My friend Tyler is a one-on-one kind of guy. He walks in God’s favor. Twice this week, while the rest of us were beating the streets, he has been invited to sit and eat and drink while he shares his faith. Both times, in different villages, he was invited by Marco (different men, but this just shows you God’s favor on Tyler…he only had to learn one name this week!) to talk as long as he wanted and share more about knowing Jesus.
If you ask Tyler, he will tell you that God began showing him the message that He would use several months back. He has been preparing Tyler for this trip even before he commited to come. Tyler proclaimed truth to both men
The Lord moved in both men. The first Marcos appears to be close to the Kingdom. The second Marcos, a young 17 year old man, prayed to receive Christ as his savior today!
There are two things that should happen when you become a Christian. First you should find a church where you can serve and where you will be discipled. Second, you plug in to the work and mission of Jesus….reaching others who are lost.
So today, Marcos got to meet one of the church leaders, Santos. Santos is a Hispanic man, whose first language is Spanish just like Marcos. Santos is going to check on Marcos this week and invite him to come to a church service. First issue solved.
The second challenge for Marcos was difficult. How could we help Marcos get plugged into the mission of Jesus?
We used the School property for our team lunches and lesson time today. To say ‘Thank You’ for not throwing us off of the property, Tyler and I took Sally, the school secretary, a bottle of Coke. As we sat in the office listening to the lesson happening just outside, we struck up a conversation with Sally. The conversation turned spiritual pretty quickly (most of our conversations did this week) and the Spirit began to work. Sally didn’t make a profession of faith today, but the Lord was clearly at work.
After we left Sally’s office, Tyler walked down the street to Marcos’ house. Marcos has committed to follow up with Sally this next week. He will be finishing what was started today! Second issue solved.
I know that it is over simplified, but in one day we watched the church work: One man came to Christ, met a brother who would disciple him, and is involved in bringing in the harvest…isn’t that what the church is supposed to look like?
It was a good day.
Friday, August 13, 2010
How can you plan for somthing like THIS!
IF San Isidro were Barling, then Bella Vista would be Little Rock. Today we went to the Village of Bella Vista. It is a thriving metropolis of mixed cultures with an abundance of bars and even a house of ill repute. It is a prime place for our group to work. It is also a wee bit overwhelming!
Instead of walking one main street with a couple of cross streets like we did in the other villages, there are major roads running in all directions. There are feeder streets and main streets. Even though the streets are a little straighter than they are in the Fort, I got a little turned around. Instead of 100 kids like in the other villages, Bella Vista has 1020 students in their local school (we should pray for the local school, 33 teachers, 2 Administrators, one secretary and a “first aider” for all 1020 students!). According to the headmaster, they would have more students if they had the physical space for them. Instead of one little local store where we could pick up a cold Coke, there were two major markets where we could not only get something to drink, but we could purchase all the necessary ingredients for Taco Night.
Bella Vista is just bigger. There are more people. So when we set up our little operation in the corner of the school yard, we kind of thought we might see something different. We saw 182 kids! That was different.
At the end of last week, we sent word to this team that we needed to prepare for more children. Instead of bringing supplies for 40 like last week, we more than doubled (we were walking out our faith!) our craft supplies to be prepared for a cool 100 kids! That means that when we pulled out our crafts on the first day, we were only 82 pieces short!
We learned a few things today….
Instead of walking one main street with a couple of cross streets like we did in the other villages, there are major roads running in all directions. There are feeder streets and main streets. Even though the streets are a little straighter than they are in the Fort, I got a little turned around. Instead of 100 kids like in the other villages, Bella Vista has 1020 students in their local school (we should pray for the local school, 33 teachers, 2 Administrators, one secretary and a “first aider” for all 1020 students!). According to the headmaster, they would have more students if they had the physical space for them. Instead of one little local store where we could pick up a cold Coke, there were two major markets where we could not only get something to drink, but we could purchase all the necessary ingredients for Taco Night.
Bella Vista is just bigger. There are more people. So when we set up our little operation in the corner of the school yard, we kind of thought we might see something different. We saw 182 kids! That was different.
At the end of last week, we sent word to this team that we needed to prepare for more children. Instead of bringing supplies for 40 like last week, we more than doubled (we were walking out our faith!) our craft supplies to be prepared for a cool 100 kids! That means that when we pulled out our crafts on the first day, we were only 82 pieces short!
We learned a few things today….
- When doing evangelistic work, our willingness is more important than our supplies.
- Jolly Rancher candy will take a child’s mind off of crafts for about 5 minutes.
- If you throw a soccer ball out on the field, all the boys will chase it, leaving just enough girls to use up all of your craft materials!
God's Blessings: Answered Prayers and Cold Cokes
We pulled into San Isidro this morning. The first stop was Adam’s house. Adam is doing much better. His color is back, his wounds are better, and he said that he was feeling much better. We encouraged him and Paul prayed for Adam. It appears that the Lord is working!
We spent the morning canvassing the village. We went from house to house inviting children to come to the “story time’, trying to learn names, and asking for pray requests.
This village seems a little different….we were a novelty in the village and everyone wanted to look at us, but, unlike our experience last week, the kids were shy and stayed back. Each of our groups (2 Students and an adult) was able to meet a student or two and make some invites. We had about 60 kids show up to our Bible Story.
