San Pedro is the town on Ambergris Caye, a large Belizean island off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. We visit our church's branch in San Pedro by water taxi about every five-six weeks. In the pictures below, we have boarded the boat and are leaving the Belize City dock for the early one and a half hour trip.
San Pedro Chapel is a beautiful place where the Saints worship.
Sunday School is taught by Frank Ross (left), with simultaneous translation into Spanish through headsets. Class members turn their chairs around to face the whiteboard in the back of the chapel. Branch Council (right) is held after church services, with the heads of the organizations seated in a circle, led by branch President Williams (top of the circle, center).
September is a big holiday month here in Belize. September 10th is St. George's Caye Day, commemorating the victory of the native settlers of Belize of British descent and their black slaves over the Spanish at St. George's Caye, an island off the coast. Had the Spanish been victorious, Belize would have ended up being Spanish-speaking, like the rest of Central America!
The missionaries gather for district meeting in Belize City, opening their meeting by singing a hymn. Elder Blackburn, our new district leader whose area is Orange Walk, holds the hymn book.
(From left to right) Elder Robles from Florida, Elder Vera from Ontario, Canada, Elder Blackburn from Utah, Elder Tauala from California
The senior couples gather one last time before Sister and Elder Adams (center) return home. The Flakes and the Adams are unusually prepared and dedicated missionaries, for such a time as this.
Saying goodbye at the airport...
One morning after a night's camping in the desert, I wanted to go exploring, but I did not want to bother putting on my shoes. I rationalized that I was only going for a little wander, and I would stay close by the camp. I told myself that flip-flops were shoes of a sort. And anyway, what could possibly happen?
As I walked along the cool sand in my flip-flops, I felt something like a thorn going into the arch of my foot. I looked down and saw not a thorn, but a scorpion. The pain of the sting began to rise from my foot and up my leg. I grabbed the top of my leg to try and stop the searing pain from moving further and I cried out for help. My parents came running from the camp.
I sulked while my parents loaded me into a car and set off across the desert towards the nearest hospital which was over two hours away. The pain through my leg was excruciating, and for that entire journey, I assumed that I was dying.
When I finally reached the hospital, the doctor was able to assure us that only small infants and the severely malnourished are threatened by the sting of that type of scorpion. He administered an anesthetic which numbed my leg and took away any sensation of pain. Within 24 hours, I no longer had any effects from the sting of the scorpion, but I had learned a powerful lesson.
I had known that when my parents told me to wear shoes, they did not mean flip-flops. But that morning in the desert, I disregarded what I knew to be right. I ignored what my parents had repeatedly taught me. I had been both lazy and a little rebellious. And I paid a price for it.
Disregarding what we know to be right, whether through laziness or rebelliousness, always brings undesirable and spiritually damaging consequences. We find healing and relief only when we bring ourselves to the feet of the great physician, our Savior Jesus Christ. We must cease fighting against God and instead give our whole hearts to Him holding nothing back. Then He can heal us. Then He can cleanse us from the venomous sting of sin.
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