putting this old man in his place on the field.)
The San Narcisco players are mostly Mestizo (Mexican-appearance) and play with full intensity. They are faces that I will have a hard time forgetting. (Hopefully when I get back home, I can save some of their pictures on the blog.) Those are the kids where I have spent the bulk of my time and have built the most relationships, since we are there for two hours each in the morning and afternoon.
The kids from San Antonio are a combination of Creole, Mestizo, Indian, and African. San Antonio is basically in what we would call the “projects”. It is one of the poorer sections of Corozal. However, when you see the kids and their smiles as we drive up with the soccer balls, you would never know they were poor, because they are definitely not poor in “life”. The younger kids there are also excellent futbol players - also barefooted - and have lots of potential. They just need to have the local support to continue what SportsServants has started.
I go back to the barefoot-soccer again. Like I mentioned above, these beautiful (bonita in Mestizo) kids leave off the things that hinder them from playing their sport so well. For those of us that have items that hinder us and bog us down from doing what we have a passion for could take many lessons from these little ones. I will make sure and make that more than a memory as I return home.
His Servant,
Mark (Marco in Mestizo)
The bulk of our kids that have come out for each of the two camps have come to play with none of these items, such as cleats, socks or shin guards. However, they play amazing with their bare feet. On the 2nd day of the San Narcisco camp, I thought I would give it a shot and play barefooted as well. There really is no substitute. You really get the feel of the ball when you play, and these kids play amazingly well with no shoes. It is almost as if you are free of the items we take for granted and play like the game was intended to be played.
I have seen some great soccer players in the states, and even in our own community. The soccer here is so natural, and it is obvious that these players are in the right country and environment to let their gifts shine. (I just wish that I could play as well as them. Even the little ones were “schooling me” and putting this old man in his place on the field.)
The San Narcisco players are mostly Mestizo (Mexican-appearance) and play with full intensity. They are faces that I will have a hard time forgetting. (Hopefully when I get back home, I can save some of their pictures on the blog.) Those are the kids where I have spent the bulk of my time and have built the most relationships, since we are there for two hours each in the morning and afternoon.
The kids from San Antonio are a combination of Creole, Mestizo, Indian, and African. San Antonio is basically in what we would call the “projects”. It is one of the poorer sections of Corozal. However, when you see the kids and their smiles as we drive up with the soccer balls, you would never know they were poor, because they are definitely not poor in “life”. The younger kids there are also excellent futbol players - also barefooted - and have lots of potential. They just need to have the local support to continue what SportsServants has started.
I go back to the barefoot-soccer again. Like I mentioned above, these beautiful (bonita in Mestizo) kids leave off the things that hinder them from playing their sport so well. For those of us that have items that hinder us and bog us down from doing what we have a passion for could take many lessons from these little ones. I will make sure and make that more than a memory as I return home.
His Servant,
Mark (Marco in Mestizo)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Infamous Boat Ride to Corozal Town (7/20/2008)
The Boat Ride from San Pedro
I cannot leave this day without reminiscing about the infamous boat ride from San Pedro to Corozal. Many of you reading this know how thrifty (basically miserly and downright cheap-skates) that Jennifer and I are. So I chose to take the 2-hour boat ride with Wes, Presh and Melanie on Sunday. It saved me $35 over the 15-minute plane ride for $60. After 2 hours into it, our SS crew was re-thinking our decision.
I was expecting a nice, leisurely ride across the bay and enjoy the scenery and the "relaxation". The other three had taken the boat to San Pedro on Friday, and they said what a smooth, relaxing ride it was. So I expected the same. The storm that was in front of us churned the water and sent our boat everywhere. Many times we thought the boat was going to flip over, and it was obvious that we "Americans" were the only ones on the boat that were unsettled with the whole situation and thought we were "done for"!!
After two hours into the trip, I switched seats to look towards the back of the boat, and I caught the faces of those from Corozal, and they were not affected at all. So that told me that we were pretty safe - or that if anything happened, we were relaxed up until that point.
