A New Year Has Begun...

It is hard to believe that next Friday marks my 13 month anniversary of being in Belize. Though I feel as though I have been here for quite some time, It is difficult for me to comprehend the fact that it has been over a year since I have stepped foot in my house on Salem Street, sat on the tiled kitchen floor, and ate disgusting amounts of a wide variety of ice cream which constantly consumes our enormous freezer space.

There is a great deal of comfort in knowing that I am now officially in my second year as a Jesuit Volunteer. Walking down the quaint streets of PG, I greet friends and acquaintances and recognize the familiar faces of those I know but have yet to meet. I have my favorite shops – some to buy chicken, others to buy flour – and my favorite women in the market. There is nothing better than going to the market early in the morning to get the necessities for the night’s dinner and being greeted by name. Questions are asked – How did your family enjoy their visit to PG? Where have you been the past week and a half? – and exchanges are made, all built upon the relationships that have developed over the past year.

With this sense of comfort has also come a feeling of urgency. Urgency in the respect of beginning to feel a lack of time left in Belize. Hitting the one year mark brought about a new reality – I am no longer counting up the months, but have now started to count down. It is amazing how much this little change in numbers can play with one’s mind. I become overwhelmed with the sensation of limited time and the desire to suck in all that I can and to not let go of it at any cost.

This sense of urgency can be both a positive and negative aspect of my remaining time, what truly matters is how I manage it. I need to make a point, daily, to remain present and focused in my work, community, and relationships with others. I must remind myself to do things that make me feel uncomfortable and vulnerable because this is the way in which I will be able to grow to become my most authentic self.

Openness, honesty, and humility – these are the three elements of myself that I hope to further develop in my remaining time here. Living in an intentional community is one of the greatest ways for me to discover this growth, if I allow myself to fully delve into the blessings and challenges that it has to offer.

I ask that you keep me in your thoughts and prayers, as you are all in mine, for this remaining year that I may be able to grow in the ways in which I desire.

Love you and miss you all.