That was the theme for our alternative spring break service trip to Belize last week. It was truly incredible: the people, the wildlife, the landscape, the service, and especially our phenomenal RU students. Our charge was to prepare and lay the cement foundation for a chapel in Dolores, a small Mayan village of about 450 people in SW Belize. The Rockhurst group (Fr. Gregg Grovenberg, Dave von Fintel, myself and 17 fantastic students) and the local people worked together like pro's, even in extreme heat and intense sun, to meet our objective. We met lots of wonderful people along the way and were made to feel at home by our hosts and the villagers. The group is pictured here, fresh off the plane in Belize City, still clean and happy. Though we didn't exactly stay clean for the entirety of the trip, we most certainly did remain happy and positive the whole week. I am so proud of our group for their optimism and inspiration, their hard work, and their ability to go with the flow (this is a particularly invaluable skill in Central America!). We look forward to sharing more of our experiences with the RU community and thereby keeping our time in Belize alive within our hearts and minds.