It was pretty warm today. As we were walking the village, we found a “store’ and went in to do some “shopping.” After a brief conversation with our 12 year old shop keeper, I asked if there were any cold drinks. That is when I saw one of the most beautiful sights I have seen since being in Belize….there in the corner of her store was a chest freezer with cokes inside. They were perfectly chilled…when you opened the top of the Coke, the drink inside became an instant Coke slush. I am pretty sure that this is what we will be served in heaven!
God is working in Adam’s life. He has a plan for the people of San Isidro. There are cold drinks at a shop on the main street. I can’t wait to see what God has in store tomorrow!
We spent the morning canvassing the village. We went from house to house inviting children to come to the “story time’, trying to learn names, and asking for pray requests.
This village seems a little different….we were a novelty in the village and everyone wanted to look at us, but, unlike our experience last week, the kids were shy and stayed back. Each of our groups (2 Students and an adult) was able to meet a student or two and make some invites. We had about 60 kids show up to our Bible Story.
It was pretty warm today. As we were walking the village, we found a “store’ and went in to do some “shopping.” After a brief conversation with our 12 year old shop keeper, I asked if there were any cold drinks. That is when I saw one of the most beautiful sights I have seen since being in Belize….there in the corner of her store was a chest freezer with cokes inside. They were perfectly chilled…when you opened the top of the Coke, the drink inside became an instant Coke slush. I am pretty sure that this is what we will be served in heaven!
God is working in Adam’s life. He has a plan for the people of San Isidro. There are cold drinks at a shop on the main street. I can’t wait to see what God has in store tomorrow!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Praise the Lord for Elsa!
by Charity Abernathy
August 11, 2010
Today was completely amazing. Yesterday, I met a little girl named Elsa. She was sweet and beautiful. She is six years old and once I talked to her she stuck to me like glue. I had never shared the story of Jesus, but today was a first. Actually this trip brought a lot of new things.
She was sitting beside me and I asked her what she thought of the Bible stories. “I don’t like.” she said. I asked if she wanted me to tell her a story. She nodded and I told her of the story of Jesus. I asked if she wanted to accept Christ and if she believed. She told me she wanted to accept and did. It was moving and I was so excited that I thought I would cry. I went to Katie and told her and we took Elsa to see Genyo. He spoke to her in Spanish and she responded and then he said she was ready.
I have never felt so loving towards someone as much as I love little Elsa and the children of San Isidro. Tomorrow, we are going to Bella Vista but I don’t think anything could top this!
August 11, 2010
Today was completely amazing. Yesterday, I met a little girl named Elsa. She was sweet and beautiful. She is six years old and once I talked to her she stuck to me like glue. I had never shared the story of Jesus, but today was a first. Actually this trip brought a lot of new things.
She was sitting beside me and I asked her what she thought of the Bible stories. “I don’t like.” she said. I asked if she wanted me to tell her a story. She nodded and I told her of the story of Jesus. I asked if she wanted to accept Christ and if she believed. She told me she wanted to accept and did. It was moving and I was so excited that I thought I would cry. I went to Katie and told her and we took Elsa to see Genyo. He spoke to her in Spanish and she responded and then he said she was ready.
I have never felt so loving towards someone as much as I love little Elsa and the children of San Isidro. Tomorrow, we are going to Bella Vista but I don’t think anything could top this!
A Students Perspective
by Andrew Futter
August 10, 2010
Today we had an amazing day starting with the morning. This consisted of waking up at 6:00 am after we got at out our place to stay at, at 2:00 in the morning. At 8:00 we had breakfast which had fresh pineapple, eggs, ham, & juice. IT WAS AMAZING!!! Afterwards we got ready for our day, wrote in our journals, and had our devotions. At 9:45 we headed to the village of San Isidro on our bus.
When we got there we wandered around the village for about an hour telling people what we planned on doing later that day. When 12:30 hit we had at least 30-35 kids and moms there waiting while we had our lunch. At 12:45 we split into our 3 groups that consisted of sports, bible story, and crafts. When I was telling the story about Adam and Eve today the number of kids grew to about 50. I did get nervous talking to kids that were from 4 to 8yrs old. But they were having a good time. After the lesson I asked questions and they would get candy in return for the right answers.
My second class went better because they were all guys and they were older and I could relate more. I still gave out candy which really made the kids happy. Then I went to go help with crafts and that was fun, plus I got to know the kids more. Once crafts were over I played with the kid that didn’t want to play soccer. I got to know one of the girls better who’s name was Elsa. She was so cute! All of the kids were so polite to us it was just amazing. It may have been busy but there is a brighter tomorrow.
August 10, 2010
Today we had an amazing day starting with the morning. This consisted of waking up at 6:00 am after we got at out our place to stay at, at 2:00 in the morning. At 8:00 we had breakfast which had fresh pineapple, eggs, ham, & juice. IT WAS AMAZING!!! Afterwards we got ready for our day, wrote in our journals, and had our devotions. At 9:45 we headed to the village of San Isidro on our bus.
When we got there we wandered around the village for about an hour telling people what we planned on doing later that day. When 12:30 hit we had at least 30-35 kids and moms there waiting while we had our lunch. At 12:45 we split into our 3 groups that consisted of sports, bible story, and crafts. When I was telling the story about Adam and Eve today the number of kids grew to about 50. I did get nervous talking to kids that were from 4 to 8yrs old. But they were having a good time. After the lesson I asked questions and they would get candy in return for the right answers.
