June in brief...
What June in England signifies (or at least, has done in my privileged life up to now, especially the last three summers):-
Long days and short nights. The arrival of sunshine, if you are lucky. The chance to wear a dress without freezing. The chance to take a dip in the sea, also without freezing. The thwack of willow on leather, the sight of rain at Wimbledon, the news of an England tail order collapse. Occasional football hysteria. Strawberries and cream. Pimms. Garden parties, picnics, walks. Fruit picking. The end of exams, and consequently, laziness. Boats. Tourists. Sitting outside in a beer garden, drinking lemonade (definitely not cider :P). BBQs.
My June in Belize:-
Roughly the same amount of daylight as every other day. Rain (actually not that much, though). More heat and humidity than normal. The necessity of wearing a dress, otherwise I might boil over. Obsessive checking of the hurricane outlook (OK, maybe I'm more obsessive than most because I'm trying to be a budding meteorologist...). Watching my first ever basketball match (well I only watched the last quarter-and-a-half; technically three eighths, yes) on TV, so I now vaguely understand references to Cody Bryant. Mangoes, delicious, and yet so plentiful its hard to stop them rotting in the fruit bowl without making yourself sick. The departure of many people on holiday. The arrival of many more Americans etc than normal, mostly here on volunteering or mission trips. A church anniversary and associated activities. The end of term and the beginning of a month of busy-ness with vacation activities (summer camp and vacation bible schools.) Graduations to come out of your ears, for all primary and secondary schools (I've just been to two, I think...important people in churches/schools go to many more). Roughly the same amount of BBQs as normal.
Please pray for the Methodist Camp; we go next Monday and return the following Monday. Not actually under canvas- we sleep (on the floor, yes) in Methodist schools. I'm going to the one for juniors, age 7-13; I anticipate being exhausted. Lots still to do, which is a bit scary, and lots of resources still to chase. Pray that all will be organised and go smoothly and that children will have an AWESOME time and grow closer to God. Seniors (13+) are looking at different types of 'love' and how love is absent in society, so again, prayers they will really learn stuff and that we'll be able to have some positive and lasting influence in contrast to negative influences (same here as everywhere, but in many cases accentuated!!!)
Love to all in England (and anywhere else you may be).
PS- non-Belizean news- I'm going to be in Reading from the beginning of October, i.e. about three weeks after I return, studying Meteorology. hence comments above.
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Hot , sticky, buggy and beautiful
...Just about sums this country up at the moment. Well, the beautiful only describes bits of it perhaps, but anyway.
Last weekend we enjoyed a long weekend in the hills of Cayo district. The weather obviously recognising us as Brits on holiday (or more likely as a consequence of its being rainy season) it rained, quite a lot. So one day of the 'holiday' was spent climbing Mayan ruins with nervous eyes on the skies. A second was spent by Maggie, relaxing, and by me, walking through tropical forests and three rivers in the POURING rain and then into caves which, although obviously protected from precipitation, are generally about waistdeep in water anyway. Needless to say I had a wonderful time! On my return I watched the rain and swam in a pool, again in the pouring rain. On the third day we intended to go up into the mountains but were put off by the weather...so made the decision not to go, at which point the weather cleared up. But we made the best of it and went to the zoo!
I did then get back to work. Teaching English, and my time in Wesley College, are both pretty much done so the focus is shifting to summer activities, when teams come in from the states to help run vacation bible schools and do various work, while the Methodist Church here runs two camps; one for 7-12s and one for 13+. I'm spending lots of my time making schedules, manuals and other necessary plans for the younger age group. It runs for a week and starts at the end of June, so it is close now!
This week we are having a fundraiser to raise money for two chaperones going, along with around 20 young people, to Youth Encuentro, a conference held for all the Methodist Churches in The Caribbean and Central America every four years. This year it is in Trinidad at the end of July. The fundraiser is selling party bags again...1500 this time, with sweets and cupcakes and chips (crisps) and things. So yesterday, once again, we made 100 cupcakes in our little flat. I note that the ability to bake mass quantities of cupcakes was NOT one of the main things I expected to learn in Belize. But it's not altogether a bad skill to learn.
