Destination: Belize in March!

While this vision is a dream vacation of leisure on a beach for many, a group of eight local travelers, from teens to retirees, had another goal in mind: work!

Connected to this ministry through First Lutheran Church in Brookings, they paid their own way to help students in a village school where Dee Shanley, a retired Brookings native, works as a volunteer sewing teacher. From creating colorful tortilla wraps to unwrapping new mattresses in a dormitory, they gave their time and attention to whatever service opportunities presented themselves.

Local seamstress Dee Herrig had been hoping to join the Belize mission travelers on their annual trip for five years. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do, but I always had an excuse. This year I just decided to make it happen.” With her expertise as a quilter, Dee wanted to help in the sewing classroom. She and another veteran volunteer, Deb Pederson, had prepared 2 ½- inch strips of colored fabric that they brought for a beginner’s project: a pieced 20-inch square for students to give as a Mother’s Day present for wrapping tortillas. “I connected with Edwin, a super-fast young man, who wanted to be the first one done. The 20 students were all eager to sew, with the girls giggling a lot!”

Herrig was impressed with the high schoolers in their neat uniforms and “white as white” shirts, apparently bleached under the bright Caribbean sun.

When she observed their living conditions in the community, she was honestly surprised by the children’s cleanliness. She noticed their respect and appreciation, grateful for what is being done to support them through tuition scholarships offered by First Lutheran.

At the elementary school down the hill, Herrig noticed that many mothers traditionally walked their younger children to school and back home every day, waiting nearby for classes to finish. “They were protective and caring.” Some were nursing infants who were carried along, most for several miles.

Visiting a student, Steve, in his farm home also added to her appreciation for Belizean families. “We walked up a rugged hill to where his (Steve’s)father had recently constructed a little hut for living quarters.

The family of five had one pig, three goats, ewe and lamb, turkeys, chickens and coconuts. Living on so little, yet with ideas for improvements. She [the mother] boiled the chicken, and it had really good flavor; we also had rice with coconut milk, beans, veggies, pieces of fried plantains; the plates were already served up, and there were nine of us plus Ramon and her five in her family! How differently people live in the same time as ours!”

Tropical vacations are intended to refresh us, and the same is true for this tropical service trip as Dee’s desire to help continued right after she returned home. “I always travel with a hand-sewn bag.”

From this sample came the idea for another student project. Herrig quickly purchased materials to allow 20 students in the advanced sewing class to create a computer bag, packed the items up, and passed them off to another Brookings volunteer, Jean Gentry, who was traveling down to serve the school the next week.

“I could go on and on!” Herrig said as she reviewed photos gathered from others in the Belize Mission team: Brooke and Kya Sherard, Channing Oien, Kathy Greenlee, Jim and Nancy Schade.

Looking ahead to 2024, the Belize Mission team expects to offer this opportunity again.