Less is more

On June 13th of this year 17 of us from St. Michael Parish embarked on a journey to Belize, Central America. We drove to Omaha late in the day, spent the night in a Catholic school and rose early to be at the airport by 6:30 a.m. We flew to Dallas, waited a few hours and then took off for Belize City. We arrived at about 12:30 p.m. and there began a mission of challenge, self-discovery, hard work, meaningful worship, new friends, and great experiences.

The time was challenging because we lived in tough conditions. In other words, we lived much like the people of Orange Walk Town with whom we worked for several days. We slept on air mattresses in rooms that could be hot and stuffy, drank warm water, took cold showers, and fought off a multitude of bugs and other creatures.

We worked very hard on a variety of projects in and around Orange Walk Town. We erected a fence around San Juan Church, finished and painted the ceiling of the Church of Palmar, assisted in feeding the “poorest of the poor” at Mercy Mission in the center of Orange Walk, painted the inside rooms of a convent, sanded and stained pews, and painted the exterior of a church in just two and a half hours. Some of our group helped paint new Stations of the Cross for the San Juan Church as well as painting inspiring banners to be hung around the place we stayed (Muffels College). Note - Muffels College is not a college in the way we think of them - it was more like a junior high.

We attended Mass on our first Sunday in Belize at La Immaculata Church in Orange Walk. The priest (Fr. Smalls) is responsible for 21 parishes in the area so most of the parishes only get Mass once or twice per month. The music was wonderful (Latin American), the people were VERY welcoming and the Church was packed to the gills with many people standing outside by the open windows. It was Father’s Day so they had a nice presentation of certificates and small gifts for all of the dads who were present. They also sang a song in Spanish for all of the dads who had passed away. Although I couldn’t understand the words, I could tell it was an emotional song as dozens of people in the Church wept openly in love for their deceased fathers. We also had Mass every evening and fun programs in which to participate.

We met great people from the local area who opened their hearts to us in gratitude, generosity and hospitality. They were friendly, happy people. We also met many new friends who came from other parts of the United States to participate in the work camp.

I believe I speak for all who went on the trip in saying that it was also an experience of self-discovery. When we reached our hotel in Dallas on the way home we gathered in the dining area and discussed our experiences. Rhonda asked us what we were grateful for or what we learned. These are some of the responses:

· “I am grateful for school –the youth in Belize only go until the sixth grade and most cannot afford to go to high school so I am going to quit complaining about school.” (There is no public school in Belize)

· “The people of Orange Walk were so happy, so generous and so grateful for our help.”

· “Simplicity is the best way of life.”

· “The people were very joy-filled and proud of their homes, their churches and their families.”

· “God showed me what true happiness is. Despite the fact that the people live in poverty they are joy-filled and content.”

· “The people showed me a level of kindness I had never experienced before. I have never felt so at home when I wasn’t.”

That is just a sample of the many responses the young adults shared.  For me, I now appreciate the Mass (daily and Sunday) much more than ever. The people in the Orange Walk area live good and holy lives while only receiving the Eucharist once or twice per month. They are lucky if they get to go to Confession once per year. We truly are blessed (and maybe a bit spoiled) because we can receive these Sacraments daily if desired. I also learned that I had not yet appreciated the lesson I learned in Guatemala several years ago - people with very little are much more happy, content, faithful and family centered than people with much. To interact with the Belizean people and see the love of God beaming through their smiles and their open hearts was a humbling experience. It seems that less stuff means more God and simple living conditions lead to strong families and caring communities. I have to keep asking myself “When will I learn?” these simple but important lessons?!