by Jenny Gerkins, 6-month Caribbean Immersion team member
Jenny's team spent 6-months living in local communities in New York City, Haiti, Jamaica, and Belize. This reflection was written close to the end of their time in Belize, their final community.
The Belizian village of Siete Millas, located seven miles of dirt road off of the main road, is the incredible place I've been blessed to call home for almost 2 months now! Although it is technically only 7 miles off of the main road, it takes between 45 minutes and an hour to get to the road because of all the bumps and hills. There's no electricity, but my family and my neighbors light up the community with their warm smiles and welcoming personalities! I've never felt comfortable so fast in a new place as I have here! Although the official language of Belize is English, mostly everyone in our village is from El Salvador and speak Spanish. (I'm thankful that my IMMERSION team member roommate this time around minored in Spanish, so I have a built in translator/teacher!) They actually speak English in the schools so most of the kids are easy to communicate with.
My Belizian Family
My family is so great! My "mami" Marina shows such great hospitality and is so loving and animated in all that she does! Her animation is extremely helpful in helping me understand what we're talking about, considering my Spanish speaking skills are below par. She has a huge heart for The Lord and it's shown through all of her actions.
My Dad Benjamin is one of a gentle quiet spirit, but when he speaks you better listen because it's usually hilarious! He keeps us all in line and is a true Man of God!
I have 8 host brothers and host sisters. Two live with us, two more live in our village, and the other 4 live other places around Belize!
My oldest brother Calet lives right behind us and was one of my first friends here in Belize. He actually spent 4 years working in Indiana and has great English! He's let us help him on his farm and is always finding something fun for us to get into. He keeps us up to speed on everything that could possibly go on in our village. He's married and has (as of last week) two little boys, Kelvin and Kervin. They're absolutely precious!
My sister Sylvia lives right down the road, is married and has two kids, my sweet Catherine and Anderson, who stay at our house everyday while their parents work. Caty is 5, and was in school, until she fell off the monkey bars and broke her leg, causing her to have to stay at home and do her work there because she can't get around. We've been able to have a lot of bonding time since she's been home. Anderson is 3 and is a total goofball. He's my alarm clock, my snuggle buddy, and my day time entertainment! They're both absolutely adorable!
My 19-year-old brother Isai lives a couple miles down the road, but comes to visit at least once a day. He's studying to be an electrician and is engaged to our new friend Blanca.
My host sister Elsa, the most level headed 16-year-old I've ever met, is probably my best friend in this town. She is wise beyond her years and has taught me so much. She is such a beautiful girl and she always has us laughing. Although she's only 16, there is no doubt in my mind that she could manage a household better than I could by the time I'm 25! She cooks, she cleans, she's great with kids, she's hospitable, she does it all. Her faith also inspires and challenges me.
My youngest brother Maurice, or as we call him, Mau Mau, is your typical 13-year-old boy. He goes to high school and is super smart. We love to mess with each other and it's always exciting when he gets off of the school bus!
My Belizian Community
Church here is something different. We have service SIX DAYS A WEEK, always in Spanish of course! The music is loud and energetic, and the way they worship is very emotional, a lot of crying out to God. Thursday night service is always my favorite because it's prayer night. We spend the first hour on our knees praying and then continue on with the rest of the service. You'd be surprised how fast an hour passes when it's just you and Jesus chatting it up!
My team has been teaching specials (P.E., music, arts and crafts, reading, tutoring) at the community school every afternoon. It's so fun loving on all the kids and getting to know all their personalities, and the teachers appreciate getting a break for a class period or two! The principal of the school is actually a man from Colorado who's lived in Belize for 20 years. He runs a fantastic school, and the kids are all exceptionally respectful and come to learn.
Everyone in Siete Millas has a farm. The sun here is so hot that Kell and I don't get out in the fields everyday, but we do go occasionally. We help our Dad shuck corn when he brings home truckloads and have spent some time in the tomato fields with Calet. I have a whole new appreciation for farmers and the hard work that goes into farming. Every Thursday night after church, we load up a truck or two with crops and drive into town to sell them. It's an overnight process, and we don't come home until around noon the next day. Caffeine is my best friend on Thursday nights considering I usually go the whole night and next day without sleeping!
Considering all of the fresh ingredients, the food here is fantastic! I try to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to help out and learn from Mom and Elsa. Some of my favorites here include guacamole, salbutes, papusas, flour tortillas, chicken burritos, and impossible cake (flan & German chocolate cake all in one)!
Although everyday it seems impossible to get any closer to my team than we already are, we somehow find a way to form a tighter bond. Our conversations at this point have no limit and we're always challenging each other. Laughter is a constant with us six, and although we'll be back home and spread across the country in a few weeks, I'm so thankful for the memories we've created with each other and in each community we've been apart of. God is so good!
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