The Ants

Since I have a little bit of free time over the Christmas holidays I've decided to post a few silly little blogs about what consumes my days here.

The Ants

A Love / Hate Story

(They love us and we hate them.)

Here is the story of the Ants.  At this point I can only hope it has a happy ending.   

Yes, we had ants in our old house.  A few here or there, some big, some small, some came in for the crumbs or last sip of coke left in the coke bottle, some came in to get out of the rain, and some came in to collect and carry away dead roaches.  When they came we simply swept them away and didn't think too much of it because it wasn't very often that they came.  

Then we moved to our new little house by the Church.  We love the convenient 1 minute walk to Mass and to the rectory for meals, waking up to the Church bells, and the surprising lack of roaches (unlike the old house where we often battled flying roaches in the evening hours).  ... What we don't like are the ants (and the spiders, but that's a whole different story).  We believe the ants were here before us and refuse to move out.  It's my mission in the next two weeks to make the ants understand we're not leaving and this house is simply not big enough for 7 women and a billion ants.  Someone has to go.  

I remember our first day here, we stopped moving beds, closets, and suitcases to drink water and I heard someone ask "Why are there all those ants by the front door?!"  sure enough, there's a swarm of ants having a welcome party right at our feet.  We all pondered why they were there as it couldn't be food left out, there was no food in the house yet, and we didn't see any spider or roach carcasses lying about.  We swept the whole lot of them out the door and didn't think too much about it.  

Two nights later the guys are over, popcorn is being made, and some petty issue is being debated, a typical evening amongst the volunteers.  When all of the sudden someone in kitchen area starts cursing and swiping at their feet.  We soon realize there are ants EVERYWHERE in the kitchen.  By everywhere I mean in the sink, on the countertop, crawling up the walls and down the cabinets in little rows, in the trashcan and on the floor.  Now let me explain to you, we have two kinds of ants residing with us.  These happened to be the Tiny Crazy Ants.  That's not their scientific name but what we have dubbed them because they are so small and a strange light brown color you can barely see them sometimes and when you attempt to smash them they start moving at double or triple speed in a haphazard way going nowhere in particular.  So, that night as three of us worked together to sweep off the ants from the walls, countertops, and cabinets without getting bit (did I mention they bite?  Oh yes, they bite like fire ants, but unfortunately they do not stay outside in your yard like fire ants usually do) we all realized we may have an issue on our hands.  Fortunately that night we had a can of ant and roach spray.  We were using it freely until we saw the other kind of ants on the bathroom door near the kitchen.  The other kind of ants we have are the big black ants.  They are really big and pretty slow.  They have yet to bit anyone and we don't know why they stroll around the bathroom door and back door.  Once we saw the big black ants we went to town with the bugspray and finished off the bottle.  

It was the second night in the house.  We THOUGHT we had solved the problem.  We THOUGHT we got rid of the ants.  How silly and naive we were then.  

The ants have not moved out.  In fact, they really toy with us now.  For a week we'll see less of them and think we're doing better, watching our crumbs, sweeping the floors daily, not leaving any empty coke bottles out.  But then they come back... they eat everything, we can't figure it out.  Why would ants be so interested in my cup of water I left on the table overnight?  Who knows, but there they are lining up all the way from the window across the wall and up the table just to get some water and then promptly drown.  

You may wonder why we don't use the ant/roach spray that worked that first night.  If it were cost effective (meaning we had an income and not a stipend and it kept the ants away for more than 48 hours) we probably would.  Since it's not we've been exploring solutions we've heard from the locals.  The ants must be a problem for everyone, right?  Although we've tried several things, it turns out most people just live with the ants and work around them.  No wonder why the ants haven't moved out since we moved in, no one else makes them move out!  The best invention I've seen for keeping ants off breads and sweets is to put the package/plate/container balanced on a drinking glass and then put the drinking glass standing in a bowl of water.  The ants can't cross the water in the bowl to crawl up the glass to get the food.  It's quite inventive and all the dead ants swimming in the water is a bonus.  But you still have the live ants marching on the table all around the bowl of water.  

