This is a must read please. Oh my goodness I did it.

As I stated before, I wanted to find a way to help the school here in Belize. I wanted To find a way to make a difference in someone's life. Well on my last day the chance fell in my lap. So, I want to let you all know a little about what I am doing. I have stated before what it takes for a student to go to school here, and I do not know how some parents do it. Now I ask how is this kid supposed to do this. Samuel Mendez turned 18 three days ago. The principal asked me to sponsor this student. Let me tell you a little about him. He lost his parents a long time ago. The father is gone and his mother left him and his siblings for another man. He never sees her. She has a whole new family and life. He was raised by grandparents for a while and eventually was too much to handle and was put out. He has a lot of issues and is sad most of the time. He was hanging around the wrong friends. (Sound familiar to anyone). This kid did not have a place to go. He bounces  around from place to place.  He is basically homeless.  He wants to finish school.  He wants to make something of his life. He works on the weekends to pay for school and to eat. Since he is 18 there is not much that can be done for him. He is under a lot of stress trying to figure out how he is going to make it. He just  wants to  finish high school.  I went to school today to meet with him and to exchange information and to meet with other  teachers, principal,  and warden to help make sure Samuel stays in school.  I then met with Sam one on one. I told him a little about me and my life. I told him this was his chance. This was his turning point. That if he worked hard I will be there every step of the way. He cried and kept saying thank you.  He also smiled a lot. And that is something I had not seen him do much of. I am very excited about this opportunity. I let him know that he would still make mistakes and mess up but that if he was up front with me we could work it out. I want to help him. And I will.  Changing the world one kid at a time. Let me know if you want to help. There are several ways that this can be done. It didn't take much but he is in my heart always.

Terrible towel made it to Belize

Had to bring the fan base further south. All the steeler fans should like this. Had to keep WKU in the mix too. Enjoy

last day at OLOG High

My last day at OLOG was fun and emotional. The staff surprised me with a good bye party. I cried of course. The kids played volleyball and soccer. We had cake, ice cream and drinks.  I received several cards and small gifts. We exchanged contact information and hugged. I am so very grateful for my time here.  I will never forget the students or staff. I was able to exchange contact information with a few students. I hope to be able to keep up with them because I can't wait to see what they do. I gave out thank you cards to several staff members that were warm and welcoming to me.  I wrote a letter to the student body which was read to each class. I said this to them: 

Dear OLOG students. It has been my pleasure and honor getting to know you and to meet each of you. Stay beautiful. You all are amazing and I cant wait to see what you do. Never let circumstances or life struggles hold you back. Take advantage of whats in front of you. It's your future make the best of it. I will leave you with these words: Hard work is a two way street; you get out what you put in it.  Always remember that the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. Be extraordinary. Do the extra. Push yourself because no one is going to do it for you. 

a- ordinary is that little extra. Be extra-ordinary

My baby-- girl happy birthday

Happy birthday Makayla Grace Jolicoeur.  I wish I was with you today.  You are so beautiful. And I love you with all of my heart. I miss your beautiful smile and those beautiful blue eyes. You are such a sweet person with a kind heart.  I miss hearing you sing and ask all of your questions. I miss hearing you playing school. I miss watching you get mad at Ben when he frustrates you. I miss your little bum that is so little it doesn't even show up in skinny jeans. I will celebrate with you when I get home. I am sorry I am not there with you. This day is the day I wish I was at home the most. I will see you soon. Mommy loves you.

Kevin and Frankie.

Kevin, Frankie and I went to the Belmopan Christmas tree lighting ceremony.  We "people watched" and had a great time. There were beautiful performances. Singing, dancing, poetry and speeches. We walked around a lot talking and laughing. We made life long memories that I will look back on and smile. These two kids made it into my heart and my life forever. I truly do love them. They are so special. Kevin is such a good boy and he will grow to do great things. His mother raised him well. He is kind and gentle. He has a huge heart and is smart. Frankie can do anything. I tell, or show him something and he can do it. He is a very funny kid and a natural athlete. He opened up to me about some struggles in his life. I would do anything for them both. So this blog is for the boys who made Belize amazing and beautiful to me. Everywhere I go in Belmopan these two are with me. Everyone knows us. I am going to miss them so much it hurts to think about it.

Nearing the end

I have done many fun things, and I have met numerous wonderful people. Besides hanging with Kevin and Frankie, my favorite things to do here is to ride the bus and ride the boat. I absolutely love sitting in the back of the boat, listening to music, feeling the warm wind, basking in the sunshine, while watching the breathtaking emerald waters of the Caribbean sea. I could do it over and over. The colors are so vivid and amazing I can't describe it. I feel so peaceful there rocking my converse shoes and taking in as much sun as I can. I love the Caye Caulker Island and the people that live there. I wish I could live and work there. There is such a need for good teachers.  The buses are the most used mode of transportation here in Belize. You always sit with a stranger and you are friends by the time you reach your destination. This weekend I met a 60 years old man that has 8 children. He is a masonry by trade. His name is Louis Flata. He spoke of his love for his wife and children. I explained to him why I was in Belize. He said he trusts everyday to the Lord. He was excited to learn about the fact that I am a teacher. He confided in me that he had never learned to read. He wished that we would have met earlier so that I could have taught him to read. He talked often of God and life. His faith in his family and God runs deep. I think that he must be driven totally by faith because he has never read a word of the bible.  When we reached Belmopan he introduced me to his wife and his youngest daughter. I will never forget the conversation with this man. I really wish I could have helped him. It's people like this gentleman that have a huge impact on me and make me want to change the world even if it's one person at a time. 

First loose tooth and Christmas.

I have been teaching seniors this week and suprivising testing. It has been a fun week; I have enjoyed every minute. I walked around and observed science classes and technical drawing classes. I also worked with a student, diagnosed with some disabilities, get caught up on school work. She is 20 years old and in high school. The way it works in Belize is that if a student fails they can keep coming to school as long as the parents pay for it. There are certain tests that each student must pass. The tests are in English and Math. I have learned a great deal about the school system. I also learned today that the lady that sells snacks to the students is in charge of cleaning the bathrooms. The money she gets for snacks is how she gets paid for cleaning the bathroom. There are some issues there. Biting my tongue-biting my tongue. 

Tonight I sang at a Christmas program for a school. It was fun and quite the experience. The children put on a great show. I met lots of people. I sat next to my best friend in Belize, Little Kevin😊.

Less than a week to go, then I will be home. 😜

After we got he from the program, Cayler got his first loose tooth pulled by big Kevin. He was so excited. And I finally got a picture of big Kevin. I had to beg. Yay!