Talking of the unexpected, I had an interesting Friday night. I had received a text message midweek asking if I could sing (as part of my choir, obviously!) the national anthem at an event at the Biltmore plaza (a posh hotel, basically!)
I always feel a bit awkward singing the Belizean national anthem (which I now know as well as if not better than the British one) since I can't help thinking that the lines about driving back tyrants, invaders and despots could be interpreted as referring to the English, although actually I don't think this is the case (unless applied to Lord Ashcroft!!!) Anyway, the event was the inauguration of a Belizean woman into the International Softball Hall of Fame, which was still more awkward because I knew nothing about softball and even comparing it to baseball didn't enlighten me much. Anyway, we got free two course dinner, and a glass of something sparkly, and listened to lots of speeches by important softball people and government ministers. And there were pretty flowers. And, I was COLD because of the air conditioning. I felt very, very jammy.
Last weekend we enjoyed a long weekend in the hills of Cayo district. The weather obviously recognising us as Brits on holiday (or more likely as a consequence of its being rainy season) it rained, quite a lot. So one day of the 'holiday' was spent climbing Mayan ruins with nervous eyes on the skies. A second was spent by Maggie, relaxing, and by me, walking through tropical forests and three rivers in the POURING rain and then into caves which, although obviously protected from precipitation, are generally about waistdeep in water anyway. Needless to say I had a wonderful time! On my return I watched the rain and swam in a pool, again in the pouring rain. On the third day we intended to go up into the mountains but were put off by the weather...so made the decision not to go, at which point the weather cleared up. But we made the best of it and went to the zoo!
I did then get back to work. Teaching English, and my time in Wesley College, are both pretty much done so the focus is shifting to summer activities, when teams come in from the states to help run vacation bible schools and do various work, while the Methodist Church here runs two camps; one for 7-12s and one for 13+. I'm spending lots of my time making schedules, manuals and other necessary plans for the younger age group. It runs for a week and starts at the end of June, so it is close now!
This week we are having a fundraiser to raise money for two chaperones going, along with around 20 young people, to Youth Encuentro, a conference held for all the Methodist Churches in The Caribbean and Central America every four years. This year it is in Trinidad at the end of July. The fundraiser is selling party bags again...1500 this time, with sweets and cupcakes and chips (crisps) and things. So yesterday, once again, we made 100 cupcakes in our little flat. I note that the ability to bake mass quantities of cupcakes was NOT one of the main things I expected to learn in Belize. But it's not altogether a bad skill to learn.
Talking of the unexpected, I had an interesting Friday night. I had received a text message midweek asking if I could sing (as part of my choir, obviously!) the national anthem at an event at the Biltmore plaza (a posh hotel, basically!)
I always feel a bit awkward singing the Belizean national anthem (which I now know as well as if not better than the British one) since I can't help thinking that the lines about driving back tyrants, invaders and despots could be interpreted as referring to the English, although actually I don't think this is the case (unless applied to Lord Ashcroft!!!) Anyway, the event was the inauguration of a Belizean woman into the International Softball Hall of Fame, which was still more awkward because I knew nothing about softball and even comparing it to baseball didn't enlighten me much. Anyway, we got free two course dinner, and a glass of something sparkly, and listened to lots of speeches by important softball people and government ministers. And there were pretty flowers. And, I was COLD because of the air conditioning. I felt very, very jammy.
Sunday, 16 May 2010
Aldersgate
"What?" I hear you ask.
And unless you are a Methodist, this is quite a reasonable response. Even if you are a Methodist, in fact, it is a reasonable response, but probably shouldn't be!
