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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Buckeye608, I want to hear more about Belize!
Tell us more about what kind of work you did there! I'm also curious for more background, like what organization you went with, what made you look into it in the first place, whether you've done this before etc.
Yes, I'm nosy 
I'd rather be rock climbing or playing volleyball
Re: Buckeye608, I want to hear more about Belize!
Be forewarned this is a long reply...
The trip we did was a service/immersion trip, through an organization called Hand In Hand, which is a faith-based organization that served a VERY broad variety of people. The program we worked with was called "Building For Change", which builds houses for impoverished families. We worked with a young woman and her family to build a house. The homes are modest, 16x16 (two 8x16 rooms) but a vast improvement from their previous living conditions. we start from the ground up, building the foundation, floors, exterior/interior walls, roof, painting, etc. It took us three and half days to build the house, and I really learned a lot through the process. Building For Change is the only program in the country that donates the homes (Habitat for Humanity and the Gov't houses build homes on through a loan program). It was great to build with the family and get to know them and their neighbors, we also met some others who have received a home from Hand In Hand, and it was really great to hear about the joys and struggles they face day to day. From most accounts it seems that the gov't has a weak/corrupt infrastructure and that they rely on assistance from non-profits and grassroots organizations.
In the evenings and last part of our trip we visited their HIV/AIDS outreach center, where they provide free medication to children, and learned about the HIV/AIDS situation in Belize, there's still a huge social stigma, and little education about HIV/AIDS in general (transmission, treatment, etc). We also visited one of the schools they sponsor on the edge of Belize City.
What interested me about this particular trip was that I would be working with college students in preparation for and on the trip, as well as post trip. They had such a great energy and really were invested in the social justice issues questions that a trip like this raises. I've been interested in service/immersion work and would like to continue, hopefully even working in that field.
And finally, I've done an international trip like this before to Jamaica, and it was also a faith-based organization, Mustard Seed Communities, which primarily cared for children with physical/mental disabilities and/or HIV/AIDS. As an undergrad I participated in service trips domestically, and DH and I are hoping to do international service work together in the next several years, we're thinking of doing a shorter trip (one or two weeks) and then considering a longer period (6 + months).
Rock, let me know if you have other questions, this is something that I enjoy doing and talking about!
I should also mention that since we were finished early we were able to do some "touristy" things, we went outside Belize City to see the Mayan Ruins and I was blown away they were amazing, they've built steps that allow you to climb up to the top of some of the temples and the Sun God Temple view was spectacular.
Also, we went out to Caye Caulker an island key about 45 minutes away by water taxi and it was beautiful, we spent the day snorkeling and walking around the island, its a beautiful vacation spot.
Thanks for the recap, that's really interesting. Is what you're currently in school for related to pursuing this type of work?
I have a volleyball friend who is going on an 11-month missionary trip around the world. She's going with The World Race. Have you heard of it? It sounds like an amazing experience and she apparently has done many mission trips all around the world. I don't know her super well but reading through her blog is super humbling--she's served in Egypt, Cambodia, Thailand, Romania, Ireland, Japan, South Africa, Shanghai, Malaysia, Vietnam, India...just amazing.
How do you decide what organizations to work with? It seems like faith-based ones are your priority, but how do you find them and vet them?
Its definitely an option with the degree program I'm in, although I've often thought about an MSW with a Global concentration, but one thing at a time!
I hadn't heard of The World Race before, but its similar to another young adult mission I've heard of called LeaderTreks.
The organizations I've worked with have generally been ones that have connections to my graduate university or an organization affiliated with the university primarily. Its been a great way to look further into the organizations both in the US as well as in-country to see if and what options there would be for DH and I to do extended service together.
The faith-based ones certainly are more attractive to us, its an element of the experience we'd appreciate, but also because they can be more flexible in assignment length, start, etc. Also, they typically (though not always) consider community among volunteers to be really important.
I know a couple that did a three year mission in Kenya, which I'm not quite sure we could commit to! But both their daughters were born in Kenya, and spent their first couple years their and they plan to go back. Which I think is just an incredible way to grow up.