Birthday bashes and Holiday feasts

Throughout the semester, there have been many celebrations happening here in Belize. We have had five birthday parties this semester, and celebrated each birthday in a very unique way. For Kalli’s birthday, a fun game of ninja tag was the highlight of the night. For Jenna, we had a sweet beach party including sand sculptures and beach volleyball. For Jon’s birthday, we played a fun game of telephone pictionary, the theme of the game was the birthday man himself. For the birthday of the leader of the pack, Derek, we had a coconut cake with chocolate frosting out on Glover’s Atoll, and discovered new, endemic and rare insect species and presented these unique specimens to Derek! And for our final CCSP birthday, we created a CCSP Belize yearbook for Jenney, and of course, who better to be the chief editor of the yearbook, themed “This is Belize,” then the birthday girl herself!


For Halloween this semester, the students put on their crazy costumes, trick and treated at Jon and Kelly’s house, and carved, of course…watermelons!


And, as CCSP tradition goes here in Belize, we threw a Thanksgiving party including the feasts of all feasts! Ms. Shelley, Ms. Flora, Ashley and Kelly worked hard in the kitchen and produced two delicious turkeys seasoned with ricado, mash potatoes from paradise, sweet potatoes, rice, pasta salad, stuffing and yes, pies…pumpkin pie, cherry pie, and pecan pie, compliments of Rekekah and Michelle! Invited to the feast were the Juans, all the CCSP staff, and Laurie Furlong, our Marine Ecology professor. To finish off the night, Pablo Collado performed his traditional Mayan music and wooed us all with his flutes and tunes.



All semester, we have been reflecting and learning about Shalom, and what Shalom looks like here on earth. Often times, we forget that part of God’s shalom is rejoicing and delight. So, as we celebrated birthdays and holidays this semester, we delighted in each other and in creation, and enjoyed being a part of God’s kingdom.