My second class went better because they were all guys and they were older and I could relate more. I still gave out candy which really made the kids happy. Then I went to go help with crafts and that was fun, plus I got to know the kids more. Once crafts were over I played with the kid that didn’t want to play soccer. I got to know one of the girls better who’s name was Elsa. She was so cute! All of the kids were so polite to us it was just amazing. It may have been busy but there is a brighter tomorrow.
...the new has come, the old has gone...
Monday
It is an odd feeling watching the team with which you served leave the country without you. It kind of feels like the one thing that you forgot was your own plane ticket. It was a good week. There were some trials and tests and frustrations along the way, but it ended well. We accomplished our task; we were able to build some relationships, bless the people, and share the Gospel. In the end, we know of one that accepted the invitation to follow Jesus. Please pray for Angelica.
We picked up the new team today…about 5 minutes after the old team went up the ramp to the boarding area, the second team came out of the immigration and customs area. It was a little bit funny to see so many people that I knew that were clean and their hair still looked good!
The plans for this group are a little different (flexibility is a good thing when on mission). It looks like we will be going to two villages with this team. We will see both San Isidro and Bella Vista this week. Thanks in advance for praying for the people of these villages.
It is an odd feeling watching the team with which you served leave the country without you. It kind of feels like the one thing that you forgot was your own plane ticket. It was a good week. There were some trials and tests and frustrations along the way, but it ended well. We accomplished our task; we were able to build some relationships, bless the people, and share the Gospel. In the end, we know of one that accepted the invitation to follow Jesus. Please pray for Angelica.
We picked up the new team today…about 5 minutes after the old team went up the ramp to the boarding area, the second team came out of the immigration and customs area. It was a little bit funny to see so many people that I knew that were clean and their hair still looked good!
The plans for this group are a little different (flexibility is a good thing when on mission). It looks like we will be going to two villages with this team. We will see both San Isidro and Bella Vista this week. Thanks in advance for praying for the people of these villages.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Angelica: Praise the Lord
by Hannah Sagely
There are so many stories and lessons that all of us will return with from Belize. I, personally, could not have asked for a better experience. My expectation for this trip was that God would show me something completely new. Well, my concept of “new” has completely changed.
Our first day in the village of San Pablo didn’t go as smoothly as planned. The kids were out of control and there was frustration in some organization. We figured out that it was mainly the older kids that we could communicate with clearly, so we found a few girls that were able to help us out with the younger ones. Out of the 60+ kids that told me their name, there was only a handful that I could remember that first day. One of them was a twelve year old girl named Angelica.
When we returned to the village the second day, the kids showed us around the village and introduced us to some of their parents. A few of us in a group were walking with the kids when Maddie and I spotted Angelica and another girl. She was shocked that we could remember her name and ended up following us for the rest of the “village trek.” Angelica showed us to her house and introduced us to the rest of the family. Her mom didn’t speak English but one of the first things she noticed was Roselle’s camera, and asked to have her picture taken with her daughters. I laughed as she ran back into her hut and changed her shirt for the picture. After the picture, Angelica came up to me and asked if we all liked bananas. I of course said yes and she and her sisters ran inside and grabbed some for all of us. We were all honored in knowing that they had accepted us, and I knew at that point that God had sent us to that village for a reason.
Throughout the day I got to talk to Angelica and we exchanged various questions. When the soccer game ended I asked her if she wanted to go play another game, but she didn’t want to. So we sat in the field and just talked, which was my favorite part of the day. Maddie also was talking to her during the lesson and asked if we had brought Bibles to pass out. That was encouraging, and I made her the focus of my prayers for the rest of the week.
On the third day, I looked for Angelica on the “village trek” but couldn’t find her. I asked some of the other girls that I had befriended if she was there that day, and they all looked at me funny and said no. I started becoming disappointed and thinking that I wouldn’t get to see her. Right after lunch time, she came to the place where we were doing the Bible story for the day. Maddie was able to give her the Bible that she asked for the day before and she paraded it around like the proudest kid in the village. Before the day was over she asked to have her picture taken with us at least three times. On the last picture we took, we were posed and ready when she said “Wait!” and held her Bible up in front of her so it could be in the picture with us. Definitely a cool moment. When we were driving away on the bus, the kids were on one side waving goodbye. Angelica spotted Maddie and I on the other side of the bus and ran around so she could say goodbye, all while proudly displaying her new Bible.
Tonight at dinner, Roselle mentioned the woman from the village who wanted to have her family portrait taken. She said that she had talked to the preacher from this morning and that he had talked to that woman the day before. He said that the woman he talked to said that she had a daughter who wanted to accept Jesus. Maddie and I immediately looked at each other with big smiles, knowing that the girl that the woman was talking about was Angelica.
As I mentioned before, my main prayer for this week was that God would show me something completely new. Looking back, I am pleasantly surprised at what I saw. The “new” that I was expecting wasn’t what God decided to show me. I expected to learn something new about the Lord and about my walk with Him, but that’s not what I saw. He didn’t show me something new about MY life, He showed me someone else’s new life in Jesus. That in itself was the highlight of my trip, and definitely the best kind of story to return with.
There are so many stories and lessons that all of us will return with from Belize. I, personally, could not have asked for a better experience. My expectation for this trip was that God would show me something completely new. Well, my concept of “new” has completely changed.
Our first day in the village of San Pablo didn’t go as smoothly as planned. The kids were out of control and there was frustration in some organization. We figured out that it was mainly the older kids that we could communicate with clearly, so we found a few girls that were able to help us out with the younger ones. Out of the 60+ kids that told me their name, there was only a handful that I could remember that first day. One of them was a twelve year old girl named Angelica.
