KP Duty
Joel and I were on kitchen duty one day this week. Holy Cross school has a lunch program that feeds the 440 students, the staff, and various volunteers who may be working at the school on that day.
The feeding program was started in response to the need to feed the children so they were able to be more productive during the school day. The kitchen is staffed with ladies who are associated with the school community.
 As we worked alongside the ladies they discussed their lives and asked questions about ours. They wake early to care for their families, providing breakfast, packing lunches, making sure everyones up and ready to start the day. They are often at the school by 7:00am to start prepping for lunch. The dishes that have dried overnight are ready to be re-stacked, and the cooking begins. The classes start coming at 11:30, and there is a steady stream of food to dish out until 12:30. Then the clean up begins. Plates scraped, dishes, glasses and cutlery piled. Some students will stay behind, given the task of wiping the tables and sweeping the floor.From my experience the task is given to those students who displayed a little too much energy during lunch.


Joel and I were rinsing and stacking, as we listened to the ladies. They seemed somewhat amused that some of them could sit longer as we washed. They kept asking if we were sure that was okay. They were also somewhat amused to have Joel in their midst.Although they are exposed to volunteer teams helping in their kitchen, a teenaged male seems to still be a novelty.We now understand to a small extent what feeding and cleaning for 440 students feels like.

Beads

The students at Holy Cross have been introduced to the craft of beading. They can make a bracelet which they give to the school office, and in turn can earn money towards their modest tuition fees. The beaded bracelets are sold at the school office to tourists, volunteer teams, etc.

Part of the beading challenge is to have enough beading supplies pre packaged so the students can easily begin in the classroom or possibly take a packet home, to produce a bracelet .
Joel and I were given the task of sorting beads, then packaging them into small kits. There were a lot of beads; multiple colours, sizes, textures. We figured out some interesting, all be it simple designs, and started the process of bagging the beads.
 It was a pleasant job, as we were in the sewing centre where you get a little breeze from the fan. We listened to the sewing ladies chat, and occasionally engaged in the discussion. The moms who work in the sewing centre have learned to sew as a way of providing for their children to go to school at Holy Cross.
As the various ages of children were released for the day, they would check in with their moms, hang around, asks for snacks and play with their friends in the sewing centre. Sometimes they would be aware of Joel and I and watch what we were doing. For a short time they became fascinated with sorting the bags into what they felt were appropriate boy/girl colours. Mostly they were more interested in playing. The sewing centre, and connecting breezeway held an infinite number of  imaginative games and make-believe scenarios. The sounds around us breathed life  into what could have been a monotonous task.

I'm back at Holy Cross Anglican School in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize. I am fortunate to be traveling with my other son, Joel.
We landed in Belize City on Sunday morning, and after we traversed through customs and immigration, we boarded our 12 seat Cessna Tropic Air flight for the always interesting 15 minute flight to the island of Ambergris Caye. Once there we found our way to our condo and settled in for our week in San Pedro and our volunteer time at Holy Cross School.
We walked through the gates of Holy Cross on Monday morning and I immediately felt comfortable. I loved seeing the familiar faces, and hearing the familiar sounds. It was so encouraging to see the changes that have taken place during the 16 months that I've been away. The sewing centre is now going full force, the ladies are becoming amazing seamstresses. The donations for quality fabric have been coming in, and they have some really cool products that they're turing out.

They have started to make dolls that are sold at the school. Each doll is unique and can reflect the students, or can be custom made as a gift for someone. They are filled with rice and beans, and on the outside tag is the ladies' recipe for rice and beans.( deliciousness!). Joel and I had the opportunity to work alongside the ladies from the sewing centre, for  most of the day on Monday. I really enjoyed hearing them chat about life, sometimes laughing, sometimes encouraging each other. Sharing the problems and joys of being mothers. It was a great way to feel welcomed back to this lovely place.