First Time.

Last year, my grandparents offered to take me and my brother to Belize on a mission trip with their church. I was beyond excited seeing as it would be my first time out of the country. We left in February leaving behind the cold, wintry, United States for an exotic, tropical, Belize. We went through all the stuff in the airport. I remember nervously stepping through the metal detector hoping I didn't forget to take anything off. We got on the plane and flew from my home city to Atlanta, Georgia, to Belize City, Belize. When we arrived in Belize, it was hot and sunny with no clouds in sight and I was excited to start this brand new type of adventure. We got off the plane via stairs, a first in mine and my brothers books. From customs and the other airport things we took a bus to Santa Ellena, on the way we stopped for dinner. We stayed at the Santa Familia Monastery, Santa Ellena, Cayo District, Belize, Central America. The monastery was beautiful, and amazing, as was my time there. That first night was interesting. I was getting used to the new climate, even though it wasn’t that new, it was hot and sticky, like home in the summer time.

The very next day we went to build the church that previous groups had started. I couldn’t believe that on my first full day in Belize was rainy, but I loved every second of it, because the rain at home was snow. We went to work. We poured and mixed cement, and did whatever we were told by the locals who were helping us. One of my first jobs was to help cut wires, and use them to tie rebar together for support beam type things. For the rest of the week I watched in amazement as the building got taller and taller, and I did whatever I could to help.

One of the days my grandpa and I went to the Amish country in Belize. We got to take the ferry which was kind of scary because it looked kind of like it was going to fall apart and we had to get out in order to drive the van onto it. On the way home we got ice cream, and as we were waiting for our turn on the ferry we started talking to an American that was also waiting. He worked at the Deaf School close by. That was one of my favorite parts of the trip because I’ve always had a fascination of sign language. One of the days we took a side trip to the beach which was so much fun. My brother and a few others went snorkeling while I stayed back and hung out with one of the local little girls that we brought with us, my grandparents, one of the little girls with us, and a few others from our group. This was my other favorite part of the trip because it was the local little girls first time seeing the ocean. I loved watching her amazement at something that I’ve seen before and that she might never see again. I was so sad but happy when we left. I hated to leave the incredible new people that I met and the new place I fell in absolute love with, but I missed my parents, my friends and the life I left at home. When we landed in my home city I swear it was colder than when we left and I had to endure months of snow.