Waterfalls!

We took our Saturday to travel to some waterfalls a couple hours from our home. We went to Big Rock and Rio on Pools and WOW, it was amazing! Waterfalls in Central America - I highly recommend it!

To get to this spot on the rocks, you have to swim against the really strong currents of these big waterfalls. It's hard and tiring, but I made it!!



It's a pretty romantic place! 

Kyle cliff dives with great form! I have to say, I get nervous watching him - can't help but think how he broke his neck cliff diving as a teen! Luckily, he knows a lot more about safety now and really checks out the area before jumping in. 

Refreshing and beautiful, I love the waterfalls of Central America!

Ken made a great cliff jumping video of us - Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbmpOw3AnEU

Can you spot me?

Village Waste

Welcome to Succotz Village! We partnered with Succotz last year with HELP INTERNATIONAL and this year we are back! We love the people here! They are so real, so humble.

Our first project with the Village was to help them make dog-proof garbage cans. Dogs wander the dirt roads of the village and get into the garbage, making an unsanitary mess all over the village. The Village had an idea of raising the garbage cans so dogs can't get in them. We helped their vision become a reality!

Kim drills holes in the sides of the garbage cans.

Posing with some of the garbage cans that will be all around the village.

Shelby puts some muscle into it as she saws the posts!

Kyle mixes cement to put in the holes for the posts.

Taking a breather by the Belmopan river!

Matt takes garbage cans around the Village.

Kim walks to a can location with some of the villagers. I learned this summer that when doing International work, it's critical to work with the locals. Only if we talk with them and get to know their culture can we then do meaningful projects - ones that will last for years and that they actually want to have in their country!

If we go in with our own ideas and projects, they often fail because it's not really what the locals need and want!



Mixing the concrete.

The cement is ready to pour!

Kyle fixes this can onto it's post with Mr. Chan.

Matt and Kaylin pose with the final product!

This is it! If you're wondering about the Villagers not smiling for pictures, that's a cultural thing. They think they look goofy if you smile for a picture! These villagers are actually very happy people, constantly smiling and happy with life. I learned so much from them - so much about happiness and satisfaction in life!

Our garbage-can power is unstoppable!

Kyle puts on our HELP sticker! We were here!

Thanks for letting us work with you, Succotz! We love you!!

Cooling off with bags of water after the hard work! Fun, huh!

Have you ever drunk bagged water? It's pretty common here in Belize! You can also buy bottled water, but you can pick up bagged water for half the cost of a bottle!

Rough Road, Mon!

5 miles on a dirt road doesn’t sound that long, does it? But when you’re driving on it in Taxi Tim’s 1995 Corolla, it is looong! Even Tim admitted it wasn’t the best of dirt roads when he turned onto it: “Rough road, Mon!”

Natalie's Girls

Here are three of our favorite little girls in Belize! We do lots of work in the village of Succotz and the work will continue right up to our last days in Belize. 

Jewel's taking a break in a pint-sized hammock here. Adorable!

We have a special place in our hearts for the people of Succotz!

We took a lunch break from our work in the Village and played on playground at an outdoor cafe. 

Cathy peeking out from the treehouse. 

Laney...

Me jumping on the trampoline with the girls.

More Square Foot Gardens

Remember the square foot garden plot just a few weeks ago? Well, HELP has been hard at work at Sacred Heart College (primary school through 2 years of college) and here are the results!

The dirt arrived and is ready to put into smaller piles.

Michelle points out to one of the students where the next hole should go. The students who will benefit from this were required to help our volunteers make the gardens.

Shelbi poses with one of the students with the piles of dirt they are moving. It's hard work!!!

Andy helps fashion the structures for the boxes that will create the raised beds.

Kayla and the students section off the garden boxes in square feet using yellow string.

And....drumroll.....here it is! Isn't it beautiful?!

And we are now ready to plant! Great work, HELP!

Going to Guatemala

Swimming With Sharks!

Would you jump in the water with a ferocious bunch of sharks? We did!

These are nurse sharks and though they look as intimidating as other sharks, nurse sharks are non-aggressive towards humans and actually suck (not chop up) their food with a powerful suction mouth.

This is Kyle and me near San Pedro snorkeling with the sharks. Initially, I didn't want to jump into the middle of a school of sharks, but with a little encouragement I was soon up close and personal with them!