When we returned to the village the second day, the kids showed us around the village and introduced us to some of their parents. A few of us in a group were walking with the kids when Maddie and I spotted Angelica and another girl. She was shocked that we could remember her name and ended up following us for the rest of the “village trek.” Angelica showed us to her house and introduced us to the rest of the family. Her mom didn’t speak English but one of the first things she noticed was Roselle’s camera, and asked to have her picture taken with her daughters. I laughed as she ran back into her hut and changed her shirt for the picture. After the picture, Angelica came up to me and asked if we all liked bananas. I of course said yes and she and her sisters ran inside and grabbed some for all of us. We were all honored in knowing that they had accepted us, and I knew at that point that God had sent us to that village for a reason.
Throughout the day I got to talk to Angelica and we exchanged various questions. When the soccer game ended I asked her if she wanted to go play another game, but she didn’t want to. So we sat in the field and just talked, which was my favorite part of the day. Maddie also was talking to her during the lesson and asked if we had brought Bibles to pass out. That was encouraging, and I made her the focus of my prayers for the rest of the week.
On the third day, I looked for Angelica on the “village trek” but couldn’t find her. I asked some of the other girls that I had befriended if she was there that day, and they all looked at me funny and said no. I started becoming disappointed and thinking that I wouldn’t get to see her. Right after lunch time, she came to the place where we were doing the Bible story for the day. Maddie was able to give her the Bible that she asked for the day before and she paraded it around like the proudest kid in the village. Before the day was over she asked to have her picture taken with us at least three times. On the last picture we took, we were posed and ready when she said “Wait!” and held her Bible up in front of her so it could be in the picture with us. Definitely a cool moment. When we were driving away on the bus, the kids were on one side waving goodbye. Angelica spotted Maddie and I on the other side of the bus and ran around so she could say goodbye, all while proudly displaying her new Bible.
Tonight at dinner, Roselle mentioned the woman from the village who wanted to have her family portrait taken. She said that she had talked to the preacher from this morning and that he had talked to that woman the day before. He said that the woman he talked to said that she had a daughter who wanted to accept Jesus. Maddie and I immediately looked at each other with big smiles, knowing that the girl that the woman was talking about was Angelica.
As I mentioned before, my main prayer for this week was that God would show me something completely new. Looking back, I am pleasantly surprised at what I saw. The “new” that I was expecting wasn’t what God decided to show me. I expected to learn something new about the Lord and about my walk with Him, but that’s not what I saw. He didn’t show me something new about MY life, He showed me someone else’s new life in Jesus. That in itself was the highlight of my trip, and definitely the best kind of story to return with.
The Student Perspective -- Faith and Tabi
This week has been amazingly awesome! We are both sad that we have to leave tomorrow morning, but also sorta happy to see home! When we get home, last thing that we want to eat is anything with rice, beans, chicken, or plain eggs, or burnt bacon, and banana’s (not that we ate any cause we didn’t) Building relationships was one of the best things that happened on this trip. We taught the kids at ‘San Pablo’ some things that we say and what we found out, they DIDN’T say or never have whatever you want to call it.
Faith’s buddy was Benjamin, and Tabi’s was Denise.
Faith taught them ‘rock on’ with the sign. Tabi taught them to say ‘peace out’ with the sign and ‘what’s up what’s up what’s up’ as well. The story was that I (Tabi) ask a shy child ‘what’s up’ then the little boy holding my hand repeated it. I was amazed and said it three times fast. All the children soon learned it, along with my name, that they thought was fun to say, so might as well say it a thousand times!
The story with the ‘rock on’ was I (Faith) started saying it after two days of Tabi saying weird things to the kids. I thought it was really funny, so funny we got Andrew and Tabi’s video cameras out and caught it on video to show everyone. It was so funny and amazing what they learned and said. We both think that they’ll never forget it.
Saturday was interesting…cause the\bus broke down….again…before we could even move an inch. On the boat ride out to the island, JB fell asleep and left his mouth open. Faith poured water into his mouth! He sat up and spat it out…it gave us all a good laugh.
Then the swimming with fish, sharks, sting rays, and sea turtles was amazing along with tons of coral that we saw. I (Tabi) didn’t like the water in my mouth. I (Faith) liked the tuna sandwich for lunch! (So me!) We both took a lot of pictures and videos.
God has worked in amazing ways, ways that we never would’ve imagined. He took me (Tabi) out of my little world and brought me to a new one, one that was one that He could use me in way better than I would’ve thought.
He made me (Faith) stronger in my faith and that we are so blessed with what we have. We shouldn’t complain about what we have, cause out here they use everything they have, even though they don’t have much to begin with. They are so content with it. Now we both know why we were called to come here to Belize.
-Love you guys! Rock on! – Faith :)
-Stay cool! Peace out! – Tabi BD
Faith’s buddy was Benjamin, and Tabi’s was Denise.
Faith taught them ‘rock on’ with the sign. Tabi taught them to say ‘peace out’ with the sign and ‘what’s up what’s up what’s up’ as well. The story was that I (Tabi) ask a shy child ‘what’s up’ then the little boy holding my hand repeated it. I was amazed and said it three times fast. All the children soon learned it, along with my name, that they thought was fun to say, so might as well say it a thousand times!