Then I caught the faces of the prettiest little Belizean girls in the back. Neither of them were over two years old. Were they crying? Were they hanging on their mother's necks screaming for the boat to stop? Peacefully no. They were sitting up in the window, watching the water go by, and waving and smiling to me and others on the boat.
If there was ever a picture of "childlike faith"", it rung true to me on that boat ride. I realized that the faces of those two little Belizean girls are exactly what Our Father wants us to rest in - His love, support and assurance that all is well with Him. But instead of relying on His hands to protect us, we think we can control any situation on our own. Then what happens when the boat sends us all over the water - unsettling. That is what so many of us have settled on in our lives. We have to get back to childlike faith and rest in Him.
BTW - If the four of us ever get the chance again to choose between the boat and the plane, we may be a little looser with our fingers of that extra $35 and take to the skies!!!
His Servant!
Mark
I cannot leave this day without reminiscing about the infamous boat ride from San Pedro to Corozal. Many of you reading this know how thrifty (basically miserly and downright cheap-skates) that Jennifer and I are. So I chose to take the 2-hour boat ride with Wes, Presh and Melanie on Sunday. It saved me $35 over the 15-minute plane ride for $60. After 2 hours into it, our SS crew was re-thinking our decision.
I was expecting a nice, leisurely ride across the bay and enjoy the scenery and the "relaxation". The other three had taken the boat to San Pedro on Friday, and they said what a smooth, relaxing ride it was. So I expected the same. The storm that was in front of us churned the water and sent our boat everywhere. Many times we thought the boat was going to flip over, and it was obvious that we "Americans" were the only ones on the boat that were unsettled with the whole situation and thought we were "done for"!!
After two hours into the trip, I switched seats to look towards the back of the boat, and I caught the faces of those from Corozal, and they were not affected at all. So that told me that we were pretty safe - or that if anything happened, we were relaxed up until that point.
Then I caught the faces of the prettiest little Belizean girls in the back. Neither of them were over two years old. Were they crying? Were they hanging on their mother's necks screaming for the boat to stop? Peacefully no. They were sitting up in the window, watching the water go by, and waving and smiling to me and others on the boat.
If there was ever a picture of "childlike faith"", it rung true to me on that boat ride. I realized that the faces of those two little Belizean girls are exactly what Our Father wants us to rest in - His love, support and assurance that all is well with Him. But instead of relying on His hands to protect us, we think we can control any situation on our own. Then what happens when the boat sends us all over the water - unsettling. That is what so many of us have settled on in our lives. We have to get back to childlike faith and rest in Him.
BTW - If the four of us ever get the chance again to choose between the boat and the plane, we may be a little looser with our fingers of that extra $35 and take to the skies!!!
His Servant!
Mark
Arrival to Belize and San Pedro (7/19/2008)
Arrival to Belize
I arrived at San Pedro on Saturday afternoon to an awesome (and very tired) Welcome SportServants Gang. The SS team used the weekend to recuperate from a very tiring week of clinics with the coaches and kids. After spending one day at a couple of clinics, I can easily see why the team needed a couple of days of rest and siesta's!!
To many of you I noted before I left for Belize that I was not spiritually-prepared for what I was stepping into, and I requested that you pray for me in that specific regard. After many months of excitement and anticipation, the trip came, and I realized that I had not spent the proper time in prayer and meditation for this project. After I spent one day in San Pedro, I realized that My Father knew that I needed a couple of days like this before stepping onto that soccer field with His Kids.
