I have no gifts to bring... pa rum pum pum pum

Dear family and friends,

Ashley was so happy to text me to tell me about her Christmas bonus and that she just couldn't wait to deposit money in mom's account.

Aubrey's Christmas package to mom arrived today in Belize with wrapped goodies that I will save til Christmas morning. Her group of contemporaries at the VA hospital decided to make Aubrey's mom's Peace Corps playground THEIR Christmas project this year. They reached their goal yesterday and were so excited to pass on their generous gift to the children of San Miguel for a separate swing set next to the primary school.

Katrin made the trip to Belize for five days decked out in a Santa's hat and carrying stockings for Roger and myself with goodies and necessities... a lot of effort and expense...a warm demonstration of kindness and friendship.

I have received emails from many of you passing on wishes for a joyous Holiday Season and sharing life back home...from work to tennis to poker :)

It is Christmastime... and that just seems like the time for giving. But being a Peace Corps Volunteer doesn't lend itself to much, if any, disposable income... so that part of the equation, the 'giving back', for me is missing. It is humbling to have so little and most of the time it doesn't bother me at all. But at Christmas, it is a bit sad for me to not be able to give my children a single present. But, when I talk to them and listen to their stories, I realize that I must have given them something over the years...something that wasn't wrapped under the tree..something without a price tag. Because these three children have discovered that giving back of themselves to this planet is perhaps the greatest gift of all.

So, no Christmas tree here, no lights, no hustle and bustle at the Malls, no gift giving or receiving... it's pretty simple. All that energy for the busy holiday season is not needed in a third world country.

But it makes me think of what is really important... And for me it is that we are all brothers and sisters... not very different at all...and that we all want peace.

I have no gifts to bring but my sincerest wish... Peace on Earth...Goodwill towards Men. Merry Christmas and love from Belize...

God bless us all...tracy

THIS FEELS LIKE CHRISTMAS!!!

What a wonderful surprise to go to my gmail and see a message from Diana that said we reached our goal!!! That last push wasn't a push at all...it was Katrina's STORM SURGE!! Holy cow! So very, very excited and I am filled with gratitude for the help from family and friends...thank you ALL so very much.

I will keep you posted on the progress...not even sure how the funds get here but I'm sure I will hear shortly.

Also, Peace Corps doesn't divulge the names of donors or the amount of contribution so I have no way of individually thanking those who participated. But I know this was a group effort whether in thought or thought and deed! So thank you to each and every one of you.

Aubrey has a sister playground project going on through her VA Hospital in Gainesville. If you missed out on all the fun, just call her 308-0417 or write to: Aubrey Hall, 800 NW 19th Avenue Unit D, Gainesville, FL 32609

Happy Holidays!! You certainly made mine..

God bless us all...tracy

Almost at our goal!!

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry to bother you and I know many of you have been sooooo generous with your support of my project in my village of San Miguel to build a playground for the children.

I checked the amount that we need to reach our goal and it's only $305!! Problem is we seem to be stuck there so I am appealing to those of you that may want to donate but haven't yet. The VA hospital in Gainesville where Aubrey is working has decided to support Aubrey's mom in her Peace Corps service for their Christmas project!! What they would like to do is fund a single swingset to be built at the school! We will already have had the gravel and sand donated and will have the 'labor force' in tact so this sounds like a great idea. I'm telling you this so that you know that if we get so fortunate as to reach our goal and possibly surpass it, the additional funds would be funneled into this sister project. San Miguel will have many smiling faces, I believe!!

Conversely, as I mentioned before, if we DON'T reach our goal, all your donated monies are pooled into a separate Peace Corps fund, which I think, stinks. The money that you have donated for my project may be used for other projects. Please, let's not let this happen...

You can click onto this address www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=535-151 and you will go directly to my project in San Miguel. Thanks so much! We can do this, I'm sure..

God bless us all...love, tracy

Other Side of Peace Corps

I am happy because things are happening. The PCPP grant goal has almost been reached. Thank you, thank you! When that happens, we will begin the process of constructing a playground here in San Miguel. We recently received funding for cleaning and painting the school and installing six trash receptacles in the village. Five latrines have been constructed so now every family has a latrine. Four gardens have been started and we are all working together for the success of each others gardens. With this new awareness comes nutrition classes and I hope , exercises classes (but not likely due to lack of interest) Sewing classes for the ladies and a second computer camp for the children are in the works. My most recent project is trying to contact the Ministry of Health and Education to see WHO can replace the asbestos roof in one of the classrooms causing a critical health threat for the Standard VI (seventh grade) students. So you can see, much to do and much getting done! That feels good...

But the other side of Peace Corps service are the friendships...the human connections ... There is one young man in the village, Mauricio, that came to me months ago and said, “I love my village and I want to volunteer to make it a better place”. With this kind of attitude, we have set out to make things happen. It is refreshing in a culture where much has been given to them (mostly because of severe need but now, partly because they have become accustomed to the handouts, the projects, the financial aid from countries all over the world, not just the United States.) But here is Mauricio, still in high school, but ready to reach for his dreams and the dreams of his K'ekchi people. I LOVE this guy. We initially 'bonded' back in June when he was supposed to help me with something and I expected him at my house at 8am. But he text me to say that he would be later, that with the torrential rains from the night before, his firewood was drifting away. I asked him if he needed help. He text back that that would be great! So for the next four hours, he paddled his little handmade dinghy through the flooded bush collecting his wood and I carried each log, one by one the quarter mile to his house through knee deep mud. That's NOT easy!! Ever since, we have been helping each other...

