Gustavo Williams and Linda Pais
Belizean Artisans
Linda Pais and Gustavo Williams make their living creating and selling jewelry and slate carvings. They live in Santa Elena, a “Twin Town” with San Ignacio in the Cayo District of western Belize. Every evening they set up their wares outside of Martha’s Guest House in downtown San Ignacio.
The Browns first met Gustavo and Linda in 2004. On their first visit to Belize, the Browns stayed at Martha’s for several days. Every evening they would look over the beautiful items for sale, and talk with Linda and Gustavo and their daughters. This friendship gave special meaning to the items the Browns bought as souvenirs.
When they returned to Belize in 2006, the Browns were excited to find Linda and Gustavo at their usual spot. However Gustavo had severed the tendons in his left arm with a machete, while cutting slate for his carvings. He was unable to use his hand, and could not afford the surgery to mend the injury. He showed Mark and Lydia a large slate carving he had made, of all the Mayan gods in a boat. The Browns bought the carving, and with the money Gustavo was able to get the needed surgery.
The next time they all met was in 2008, when the St. Anne’s mission team went to San Ignacio. Gustavo joyfully embraced Mark and Lydia, and showed them his healed left arm and hand. 
He shared his dream of sending his daughters to high school (which requires tuition in Belize), and of someday going to high school himself.
In March 2009, the mission team again sought out these gifted artisans. We have purchased a variety of their wares, to support Linda and Gustavo in their life in Belize. The profits from resale in Minnesota will be used toward our 2010 mission: building a radio station at Tumul K’in Learning Center, a Mayan school in the Toledo District.
Linda and Gustavo make their wares from shells, seeds, pearls, and slate that they find. Their daughters are learning the craft as well, but also continuing in school. Linda and Gustavo never attended high school, and they hope their daughters will have a better life than they are able to afford.
Belize Central Prison Jewelry Shop
“A jewelry shop is not something you would expect to find in an ordinary prison. But the Belize Central Prison is not ordinary, and it does nave a shop where seven inmates and two civilian employees work each day, crafting delicate objects.”
from the Belize Central Prison website
When world-renowned jeweler, Vernon Wilson, retired, he donated all his jewelry-making equipment to the prison and also trained prisoners in designing and crafting silver jewelry.
St. Anne’s has several pendants, rings, and bracelets from the prison jewelry shop. Proceeds from the sale of these items goes into the mission outreach fund, to support the Belize mission.
Vernon Wilson and his wife, Francis, are the founders and directors of Holy Cross Anglican School, San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
The St. Anne’s 2008 Mission Team browsing at the Prison Gift Shop