Hosanna House--Belize

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We went to Church at the children's school, Light of the Valley Baptist School.

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We were privileged to be entertained by a few of the children before church this morning!

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Check out some of the Hosanna House children singing to the drum!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bSeUnUnbp4

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After the AC was installed, Charlie started working on painting the Lounge Area.

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One of the girls working on her Christmas ornament.

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Three Cuties!

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Another beautiful Christmas ornament!

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Blurry but Cute!

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One of the Christmas ornaments.

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Then we began working on personalized Christmas ornaments. One was made for each resident & staff.

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Once we got the guys working on the AC unit, Darlene & I worked on some crafts with the kids. First the made Cross bookmarks.

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Measuring to make a frame to hold it in.

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They men will be loving life with this big ole AC cooling their side!

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Push, guys!

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The new AC unit is almost in!

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Even the girls love helping!

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The boys really enjoy helping Mr. Bob with his projects!

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View from inside the building.

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This morning Bob, Charlie & a few of the children installed an air conditioner in the Men's Quarters.

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Charlie also caulked the windows in the apartment's kitchen.

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Break time!

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Charlie is still working on the kitchen today. It sure will look nice when he's finished!

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More donated supplies!

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This morning the guys went into Dangriga to check on getting a dryer fixed. While they were gone, Darlene & Wendy sorted more feed sacks of clothes and created more sacks to distribute to families in need.

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The Marie Sharps Factory. :D

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Charlie & I purchased a few cases of Marie Sharps.

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On our way home from Dangriga today, Bob took us to the Marie Sharps Factory. :D

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Charlie & Nathanael stacking more feed bags!

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Nathanael and Charlie stacked feed sacks of clothes in the old container. Each feed sack contains at least the following items: a variety of men, women & children's clothing, a few toys and shoes.

Approximately 50 bags are ready for the next team to distribute at Christmas! ( or if a need arises)

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Some of the donations we've sorted & bagged to give to families in need.

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Yolie also helped move boxes.

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Yolanda helped Bob & Charlie a lot!

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The container is being slowly unloaded and it seems to be going smoother this way. Items to be given away are being stored in one container. Boxes & bags of supplies we want to keep for Hosanna House are going back into the new one.

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We decided to freshen up the kitchen in the apartment. So in the evenings, Charlie has been cleaning and painting.

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Bob plans to help this man replace the roof of his house. It was lost in Hurricane Richard.

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Today we gave books to a few Schools in Dangriga. It was great to see how appreciative the Teachers & Principals were!

Finally Blogging!

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**Due to a slow internet connection, we'll be blogging via email. Pictures will be added & our blog will be edited when we can actually log on with the laptop**

This week's Work Team consists of Darlene Eberly, Charles & Wendy Burkett and Nathanael Burkett (12 yrs old). We arrived in Belize City on November 7 and will go home November 17.

During our time in Belize, we plan to empty a Container filled with donated items including clothing and various supplies for Hosanna House.

Belize/Honduras earthquake - was there really a tsunami threat? (Part Three) | Reef diaries

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Belize/Honduras earthquake - was there really a tsunami threat? (Part Three) | Reef diaries

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Old friends, New Friends

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Miss Joan, who said she'd stay at Hosanna House for 3 months, is now leaving after being here for 3 Years. :) She has decided to travel and see the world. We had a Going Away party Friday night. The children organized the program for the evening. Our entertainment included readings dedicated to Miss Joan and various musical productions by the children.

Yolanda reading what she'd written for Miss Joan.

Cheri lead the older girls.

Victoria read something she had written as well. She and her siblings have been at Hosanna House almost as long as Miss Joan.

Though Earline will miss Joan, a great deal, she also has a new friend now. After Miss Joan's Going Away Party, Earline and I had our own time together. We discussed many things including how to deal with old friends moving on since she is having a real hard time with Miss Joan leaving.

What had really helped Earline cope, was a Teddy Bear that was sent with me by a young lady named Harley. Earline was quite interested in learning all about her new friend. I told her as much as I could and also shared a couple pictures with Earline. After cookies, Orange Fanta, and a new bear, Earline said to me, "Yes, Miss Wendy. Harley is going to be my Best Friend forever!"

This is what its all about. Showing that someone cares - God cares through us. Planting seeds. Earline, like most of the children who pass through Hosanna House, has really come a long way since she's lived here. I can only see great things happening in this dear child's life. Earline has seen God's love through Hosanna House and big hearts like Harley's.

Thank You, Harley!

May 28 - Ju Performance Group from Taiwan

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Six Hosanna House children went on a special trip to Belize City to see the Ju Percussion Group from Taiwan. We were invited by invited by The Prime Minister's wife, Kim Simplis-Barrow.

The flags of Taiwan and Belize outside the Bliss Performing Arts Centre.