The night before the volunteers left we were all beat and decided just to relax and watch a movie.  I was lying on the couchbed waiting for the girls to return from dinner when I noticed right beside me was a line of tiny crazy ants.  I followed the line and saw they were entering and exiting through the window.  Upon following it the other way I saw they were marching right across the couchbed down the other side and scattering across the floor in every direction.  For some reason this upset me more than it had in dealing with these little buggers since September. Where are they going?  Why are they here?  WHAT DO THEY WANT?!  They're everywhere!  I hate looking down at my arm and seeing a tiny little ant crawling on me!  At any given moment I believe I have 5 to 10 ants on my body!  This is when my frustration became an obsession. I WILL get rid of these ants.  I promptly ripped the sheet and bedskirt off the couchbed and threw it in the washing machine, swept the ants off the wall onto the floor and out the door, and waited... watching... and waiting for their next attack.  

It is my mission to figure it out before my roommates get back from Christmas break.  One of the girls actually said "I can't wait to be home and not have to look down randomly and see an ant on me"  What a lovely surprise it will be for them if they can come home to an ant-free house!  We shall see.  We shall see. 

For the first 4 days I washed the kitchen table with dish soap, lots of dish soap.  I would come back later that day or wake up the next morning only to find they were meandering about on the table again, just roaming around with no particular purpose.  I'd wash the table again, lots of soap again.  For 4 days this went on.  And then finally, one day I came in and they weren't there... I'm sitting at the table this very instant without a single ant beside me.  I would be more excited but I'm not sure if it was the dish soap or if they're playing with my mind.  They're still meandering about on the bathroom counter right now, sigh, now that the table and kitchen have been won (I think) the bathroom is my next battle.  

I'll promise to update you on the ants.  Until then, don't feel sorry for me.  Seriously, they're just ants!  Besides, it gives me something entertaining and useful to do on my Christmas break!  May you have an ant-free and very merry Christmas!  

Tiny Crazy Ants hanging out on the bathroom counter.  Told you they are tiny.  

Chapter 2

Apparently the ants keep up with my blog postings.  Above is the picture of the bathroom counter.  And the very next day I go into the bathroom to find an entire ant community has moved onto the counter and is partying around the sink area.  Why?  What changed in my bathroom in 24 hours?  I'm don't know and I'm the only one here.  Nothing changed!  I decided to let them be and focus on the leaky pipes under the counter as it was my objective for the day.  When I went to find the PVC glue I found a drawer full of the Big Black Ants.  Even though they have been known to be friendly in the past I didn't really want to push their friendliness.  I doused them all with soap water and cleaned up the carnage later.  Here's a pic of one of the dead big black ants in the drawer.  

 After I attempted (unsuccessfully) to fix the leak I went to take a midday nap, it is Christmas break after all!  Late in the afternoon I came into the bathroom to check the leak and strategize and noticed all the ants were GONE!  Well, I mean, there were still those 5 -10 meandering about, but the entire community had relocated!  Apparently they were just staying for 24 hours and then passing through.  2 and half years here and I still can't figure out the inner workings of the ants.  

I felt better about my lost battles when I went to the guy volunteers' house last night.  I was shocked when I saw an immaculately clean countertop and sink in the kitchen!  Let's just say the guys' house isn't known for it's cleanliness and leave it at that.  Another volunteer's mom is in town visiting and like every mother I know, she couldn't just sit around when something was desperately in need of being cleaned.  I complimented her and she told me to check out the bathroom sinks as well, haha!  But, right in the middle of that amazingly clean sink was a swarm of ants attacking a fork that hadn't been washed immediately after use!  ahhh, see, it's not just me.  Even a mother's cleaning won't stop them!  

Home Again, Home Again

Just returned 'home' after a week long visit 'home' :)
It was a WONDERFUL visit with family, and in the midst of traveling, Thanksgiving, playing with the nieces, shopping, and a wedding it was still somehow relaxing!

I had a great visit with Angela, Mom and Dad, Jenny and her girls, both Grandmas, the majority of the extended family, and I witnessed the beautiful wedding of John and Marissa Bower!

After such a nice visit it wasn't tough returning to Belize, but it was tough knowing that I won't be back in the States until mid-June.  The thought of not seeing my nieces for 6 months breaks my heart!

