Our intention from the beginning is to attend the LDS Branch (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) that we had found out was on the island. Finding it is another matter. As we walked around looking for a place to eat Saturday night, we found an open tourist booth and explained our dilemma. Taking a map, he showed us where to go, but we were still uncertain. Though the streets have names, few have street signs. Most directions are given in landmarks by building name.
Church starts at 9:30 and we figure it is about a mile and a half away. We start our walk on the beach, our camel packs full of water. The sidewalk along the shore runs out. Not knowing if Belize has the same restrictions as Mexico, we go back into town and start walking down the streets. For nine o’clock on the morning after the Maya Festival, it is still amazingly busy. Following our map, a few blocks from the church we run into the Mormon Missionaries on their bicycles. Flagging them down, they assure us we were on the right track and the church is only a few blocks further. Mark notices a man enter a building in a white shirt, and sure enough, in front of a dilapidated two story building is a big black sign, almost like a giant missionary tag, with the church logo on it. Glancing inside we notice lots of fans, open windows and obviously no air-conditioning. About 50 people end up at church, some slowly trickle in late. One of the missionaries keeps going out and bringing back more investigators. There is one other tourist family who comes every year with her family.
We have sacrament meeting first and then separate into Primary, Sunday School for the youth and RS and Priesthood. There is only a two-hour block. I end up teaching the youth because no one else wants to. We meet outside and it is surprisingly cool. The lesson is on tithing, a difficult discussion for such a humble group of young people.
New friends that we met at church
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