The First Ladies of Belize and Taiwan requested a picture

with our group from Hosanna House.

The First Ladies were seated three rows in front of us!

Birthdays and Other Fun!

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Yard Sale

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Bob's Current Projects

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This project is going to be a concrete wall. It will be seen as folks drive up the driveway to Hosanna House. In front of the wall, Bob plans on having white stone with plants, hopefully something flowering and pretty.

This part of the wall will run along the edge of the
hill in front of the house.

Rodrick was working hard! It's been very very hot this week so it's easy to get tired extremely fast.

Another of Bob's plans includes adding another room between the apartment and Rodrick & Gladys' house. It's become a necessity when we have staff spend the night.

The workers are starting to dig the footers

while Bob gives directions. ;)

Saturday, May 23 --- Unloading, Sorting, Storing. Again.

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Just about everyone joined in on unloading the van!
Onelia is a Big Helper!

Supplies were removed from the van and most are now sitting in the men's quarters. Everyone was very excited to see all the new goodies donated to Hosanna House!

Florita helped carry a great deal of boxes too!

Friday, May 22 --- Unloading, Sorting, Storing.

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Many are familiar with the containers storing the Hosanna House supplies. Darlene and I tackled this container today! We needed to go through and clothes, toys, HBA items and school supplies. Most of the clothes will be given away to families in need or sold at the Yard Sale on Tuesday. Just this week alone, Bob has been asked by about 5 families for clothes. For those who remember Melissa (Missy) who lived at Hosanna House a few years back, she's due to have her second baby in month or two. Missy's other baby is about 2 now, I think. We gathered some baby supplies and clothing for her both of her children as well.

Unfortunately, not all who get supplies from the container have the same "filing system". All of the white bags at the top right are filled with stuffed animals. Toys like those are a prized item in Belize. When we have the yard sale, Gladys and I will only take out a few at a time to sell. We want to give all families an opportunity to purchase toys for their children.

Roderick and another worker so very graciously carried boxes in to the room with the AC for Darlene and me. I especially appreciated the guys carrying in the cases of spiral ring notebooks! Those boxes are VERY heavy.

Thursday, May 21 --- Getting the New Van

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We've been blessed with lots of fresh fruit each day. Today's breakfast included pineapple, cantaloupe, and bananas. YUM!!!

We left at about 8:30 am to go to Belize City and get the van. It was waiting for us at the Port of Belize. Since Darlene had recently injured her knee, I drove her and myself back to Hosanna House from Belize City in the old white van. That was a first for me and I actually enjoyed it. I think I had Darlene a little concerned at times though! I don't think she was sleeping every time her eyes were closed. ;)

Finally! Bob has official possession of the new van, complete with Hosanna House lettering on the sides.

After lunch at Diamond (Chinese Restaurant) in Belmopan, I got to do a little shopping next door. I got my coconut milk powder and a bottle of Marie Sharps. Gotta love that Marie Sharps!

Wednesday, May 20

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Wednesday morning Darlene and I had prepared for the arrival of the new van that's packed with supplies. We decided we should unload everything into the men's quarters.

We also needed to prepare for the work team coming in June. This included gathering enough towels and sheet sets for the group. Another bunk bed also needs to be assembled for the men.

While working, Darlene and I found Gecko eggs. :)

I then got to spend more time with the Onelia, Keisha, and Elena.

For some reason, Onelia & Keisha had to have their hands on my braid.

And, of course, I had to pass on some bad habits as well. Sorry, Joan!

Cleaning the Showers

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All of the girls' showers look like this. The ceiling and walls are gradually becoming covered as well.

Aaah! Finally, Clean showers!

Monday, May 18

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Most of my morning was spent helping Miss Joan with the 3 little ones that don't go to school yet. It's been years since I watched so much Barney! :) So after 2 Barney videos, we read all the books on the pile that the girls brought to me then went outside and played catch.

I just can't believe how big Keisha is now. The first time I saw her she was about 7 months old. Now she's a big 3 year old that gets great joy out of making me run for the ball! Amelia and Elena are the other 2 cuties. Elena is 2 and Amelia is 3.

After the girls ate lunch and were napping, I started on the job Bob had for me, scrubbing shower stalls in the girls' rooms. My task is to bleach out the mold and mildew that's accumulated in the grout.

Sunday Fun

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<---Selvin and Mikie happy to get a new ball!

Playing volleyball with some of the girls.

Mikie, Joy, and Selvin playing futbol.

Almost all of the children Love a good game of futbol. Even little Emar kept trying to get in on the action!

<---Derlene protecting herself from Mikie's killer kicking!

Mrs. Wright preparing lunch while Ingrid puts together a Hannah Montana puzzle.