I was trying to explain to some of the other volunteers (knowing full well they won't completely get it until they have nieces or nephews of their own) all the little things they do that just melt my heart.  Simple things, like riding in the car and making Megan, who's 10 months old now, laugh, then I laugh, then she laughs louder, and back and forth we go, just watching her big open-mouth smile and hearing her belly laugh all because I'm smiling and laughing with her, that's all it takes!  And then there's Anna, who's 2 and a half, who gets all excited because Auntie Betsy shares a room with her.  We make cookies together and she loves mixing and lucky for us she hates spills so she's quite careful not to make a mess!  Then when we go to bed she falls asleep smiling up at me with that sweet little angelic face.  These are the little things that you miss living far away, these little daily events that melt your heart!  

I was pondering all of this, especially the amazing ability of small children to melt hearts while I waited for my flight to leave from Jackson, MS.  Thanks to the free WiFi I checked my Facebook and my heart was unexpectedly melted by someone other than my nieces, this time by my students.  Those of you that know me well already know I'm not a very emotional teacher.  I love teaching, but I don't miss my students over the holidays, it's not hard for me to discipline them, and I don't get upset if they don't like me, haha.  When I told them I'd be gone for a week the girls asked me to bring them back some candy and the boys were excited and cheered, this is not shocking, students never appreciate their teacher while they have them!  So while I was gone, turns out, they asked about me constantly, and when another teacher was substituting for my girls' homeroom they decided to make a sign and a video message to send to me :)  It was surprisingly touching and I realized I may not have my nieces nearby, but God is giving me adopted nieces and, if I'm open they will melt my heart, too.

God is reminding me to be happy with what He has given me, it's okay to miss people, of course, but not so much that it blocks you from seeing clearly who He has given you in your life where you are.  Wherever we are, He has given us adopted family, children, siblings, friends, and nieces when we are far from our loved ones... our job is to make sure we don't miss seeing them as our family.  Remember that we are meant to be in relationship with our coworkers and neighbors, so don't be afraid to be a sister, brother, mother, cousin, friend, daughter, son, etc to them.  We all need each other, whether we're near home or far away!  Be open, and God will move in unexpected ways and in unexpected people in your life!

How to live in abundance

"I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance.In every circumstance and in all thingsI have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,of living in abundance and of being in need.I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me."   

Phil 4:12-14

I’m really looking forward to my trip to the States next week!  Yes, I plan on taking hot showers, sleeping on a really comfy mattress, watching TV, and going out to eat as much as possible!  St. Paul says he has found the secret to living in abundance and of being in need… the secret is to be happy where God has put you; the secret is that He gives me my strength and my happiness must be found in Him.  

Whether you have a lot or you have very little your happiness isn’t found in your material possessions.  Most of us think we’re not attached to our possessions, right?  But how quickly the truth comes out when our cell phone breaks and it takes a whole 48 hours to replace it!  What about when the internet is out for a few hours?  

I think God uses those little inconveniences to realize when we’re getting attached to our material possessions.  We’re all pretty thickheaded and sometimes the only time we learn the lesson is when He makes it really obvious.  So, next time your flat screen TV falls off the wall and cracks or there’s a scratch on the door of your new car, He might be reminding you that you’re supposed to be happy with or without it.  

Here's the street I live on and my house where the 7 of us female volunteers stay. 

  

For the people living in the States it’s probably crazy to think what it would be like to live without hot water, here it’s the norm and we’ve all gotten used to it.  This is not to say we can’t have nice things!  It's not living in abundance or living without that is right or wrong, not at all!   It's about where our hearts are, how we use the material gifts God has given us.  We have to be able to live either way... and so ... here's us spending Sunday afternoon at the hotel pool in San Ignacio!  Soaking up the sun, having a drink, using the wireless internet and RELAXING!  

and our weekend trip to San Pedro :)

We just have to make sure our hearts are in the right place.  That we can be live our lives happily when we're "living in abundance" and when we're "in need".  When He gives in abundance receive it with open arms and praise Him for His generosity!  But don’t be attached to it, be ready to live happily without it.  We aren’t going to be in this world for long, so we’re not supposed to get too attached to it.  We are supposed to be attached to God, He’s the one we can’t live without, not our TV, house, clothes, internet, or cell phone.  