The story with the ‘rock on’ was I (Faith) started saying it after two days of Tabi saying weird things to the kids. I thought it was really funny, so funny we got Andrew and Tabi’s video cameras out and caught it on video to show everyone. It was so funny and amazing what they learned and said. We both think that they’ll never forget it.
Saturday was interesting…cause the\bus broke down….again…before we could even move an inch. On the boat ride out to the island, JB fell asleep and left his mouth open. Faith poured water into his mouth! He sat up and spat it out…it gave us all a good laugh.
Then the swimming with fish, sharks, sting rays, and sea turtles was amazing along with tons of coral that we saw. I (Tabi) didn’t like the water in my mouth. I (Faith) liked the tuna sandwich for lunch! (So me!) We both took a lot of pictures and videos.
God has worked in amazing ways, ways that we never would’ve imagined. He took me (Tabi) out of my little world and brought me to a new one, one that was one that He could use me in way better than I would’ve thought.
He made me (Faith) stronger in my faith and that we are so blessed with what we have. We shouldn’t complain about what we have, cause out here they use everything they have, even though they don’t have much to begin with. They are so content with it. Now we both know why we were called to come here to Belize.
-Love you guys! Rock on! – Faith :)
-Stay cool! Peace out! – Tabi BD
Saturday, August 7, 2010
His Name is Adam
I am not the prayer warrior. I know some. I have some that I call on from time to time when I need help. I married a pray-er. But I really struggle to stay focused in prayer for long periods of time.
Sometimes I just don’t get it. Many times God has asked me to pray and I don’t understand the goal so I stop praying. Sometimes, I understand the goal, but cant figure out how God answering this prayer is going to get us to that end result…so I stop praying. Sometimes, I just cant see how important things are to God, and I give up. Sometimes, I really just need some medication to help me focus!
When we left San Pablo yesterday, we made a stop in one of the other villages…it was on the way (everything is “on the way” in Belize and it only takes about “25 minutes” to get there!).
We were asked to stop and pray for one of the children in the village. His name is Adam and he is not a child, he is 19 years old. His father is one of the leaders in the village. Adam has exhausted every avenue for healing. He has been to the Clinic. He has been to the Bush Doctor. He has had Pastors come and pray for him. Nothing has worked for the long term and he has no diagnosis. He has been in his bed for nearly three months.
Adam asked us to pray for him.
In the last 24 hours, God has opened my eyes to something that I am not sure I would have seen elsewhere. I think I understand His goal in this village…that the whole village would know Jesus as Savior. I understand that in praying for the healing of this one young man, a village could be saved….the others would see the power of the Lord God over sickness and disease and understand that He also has the power over live and death. I understand that these people are important to God…
…and so I pray for Adam.
I am praying that every infirmity and disease would leave his body. I am praying that God would move in such as mighty way that there is no question about how good and powerful He is. I am praying for Adam’s testimony to the rest of his village about how God has delivered him from the disease, and how he has received abundant life in the Lord Jesus.
Can you imagine the impact of this one answered prayer?
….why don’t you pray for Adam too.
And ask your friends to pray.
And ask your co-workers to pray.
And ask your family to pray.
And ask anyone who knows Jesus to pray for divine intervention in Adam’s life.
Oh, by the way, we will be in Adam’s village all next week sharing the Good News. Wouldn’t it be cool if Adam was out there with us?
Blessings.
Tim
Sometimes I just don’t get it. Many times God has asked me to pray and I don’t understand the goal so I stop praying. Sometimes, I understand the goal, but cant figure out how God answering this prayer is going to get us to that end result…so I stop praying. Sometimes, I just cant see how important things are to God, and I give up. Sometimes, I really just need some medication to help me focus!
When we left San Pablo yesterday, we made a stop in one of the other villages…it was on the way (everything is “on the way” in Belize and it only takes about “25 minutes” to get there!).
We were asked to stop and pray for one of the children in the village. His name is Adam and he is not a child, he is 19 years old. His father is one of the leaders in the village. Adam has exhausted every avenue for healing. He has been to the Clinic. He has been to the Bush Doctor. He has had Pastors come and pray for him. Nothing has worked for the long term and he has no diagnosis. He has been in his bed for nearly three months.
Adam asked us to pray for him.
In the last 24 hours, God has opened my eyes to something that I am not sure I would have seen elsewhere. I think I understand His goal in this village…that the whole village would know Jesus as Savior. I understand that in praying for the healing of this one young man, a village could be saved….the others would see the power of the Lord God over sickness and disease and understand that He also has the power over live and death. I understand that these people are important to God…
…and so I pray for Adam.
I am praying that every infirmity and disease would leave his body. I am praying that God would move in such as mighty way that there is no question about how good and powerful He is. I am praying for Adam’s testimony to the rest of his village about how God has delivered him from the disease, and how he has received abundant life in the Lord Jesus.
Can you imagine the impact of this one answered prayer?
….why don’t you pray for Adam too.
And ask your friends to pray.
And ask your co-workers to pray.
And ask your family to pray.
And ask anyone who knows Jesus to pray for divine intervention in Adam’s life.
Oh, by the way, we will be in Adam’s village all next week sharing the Good News. Wouldn’t it be cool if Adam was out there with us?
Blessings.
Tim
So Long, San Pablo
Today was a good day; one of those bitter-sweet experiences.
We finished our ministry work in San Pablo. It turned out to be a really good week in this village. As I understand things, after talking with Randy for some time tonight…
Before we left, we passed out “sweets” and said goodbye. We took some pictures, gave hugs and high-fives. I slipped Eduardo an extra piece of candy. Then we boarded the bus and left San Pablo.