So; Aldersgate celebrates the occasion, on 24th May 1738, when John Wesley felt his heart 'strangely warmed' (this should explain the Cambridge Methsoc hoodies bearing the legend, 'John Wesley, strangely warmed. Cambridge Methsoc, warmly strange'.) He was, prior to this time, lacking full conviction in his faith, and so it celebrated at his conversion.
In England you're lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at things) if this gets mentioned at all, but in the MCCA (Methodist Church of the Caribbean and Americas) it is a BIG DEAL. But next week the district president is away at a connexional conference celebrating 250 years of Methodism in the Caribbean, and plus, there is a national holiday. So we celebrated a week early. Which means that I was in church for five hours this morning, with singspiration, followed by a drama (in which I took a small role as John Wesley) and quiz on Methodism in the Caribbean, and then a communion service. And then lunch, but I didn't factor that into my five hours! It was a combined service for two circuits- eight congregations- so there were lots there.
My latest estimate is that I sang 19 Charles Wesley hymns (3 as choir items, 5 as hymns during worship, 8 during communion I think but not totally sure they were all Wesley, and at least 3 in 'singspiration' at the beginning of proceedings).
One of the more obscure ones had the first line 'None is like Jeshurun's God', and anyone who can tell me who Jeshurun is (and convince me they didn't just look it up in a concordance) can have their choice of Marie Sharpe's hot pepper sauce, OneBarrel rum, or Mango Jam, on my return. But since no-one will successfully convince me that they didn't look it up in a concordance, this is an empty promise!
Hope all is well with all in England
Caroline
And unless you are a Methodist, this is quite a reasonable response. Even if you are a Methodist, in fact, it is a reasonable response, but probably shouldn't be!
So; Aldersgate celebrates the occasion, on 24th May 1738, when John Wesley felt his heart 'strangely warmed' (this should explain the Cambridge Methsoc hoodies bearing the legend, 'John Wesley, strangely warmed. Cambridge Methsoc, warmly strange'.) He was, prior to this time, lacking full conviction in his faith, and so it celebrated at his conversion.
In England you're lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at things) if this gets mentioned at all, but in the MCCA (Methodist Church of the Caribbean and Americas) it is a BIG DEAL. But next week the district president is away at a connexional conference celebrating 250 years of Methodism in the Caribbean, and plus, there is a national holiday. So we celebrated a week early. Which means that I was in church for five hours this morning, with singspiration, followed by a drama (in which I took a small role as John Wesley) and quiz on Methodism in the Caribbean, and then a communion service. And then lunch, but I didn't factor that into my five hours! It was a combined service for two circuits- eight congregations- so there were lots there.
My latest estimate is that I sang 19 Charles Wesley hymns (3 as choir items, 5 as hymns during worship, 8 during communion I think but not totally sure they were all Wesley, and at least 3 in 'singspiration' at the beginning of proceedings).
One of the more obscure ones had the first line 'None is like Jeshurun's God', and anyone who can tell me who Jeshurun is (and convince me they didn't just look it up in a concordance) can have their choice of Marie Sharpe's hot pepper sauce, OneBarrel rum, or Mango Jam, on my return. But since no-one will successfully convince me that they didn't look it up in a concordance, this is an empty promise!
Hope all is well with all in England
Caroline
Monday, 10 May 2010
long time no blog
HI
actually the title is a lie, I've been doing lots of frivolous blogging next door in my squawking land, but I did promise I'd keep this one going too.
So, from Easter through to last weekend (so that's about a month) things settled into a bit of a routine. I've properly taken over the English teaching, so am trying to think what I'm actually trying to achieve rather than doing it on a lesson by lesson basis! The range of abilities continues to be the greatest challenge.
When I've finished teaching there I generally go into Wesley College, either observing maths lessons or helping with assessments. The class sizes are really big and the classrooms are pretty bare and small- it must be quite a challenge teaching. I've seen quite a lot of the Methodist primary schools, too, and the difference between those in the city and those in the country is marked; to make a sweeping generalisation, the city ones have resources but no space at all, and the country ones have space but no resources. Lots of mission teams come down from the States, so I guess it's just ongoing prayers that are needed that resources and skills get to the right places (although it does tend to happen quite well, since there are people on the ground- notably, Maggie- making sure it does!)