Another friendship is Ruthilia. On a day back in January, I was riding the James Bus north from Punta Gorda. A man and his young daughter boarded the bus and since there were no seats together, the father sat a few rows up and his daughter sat next to me. We proceeded to talk...she was an eleven year old Maya K'ekchi girl from the village of Bella Vista (about 45 min bus ride north of me). We had a delightful conversation and when she was ready to get off at her village, she asked if she could have my cell phone number. Since then, there have been multitudes of texts, a few phone calls, I visited her village and met her family, and then she came to San Miguel and spent three nights here in the village with me. She has a golden heart, a sweet personality, and is driven academically. She is quite proud to tell me that she is at the top of her class. (During the year, the students are told their ranking within their class.) She has a dream of becoming a teacher. I foresee a lifelong friendship.

Then there is Mickey...my favorite dog in the village. Spirited, loyal, loving... a great friend!

There are many friends in the village but I'm a pretty private person. I think I am regarded as helpful and kind. I learned long ago not to attend church because that's the chief polarizing factor in our 'two-church' village. I had gone to one and then attended a wedding at the other and MAN, did I cause an uproar! No more...

I am happy to report that I have more Belizean cell phone numbers in my phone than Gringo numbers...I think I have integrated nicely... not only in my village but particularly on the roads of Belize.

God bless us all...love, tracy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARLENE!!!

Things have been pretty busy in the village. The best news is that we have almost reached our goal for the playground. It is a sizeable amount so therefore I was never convinced that we would meet our goal but now we are down to the last $600 so I'm sure we will be successful...then the fun begins...Can't thank you enough for your outpouring of love and support. Once we reach the goal, the funds come directly here and we can begin the process of ordering materials and having them delivered here...then construction...lots of planning and preparing but should go smoothly with Roger overseeing construction (That's what he did back home before Peace Corps) All the villagers are onboard for clearing the land and the actual construction! Again, thanks so much!!! I will be sending you pictures of our work!

I'm at our computer lab in the village and things are really busy in here right now. But had to write TODAY because it's my good friend, Carlene's birthday!! Hope it's wonderful...I will call you sometime today and sing! Bet you can hardly wait!!

Hope all is well with everyone. I am so grateful for the friendships I have back home. Can't wait to see all your beautiful faces SOON!! I love it here but also miss home terribly...so see you soon!

God bless us all...tracy

Sober in Mexico!

¡¡¡Queridos amigos un otra vez!!!

OK!!! One day later and I´m behaving myself!

Just checked the status of your donations toward our goal...WE ARE ALMOST HALF THE WAY THERE!!! Thank you so much...I´m feeling like we can do this and I SOOOOOO appreciate your support.

Any of you that still would like to contribute, go to http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=535-151
and it will take you right to my project.

Apparently, Hurricane Richard made landfall right in Belize City as a Category I last night. There is zero television coverage here in Mexico so I have no idea of damage. Hope they fared ok. Back in Florida it would be minimal but Belize isn´t built like a Chevy! Let´s hope for the best.

God bless us all...tracy

Buzzed in Playa!

¡¡¡Queridos amigos!!!

Ok, so this is only the second time in my life when I have inbibed alone! But the other time was also during my Peace Corps experience so I better watch the trend, huh? I only had one margarita but it went straight to my head. It just seems like the kind of afternoon to enjoy a little cocktail but it´s not anywhere close to 5 o´clock here but maybe somewhere? ...I was told by Peace Corps to leave Belize a day early and head to Mexico where Bobby is due to arrive mañana! I drink to the fact that I traveled the 15 plus hours and made it here shortly after midnight. So, I´m here in Mexico and so I drink to my son´s possible arrival! I say ´possible´because Belize is expecting a Category I or possibly II hurricane late tonight or early tomorrow. So I drink to Hurricane Richard. Cancun should not be affected too much other than wind and rain?? So, I sure hope I will see my wonderful son tomorrow!! I drink to the fact that I am alone where everyone here in Playa del Carmen seems to be with someone they love!! (I miss Roger!) Maybe you just notice that type of thing more when you walk alone? I drink to all the Americans here in Mexico that stand out because of their brisk pace...Mexicans (and definitely Belizeans) walk more like they are enjoying the scenery, their vacation, perhaps even their lives... I have learned to stop and smell the roses...enjoy the journey...not be attached to the end result. It has been a good lesson.

I would MUCH prefer to be here with YOU enjoying a margarita...

And I also drank because the waiter told me it was Happy Hour and that margaritas were only 20 pesos!! (That´s just a little more than one dollar!!) My total bill for lunch and drink was $6.27!!¡¡¡!! Cheers!

God bless us all...tracy