It's all fun and games til the photographer gets slammed with the ball! :)

Traveling to Hosanna House

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Saturday, May 16th, Darlene Eberly and Wendy Burkett spent the day traveling to Belize. We were driven to Dulles at 3:00 am by Anne Donlon. THANKS ANNE!! :)

The trip went rather smooth considering Darlene had injured her knee a few days prior to leaving. Our only hang up was getting out of Dulles. Due to bad weather, Charlotte had halted all activity for about a half hour. We weren't late getting to our connection to Belize, but it was an uncomfortable time crunch, especially since Darlene wasn't walking too quick. We knew that if we missed flying out of Charlotte, the next flight to Belize is in a week.

Once we arrived in Belize City and found our luggage, we headed thru customs. Bob's porter friend gathered our luggage onto the cart for Darlene and me. That was Greatly appreciated! [I found the correct bald Belizian porter this time, Nelson! ;) ]

The best part of Saturday was being greeted by 7 of the Hosanna House girls! After many, many Hugs, the girls grabbed the luggage and threw it in the back of the van. It was great to see familiar faces and meet new ones.

On the way home we stopped at Diamond, a Chinese restaurant. Everyone had fried chicken and French fries, with the bones taken home in a doggy bag for the dogs. ;)

This is video of those goofy girls after dinner on our way to Hosanna House.

The rest of the afternoon was spent unpacking, freshening up and relaxing. I know it took me some time to go thru my suitcases to separate my belongings from donations sent by others.
For Dinner, Bob took Darlene and me into Dangriga at a restaurant called Ivy's. Bob found that Ivy's served some tasty pork chops so he wanted Darlene to experience them as well. I ordered a shrimp burger which was awesome!

Feb 20,2009 Friday

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It is Friday and yesterday we went to the house in progress and installed the windows while Tony (the local builder) put the doors and steps in. If anyone has not been here to build something they would find it an experience. This is my first time at building in Belize and things that you take for granted like sawhorses or a flat surface to cut on are not available. I have found the two best things you must have have for building here are patience and a sledgehammer. Patience for the beginning of the project and the sledgehammer to finish when you patience runs out. All in all the project house turned out pretty well by local standards although Ken told the local builder to not mention his name if anybody asked who built it.

Bob got the air conditioner fixed in the van yesterday and it is truly appreciated. Without a/c , riding in the van during mid afternoon is like being in the “hotbox” in the movie Cool Hand Luke, it is like an oven but on the bright side you can lose a good 7-8 pounds without any workout.

As usual , the other night we were sitting around eating junk food and after we all got full of chips and candy we all started talking about being on different diets. Or we could just not turn the a/c on and let the pounds drop off.

I just learned this morning that the mean rooster just got sentenced for the dinnerplate soon because of his disposition…….. it just doesn’t pay to be mean to others.

We did devotions last night with the kids and the really love to sing and quote scripture. They sing almost anytime during the day and are really a good group. Of course, just like any group there are going to be squabbles and little things pop up between them.

Today I plan to go cave tubing and maybe zipline so if this is my last blog I would appreciate a surchparty ………….REALLY. I mean it. Its time for breakfast so I’ll log off and start another adventure.

Roger

P.S. Bob just informed me that a little 4 year old girl was ran over and killed by a bus yesterday not far from here . Please pray for the family.

God Bless

Feb,15-16 2009

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It is early Monday morning and the kids all went to school. We are getting breakfast and the plan is to go and work on a house until Bob gets back with tin for the roof so now I will give a recap of yesterdays activities and observations.

When I arrived yesterday it seemed a little chaotic with all the kids running around and all the hype of arriving but it didn’t take long to find out this is a very organized,well run operation.

By the way , the rooster and I seemed to reach an agreement after I tried talking to him, that didn’t work, I tried giving him a time out, that didn’t work, then I kinda fibbed and told him the next time I would see him the Lord told me he would be fried with rice and beans on a plate and I believe he received the message. We now have a tolerable although distant relationship.

Thru observation yesterday I learned interesting Belizeian facts about Hosanna House. Things are kinda different here than in the states. First off, most of the children clean up and do chores without being told countless times. When we finished lunch I noticed two children picked up brooms and a couple of others started moving chairs out of the way for the floor to be swept, then when that portion of the floor was done the move the chairs back and did the other half of the floor without being told. Imagine that !!!!! They are expected to keep their own living area clean and organized. They are being taught to be adults and are very respectful and thankful for everything.

One other thing that happened about 4 in the morning, I saw my wife jump out of bed quickly. She was terrified after being awakened by a gecko lizard that crawled up to her ear and started to emit a churping sound.

So…….. I have observed children that think they are adults, a rooster that thinks he is a guard dog and a gecko that thinks he is a rooster in the morning. As for me……..I found my role is somewhere between playing with the kids and being food for the biting ants and flies. Hopefully I will be of better use when we go to put the roof on a house later today.