We've had a few particular activities; youth week, with a sports day, bible quiz, youth forum and talent night, kept us very busy back in mid April, as did a service for the young people up in Corozal.
I've now been to sessions planning children and youth work in two of the five circuits, which has given me a chance to see the country a bit; and then I've been writing up what was said!
And, I got a small holiday; a few days on Caye Caulker, a BEAUTIFUL island, and a night down in Hopkins, a small village in Stann Creek district.
actually the title is a lie, I've been doing lots of frivolous blogging next door in my squawking land, but I did promise I'd keep this one going too.
So, from Easter through to last weekend (so that's about a month) things settled into a bit of a routine. I've properly taken over the English teaching, so am trying to think what I'm actually trying to achieve rather than doing it on a lesson by lesson basis! The range of abilities continues to be the greatest challenge.
When I've finished teaching there I generally go into Wesley College, either observing maths lessons or helping with assessments. The class sizes are really big and the classrooms are pretty bare and small- it must be quite a challenge teaching. I've seen quite a lot of the Methodist primary schools, too, and the difference between those in the city and those in the country is marked; to make a sweeping generalisation, the city ones have resources but no space at all, and the country ones have space but no resources. Lots of mission teams come down from the States, so I guess it's just ongoing prayers that are needed that resources and skills get to the right places (although it does tend to happen quite well, since there are people on the ground- notably, Maggie- making sure it does!)
We've had a few particular activities; youth week, with a sports day, bible quiz, youth forum and talent night, kept us very busy back in mid April, as did a service for the young people up in Corozal.
I've now been to sessions planning children and youth work in two of the five circuits, which has given me a chance to see the country a bit; and then I've been writing up what was said!
And, I got a small holiday; a few days on Caye Caulker, a BEAUTIFUL island, and a night down in Hopkins, a small village in Stann Creek district.
Monday, 19 April 2010
Other blog
For those who don't know, I have another blog at caroline-squawks.blogspot.com. The first post on there explains why it exists, but basically, when I started this blog I realised I wanted one that could a) outlive my being in Belize and b) be a bit more random, whereas this was supposed to be summarised updates. However, the distinction is rather blurred, and it contains posts with such thrilling titles as 'my nice house and creepy crawly things' and 'storms'.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Easter with the Methodist Church in Belize
An unimaginative but accurate title...
I guess preparations really started last Saturday afternoon, which I spent making palm crosses for the Ebenezer circuit service. I realised fairly early on that I knew very little about the anatomy of palm tree, and I still know quite little, but happily spent a good while stripping layers and layers off a 3m long 'bit' of palm and folding them into crosses, to the dulcit tones of two younger members of the congregation 'do do do'ing Easter (and occasionally Christmas) hymns at a high pitch. I saw my first cockroach in Belize, which in a weird way is worthy of note. [On the topic of wildlife, we have a resident iguana who basks by our front door, runs away from people but not cars, and who I hope no-one decides and manages to cook! We have some trees and plants graced by hummingbirds, too]. Following this, and after brushing significant amounts of dirt off my skirt, I went to Wesley for a choir rehearsal.
On Palm Sunday we arrived at church a bit early to make ready for a procession around the streets, joined by the police and their band, who were to worship with us. About a minute into the procession I had to backtrack a few rows in the procession to retrive a flipflop, and hope no-one important had noticed...
At about 8:15 we started singing 'Children of Jerusalem', and what could easily have been fifteen minutes later we stopped repeating it and entered the church! I was quite warm in my robes when the service finished around 10AM. We then had choir rehearsals, and a impromptu choir photoshoot!
