Since I arrived there have been two residents here as well.  They had to return home today, so we took a trip out to Caye Ambergis this weekend to see some of the island.  The atmosphere is quite distinct, and relies on the economics of tourism.  It was nice to have a slow weekend and enjoy each others company.  We did snorkel out to the reef and swam with some sharks.  Nurse sharks that is, benign, but still intimidating.

Today it was back to the clinic.  Typically Mondays have a line of people to be seen, but today was slower.  I spent part of the afternoon suturing a young man’s foot.  He had been hauling grass through his cane field, and stepped on a stick that punctured in between his toes and went through his foot.  Not surprisingly the bottom of his foot was thick and calloused, so I slowly made progress to try to get good stitches in.  He was incredibly stoic, and his only concern was that he wouldn’t be able to work his land tomorrow.

Accidents are not uncommon here.  They range from machete wounds to car wrecks.  Northern Belize is sugar cane country, and it is arduous work.  Machetes are used to maintain the crop.  It doesn’t take much imagination to realize how quickly that can turn bad.  The cane harvest is drawing to a close with the end of the dry season.  Today was the official start of hurricane season, although you wouldn’t be able to tell by the amount of dust on the roads!  It hasn’t rained for two weeks, and everyone seems ready for the relief of moisture.  Hopefully some showers are on the way!

Many of the conditions seen here are similar to the states, but typically at a more severe stage.  Yesterday there was a man that came in and spent the morning talking with the clinic pastor.  He has a history of alcohol abuse, and decided a couple months ago he needed to stop.  He gave his heart to the Lord in the waiting room.  His alcoholism has lead to liver failure, and he presented with severe symptoms.  His prognosis is very poor, but he has decided to spend what time he has left with God.

There was also an earthquake early this morning.  The epicenter was in Honduras, but it was felt by several people here.  I managed to sleep through it.  It sounded like the damage here was minimal, and I don’t think any injuries were reported.

We closed the evening wit a gathering of the clinic staff and families to have a star show.  We watched a video showcasing the enormity of the universe.  It is difficult not to wonder at how powerfully and meticulously God has created.  It left me feeling very small.  We then huddled around a telescope to see the moon and Saturn before some clouds and mosquitoes chased us home.

Well, after a bit of rough traveling I have finally settled into Patchakan, Belize.  The two weeks prior to arriving were spent in Peru where I took some Spanish lessons.  During my last couple of days I developed a cold that left me feeling very tired.  I was convinced I was improving as I flew from Lima to Houston en route to Belize City.  Unfortunately, I ate something toxic in Lima, and spent 5 hours on a plane with food poisoning.  The ordeal left me extremely dehydrated, and earned me a trip to the ER when we landed.  Needless to say I missed my connecting flight.  I spent the next to days resting before braving another flight.  It was exciting to finally arrive, and the 2 hour drive to Patchakan gave me a chance to see a little of the country. 

Belize is a very rural nation with only a few paved “highways”.  Police don’t monitor the roads, so speed bumps are placed throughout, making high speeds a dangerous endeavor.  Potholes also make conservative driving a requirement.  The pace here is much slower in general.  People never appear to be in hurry.  Although it is an adjustment from the states, it is refreshing.  It is especially prominent in the clinic.  Healthcare providers in the states are inundated with so many patients (patients who are busy people themselves), that making time to recognize each individual is not done as well as it should.  Here, the people seeking care show up at 8 in the morning when the pastor has devotionals, and sometimes have to wait 4 hours to be seen.  No one seems to be bothered by the prospect of waiting. 

Hopefully I will be able to write a bit more soon.  I’m learning a lot about the culture and diversity of people in Belize.  But, the internet moves about the same pace as everything else here!