I also observed that Bob Eberly otherwise known as the BIG KAHUNA,,,MISTER BOB, great orator of Belize, being in charge of all the daily activites and transportation in the area , ………..I realized he has a soft side……….he is kind of a big teddy bear, he thoughtfully returned from somewhere with a Valentines Day present for his wife. She had a great look of anticipation in her eyes…………. Then Bob sprung it on her with all his charm …… she looked in his eyes and thanked him so much for the four chicklets , piece of candy and a cupcake in a paper bowl. Bob said ,”it was wrapped real pretty” and I spent seventy-five cents…………but we all know that he will still turn that in as a charitable contribution for taxes next year. Someplace cupid is just shaking his head crying.

The kids loved the Valentines day party . They all received small gifts, candy and the best of all a piece of chocolate. It may not sound like much but they were dancing with joy.

Thank you all for making this possible. I will write more later…….believe me there are plenty of stories every day to share.

We returned from the jobsite and the roof is on !!!! It is hot here compared to Pennsylvania but it beats the snow. Bob brought us a great lunch today, it was fried chicken and rice. Very tasty and I did check to see if the rooster was still here when we got home. He was. I just smiled at him. Bob had picked up the siding for the house and we are going to do that tomorrow. There is not much else to report except that it is only eight oclock and I seem ready to go to bed. I guess I’m not used to working in the sun anymore.

More later,
Roger

Feb.15 2009

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Bob & Darlene Eberly, Ken & Maggie Goshorn and Regina & Roger Neidrick arrived last night .

I am Roger Neidrick and my wife Regina arrived to the orphanage for the first time last night. I didn't quite know what to expect ( I have never been to an orphanage or mission before) and it was a real treat from the start. When we arrived last night all the kids ran up to the van and were so happy to see us they started pounding on the windows and yelling Bobs name. It immedately had an impact on me and I knew within 10 seconds being here will be a life changing experience for me.

This morning Bob has taken many of the kids to a ball game and while they were gone we got Valentine bags ready for all the kids. We are going to have a Valentines party this evening. All the kids are so appreciative of everything and love attension and playing .

We wish to thank everyone that is involved with this ministry. I can tell you now after just 10 hours here YOU All are making a difference in these young people's lives.

Now if any of you can just tell me how to get a rooster to stop chasing me anytime I go outside I would appricate it. It seems the orphanage has a guard rooster here and I seem to be an unwelcome visitor at this time. More blogs and more news to come later.

I think we will be putting a roof on a church down the road tomorrow.

God Bless you all,
Roger

January 25

2009-01-26T10:27:00.003-05:00

We arrived in Belize yesterday. It was actually fairly cool for Belize: only 75-ish. We got out of the airport and hopped on the bus to head to the Hosanna House. Ingrid and Victoria were there waiting for us. We stopped for lunch at the Diamond Restaurant. Then we "toured" Belize City and saw the US Embassy. It's the biggest building in Belize.

We have a pretty large group this year. There are 12 of us. Two teenagers, two women, and 8 men.

When we got to the Hosanna House at around 4, the girls played catch (tag), then futbol (soccer). The men joined in later.

After dinner, we played some more soccer, had devotions, and went to bed.

Today, some of the men went golfing. The rest of us went to the little Mennonite church close by. At first, we drove past it, and the kids told us to keep quiet and not tell our driver. Eventually, (up)Chuck caved and told Mike (our driver) that we had passed it quite a while ago, so we turned around. When we got there, they were in the middle of Sunday School, and the kids didn't want to get off of the bus. We finally got them all off.

We got home around 12:30 and played some more catch and futbol. We ate lunch, then rode bikes with the kids. A lot of them went with Chuck, Michaela, and Monica on a walk to the river. It was very refreshing. On the way back they grabbed some tangerines off the trees and ate them. Most of the tangerines were pretty sour, but a select few were sweet with a bit of sour-ness.

Mr. Bob drove our team to see the worksites the men would be working on. We went out to eat in Dangerige and bought some ice cream. We got back late, so we had to skip devotions.

VBS July 2008

2008-07-25T00:03:00.002-05:00

On Monday the 21st, we taught the kids about creation. We sang a song called "The seven C's of history", the kids seem to enjoy singing. Everything went very well, and the rain held up so it was a beautiful morning for us. Tuesday, they learned about when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. Our song was " I've got DNA", that is a big hit here, all of the kids participate in the singing and motions. We had a very good first half of the week, and Wednesday brought more excitement from the kids. Noah's ark was the story, and the children loved drawing animals in the boat they made during bible story. Today was about how the Lord mixed all of the languages and called the city Babel, because the people were building a tower to glorify themselves and not God, and he was displeased and sent down confusion and thats where the rabble, the babel began. That's part of a new song we learned today, called "Babel Rabble". Tomorrow we will cover how God sent down His only begotten Son, who loves us so much! =]

Life here is very different from the states. It takes a few days to to adjust. We cannot go outside without bug spray or else they will eat us alive, and bug spray is new part of our daily lives! Luckily, it has only drizzled buckets full at night, it's so loud that you have to yell to the person your talking to. Even if they are sitting right beside you. We have found only two scorpions, one tarantula, two snakes, and many many many geckos during our two-week visit.

