Mission, Vision and Christmas Trees!

Here are two images from my first day in Belize. The first encountered me as I stepped out for the airport. The other a few hours later. The first was an attempt to capture the experience of stepping out into a country and how you are struck by buildings, signage and foliage. In coming to Belize you are coming a country that outwardly has a very strong Christian Culture. Old mission bodies and agencies have been replaced by new ones with different objectives that do not always sit comfortably together. As I read this photo it impacted on me much more than before.

IN the second image – I was struck by the sight of a Belizians decorating a Christmas symbol. Decorating a tree and doing it very well that does not grow here… After this I saw them everywhere… though not as good as this one. “Well it is Christmas…” remarked my travelling companion. Nevertheless I longed for a more Caribbean or Central American way of getting into the spirit of the season… It came a few hours later, I missed the photo and probably a good job too. It was a brillian representation of a palm tree in red… lit up for Christmas… “Brilliant” I thought… However, the image marked a location some distance from the town and it made me wonder in the spirit of William Booth… “Why should the devil have all the best images…(in this case).

Tom