Day 8 - by Melissa

  Gales Point, Belize
Sunday, July 6, 2008

Hi Friends!!  Thanks for all your prayers and comments, and for following along with our adventures! I have some exciting updates for you! 

Last night was definitly an adventure.  I was getting ready for bed in my cabanna, and had just tucked in my mosquito net when I heard screams and hysterics coming from next door.  Of course, achel and I get up and go see what is up.  No one would really give me a straight answer, so I just barged into Suzi, Leah, Jori and Krystels room and almost stepped on the TARANTULA that had just crawled out from under Suzi's bag.  Leah is deathly afraid of spiders, and the tarantula sent her over the edge.  There were four girls on top of the two beds,which were now broken, Leah was huddling on top of a toilet, and syd comes barging in with a cup and fearlessly traps the giant animal as it made a break for the bathroom. Of course, our fearless bodyguard Dugald came running in then, after hearing our screams from across the base, disposed of the beast. 

released! (very far away)

Syd is now our nightguard, and killer of the creepers.  It was a slow start this morning after such an eventful night, but we were awake enough to glimpse TWO crocs on our way to the boat for church this morning.  Luckily, the roads have dried a bit and we saw them from the safety of our 20-passenger van.  Sunday school is different here, it happens before the regular service, and then all the kids go home and some adults come. It was evident that we were missed yesterday when we didn't go into the village at all, because there were about 10 kids on the dock waiting for our boat,  and the church was completly packed with kids, excited to see us, and sing the same songs we have been singing all week.  Church was really cool, we sang, and our dance team and some of the older girls from the village showed of the dance they created, to show different forms of worship.  Then Jude, the intern here at Belize Missions and Retreat, shared a bit of Hebrews.  After church we went for lunch at Alice's Restraunt, which is really just a house and a kitchen full of rice, beans, chicken and plantain! Alice is a fantastic cook!  When we finished lunch, we headed down to Emmith and Jill's to get drum lessons from an internationaly-known drummer! ( Check your lonely planet on Belize, Emmith is in there!)  It was so cool, but turns out we white girls have no rhythm! Or at least I don't, the rest of the team was pretty great.  We headed back to the base after our lessons, with sore hands and full stomachs from Jills homemade milkshakes.  As usual, we swam and played Dutch Blitz before dinner, which as usual was delicous!  The staff here are such blessings, and their kids that live here are adorable!  After dinner we traded worship songs with the girls in the discipleship training program Vera started in the village.  They have been here all weekend, and are just starting to understand our craziness and chaos.  We did some devos, and now, everyone is heading to bed.  We are all still exhausted after that sleepover, and it is going to be a long day in the sun, doing work projects and cleaning up the village.  We all miss you, and please keep us in your prayers, especially for health and energy in the last few days of our trip.

Lots of love!!!

Mel

PS. After reading this, Leah wanted me to add that there was a chicken foot in the stew Alice made us, which we all avoided