During our first week here, we spent Wednesday night and Thursday morning at Paradise Island. We went snorkeling and had a lot of fun. Thursday morning we had planned to go fishing and had to delay the starting time because of rain. While we were out fishing it rained for about 20 minutes, and we had nothing to keep us dry. Also on our way back from the island we ran into more rain and it lasted for about 25 mintutes. We were miserable soaked and all of our bags were also drenched.

Almost everybody had gotten sick in some form of the stomach virus, that has been going around. DUring our first week here we spent most of our time getting to know the kids, playing futbol, volleyball, watching plenty of movies, and the girls painted nails and gave each other different hair do's.

Tomorrow the 25th is the our last full day here, we leave early Saturday morning. We will all be taking memories of our fun adventures over the past two weeks, but will be glad to return to our family's.

2008-06-12T09:10:00.002-05:00

The little house at the end of our driveway has been washed off the foundation. The house next to it ( where they were building the stone wall) was not damaged. Our church had 41 inches above the floor. Mr. McPherson had four feet of water but has got everthing cleaned up.

The home where the family was kill is not there anymore it washed away in the flood. The little juice factory beside it washed away also.

Tuesday

2008-06-10T19:24:00.002-05:00

Bob worked in the office this morning. He then went and paid Social Security and bought groceries. He found one family that had no help yet so was able to give them some rice and flour. He has been able to buy rice and flour in 20 lb lots so he's been begging from all his shop friends, which means we have enough at Hosanna House.
The news is that they should be able to get more on Monday. They say that they are getting some from outside the country so it will be readily available.

Not a Good Day

2008-06-09T19:07:00.001-05:00

Today was not a good day for getting things done. They have not started to look at the motor for the VW, said that maybe they will start before the end of the week. I will check Friday. I also was not able to get the metal for the roofing to finish the church roof. They are out and will not get any until the 20th of June, Hopefully.

I was able to get the side door latch fixed on the Van so not all was lost., and of course we got chicken feed.

I was still not able to secure any rice everyone says friday maybe.

Sunday

2008-06-08T20:18:00.002-05:00

Went this afternoon to give out relief items to those who lost most everything. Took mostly used clothing from the container. We still have more for later this week.

The damage from the flooding was extensive. However it was located in small areas with other areas not hit. Only those near a stream or creek got the worst of it. You remember where we get blocks that was a good 6 feet under water. They lost a lot of cement but the home was not damaged.

Tomorrow I will try to post photos I took today. The people were glad to get what little we had for them.

Nelson and I will go to Spanish Lookout in the morning to check on the car and try to buy rice. (The car was recked, not by the flood)

Just arrived

2008-06-07T17:47:00.001-05:00

Just received an email from Bob
Arrived safe and sound. Was able to buy 50 lbs of rice and some flour. They say that more will be in the stores Monday. Paid 1.50 BZ for a pound of rice.

More on the flood

2008-06-06T16:47:00.002-05:00

Bob and Nelson Dice leave tomorrow for Belize. They were going to try and buy flour, rice, cooking oil, etc in Belize City and take it up to Hosanna House. It looks like that can't happen just hope they can get to Hosanna House. In the following link when they talk about Middlesex that is where some of our children go to school
http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=11359&frmsrch=1 Storm price tag 25 million
http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=11360&frmsrch=1 Rice crisis

http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=20962 Rice scares and when found it's pricey
http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=20963 Bread prices going up
http://www.channel5belize.com/flood_june2008/welcome.html pictures on the flood

Flood

2008-06-05T13:23:00.002-05:00

Over the week end our village, Valley Community, received over 20 inches of rain causing a flash flood. Mark Ritchie, one of our close neighbors lost his wife and two children in the flood.
Nearly 60 people came to Hosanna House, which is up on a hill, to escape the flood waters. They spent more than a day there. Our staff feed them and cared for them.
Pray for our neighbors and our staff and children as they cope with this severe flooding and the loss of life.
Saturday Bob and Nelson Dice will be going to Hosanna House. We have set up a fund to help our neighbors. If you care to help you can mail your contribution to Here's Hope Ministries, P. O. Box 323, Greencastle. PA 17225
I will try to get you more information after Bob arrives in Belize.
Here are several news links

