For all the kids

This post if for all kids out there watching the blog. Here's a little background on Belize, the country we're in.

Belize is a country in Central America (south of Mexico) with a population of about 290,000 people. It's capital is Belmopan. The country is about the size of the state of New Hampshire. Belize is divided into 6 districts. Corozal and Orange Walk, the districts where most of our work is taking place, are in the northern part of the country.

Formerly a British colony, Belize gained independence in 1981. It's considered a parliamentary democracy. The Belizeans elect a prime minister who leads the government. English is the official language, however, most people here speak Spanish.

Unfortunately, Belize is a very poor country. About 50% of the people here do not have access to doctors, nurses or hospitals. Two-thirds earn less than US$4500 each year. And most children suffer from malnutrition. Our objective while we're here is to help as many Belizeans as we can. For some that may be rescreening windows to keep out bugs and mosquitos. We'll be building 2 houses while we're here for a few families who need a place to live. And for many others, we'll be providing needed medical help including checkups, vitamins, medications and surgeries.