- We were the first group (Working with Randy and the ministry here in Belize) to venture into this village. This was the maiden voyage into this village to do ministry work.
- The church that is being planted is called New Jerusalem. So far, there have been discussions with some of the church leaders, but until just recently, there has been no formal commitments or relationship. We had a chance this week to meet the church leaders and some of the village leaders.
- This village is virtually unreached, except for a handful of believers there does not appear to be much of a functioning church. Best guess is that 60 to 70 people identify with the Catholic, Baptist or New Jerusalem Fellowship. It is unclear when the Catholic and Baptist churches meet. They have a building, but there is no evidence of regular meetings in these congregations. The New Jerusalem fellowship seems to have 20-25 people who are committed to reaching the village of San Pablo.
- These men and women who love the Lord, have begun the process but are lacking leadership, support, training and resources.
There was something significant that happened in the last two days. I am not sure that I can tell you all of the details, but it is that “God is up to something” feeling that you get when God is up to something. There were some connections made that surprised us…they even surprised the missionary! Each of our students was able to make connections with different children in the village. For the last two days, we spent hours in relationship building. As our students walked the village meeting and inviting kids and parents and people and pets to come and hear a story about Jesus, they were able to share their own stories about Jesus. I heard our students talking about the difference that Jesus had made in their own lives. They were asking spiritual questions that lead to more in depth conversations about the Lord. We talked a lot about being “born again.”
For me, the young man was Eduardo. He is 14 years old. He and I connected. He walked with me through his whole village. He showed my the water falls, his house, the animals, and taught me about his language and culture. Today we talked about his relationship with the Lord. He has had some teaching. He knows about Jesus. He says he loves God, but does not know Jesus as his savior. It was a good talk. I pray that the Lord will continue to work on Eduardo and that he will accept Jesus.
Today when we left, it was tough. We had developed and cultivated relationships in just a couple of days. ALL of our students worked very hard. I was so impressed by their willingness to be used by God. I cannot express in words how proud I am of the team that has been here this week. Everyone of them served with their whole hearts!
We are scheduled to be in a different village next week. Please pray for the children and families of San Pablo.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Kekchi 101
I learned a few Kekchi words today. The first is pronounced "SHAT-troo". The word means “Champion” or “Winner.” When I would stand in front of the group of kids, they would say this. Apparently, my quick wit and athletic agility was very clear to the young men in the village. It was clear to them that I was in fact a winner….and until yesterday, it was the only Kekchi word that I had mastered.
The other phrase was a little different. One of the young men taught me a word that made all the boys laugh. If you know me, you know I like to have a good laugh, so I said the word often. After a half hour of me saying the two Kekchi words I knew, one of the boys came very close and said, “Teem, you should not say dis ward any mo. It is not polite.”
Apparently, the boys had taught me the slang word for male body parts. It is funny, somehow I think that is the one Kekchi word that I will remember….I wont ever use it again, but I will remember it.
The other phrase was a little different. One of the young men taught me a word that made all the boys laugh. If you know me, you know I like to have a good laugh, so I said the word often. After a half hour of me saying the two Kekchi words I knew, one of the boys came very close and said, “Teem, you should not say dis ward any mo. It is not polite.”
Apparently, the boys had taught me the slang word for male body parts. It is funny, somehow I think that is the one Kekchi word that I will remember….I wont ever use it again, but I will remember it.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
San Pablo -- From Confusion to Ministry
It was a good thing we didnt have internet access last night. Who knows how the blog would have read...
Yesterday we stopped in the village at San Pablo on our way to the Southern Compound for River of Life. Randy and his team have been involved with this village for some time, but we are the first team that they have taken to do ministry with the kids in the village. It was exciting for all of us....the first team to go in, the opportunity to share our faith, the chance to build some new relatiosnhips...
What happened was very frustrating. Our "Sports Camp" idea was a bust. We had children pushing each other down for Jolly Rancher candy. Our craft project ran short-- we planned for 40 and 70 children! We did not experience the euphoria of evangelism that we expected...instead, we felt a lot of heartburn.
We spent some time last night working on strategy for the rest of the week. I will be the first to admit that I was wrong....
I was a strong proponent for lots of structure and planning and organization. (I know that sound ridiculous, but it really happened!) I was out voted. Instead we relaxed the structure, dropped back to a very relational approach and prayed. W eparayed last night. We prayed when we got there, we prayed during the day...and God answered our prayer.
Every student was involved in ministry. Everyone of our adults was involved in ministry. We had a great lesson and lots of game time and all of us got to visit someone at their home! Today there was ministry taking place. Today the confusion was gone. Today God answered prayers!
I wish that I could convey how proud I am of our students....they have done great things for the King. He has used them in mighty ways!
Blessings.
Yesterday we stopped in the village at San Pablo on our way to the Southern Compound for River of Life. Randy and his team have been involved with this village for some time, but we are the first team that they have taken to do ministry with the kids in the village. It was exciting for all of us....the first team to go in, the opportunity to share our faith, the chance to build some new relatiosnhips...
What happened was very frustrating. Our "Sports Camp" idea was a bust. We had children pushing each other down for Jolly Rancher candy. Our craft project ran short-- we planned for 40 and 70 children! We did not experience the euphoria of evangelism that we expected...instead, we felt a lot of heartburn.
We spent some time last night working on strategy for the rest of the week. I will be the first to admit that I was wrong....
