We made it to Belize!!!

Finally, we are here in Belize! We have moved in to the beautiful village of Otoxha and are settling into our little hut home next to Otoxha river. The only word I can really use to describe it is Magical. Truly Magical. The beauty that lies within the incredible landscape and the animals and the people and the peace throughout the village is indescribable.
When we first arrived I was a little confused. We came to fight poverty and to do development projects but the way the people of Otoxha are living is really beautiful. Of course we still have some ideas of what we can work hard on these next four months but it really makes you question the word development. For example, one could walk in to Otoxha and see that they are living without electricity and think, this needs to be developed! But is that really development? We all know, or should know by now, that our resources are not endless and in fact the end is coming much quicker then most people care to admit. So is putting ugly electricity lines through a beautiful jungle so that the people can become dependent on it just in time for it to run out really developing the village? I think not. Development should be something that is used as an improvement that makes your life more susatinable and less dependent on resources or commodities that aren't necessary. In fact, I really think Brian and I have a lot more to learn about development then the people of Otoxha. Soon we will all have to start learning how to live without a car (or 2) for every person, without electricity for every little thing. Here they have chickens and pigs and horses and the animals just run around eating and living. Most families have no jobs or the ones that do work as farmers. Their lives are really not dependent on money. They have community land that people can use to farm but it is not their land, it is everyone's. They cook all of their own food they build their own houses and furniture. The first day we arrived there was a broken down old fridgerator and within minutes the women pulled of the door and turned it in to a table and turned the rest in to storage containers and places to put food for the animals.
The biggest things Brian and I will be able to give these people will be empowerment, support, and love. We want to help them boost the sustainable, natural, and beautiful life they already have.  Don't read this and think, well what in the world are you doing there then?? Brian and I still work every night organizing our ideas about what we can bring to Otoxha. Working to strengthen the women's group, promote their beatiful art work and weaving, make sure all the families have gardens and know how to cook with lots of vegetables, teach about malaria prevention and how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, help build a system for garbage; we want to encourage and help the adults learn how to read and write so that they can understand their world, inquire, explore.
We have so many ideas and only 4 months to be here! It already feels so short. We have a lot of work ahead of us- both in what we give and in what we can learn. I am so excited to finally be here.
More to come soon!