Belize Reality

 A couple of days ago, we went to the property at the river that Winnie's dad owns.  It was a slow ride out there, as the road is all tore up...and as we came back, slowly, we were listening to a Belizean Christian radio station.  And there was this real cool song that came on, but we were definitely a little surprised by the lyrics...not your US christian music lyrics, for sure.  But then we were listening, and this was written and sung by someone we know.  The girl who teaches Erika ballet, the girl who designed and sewed all the clothes for the fashion show, and the girl whose parents met at YWAM several years ago, and came and built a church, a community, in a community next to Belmopan.  Her parents are from Canada and the US, but I think all four children have been born here in Belize.

As you listen to this song, we love it because it truly captures the culture of Belize.  It was produced for an album trying to help kids wait for marriage (for sex) and stay safe because AIDS is the number one killer here.  It is not taken lightly and children are taught and warned.  There are signs everywhere.  Yet, this disease spreads.  There is a culture that needs to be broken.  Sex before marriage is taught as wrong and shameful, but they are not waiting.  And there are sad consequences all around us because of it.  Not to mention the many girls that are abused and used against their will.

She refers to the boys on bicycles.  And this is such Belize culture.  And wearing "slippers"...that is referring to flip flops.  And the ladies in the wooden chairs.  The halls at the hospital are lined with wooden chairs.  "Far away"....girls are looking for the prince charming to take them away from it all...  "first year"  is the first year of high school...

I am in awe of this all talented young woman, a Belizean, raised here on the mission field.  She is about to go away to style school for the summer.  It is neat to see such a young lady using her talents...so many of them.

Listen to this song, CLEAN, by Rebecca Stirm