I was a strong proponent for lots of structure and planning and organization. (I know that sound ridiculous, but it really happened!) I was out voted. Instead we relaxed the structure, dropped back to a very relational approach and prayed. W eparayed last night. We prayed when we got there, we prayed during the day...and God answered our prayer.
Every student was involved in ministry. Everyone of our adults was involved in ministry. We had a great lesson and lots of game time and all of us got to visit someone at their home! Today there was ministry taking place. Today the confusion was gone. Today God answered prayers!
I wish that I could convey how proud I am of our students....they have done great things for the King. He has used them in mighty ways!
Blessings.
San Pablo --From a Students Perspective
August 4, 2010
Maddie Beasley
Hey everybody, it’s the third day and it’s all going by so fast. We went into the village of San Pablo today. It was so neat, and grassy, and the kids were so kind. We connected with the children, and played with them, and we learned about each other. They all speak Kekchi (pronounced k-e-ch-ee), and only the older kids speak English, so it’s pretty hard to communicate.
Now, some things that God is doing in the village, that speaks to me, is He like let the kids remember the lesson, so they get some good knowledge about the Bible. Another thing that I noticed, is a girl named Annalecha (anna- leek- a) she’s 12 and helps us out when we talk to the little kids, and she interprets for us. She asked me today for a Bible and I would have given her mine except, Randy said don’t give anything away. But I got excited when she asked. That’s things that I saw God do today.
Keep praying for strength and peace from God.
See ya
-Maddie
Maddie Beasley
Hey everybody, it’s the third day and it’s all going by so fast. We went into the village of San Pablo today. It was so neat, and grassy, and the kids were so kind. We connected with the children, and played with them, and we learned about each other. They all speak Kekchi (pronounced k-e-ch-ee), and only the older kids speak English, so it’s pretty hard to communicate.
Now, some things that God is doing in the village, that speaks to me, is He like let the kids remember the lesson, so they get some good knowledge about the Bible. Another thing that I noticed, is a girl named Annalecha (anna- leek- a) she’s 12 and helps us out when we talk to the little kids, and she interprets for us. She asked me today for a Bible and I would have given her mine except, Randy said don’t give anything away. But I got excited when she asked. That’s things that I saw God do today.
Keep praying for strength and peace from God.
See ya
-Maddie
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Tuesday in Belize -- Student's Perspectives
Perspective
By Tabi Bailey
Hey guys what’s up, it’s Tabi Bailey here. It’s day two on this mission trip and so far it’s been really amazing. Today we went to the village ‘More Tomorrow’ and the children there were so kind and sweet. The children are so amazing, kind, and just plain cute. After the lesson and craft, we just hung out with the children and just played cool. I was into chasing about three or four little kids at once. I had a little buddy. Her name was Lydia and she was four. She was always wanting me to either chase her, pick her up, tickle her, spin her around, make weird faces at her, go to her play prison, or just love on her. Lydia looked a little like my sister when she was little. It was so much fun if I could do it all day I would’ve. A lot of the kids look like my sister but have the unending energy like my younger brother! One of the boys came up and said ‘hi’ in Chinese and I was surprised! God is awesome! I didn’t imagine that Belize would be such a cool place, and oh man! It is so much cooler here than in Fort Smith! Cannot believe it! The stars here are so clear and they shine like…well…stars! Still haven’t seen the moon yet but still looking for it.
Maddie got to see her ‘fighting duck’ and was so happy. It was her goal of the trip. The sad part is…it ‘didn’t want to fight’ so none of us got to see the fighting duck…fight. The roads make you feel like you’re on a bumpy ride…not really feel, cause you are on a bumpy ride, but somehow I managed to sleep some on the bus. The food is really amazing and I was wondering if I’d be coming home 15 pounds lighter but that’s NOT gonna happen. The sun rises really early and so when we wake up at 6:30 it’s like waking up at 8 in the US.
It rained several times during today and so we walked through mud the whole day…yay!!!! This place where we’re staying looks like Camp Joshua only the showers are way nicer. It’s been a long day but a good one. I miss you all. Peace out!
Perspective
By Andrew McCollough
Hey all, Andrew here. havin a blast here in Belize…. Got to go to a village called “More Tomorrow” today, had some fun experiences. I got to help cart cement blocks to a concrete foundation, sift and carry sand, and cart heavy rocks. Not quite what I was expecting but it was a good experience and I also got to have fresh coconut juice (its not qualified as milk cuz the nut wasn’t old enough) and we also have FRESH PINAPPLE FOR BREAKFAST!!!!! IT LIKE HEAVEN!!!!!! And the food is incredibly authentic (surprise surprise) and is unbelievable. Which I still cant believe that im any where different because the culture is like America and i cant quite grasp the concept that Im south of Mexico. The only thing that has me convinced that I am is the jungle and the really cool massive iguanas, which are like two feet long. Im gunna catch one before the week is over…..
While in More Tomorrow I also got to play with a lot of kids which was really fun, and most of them were either chasing me around trying to tickle me or trying to get their lion (puppet) to eat me. The bus worked like a charm, PTL. Last night I thought I was gunna get to sleep at Cheers (which it would be cool to be able to say that my first night in a foreign country was spent in a restraint). Mentioning Cheers, I had the most incredible quesadillas there…. This is spoiling me. So we are having a blast here in Belize and im lookin forward to whatever tomorrow may hold. We will be seeing yall soon. Adios for now!