So yeah, I can’t wait to be in the 1^st world and take advantage of all the amenities!  God wants us to appreciate those things while we have them... As long as I don't cry when I have to come back to my cold showers, uncomfortable bed, and rice and beans and eggs everyday for dinner :)   

Update February 2, 2013: 
Last week ALL my jewelry was stolen!  Let me tell you, I was quite upset when I discovered that someone had broken the screen on my bedroom window and reached in (through the burglar bars) to grab my jewelry bag.  I still feel quite safe, thanks to those burglar bars!  but I was more upset than I should have been about the loss of all my jewelry and hair stuff that was in that case.  I tried to justify why I was so frustrated.  I told myself "I don't have that many material possessions to begin with",  "I'm generous with my stuff, I often give away earrings because I have plenty and someone else really likes them" and "I'm upset because those things were a small collection of places I've visited and lived, and they were presents from my friends and family, I'm upset because of their sentimental value" ... all these things may be true, but in the end all my justification for why it upset me doesn't hold up, the truth is, I'm upset because I was attached and now I'm forced to DETACH.  

It's not fun, but it's a constant lesson we all have to learn, we are not meant to stay on this earth forever, I should be able to live happily with or without it, there's no point to storing up my treasures on earth.  

When I saw this post in my lists of past posts I thought I'd write a little update, a reminder to myself and others that these lessons are "Life" lessons, meaning they aren't just learned and then you get it and move on, the way you learn your multiplication tables, this is one of the lessons we will forever be learning... but the good news is, the more often we learn it, the easier it gets!  

some little details of my life here

So I figured I post some little things about life here...

Here is my closet.  For those of you who wondered how I lived 8 weeks in the summer with just my backpack and carry-on suitcase... it's because this is how we live all year here.  Just what you need: school uniforms, a few good books, a box of stationary things, and a shelf for your new computer!

After 2 years you figure out the tricks of the trade, what's useful and what's not... this canvas shoe rack is sooooo useful.  It's literally the envy of most the girls in my house.  So convenient for toiletries, bugspray, makeup, hair stuff, sunscreen, sunglasses, and even shoes. 

I mostly am showing this for my brother's sake.  There are some things I go through quickly wherever I'm living (popcorn, salsa, hair gel)  but being down here I've beat my personal record by finishing this 22oz of hair gel in exactly 2 months!  It's even more humid here than in Mississippi or Texas!  

More little details to come... 

My Photo Wall

Here's a picture of my pictures.  

This is my 'photo wall' that hangs in my bedroom.

I look at it every morning as I get ready. 

My friends and family are never far from me. 

I remember you, think of you, and pray for you daily.  

Miss you all!  

p.s. If you're not on this wall then send me a pic!  I'd love to add you :) 

Things I do here that I didn’t do (or didn’t do often) in the United States

1.     Use an indoor clothesline

2.     Kill mosquitoes in the bathroom

3.     Eat eggs for dinner

4.     Float in the river

5.     Clean the ants off the counter, table, floor, desk, sink, walls, furniture… myself!

6.     Video chat

7.     Drink coke from a glass bottle

8.     Lie in a hammock

9.     Take cold showers

10.   Sleep with a fan on

11.   Wake up without an alarm clock

12.   Eat Chinese food

13.   Take stool samples in for testing

14.   Hitchhike

15.   Use bugspray (almost daily)

16.   Visit the beautiful beaches of San Pedro, Caye Caulker, and Placencia!

17.   Cherish ice cubes

18.   Buy bottled water

19.   Travel across the country in one day

20.   Blog!

Teacher(s) of the Month

I was named Teacher of the Month for September!  It only took me 9 years, that’s 90 months of teaching, to get named Teacher of the Month!  Haha

Anyway, the point of this isn’t that I was named Teacher of the Month, it’s that I work with some really amazing teachers…

The reason our school has such a profound effect on the students is because the teachers really care about their students.  The Belizean teachers I work with are really great at what they do.  They are dedicated to the students and the mission of the school and that dedication is very apparent.