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=11341&frmsrch=1

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=11333&frmsrch=1

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=11346&frmsrch=1

Sun., May 4, 2008

2008-05-04T22:58:00.002-05:00

Day two in Belize!
I woke up..."Hokay...where am I? Oh right...Belize!" What a great thought! I looked across the room and saw the two girls from the home who had been allowed to stay at the guest house with me-they were still sound asleep; when I looked at the clock I realized that it was 6am and that the time difference was making a morning person out of me! The lack of sleep the night before quickly knocked me back out and I woke up at 10. Bob had decided to go to church even though Darlene and I stayed at the home, so we spent the morning in a quiet fashion, waiting for him to return.
Lunch was served as soon as he arrived- it was delicious and consisted of rice and beans or beans and rice (Bob informed me tonight that there IS a difference), chicken, and potatoe salad. After lunch I spent some time with the little boys and also took some time to journal and reflect. The afternoon was relaxing; I sat and talked with Bob and Darlene about the children, the home, and this country.
Around 4pm, Bob, Darlene, and I went to Dangriga. We bought some food supplies and also stopped to visit girls who had used to live at Hosannah house. I was also able to see the hospital I will be helping at this next week. I enjoyed watching Bob and Darlene interact with the people of Belize- everyone is a friend to them and they seem to be quite popular with the local people. After grabbing our supplies, we ate dinner at a chinese restaraunt and I had my first taste of freshly squeezed pineapple juice. Absolutely amazing! I even let myself slurp my straw when I reached the bottom of the glass. :)
When we returned to the Hosanna house, I spent some time with the older girls watching a movie. I am not surprised, but is interesting how they base their knowledge of America off movies. I fielded questions such as if I went to school with Troy Bolton (of Disney's "Highschool Musical") and if I knew Paul, from America. I laughed as they sang and showed off dance moves they had learned from movies. Before I knew it, bedtime had arrived and I said goodnight to the girls. Now I'm alone in the the guest house- excited and eager for tomorrow to begin. Tomorrow with its new experiences and blank slate waiting to be filled...

Welcome to Belize!

2008-05-03T20:38:00.003-05:00

My first glimpse of Belize was the tops of trees. Lots and lots of trees. I grinned and mentally prepared myself for my first foray into this new land and culture. I was starting a two week trip to learn and observe nursing and health care in the Belize culture.
My name is Ericka and I am a senior nursing student at Indiana Wesleyan University. My curriculum requires that I spend a minimum of 42 hours serving or observing the health care of a culture different than my own. My parents suggested I meet Bob and Darlene and explore the possibility of going to Belize to fulfill this requirement. Before I knew it, all of the plans were in place and I was seeing the forests of Belize.
We were greeted by a wall of heat and a white 16 passenger van- our transportation to 20.5 miles down Hummingbird Highway, also known as the Hosanna House. We pulled into the driveway and I saw the compound. A large home designed for children that need shelter, care, and love while difficult home situations are resolved. Suddenly 10 or 15 children were jumping and running and waving their arms- they were so excited to see Mr. Bob and Ms. Darlene. After some hugs were exchanged with Bob and Darlene, they began to watch me. I nervously grinned and squeaked out a tiny, "Hello." Names were rattled off as I desperately tried to match them with faces- a daunting and rather important task in any new situation.
Before long, the timidity was gone. A few squeezes to the sides of a ticklish youngster, some basic conversations with girls almost my own age, and we were buddies. Walking through the hallway in the children's home now consists of pretend shootouts with young boys, smiles and giggles from younger girls, and laughter and hand holding with the older girls. All this, and I've only been here 8 hours. I wonder what it will be like when I have been here a whole day?! Now where is that bug repellent...

February 23, 2008

2008-02-26T08:44:00.002-05:00

Well this was our last full day in Belize. We finished putting in the new drainage pipe and got the mower running to mow some grass. As we are packing to leave everyone has expressed a desire to return to see their family and friends.

In the evening, Wayne led final devotions and singing.

We will be leaving at 8:00am tomorrow for the airport.

Although this is my fourth trip down to Hosanna House, this is the first trip that included being able to work and visit with the home full of children. In summing up our trip down here, I believe everyone, no, I know everyone has been touched by one child or an others story. Each one has a story, just as each of us have a story.

My wife and I have been doing foster care in the states for over 3 years now. It's unbelievable that even with the different culture, there is still a similarity in how families are falling apart. What makes things even worse in both countries is the fact that allot of us just pretend or keep blinders on as to how bad things really are for families of today.

In the book of James 1:27, we read, Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

I believe that our Orphans and widows of today are the broken family's. Single women or men trying to raise children by themselves, or children who are ignored because we want to follow our own selfish desire, so that they are left to fend for themselves.