In holy week there is a service every day at 7pm, and I made every one except the Monday one, playing the organ on Wednesday (making my way through the five hymns and three out of the 'Gloria', 'Alleluia', 'Hear Our Prayer', threefold Amen, and Doxology, since I'm still not quite sure where in the service to play them all and where I thought I should, somebody got on and did someone else!). On Thursday I took some time to bake some hot cross buns, English style (I was given a Belizean 'hot cross bun' but it didn't have a cross, so I'm a little confused). I also read at the 7pm service!
On Friday I went to the 8am and an ecumenical service at 7pm. Again, the Methodist church is very traditional (or rather, 'high', tending towards Anglo-Catholic in this case); at the 8am we concluded with the 'Stripping of the Altar', when all regalia, flags, flowers, cushions etc are removed from the sanctuary area. Also, everyone it seemed except me was wearing purple and/or black. Ooh, and Maggie cooked some DELICIOUS fish for a late lunch. Saturday was service-less, so I had a good clean, baked a cake that wasn't quite disastrous, caught up with some stuff and listened excitedly to the boat race.
Today I went to the sunrise service at 5:30AM, and only just stayed awake, before having some quick breakfast at the house of a church member (whose father my parents knew as a Methodist minister in Jamaica...small world) before the 8am at Wesley, which was a fantastic service, and just over two hours long.
Ebenezer Methodist Church.
Making palm crosses.
Hot Cross Buns!
The choir at Wesley.
The choir ar Wesley on Easter Sunday.
I guess preparations really started last Saturday afternoon, which I spent making palm crosses for the Ebenezer circuit service. I realised fairly early on that I knew very little about the anatomy of palm tree, and I still know quite little, but happily spent a good while stripping layers and layers off a 3m long 'bit' of palm and folding them into crosses, to the dulcit tones of two younger members of the congregation 'do do do'ing Easter (and occasionally Christmas) hymns at a high pitch. I saw my first cockroach in Belize, which in a weird way is worthy of note. [On the topic of wildlife, we have a resident iguana who basks by our front door, runs away from people but not cars, and who I hope no-one decides and manages to cook! We have some trees and plants graced by hummingbirds, too]. Following this, and after brushing significant amounts of dirt off my skirt, I went to Wesley for a choir rehearsal.
On Palm Sunday we arrived at church a bit early to make ready for a procession around the streets, joined by the police and their band, who were to worship with us. About a minute into the procession I had to backtrack a few rows in the procession to retrive a flipflop, and hope no-one important had noticed...
At about 8:15 we started singing 'Children of Jerusalem', and what could easily have been fifteen minutes later we stopped repeating it and entered the church! I was quite warm in my robes when the service finished around 10AM. We then had choir rehearsals, and a impromptu choir photoshoot!
In holy week there is a service every day at 7pm, and I made every one except the Monday one, playing the organ on Wednesday (making my way through the five hymns and three out of the 'Gloria', 'Alleluia', 'Hear Our Prayer', threefold Amen, and Doxology, since I'm still not quite sure where in the service to play them all and where I thought I should, somebody got on and did someone else!). On Thursday I took some time to bake some hot cross buns, English style (I was given a Belizean 'hot cross bun' but it didn't have a cross, so I'm a little confused). I also read at the 7pm service!
On Friday I went to the 8am and an ecumenical service at 7pm. Again, the Methodist church is very traditional (or rather, 'high', tending towards Anglo-Catholic in this case); at the 8am we concluded with the 'Stripping of the Altar', when all regalia, flags, flowers, cushions etc are removed from the sanctuary area. Also, everyone it seemed except me was wearing purple and/or black. Ooh, and Maggie cooked some DELICIOUS fish for a late lunch. Saturday was service-less, so I had a good clean, baked a cake that wasn't quite disastrous, caught up with some stuff and listened excitedly to the boat race.
Today I went to the sunrise service at 5:30AM, and only just stayed awake, before having some quick breakfast at the house of a church member (whose father my parents knew as a Methodist minister in Jamaica...small world) before the 8am at Wesley, which was a fantastic service, and just over two hours long.