I wanted a book to read for the week, and Friday night (very late with packing), I could not locate the book that i wanted to bring down here. So after a few minutes of searching I came across an older book by Chuck Swindoll Simple Faith (an oldie-but-goody). I "settled" on this one figuring that "Oh well, I guess it will be a decent read", and "I might just try and finish a book for once". Man, it is amazing how He works His plan into our "settling" for something. This was the book that I needed to get me spiritually-prepared for the trip to Belize. The book focuses on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (His first big preaching moment......the one that could "make or break" His ministry) in Matthew 5-7. In His sermon, He lays out our walk of following Him. He explains what it will be like for those who choose to follow Him, and He lays out basic principles of daily living - and SO against the world's perception of "success" today. But the items that really stuck out to me were two basic principles - the Beattitudes and "salt and light". After spending 7 weeks with my One Goal flag football team going over how THEY needed to understand what Jesus meant with his principles of living like Him, I now had the opportunity to live them amongst coaches and children I had never met. I was so pumped about His Timing of this lesson to me. Then the next thing that hit me was the discussion on "salt and light". Christ did not say to go out and shine my light and make the world shine around you. But He desires us to live humbly (poor in spirit), seeking His righteousness and to let Him flow through us by living out our daily life - with Him shining the way for us and allowing them to taste of His love for them.
The kids that I will come across this week are going to be very "people-intelligent". They will know what each coach is like, even a new one that comes in for the last week of camps. I need to understand that every action, word and thought is going to be seen by these kids. What thoughts do I want to leave behind when I come home - ones of selfishness where MY light shines or that one of a humble servant where I succumb to the light that He shines around me? That is the true light that others are drawn towards.
I leave that as a primary goal for this week. No other human expectations that I have set before my trip matter before that.
BTW - I actually finished the book today - 250 pages!!! That is a feat in and of itself!!! :)
I arrived at San Pedro on Saturday afternoon to an awesome (and very tired) Welcome SportServants Gang. The SS team used the weekend to recuperate from a very tiring week of clinics with the coaches and kids. After spending one day at a couple of clinics, I can easily see why the team needed a couple of days of rest and siesta's!!
To many of you I noted before I left for Belize that I was not spiritually-prepared for what I was stepping into, and I requested that you pray for me in that specific regard. After many months of excitement and anticipation, the trip came, and I realized that I had not spent the proper time in prayer and meditation for this project. After I spent one day in San Pedro, I realized that My Father knew that I needed a couple of days like this before stepping onto that soccer field with His Kids.
I wanted a book to read for the week, and Friday night (very late with packing), I could not locate the book that i wanted to bring down here. So after a few minutes of searching I came across an older book by Chuck Swindoll Simple Faith (an oldie-but-goody). I "settled" on this one figuring that "Oh well, I guess it will be a decent read", and "I might just try and finish a book for once". Man, it is amazing how He works His plan into our "settling" for something. This was the book that I needed to get me spiritually-prepared for the trip to Belize. The book focuses on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (His first big preaching moment......the one that could "make or break" His ministry) in Matthew 5-7. In His sermon, He lays out our walk of following Him. He explains what it will be like for those who choose to follow Him, and He lays out basic principles of daily living - and SO against the world's perception of "success" today. But the items that really stuck out to me were two basic principles - the Beattitudes and "salt and light". After spending 7 weeks with my One Goal flag football team going over how THEY needed to understand what Jesus meant with his principles of living like Him, I now had the opportunity to live them amongst coaches and children I had never met. I was so pumped about His Timing of this lesson to me. Then the next thing that hit me was the discussion on "salt and light". Christ did not say to go out and shine my light and make the world shine around you. But He desires us to live humbly (poor in spirit), seeking His righteousness and to let Him flow through us by living out our daily life - with Him shining the way for us and allowing them to taste of His love for them.
The kids that I will come across this week are going to be very "people-intelligent". They will know what each coach is like, even a new one that comes in for the last week of camps. I need to understand that every action, word and thought is going to be seen by these kids. What thoughts do I want to leave behind when I come home - ones of selfishness where MY light shines or that one of a humble servant where I succumb to the light that He shines around me? That is the true light that others are drawn towards.
I leave that as a primary goal for this week. No other human expectations that I have set before my trip matter before that.
BTW - I actually finished the book today - 250 pages!!! That is a feat in and of itself!!! :)
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