Christians of the world need to wake up and try to help fix the problem. We can build orphanages and create programs all over the world including in the states, but if these children are not given purpose, attention, responsibility, accountability, and most importantly love, then we are not helping anything.

Pray for Hosanna House and all similar missions that they will meet the needs of the children they serve. Pray for Bob and Darlene as they work to help children in Belize.

Well, God willing I will see some of these children in a year or sooner!!! For those who move on, my prayer is that, the seed planted, will be watered, fostered and tended until it blooms.

February 22, 2008

2008-02-22T17:27:00.015-05:00

Today was a slow day for work. We dug a trench to lay a new pipe which will help with drainage. We then took a tour of a local citrus processing plant.

Roderick, who lives at Hosanna House and helps with maintenance, works at the cirtrus plant and invited us to take a tour of the place that he worked. For some of us, this was our fourth trip down and have known Roderick for long enough that we have developed a relationship. I think he took great pride in us being able to see where he worked.

Though we could not take pictures to share, I can tell you it was facinating to see the process.

After getting back from the processing plant we ate lunch from Daisy's, located down over the hill. If you ever get a chance to come to Belize, there is a small store over the hill from the mission. The lady makes Belizean food that, if you like Mexican type food, is a real treat to eat. Everytime I come down, I like to go down and enjoy the local food.

During the afternoon five of us guys went to the local school and repaired some children's desks and the see-saw.

Tonight is family night! We are to have a cook out and are going to roast marshmallows and singing around the camp fire.

February 21, 2008

2008-02-21T20:58:00.008-05:00

Today we started out by finishing the bus stop shelter. Sometimes I have found coming on trips like this it is hard to get some jobs completely done. There is not much time in ten days. Either the group is to start a job and not finish or finish a job another group started. So it was neat to see this one through to completion.

In the afternoon my daughter, Jerika, and Doug’s daughter, Nikki, went to a local school where they were able to spend time in the classroom with the kids and then ride the bus home with the kids from the mission. Jerika, who is homeschooled, thought she was done with public school!

I have been spending some time just talking to the kids and I really think that is more important than any manual labor we do. Today I talked with a new girl who came to Hosanna House 2 days ago. Although she was not quite ready to share her whole story, she did open up some and it was good to see her smile. I know what it is like coming to a new place like this and it can be a very scary time trying to find out where you fit in, not to mention all the other issues you are dealing with that got you to this point. It is important that we all pray for these children, and children everywhere, who are in similar situations.

The following are a few pictures the girls took while at the school.

February 20, 2008

2008-02-21T19:31:00.010-05:00

Wednesday, Feb 20

We had a really early breakfast then left here at 7 AM to go to the Xunantunich Archaeological Reserve - or the Mayan ruins. On the way we stopped at Springfield, the old order Mennonite community, so Nikki and Jerika could visit them.

At the Mayan Ruins, a guide took us on a tour and told us all about the history of the ruins. It was very interesting. We got back at about 4 pm and found we had no water because a work crew had broken a pipe nearby. They said it would be fixed soon. We have a reserve supply that will last for a while.

These are some things we saw at Springfield. The farm we stopped at made metal brackets for their windows

This is the grinder run by horse power that was used to sharpen saw blades.

The Mennonite Colony uses their own type of money to exchange between themselves.

Swimming at the river on Sat. afternoon

February 19, 2008

2008-02-19T22:11:00.006-05:00

With Bob’s professional help, today the guys spent the morning putting up the trusses on the bus stop shelter. Royce took care of the cutting and sending the trusses over the hill.

Bob, Wayne, Tony, and Doug installed them. For some reason everyone that drives by seems to honk, Wayne says he’s the reason they honk. Of course if you know Wayne, well......

We are hoping by Thursday to have the roof completed and this project will be done!
After lunch we worked on completing the inside ceiling work that was started by a previous crew. Royce and Wayne hung the planks.

Tony cut the insulation for the ceiling.

Jerika and Nicki spent alot of time playing with the children after they came home from school!

The girls took care of having devotions tonight. We sung songs out of the hymnal while Miss Joan played the piano. A couple of the girls sang a solo from the book of Psalms.

February 18, 2008

2008-02-19T21:24:00.006-05:00

Joyce took time to get a Belizein hair styling from the girls. Imagine, she got it for free most people pay for brading's to look this nice! Sorry Joyce, Betty made us put this up!

