Reflections Seen in Streams: Living in the World’s Watershed

       Water has reflective properties, thus it seems fitting to reflect on the things I saw during our week of Stream Ecology. We learned a lot about stream characteristics, in particular the characteristics of a watershed and how they affect the flow of the rest of the stream. A watershed is the land from which all the river’s water originates. If the ground in the watershed is porous, flow will be slower and less water will drain into the river. If the land is deforested, then erosion of soil will cause the river water to be more turbid with runoff. If the land is used for excessive agricultural purposes, then the river might be polluted with agricultural runoff.
       If the world were a stream, I think followers of Christ would be the watershed.  If we take our position seriously, if we live as faithful stewards, caring for creation (both the people and the land) and if we show Christ’s love to those around us, then our lives will share the Living Water of Christ (John 4) with everyone we meet on our journey on this earth. However, if we fail to be mindful of the impact we have, we can just as easily contribute negatively to this “stream.” If we profess our faith and then fail to live sustainably and care for the marginalized and oppressed, then we might be shedding a negative light on Christianity. We have the power to make an incredible impact on the Kingdom because God’s Living Water lives inside of us and can fill and flow out of us. I was reminded during Stream Ecology that this gift is not something I should take lightly.

The First Few Weeks in a Whirlwhind

Yesterday marks our fifth week here in Belize! I am blown away by how quickly the time has gone and how much I have to share about it all. So, here is a summary of some memories from my first three weeks:

During orientation week, we went to a place called the Blue Hole, a beautiful water hole nestled in a mountain jungle next to a cave. After swimming, we ate a picnic lunch, which, was followed by a small snack of termites. Yup. Termites. Apparently, if you are ever in the jungle, these little bugs make a very nutritious snack. CCSP staff members have been encouraging us to “squeeze the sponge” whenever an opportunity arises. Thus, when they conveniently found a termite nest next to the picnic tables, we of course were inclined to try them. They tasted like a cross between a mint and a carrot. Only after the fact did I find out that termites are related to cockroaches. Comforting. J

Another day, we went to a Mayan ruin called Xunantunich or “stone maiden”, which is situated on a mountain across from the cow pasture on our campus.  Climbing around on structures built by the Mayans hundreds of years ago was incredible. While standing on the top of the Castile (royal building), it was interesting to look down on our campus and the mountains of Guatemala in the distance and wonder about what the view looked like when the Mayans stood in our shoes.

On a trip to the Belize zoo, I held a boa constrictor around my shoulders, fed some Scarlet macaws peanuts, and gave a high five to a jaguar. Let me put it this way…It was unlike any zoo experience you could ever expect to have in the States!  All the animals there are native to Belize and most are rescued from situations in which they would have died in the wild.

After the zoo, the staff left us at the gate of the zoo and let us loose for our first experience traveling on our own in Belize. On this weekend of free travel, we took a bus to Belize City, where we got on a water taxi to take us to an island called Caye Caulker. The water on the Caye was like a kaleidoscope of every possible blue you can imagine, and the sun struck the water like light shining through a stained glass window. Though looking at the water from the shore was breathtaking, my favorite memory from our weekend was a snorkeling excursion we took observing the creatures that lived beneath the water. We took a tour with witty native Belizean nicknamed “Caveman.” We snorkeled not only with colorful fish, but also with more intimidating creatures like stingrays, nurse sharks, and a moray eel.  After our snorkeling, Caveman took us to some mangroves at the end of the island where we saw several seahorses. We even found a pregnant male (Fun Fact: male seahorses carry the eggs!), whom we named “Big Daddy.”

After returning from the Cayes with fond memories of fish, sunburned shoulders, and Caribbean/Garifuna music ringing in our ears, we finally jumped into the academics of our program with our first week of Sustainable Community Development.

