Advance

Thursday evening
We made it to the Advance Mission at about 5:30 this afternoon. It took a bit longer than anticipated, but this is Belize. Ray encouraged us to take Hummingbird Highway instead of the Coastal Highway. Judging from the 7 miles we finally did travel on the dirt and potholes of Coastal, that was probably the right choice. Isidro and his wife cooked up a delicious dinner of chicken with rice and beans (or is it beans and rice?) while the five of us settled into a dorm built for 32. After dinner Ray Neu joined us to explain his role in teaching lay pastors to more effectively minister in the area and his interest in helping us with clean water systems. He provided us with a new tidbit of information: Barry Bowen’s Crystal Water is now available as refills for $2 BZ for a five gallon jug. That’s very cost competitive and raises the question as to whether we should try to compete with those prices. This may lead us to consider focusing on areas where Crystal is not readily available; too small or remote.
We learned a great deal of valuable and interesting information from Ray and Ray today. It’s kinda overwhelming to try to absorb it all. Tomorrw the plan is to visit a government school in Gales Point about 10 miles north of here. The principal filled out a Water Issues Survey and we want to complete the picture with a water sample. After that we’ll head to Mafredi, stopping in Hope Creek for another water sample and in Silk Grass to pick up a Survey to go along with it.
I’m looking around the room. Everyone else is asleep, or at least trying to. I suppose I should turn off the lights. Good night.
Dan Terpstra