This is Betty -- This is about our day on Monday Feb. 18
Foggy this AM but soon the sun came out and it was a very humid day.
Bob took Miss Joan and the baby Kesha to Belize City to the doctor. Kesha has a ad ear infection. Jerika went along.
Joyce did some more sewing and Darlene cooked and Betty helped whenever she was needed.
Charlie dug a 4 ft hole for a sewer line that needs some repair. Tony and Wayne worked on the bus stop building for the kids. Doug did some repair work on the washer but we are still going to have to watch it or we'll have another flood. Royce worked on the ceiling fans in Hosanna House and repaired some school desks. After supper Jerika and Nikki had devotions. They devided the kids into two groups and each group acted out a Bible story and the other group had to guess what it was.
Darlene & Betty went next door to see how the little girl was and found that she was home. Her dad told us that they kept x-raying to see if the coin had moved and the last x-ray showed that it had moved down so in the afternoon she passed it and came home.
We watched a movie on the Mayan culture as we will be visiting the ruins on Wednesday.
Off to bed.

February 17, 2008

2008-02-17T21:54:00.014-05:00

Today was a lazy relaxing day. We started the day by going to a local church. After church, we went out to eat at the Chinese restaurant in Belmopan. Afterward, we visited a Mayan woman who has become known as the Basket Lady. Not that she is nuts or anything. She just makes and sells a lot of baskets along with jewelry, purses and other various souvenirs. After returning to Hosanna House, we hung out with the children, which included playing volley ball on the new court (thanks previous crew!) and watched a movie.

Jerika found her treasure!!!!

In the evening we celebrated Derlene's birthday with games and cake that Darlene Eberly made. We all had a great time!

Margaret could not smile with a mouth full of cake!

This is Betty:
We enjoyed going to church with the Mennonites this morning. The singing was beautiful -- no piano. We had a van full of kids that went with us.
In the evening we had lots of fun at Darlene's birthday party. She was 8 years old. It was her first time she was away from her mother for her birthday. Miss Darlene gave her a pretty dress and necklace which she wore to the party. We came back to the workers house and Tony decided to do a load of wash and promptly flooded the mens room - even after Darlene warned him. This time it was the mens turn to clean it up!! I'll bet tomorrow the washing machine will get fixed!!

February 16, 2008

2008-02-16T17:11:00.008-05:00

Above Doug, Wayne, Tony and Charlie are working on forms for a sidewalk, well Tony and Charlie are mostly watching. Today we finished moving dirt that was needed around the volley ball court and tried to help with pouring concrete. A local concrete man, Tony, brought four guys to work so there was not a lot we could do. The school bus stop shelter footers and the sidewalk were poured today.

Royce made some more wood shelves.

In the early afternoon a few of us took 14 of the children down to the river to swim. As I was walking to the river a bunch of sirens started coming up the road. I mentioned that it was the first time I ever heard sirens in this country, at least out where Hosanna House is located. First an ambulance drove by. It was followed by a truck with a large movie type camera apparently taping a bunch of bicyclists behind them. They were all participating in a race. You will be happy to know that at the 20.5 mile marker, the 2 USA guys were not in first but not far behind.

This is Bettys report:
Woke up to lots of puddles from the rain last night and as we had breakfast -- more rain.
Some of the men decided they were going to clip the roosters wings as he was attacking the kids. He is now grounded!!!
We took the kids to the river to swim this afternoon and the water was cool but very refreshing.
In the evening, about 9:30, the neighbor lady came knocking at the door. Her young child had swollowed a coin and she complained of her chest hurting. So Bob took them to town to the hospital where she was admitted and they said she might have to be operated on.

February 15, 2008

2008-02-16T16:58:00.009-05:00

The Ladies had to clean out the men’s room after Betty (in the back ground)flooded the men’s room with the washer.

We knew we could get them to clean our area one way or the other! Betty showed Jerika and Nikki how to use a mop properly. Betty sure does look for alot of excuses to come over to the mens room. : )
Here's Betty:
Almost a week -- today the guys were working at various jobs -- Royce has been doing a lot of carpentry work in Hosanna House. Today he made a gate to keep the littlest child (1 1/2 years old) in one room.
Tonight is family night so Jerika and Nikki were put in charge of making Pizza with some of the older girls. Joyce and the younger girls popped a garbage bag full of popcorn -- yes, in a pan on top of the stove. After eating pizza we watched the DVD Aquamarine and ate popcorn. Then back to the house for coffee and visiting. During the night it poured down rain several times which some of us heard and some slept right through!!

It was very hot and humid today. Our team spent time building metal cages for the forms at the bus stop shelter. We also moved dirt to grow grass around the volleyball court and set forms for a small walkway coming from the guest apartments. Royce spent time working on some shelves up at the house.

Everyone in our group agrees that we will have to diet once returning to the states. Darlene has been doing a lot of the cooking with the other ladies help. We are well fed!!!

Tonight was Family Night so our girls (Nikki and Jerika) and a couple of the Hosanna House girls made pizza. Later in the evening, Doug led devotions and then we watched a movie with the children. One thing I notice is that these children are no different than our kids in the States who are dealing with rejection, abuse, loneliness and other issues. They all just want attention and a pat on the back from time to time. They are starved for unconditional acceptance.