Independence Day Celebrations

The last two days have been busy and lots of celebrating.  One important thing we learned is that typically, we will see a parade 3 hours AFTER it starts...good thing to note for future parades:)

On Monday, the founder of this nation, George Price, passed away.  This directly affects us because we meet in the George Price center and his body will be there for viewing this Sunday.  So, Lee has scrambled to get a plan of where to meet on Sunday.  We think we have a place and plan to make it a Baptismal Service.  Next Monday is his funeral and we plan to attend, as this is an important piece of history of this nation we live in.

On that note, in school yesterday, I taught Erika that we love two nations.  It is interesting to raise an American child in another nation.  She is learning the pledge and God Bless America as part of her curriculum and then celebrating the birthday of Belize.  It can be confusing.  I want her to be a loyal, patriotic American, but for her to know it is okay to be a loyal Belizean as well.  That God has called us to this nation and He wants us to love this nation as well.

Yesterday was Belize's 30th birthday.  The second part of the video I am posting below, you will see the parade they had.  It was very HOT but a great parade.  Wini was actually in the parade but was so sick from standing in the heat for 3 hours, that she came off with us when she passed and we gave her water.  It was just an extremely hot day yesterday and we ended up actually seeing the parade around 2 and that is a hot time of day, even with umbrellas.  But it was fun.


Immediately following the parade, we found a snowcone truck..unfortunately he only had enough ice left to make 5 snowcones...Lee sacrificed for his family:)  He's a good guy.  Then we tried to get home, but the entry to our neighborhood was blocked by the parade, as we live off the main road.  So, we decided to try a new restaurant. The prices were reasonable and food was amazing.  And you got  a free ice cream with each meal.  Homemade ice cream:)  There were friends of ours there and one of the girls had accidentally dropped her bowl and so the glass had been cleaned up but I was still cautious. The girls were playing on the floor and I told Erika to get up and not to get back on the floor because of the glass...she went right back to the floor!!!  Well, because she absolutely disobeyed, Lee told her no ice cream.  Well, she was already tired, hungry, hot...and now no ice cream...  She cried so hard.  Well, our meals came and they were delicious.  I was goiong to give her my ice cream, but then since she couldn't have any, I ate mine.  Then the owner came and set a beautiful PINK ice cream in front of Erika.  She began to cry, knowing she couldn't have it.  But GRACE stepped in.  And we let her have it.  Just because....

watching the Christian parade

Erika with her Belizean flag

Charlotte is a ventriliquist and goes into all the primary schools

How could we not let her eat the ice cream...the owner didn't know...:)

The beginning of the video below shows Tuesday night.  The parade went in front of our neighborhood, but it took FOREVER to get here.  It started at 6, so I had rushed dinner, clean up, taking a shower, just to wait.  I don't even remember when it ended up really coming...maybe 9:30.  But the cool thing is that it was all the churches, and they would stop and pray continuously over the city.  It was awesome to have the streets filled with Worship.  Then we headed over to the Assembly Bldg where we had a rally.   There may have been 3000 people there?  I don't know.  It was so cool.  And Wini and two boys from our church sang their song they wrote.  I actually used the recorded version of their song because my camera didnt sound as good.

I hope you enjoy this video.