Surviving Week 1

6/28/2016 (posted later)

Today has been without a doubt one of the most interesting days of my life! Today has been one of the most overwhelming days ever, and I have experienced such a range of emotions! Today we travelled from the capital city of Belize- Belmopan, about 30 miles into the very rural Valley of Peace. This village has around 2,000 people and was formed in the 1980’s as a community for refugees of the El Salvador Civil war. Today there is a mixture of Kekchi and Spanish families (Kriol volunteers are sent to another village). Less than 5 minutes outside of Belmopan the contrast is day and night. Houses turned to shacks, developed landscape turned to lush dense jungle, and paved roads soon became entirely gravel. About 30 minutes after driving down the empty jungle roads, we finally saw the sign for Valley of peace. After pulling in the entrance, the first volunteer was immediately dropped off to a Kekchi family (Mayan). Most Kekchi families (hers included) live in a thatched house, no electricity, running water, etc. Dropping off our first volunteer and knowing I was minutes from meeting my host family was SO overwhelming. I couldn’t help to be in tears (I wasn’t the only one!) and feeling nervous, excited, and knowing I was embarking on an experience that would without a doubt change my life. One by one, our name was called, luggage yanked off the bus and walked into our house by PC staff to introduce us to our hosts families.

My family happens to live rather close to the entrance, and sure enough I was the third name to be called off the bus! As we pulled up on the mudded dirt roads, I see my families home and two men staring at me. The wooden house was certainly modest but looked very warm and inviting. I immediately meet my hosts cousin (I think) and my host dad with an extremely awkward handshake. My mom and other siblings happened to still be at church. My dad and brother were very friendly but spoke absolutely no English, and I speak absolutely no Spanish…oh boy. This was without a doubt the most awkward hour of my life as the three of us sat in the living room hopelessly trying to communicate! I did manage to learn where the bathroom (outhouse) was, eat some watermelon, and thank them for their hospitality. This encounter made me realize just how essential it is to learn the language.  Additionally, I also learned that my family runs a store out of their house. They sell eggs, avocados, tomatoes, bread, and many general goods. I hope this store will be a good way to interact with community members.

After what seemed like an eternity, my host mom along with some extended family members arrived home! She is an amazing woman and her warm embrace was such a comfort! My mom also speaks absolutely no English, but it will definitely mean that I will learn the language so much better! Thankfully, my siblings/cousins could translate a bit as all children know English (language taught in schools). After meeting my host mom, I met her 2 sons, their wives, and children (3-13). They all live in the next two houses and this certainly seems to be the main hangout place. I LOVE having the kids around and getting to interact with so many people, but it's definitely exhausting. The kids were all super confused/scared/unsure of me at first, but they eventually warmed up! We were soon playing hide and go seek, coloring with the crayons and coloring book I brought, and playing the universal kid game that my father taught me- sticking hand out for the high five and quickly pulling it away game….I have used this in SO many countries that I’ve been too where children don’t know ANY English and it is seriously the best ice breaker and leads to the instant best buddy…..so thanks, dad! My favorite little kid is Louis, 3 and a half and he was sad when his parents finally made him go home for dinner! The children are great to talk to because their English is perfect and they have already taught me so much Spanish.

While settling in and unpacking a bit, all the kids hung out in my room and LOVED when I finally pulled out my pictures of friends and family. I showed them a picture of my mom and dad (the biological ones), and my host mom was SOOO excited to see them! She said dad was super tall and mom is so beautiful…I would have to agree with her statements.

After some more unpacking it was time for dinner. I was actually amazed with how delicious and nutritious the meal was. We had beans, eggs, avocado, cheese, and corn tortillas! After dinner, I convinced mom to let me help with dishes. Though we can’t understand each other’s language, it’s amazing how much you can communicate through context, body language, and good energy. She is so warm and always wants to make sure I have everything I need! Of their 5 children, two daughters (19 and 22) still live in the house, which is customary until marriage. Even after marriage, many children stay with their families until they can afford to build a house for their families.

Since I was dripping in sweat and covered in mud throughout the day, I was super excited to shower. I have officially taken my first bucket bath! It sounds pretty much exactly how it is- filled up a bucket, tied the curtain to the door of the bath shack, and did my thing! I’m still trying to get used to the outside latrine….I'll bring myself to talk about that next time :). 

And now time for bed! Tomorrow starts our intensive language training, bright and early!

Love to all and enjoy the moment!