20150607_103837The Missionaries, with Bishop Philip Wright, at St. John’s Cathedral, Belize City.

 

On Sunday morning (June 7), the team was up at the crack of dawn in order to attend the 6:30 a.m. Eucharistic Service at the Anglican Cathedral Church of St. John the Baptist, Belize City, the oldest church in Belize. Why so early, you may asked? I will tell you later.

In our yellow polo shirts and black slacks, 49 missionaries entered the Cathedral Church and we were quite noticeable, in a good way. With the singing of the hymn: “O worship the King, all

Father Tony delivering the sermon at the 6:30 a.m. Eucharist at St. John's Cathedral, Belize City.

Father Tony delivering the sermon at the 6:30 a.m. Eucharist at St. John’s Cathedral, Belize City.

glorious above…” the service began, presided over by the Right Reverend Philip Wright, the Anglican Bishop of Belize. Prior to coming, Bishop Wright had invited me to be the preacher at this service. During the announcements, the Bishop welcomed us again, having already done so at the beginning of the service. Erna made a presentation to the congregation telling them about what we will be doing during the week. The service was beautiful and lasted for just under two hours. Following the service, the group took a number of photos outside of the Cathedral Church. Attending the service was Barbadian High Court Justice, Christopher Blackman, who is an Appellate Court Judge in Belize. I spoke with him after the service. Incidentally, he is the cousin of a member of my congregation, Ian Blackman, and one of our missionaries, Sandra Blackman.

Earlier, I mentioned that I will tell you later the reason for the early morning church service. The reason was that we were making a one-hour trip across the Caribbean Sea in a catamaran to one of the cays called Caye Caulker (pronounced like Caye Cawker by Belizeans). We were certainly in for a treat. Hosted by the Diocesan Registrar, Rodwell Williams Esq., and his wife, Felice, we all boarded the boat named “Big Momma.” There were other friends and colleagues of the Williamses on board as well. Lunch was served as we made the journey across the ocean on a beautiful day with perfect weather.

The beauty of Caye Caulker.

The beauty of Caye Caulker.

Caye Caulkner is a beautiful little island located off the north east coastline of Belize. Golf carts, bicycles, or one’s feet are the means of transportation used by the people, instead of motor vehicles. There are no cars on the island. The island was split into two pieces as a result of a hurricane which struck some years ago. As a result, one cannot get across to the other side of the island except by boat. The team spent a very relaxing day ranging from swimming to kayaking, lying in hammocks to just walking casually along the street while looking at the various arts and crafts on sale, shopping to simply sitting and chatting under a tiki hut. There were a number of “Go slow” signs along the street, which meant that things on the island went at a slow pace. In fact, when we arrived a man sitting on the pier said to us, “On this island, we go very slowly. If you walk too fast, you may get a ticket.” It was a wonderful opportunity to just “let your hair down,” share in conversation with friends, and enjoy a relaxing afternoon.

I found the island as a wonderful vacation spot. One will experience a very laid-back escape. It is a great place to get away just to do some reading or writing. While there, I enjoyed admiring and purchasing a couple art and craft items that were on sale, walking on the beach, and talking with friends.

We returned to the mainland of Belize at about 6:00 p.m., after which we had dinner, held a team meeting, and then retired for the night.


Please note: My apologizes for not being able to send up-to-date blog posts, but due to slow internet speed, I was unable to download information or pictures.

 

                               20150607_094324 (2) (1024x576)Mission Team Leader, Erna Cunningham making a presentation to the congregation.

             

20150607_095421 (2) (1024x576)The Right Reverend Philip Wright, Anglican Bishop of Belize, celebrates the Eucharist.