I'm Here!

When last I posted, I was in the States preparing for my trek to Belize. Now I have been in the country for five days. It is time to share my adventures with you.

For instance, my adventures started early Sunday morning. I had to awake up at 3:30am to be at the airport on time. Little did I know it would be 11pm – around 19 ½ hours when I would finally crawl into bed. No wonder I slept so soundly the first night! When I checked my baggage there was nothing else to do but go through security. It was early still so my parents and I took the time to be with each other for a little bit longer. All too soon it was time to go and after a final prayer, I did. Thank you, Jesus! I made it through security with no mishaps or confiscations!

The flight from Grand Junction to Denver was uneventful, as was the trip from Denver to Houston. The wait at Denver airport was short: just long enough to find my gate and read for a bit before they began the boarding call.

It was in Houston where the “fun” began. Though my flight was scheduled for 1:25pm, the plane did not leave until 4:15pm. This delay was due to maintenance issues, which I am happy they found before cruising over the Gulf of Mexico. As compensation, they let us watch Direct TV for free!

The plane finally made it to Belize City around 6:15pm. Guess who waited through that long delay to see me arrive? Some of the Deaf Church members, Nancy Marshall, the missionary and Sulmi, her foster daughter! They drove the 2 hours from Orange Walk , waited for me and then we all began the 2 hour trip home. Whew! Thank you Lord for such a wonderful welcoming committee! Here is a picture of all of us at the airport.

 

Since then, I have been working very hard at acclimating to my new home, shuffling through Visa paperwork, and orienting myself to Orange Walk!

*In my new home I have a wardrobe (there are no closets in Nancy’s house). I often wonder when I open the doors if I will be transported to another place like Lucy to Narnia…Then I remember I have already been transported to a wondrous land! By God's grace, I have the chance to explore it.

*To my untrained eye, each street here looks like the next! Soon I will be pedaling through the maze of Orange Walk to get to school. Yikes! Thankfully, Belizeans are very friendly and I have a local cell phone. Otherwise, I might be taking an unexpected tour of the Belize countryside! With those two safe guards, I know I will always make it home again safely.

 *I’m sure there will be more posts explaining the tedium that is applying for a visa! Right now I’m looking at the bright side. Going down to Belmopan was not a waste even though I did not get my police record (apparently you can't get one if you've only been in the country a few days). I had never seen Belize’s capital before. Nor had I ever been in a house of Parliament. And who knew they make great pizza there?? It was an educational and tasty trip all the way around. 

*Funny story: Don't take pictures of US embassies! If you do you get pulled over, your passport number taken down and your pictures deleted. I'd only been in the country four days. I hope this doesn't mean I have a record...

On that note (just substitute Thursday in for Wednesday)…

“That was the most awkward Wednesday he ever remembered.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

It's really happening!

UPDATE: As of THIS Sunday I will acquire the first stamp in my passport! I shall leave early Sunday morning and arrive in Belize City around 3pm, their time (which is also Mountain Time). Your prayers would be greatly appreciated as I get ready for my departure. Whew! There's a lot to be done. God is faithful and He will see me through every last-minute detail.

“May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

How does "The Hobbit" fit into all of this?

This is my first blog. I have no idea what to say, but not because nothing is happening. On the contrary, so much has happened so fast, I hardly know how to consolidate the information into an understandable story! I suppose I should explain the purpose of this blog and how it got its name...

As some of you LOTR fans may have noticed, my blog title is a parody of The Hobbit's title: There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale. I chose this title because I love books and I wanted my title to pay homage to a great work of literature. At the same time, I did pick this book for a deeper reason. Simply put, I feel as if I'm on a journey. Therefore, my purpose in this blog is to record my journey and then share it with those who are interested. It would seem logical for me to only record what happens in Belize, but I think that view is too limited. My journey began far before which is another reason why I picked the book I did. Tolkien seemed to come to the same conclusion. Bilbo's journey began when he was still in the Shire and continued after he returned from his adventures. Likewise, much has happened since I received an email on May 13th. Judging the pattern of my life, I'm sure much will continue to happen after these 10 months in Belize are finished. 

In conclusion, I suspect this journey will be full of surprises (both wonderful and unpleasant) which is why I'm thankful Jesus will guide me all the way. 

“Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit