that's right, that was me you heard on the radio

for any of you out there who were listening to Fiesta FM radio in Orange Walk, Corozal, or as far away as Chetumal, Mexico just under an hour ago (how's the shortwave working, Dad?), you weren't experiencing auditory hallucinations. that was indeed my voice you were listening to. i just had my Belizean radio debut! Matt and i appeared on air with Daisy and Jasmine, two highly motivated young ladies, to talk about the upcoming rally we've been planning with an organization called Youth For the Future. this Friday in the center of Orange Walk Town, we'll be gathering with a group of Belizean youth who want their voices to be heard. they'll be marching through town with banners and signs on topics ranging from HIV/AIDS awareness to teen pregnancy, violence, and the link between poverty and lack of education. they secured the radio air time, recruited a drum corps to lead off the march, got the Belize Defense Force to provide security, and convinced a local politician to donate paint for the banners and snacks for the participants. and all WE had to do was ask them what type of project they'd be interested in working on. they did the rest. in three weeks. they've completely blown me away. if all the youth i encounter over the next two years have this sort of energy and enthusiasm, i'll just be sitting on the sidelines...

a random anecdote:
Matt has these moments periodically where he'll spontaneously realize how lucky he is to be walking down a street in CENTRAL FREAKING AMERICA. i had a similarly revelatory moment the other day when i was walking out of a meeting with the mayor of Orange Walk, and he stopped to ask me about my tattoos. how often do i get into conversations with Central American politicians about the significance of my Celtic body art? not every day, i can assure you. it was a trippy moment, to say the least.

a fun Belizean fact:
Mennonites make up just 6% of the population of Belize, but produce 65% of the food consumed in the country.