Holiday Time!

I know – too long between posts. But I was away for a whole week! Mexico is just across the border but it is a whole different world from Belize, at least the part that I saw. Of course, Cozumel, where I was staying is designed for North American tourists and up to their expectations. I just loafed and enjoyed myself for a week - eating, swimming, shopping, visiting tourist attractions, playing ping pong, etc. My only complaint is that it took a total of four days travel for five days holiday, but getting there is half the fun, isn’t it? It is quite amazing to return from a week with 15 minutes total rain to rain every night and hard rain at that. For me the trip was really all I could have asked.

Now it is back to work and play in Punta Gorda. Two Sundays ago, while I was away, people of our congregation led in Morning Prayer. Yesterday the sermon was an attempt to begin developing a Parish Mission Statement which we are supposed to have for Synod next month. Tomorrow, Tuesday, is Evangelism Day and people from the churches of the area will be visiting the homes of one of the neighbouring villages, encouraging people in their walk with Christ or inviting them to begin it. Many of the families (with the children back at school) will not have English speakers, so I should be teamed with someone who speaks Spanish or one of the Maya languages. (Si, I did get to take a one-hour Spanish class while in Mexico, but that won’t get me very far!)

Even though it is still over three months away, my departure from Belize is beginning to be a part of much of my thinking, particularly in regard to encouraging people take on leadership. At the moment I don’t know what the Diocese’s plans are for 2007 so I’m thinking I had better assume there are none, and allow myself to be pleasantly surprised if I’m wrong. Perhaps things will be clearer after Synod….

Just 3 months to Christmas!

(Pictures: View from my fifth floor suite at Melia Cozumel; Visiting the ruins of Tulum)