Ebenezer Methodist Church.
Making palm crosses.
Hot Cross Buns!
The choir at Wesley.
The choir ar Wesley on Easter Sunday.
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Last of the Cold Fronts
I'm sitting in the cool spot in the house; where the breeze blows from the (open) front door to the (open) back door. I imagine it's still going to get a lot hotter but it's sitting around 30C at the moment!
Quick explanation of the education system:
Their Primary Schools have classes 'infant' 1&2, and 'standard' 1-6, roughly corresponding to English 'years' 1-8. About 85% of primary schools aged children are in education. Then High School, with 'forms' 1-4. And then Junior College for two years.
I've somehow managed to get invited on a couple of school trips with the primary schools (one with infant 2, and one with standard 3; so years 2 and 5 in the English system.) One took me to the airport, the Weather Bureau (!) and Altun Ha; the other is tomorrow and we're going to a nature reserve among other things. On a slightly less frivolous level, I've met several of the primary principals, as well as having spoken to the Principal and Head of Maths at Wesley College, the High School, where I hope to be helping out with small group projects in Mathematics after the Easter Holidays.
I've also started helping Maggie with English lessons for Haitians who live in Belize City (most of them have been here for quite a while, but it became apparent after the 'quake how many of them were living here). Maggie started the lessons shortly before I came, and we try to do it three times a week. It is a bit of a challenge as all we have is a blackboard and chalk, and I've never done anything like it. I am assured they understand what I'm teaching, and I quite enjoy it, but I'm having to practice not saying any more words than I need to; as you'll all know, this does not come naturally!
I've still been taking opportunities to see a lot of what is going on- so I've been out to YES (Youth Enhancement Services) which provides vocational and transferrable skills and education for girls and young women- some of these have dropped out of edcuation, some were/are teenage mothers, et cetera. There is quite a lot of building work going on there, and since Maggie works in part with YES, we went to have a look at how it's going.
In the Methodist Church, I've been to some meetings planning events for children, young people and young adults; more on that when the events take place!
As well as Sunday services, all the churches have Wednesday evening services during Lent, and I've been doing a bit of a tour of the methodist churches in the city (there are 4), since I'm singing with the Methodist Praise Singers, who are based at Wesley but are often invited to sing in other services. I'm having to hone my singing-by-ear skills, and also my kriol pronunciation; if everybody is singing 't', me singing 'th' might perhaps sound odd. Some linguistic highlights from what we were singing 'Wen Jesus around da wi Devil ha fi Cool'; I think I had to ask for a translation for that! Also 'the Devil think him strong: him a ediot'. Awesome! We sing at Wesley on a Sunday morning as the choir, so we have to wear robes, which are sweltering in the heat. I'll have to find the lightest, thinest thing I own to wear underneath.
Many of you will have been wondering about all the cupcake activity on my birthday. Much as I love cupcakes, these were not for my own benefit; the Children and Youth Commission hold an Easter Bag sale each year to raise money for the summer camp. All items for the bags are donated; chocolates, crisps (called 'chips'), biscuits, sweets, easter candy, and...cupcakes. They aim to make 1200 bags, and Maggie and I ended up baking 240 cupcakes. We then spent the evening packing the bags! I could have spent my birthday in far worse ways, since I got sung two versions of happy birthday, was in good company, AND was given a huge chocolate cake by Maggie to share around (but there was still lots left. It is now in our kitchen slowly decreasing in size).
Happy birthday version 2:
A Happy Birthday to you, a happy birthday to you,
May you feel Jesus near, every day of the year.
Happy birthday to you a happy birthday to you,
and the best year that you've ever had!
Oh, one other thing- went for a run in the pouring rain on Sunday afternoon (there was a power cut, and it was too gloomy to read, even before we shut the shutters to keep out the rain, so what else was I to do? Plus, it was cool enough to run, for once!) It was glorious, but Belizeans don't go out in the rain, so I got lots of strange looks from cars, doors and bus stops.
