Belize community opens arms to students

    We traveled to Orange Walk, Belize, June 19-25 with our group of 10 Mount Carmel graduates and four adults. Our lodging was at Muffles College with groups from Wisconsin, Texas, and Pennsylvania. The Mount Carmel group worked in the community of San Estevan. In the mornings, we conducted vacation Bible school at San Estevan Catholic primary school with Bible story time, music, outdoor sports, and arts and crafts.
    In the afternoons, we alternated between community visits with the sick and elderly and painting a newly  built rectory for the San Estevan Catholic Church. The San Estevan community was so welcoming, inviting us to attend a primary school graduation ceremony and adoration services.
    On our final day in Belize, the Praying Pelicans organizers took us on an excursion to the Mayan Ruins of Cerros, where we swam in the Caribbean.
    The work, though rewarding, was not the most memorable part of our trip. The people of San Estevan left an impact on us far greater than physical labor. They were so grateful, so welcoming and, mostly, so loving. Everywhere we went, we were treated with the utmost respect, and we were constantly reminded of the Belizeans’ gratitude for our presence in their community.     
    Jennifer Landry attends the University of Alabama.