This week involved discussions about development theory, ecotourism (sustainable tourism), and ways in which we can partner with needy communities and empower them in such a way that they are able to deal with whatever current and future challenges they might face. There is a distinct danger of causing more harm than good if you go into a community with the arrogant mentality of knowing exactly what they need and how to get it for them. Equipping a community to help themselves is far more beneficial in the long-term. As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime.” A highlight of this week was a field trip we took to the Community Baboon Sanctuary near Belize City. This community is composed of several villages that are committed to protecting the land and the black howler monkeys that live on it. The villages’ agricultural and everyday practices focus on sustainable living that will support both the people and the wildlife in the community. While taking a tour around the land, we were hoping to see some of the howler monkeys in distant trees. We were pleasantly surprised when our tour guide, Geraldine, started to hoot and howl like the monkeys so that they not only showed their cheeky little faces in the tree tops above us but proceeded to climb down the trees to fill those little faces with leaves that we held up to them.

There certainly have been challenges to living in this new place, with new people, a different culture, and a very intense academic schedule, but with each day, I am reminded through my experiences how blessed I am to be learning about God’s creation while living in a place where I can see his fingerprints so clearly in everything around me.

Blue Hole National Park

Blue Morpho Butterfly at Chaa Creek Natural History Center

New Meaning to Term Feather Boa

Fancy Footwork

Caye Caulker

Me, Leah, and Stephanie eating a seafood dinner on the Caye

Beatiful Blues

Cheeky Monkey

 

One of the stone cottages where we live











The library








Sunset from the driveway



A view of the palapa from the laundry area

The classroom

Just one of the many beautiful plants on campus

Life at "The Nab"

So much has happened so far, it is hard to know where to begin! I have learned so much already and anticipate a very full semester. I can barely believe we’ve been here for over two weeks now. The first week was full of orientation activities, getting us acquainted with the farm on which we are living, the surrounding towns of Succutz and San Ignacio, the transportation system, and each other!

Our campus, named Nabitunich, is located on the farm of the Juan family. Though it is a cattle farm, it is the complete opposite of the Iowan landscape of Northwestern! There are palm trees everywhere, rolling green hills, beautiful (noisy!) birds, horses, and so much more! The farm is about 500 acres, so I have yet to explore everything.

 We live in stone cottages with basic amenities: a bed, a dresser, a bookshelf, and a bathroom with only cold water. It’s amazing how refreshing a cold shower feels in this climate though! The first night, I was surprised to find a giant cockroach under my mattress and a large spider climbing up my wall. The next night, there was a gecko, and just yesterday a mouse jumped out of our trash can. Needless to say, we are never lonely!

Our classroom is a wooden, screened building decorated with art made from rustic and recycled materials. As we enter the building, we take our shoes off, partly to keep out the dirt and partly as a symbol of our intentions to make it a sacred place of learning.

The palapa is a white-stuccoed canopy area where colorful hammocks hang for lounging. Attached to this area is our laundry facility. Our washer is a metal tub with a washboard. Our dryer is a clothesline. My arms will be quite strong, I think, by the end of the semester from wringing out all my clothes before putting them on the line!

We have a library with books on development, ecology, theology, and literature. There are already so many that are on my list to read…in between all our adventures and reading that needs to be done for class.

Last, but not least, is the building that houses our dining facilities: a kitchen, a veranda, and a student lounge. Here, we eat all our meals, have Sunday community nights, hang out and play games, and read for our classes. The kitchen staff is wonderful. Miss Flora and Miss Shelly are our cooks. They welcome help at any time, so it is on my bucket list for the semester to learn how to cook some of the Belizean meals that we have been having, especially these wonderful fluffy tortillas that have quickly become a staple in our diet.

I must admit that things were a bit overwhelming at first. However, as we are adjusting to academics and to a somewhat consistent routine, the “Nab” is becoming more and more a home away from home for me. Each day holds so much potential, and I am learning to find the value in each one as it comes. It’s far too easy for me to look down the road and think about the weeks and months to come. But, in doing that, my eyes miss the treasures of today – moments and opportunities that are far too valuable to risk overlooking.