Easter looks like being busy, here as everywhere; blessings to all in Holy Week and over the Easter period, and I pray that you all somehow get the rest that you need over the Easter season!
Caroline
Quick explanation of the education system:
Their Primary Schools have classes 'infant' 1&2, and 'standard' 1-6, roughly corresponding to English 'years' 1-8. About 85% of primary schools aged children are in education. Then High School, with 'forms' 1-4. And then Junior College for two years.
I've somehow managed to get invited on a couple of school trips with the primary schools (one with infant 2, and one with standard 3; so years 2 and 5 in the English system.) One took me to the airport, the Weather Bureau (!) and Altun Ha; the other is tomorrow and we're going to a nature reserve among other things. On a slightly less frivolous level, I've met several of the primary principals, as well as having spoken to the Principal and Head of Maths at Wesley College, the High School, where I hope to be helping out with small group projects in Mathematics after the Easter Holidays.
I've also started helping Maggie with English lessons for Haitians who live in Belize City (most of them have been here for quite a while, but it became apparent after the 'quake how many of them were living here). Maggie started the lessons shortly before I came, and we try to do it three times a week. It is a bit of a challenge as all we have is a blackboard and chalk, and I've never done anything like it. I am assured they understand what I'm teaching, and I quite enjoy it, but I'm having to practice not saying any more words than I need to; as you'll all know, this does not come naturally!
I've still been taking opportunities to see a lot of what is going on- so I've been out to YES (Youth Enhancement Services) which provides vocational and transferrable skills and education for girls and young women- some of these have dropped out of edcuation, some were/are teenage mothers, et cetera. There is quite a lot of building work going on there, and since Maggie works in part with YES, we went to have a look at how it's going.
In the Methodist Church, I've been to some meetings planning events for children, young people and young adults; more on that when the events take place!
As well as Sunday services, all the churches have Wednesday evening services during Lent, and I've been doing a bit of a tour of the methodist churches in the city (there are 4), since I'm singing with the Methodist Praise Singers, who are based at Wesley but are often invited to sing in other services. I'm having to hone my singing-by-ear skills, and also my kriol pronunciation; if everybody is singing 't', me singing 'th' might perhaps sound odd. Some linguistic highlights from what we were singing 'Wen Jesus around da wi Devil ha fi Cool'; I think I had to ask for a translation for that! Also 'the Devil think him strong: him a ediot'. Awesome! We sing at Wesley on a Sunday morning as the choir, so we have to wear robes, which are sweltering in the heat. I'll have to find the lightest, thinest thing I own to wear underneath.
Many of you will have been wondering about all the cupcake activity on my birthday. Much as I love cupcakes, these were not for my own benefit; the Children and Youth Commission hold an Easter Bag sale each year to raise money for the summer camp. All items for the bags are donated; chocolates, crisps (called 'chips'), biscuits, sweets, easter candy, and...cupcakes. They aim to make 1200 bags, and Maggie and I ended up baking 240 cupcakes. We then spent the evening packing the bags! I could have spent my birthday in far worse ways, since I got sung two versions of happy birthday, was in good company, AND was given a huge chocolate cake by Maggie to share around (but there was still lots left. It is now in our kitchen slowly decreasing in size).
Happy birthday version 2:
A Happy Birthday to you, a happy birthday to you,
May you feel Jesus near, every day of the year.
Happy birthday to you a happy birthday to you,
and the best year that you've ever had!
Oh, one other thing- went for a run in the pouring rain on Sunday afternoon (there was a power cut, and it was too gloomy to read, even before we shut the shutters to keep out the rain, so what else was I to do? Plus, it was cool enough to run, for once!) It was glorious, but Belizeans don't go out in the rain, so I got lots of strange looks from cars, doors and bus stops.
Easter looks like being busy, here as everywhere; blessings to all in Holy Week and over the Easter period, and I pray that you all somehow get the rest that you need over the Easter season!
Caroline
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