Back at Holy Cross today and the work continued, although most of us were trying new things with the students. Most of us want to be able to get opportunities to work in various capacities around the school, as it’s really turning out to be great to see every aspect that the school has to offer. Reading skills are still very important, so those in the group who’d been working with certain kids on their reading ability stayed on doing that; although Parker, Amanda and I started testing kids for hearing and vision problems. Working in the school’s dental lab (I was pretty impressed with the whole set-up), we tested kids throughout the morning and determined who needed to be referred to the community clinic based upon the results of these tests. It was challenging but rewarding at the same time, knowing that we were directly increasing these kids’ chances of improving their lives by helping them to hear and see better. The dental clinic is an amazing feat in and of itself—two exam chairs, an x-ray machine, and entire stock room filled to the brim with dental supplies. The school usually has a volunteer dentist in once a month to examine the kids for cavities and other oral ailments.
We have been joined by about 30 other volunteers from Texas and the University of Mississippi, all of which are helping the effort to make Holy Cross a better place for the children who learn there. It’s great to see so many different people all contributing to the same cause and helping to improve the lives of these kids.
After heading back to the hotel after working today, most of the group headed to beach to enjoy the unbelievable weather (I’m honestly not sure that I’ve seen a cloud the entire time I’ve been here) while I headed to the boat to explore what Belize has to offer beneath the waves. Katie and I donned our scuba gear and headed out with about eight others to the Belize barrier reef, were we spent nearly an hour underwater at a depth of 60 feet exploring the reef and taking in all of the magnificent sea life that this island has to offer. Enormous, free-swimming moray eels, giant prickly crabs, and an unimaginable array of vibrantly-colored tropical fished entertained us and piqued our imagination as to what else the sea has to offer. It was really impressive getting to see such a diverse assortment of sea creatures in such an incredible setting.
We’re excited to continue our work tomorrow at Holy Cross Anglican School, and we’re anxious to see how much more we can accomplish there as we will be leaving the students and staff tomorrow afternoon. Everyone in the group is still faring well, as each day brings new discoveries and revelations about our abilities to help others and succeed in an environment that is new and foreign to all of us.
We have been joined by about 30 other volunteers from Texas and the University of Mississippi, all of which are helping the effort to make Holy Cross a better place for the children who learn there. It’s great to see so many different people all contributing to the same cause and helping to improve the lives of these kids.
After heading back to the hotel after working today, most of the group headed to beach to enjoy the unbelievable weather (I’m honestly not sure that I’ve seen a cloud the entire time I’ve been here) while I headed to the boat to explore what Belize has to offer beneath the waves. Katie and I donned our scuba gear and headed out with about eight others to the Belize barrier reef, were we spent nearly an hour underwater at a depth of 60 feet exploring the reef and taking in all of the magnificent sea life that this island has to offer. Enormous, free-swimming moray eels, giant prickly crabs, and an unimaginable array of vibrantly-colored tropical fished entertained us and piqued our imagination as to what else the sea has to offer. It was really impressive getting to see such a diverse assortment of sea creatures in such an incredible setting.
We’re excited to continue our work tomorrow at Holy Cross Anglican School, and we’re anxious to see how much more we can accomplish there as we will be leaving the students and staff tomorrow afternoon. Everyone in the group is still faring well, as each day brings new discoveries and revelations about our abilities to help others and succeed in an environment that is new and foreign to all of us.
No comments:
Post a Comment