            And the volunteer teachers...  These volunteers amaze me more and more each year.  I am so impressed they can do well down here with little to no teaching experience.  In honor of the Teacher of the Month award I’m going to tell you about the 3 returning volunteer teachers who I feel all deserve the award as much as I do, if not more so.

            

Shelby Chavez.  Shelby wins the Most Energetic Teacher award.  Somehow, this girl goes into every class with a smile on her face and a boatload of energy (I have no idea where she gets it).  She has the most hours of teaching, the most papers to grade, and the most kids with attitude!  And then, after all that… she goes to teach Dance class 3 days a week!  Why?  Because the girls love it and it’s so good for them, that’s why!  

When the volunteers come down here and leave their family, friends, and 1^st world amenities for a year it’s just the beginning of the sacrifices they’ll have to make.  I see Shelby sacrifice what she wants to do (hanging out, having fun, talking to family, and sleeping in) for the sake of her students.  And I see her make these sacrifices DAILY.  She may get tired, but she endures and she endures with joy!  What a beautiful witness you are, Shelby!   

            

Lucia Muniz.  Lucia wins the Most Involved Teacher award.  Although, she’s right behind Shelby for the Most Energetic award!  Lucia and Shelby both teach Math and they both offer Saturday classes for the students who are behind.   We have many students that used to hate Math and now LOVE it because of these two teachers!  That’s Lucia in the classroom, and outside of class you’ll see her talking to students, going to basketball games, attending birthday parties, and visiting with students’ families.  

She can tell you everything about her students’ families, it’s incredible.  She is well loved by both her students and their families.  No wonder why she was awarded Teacher of the Month our first year!  She inspires me to be involved, to witness to the whole family, not just our students, to witness to everyone God puts in our path.  Well done, Lu.   

            

And lastly, Sean York.  Everyone knows a great teacher is not determined solely by timely lesson plans and grading; in case you forget that fact you can just take a look at Mr. Sean.  Sean wins the Most Improved award (I pray he’s not offended by me saying that!).  Sean is one of the most dedicated and humble teachers I’ve ever met.  He is constantly striving to improve his teaching skills, and never for his own sake, but for the sake of his students, for their learning, and for the salvation of their souls.  When I see him now, after seeing him a year ago, it’s like I’m seeing a different person when it comes to teaching.  As far as planning, he works diligently by reading, researching, and finding resources to prepare in-depth and engaging lesson plans.  As far as discipline, he corrects and guides the students when they need it, even though it’s not fun for him at all, in fact he hates it.  You’ve heard the saying “this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you” from parents… with Sean it couldn’t be truer.  It hurts him to give detentions and demerits, but he still does it because even though he hates it, he’s learned how beneficial it is for the students.  They are growing and he’s one of the people forming them.  So, Sean gets Most Improved for lesson plans and discipline.  Like I said, he’s constantly striving to improve himself, which is a lesson for us all.  I can’t believe how much he’s changed in the last year.  

But one thing that hasn’t changed is his love for the students.  From the first day he arrived he’s given his whole heart to the kids; he holds nothing back. The students are always first priority; he’ll sacrifice whatever he needs to in order to keep it that way.  Sean loves the students with Christ’s love.  In fact, there’s no doubt in my mind he would lay down his very life for them if needed.  Sean deserves another award besides Most Improved, it took me a while to find a title for his love for the students but I’ve decided on the “Sacrifice of Love” award.  Love you Sean.    

To the new volunteers… you guys are really doing well also.  Starting off on the right foot!  Turning in lesson plans and copies, getting to know the kids, and giving JUGS and demerits like pros!  My first year teaching I could barely keep my head above water, and somehow you guys make it look easy.  Seriously, it’s impressive!  By the end of the year I’m sure I will have an award for each of you, too J

Well done Miss Shelby, Miss Lucia, and Mr. Sean.  I hereby pass my Teacher of the Month award on to you.  There’s no way I was as great a teacher as y’all are in my first, second, or third year of teaching; heck, it took me 9 years to get Teacher of the Month!  You are amazing teachers and I am privileged to be working with you.      

 The returning volunteer teachers at our costume party.