By Tabi Bailey
Hey guys what’s up, it’s Tabi Bailey here. It’s day two on this mission trip and so far it’s been really amazing. Today we went to the village ‘More Tomorrow’ and the children there were so kind and sweet. The children are so amazing, kind, and just plain cute. After the lesson and craft, we just hung out with the children and just played cool. I was into chasing about three or four little kids at once. I had a little buddy. Her name was Lydia and she was four. She was always wanting me to either chase her, pick her up, tickle her, spin her around, make weird faces at her, go to her play prison, or just love on her. Lydia looked a little like my sister when she was little. It was so much fun if I could do it all day I would’ve. A lot of the kids look like my sister but have the unending energy like my younger brother! One of the boys came up and said ‘hi’ in Chinese and I was surprised! God is awesome! I didn’t imagine that Belize would be such a cool place, and oh man! It is so much cooler here than in Fort Smith! Cannot believe it! The stars here are so clear and they shine like…well…stars! Still haven’t seen the moon yet but still looking for it.
Maddie got to see her ‘fighting duck’ and was so happy. It was her goal of the trip. The sad part is…it ‘didn’t want to fight’ so none of us got to see the fighting duck…fight. The roads make you feel like you’re on a bumpy ride…not really feel, cause you are on a bumpy ride, but somehow I managed to sleep some on the bus. The food is really amazing and I was wondering if I’d be coming home 15 pounds lighter but that’s NOT gonna happen. The sun rises really early and so when we wake up at 6:30 it’s like waking up at 8 in the US.
It rained several times during today and so we walked through mud the whole day…yay!!!! This place where we’re staying looks like Camp Joshua only the showers are way nicer. It’s been a long day but a good one. I miss you all. Peace out!
Perspective
By Andrew McCollough
Hey all, Andrew here. havin a blast here in Belize…. Got to go to a village called “More Tomorrow” today, had some fun experiences. I got to help cart cement blocks to a concrete foundation, sift and carry sand, and cart heavy rocks. Not quite what I was expecting but it was a good experience and I also got to have fresh coconut juice (its not qualified as milk cuz the nut wasn’t old enough) and we also have FRESH PINAPPLE FOR BREAKFAST!!!!! IT LIKE HEAVEN!!!!!! And the food is incredibly authentic (surprise surprise) and is unbelievable. Which I still cant believe that im any where different because the culture is like America and i cant quite grasp the concept that Im south of Mexico. The only thing that has me convinced that I am is the jungle and the really cool massive iguanas, which are like two feet long. Im gunna catch one before the week is over…..
While in More Tomorrow I also got to play with a lot of kids which was really fun, and most of them were either chasing me around trying to tickle me or trying to get their lion (puppet) to eat me. The bus worked like a charm, PTL. Last night I thought I was gunna get to sleep at Cheers (which it would be cool to be able to say that my first night in a foreign country was spent in a restraint). Mentioning Cheers, I had the most incredible quesadillas there…. This is spoiling me. So we are having a blast here in Belize and im lookin forward to whatever tomorrow may hold. We will be seeing yall soon. Adios for now!
More Tomorrow, Fighing Ducks and Obedient Faith
After traveling yesterday, we spent some time in More Tomorrow today (Yeah, say that five times fast). More Tomorrow is the village where we built the church building last year for Steven Feather’s Eagle Project. Today was a good practice day.
The weather was rough…It rained A LOT today. The Sports Camp leaders played some inside games. Our lesson leaders worked their way through the first lesson. We have some debrief coming tonight. May need to work on a few things.
The village of More Tomorrow is the oldest village in Belize. Until about a year ago, there was not much of a functioning church here. This is the first of several church plants for our missionary host, Randy Gaither. It is exciting to see a new church plant that is still in her infant stages.
More Tomorrow is also the home of Minor Omar, the trainer of the infamous fighting duck. Last year Minor gave us a demonstration in the techniques of duck fighting. Mostly, he just beat the snot out of the duck! That duck has since died (probably due to the stresses of being a fighting duck and one too many duck concussions), but Minor has been training his replacement. My Daughter, Madison, was very excited and said, “I finally get to meet the kid with the fighting duck….that was one of the goals of my trip!” She was really glad that she got to meet the “fighting duck” kid.
Minor is an interesting kid. He made the biggest impression on me a year ago when I was here. I am not really sure if that is good or bad. Sometimes, he is the kid that just needs a hug. Sometimes I want to hug him til he stops breathing (he is the kid that makes grown-ups stop teaching Junior Church!). Ultimately, Minor needs Jesus as his Savior. He has not been born again…
Minor is 12 years old….the same age as Madison. Today, I watched as my 12 year old daughter and the other 15 students on our team shared the story of Adam and Eve. They loved on the kids in More Tomorrow. They shared their faith. They stepped out in obedience
Who knows….Maybe God will use the faith and obedience of a group of students from Arkansas to demonstrate His desire to have a relationship with a whole village in Belize.
Please pray on Wednesday for good weather. We are supposed to head south to the village of San Pablo if we can make it across the bridges that have been under water. Pray for God’s favor and boldness in revealing the “mystery of the Gospel.”
The weather was rough…It rained A LOT today. The Sports Camp leaders played some inside games. Our lesson leaders worked their way through the first lesson. We have some debrief coming tonight. May need to work on a few things.
The village of More Tomorrow is the oldest village in Belize. Until about a year ago, there was not much of a functioning church here. This is the first of several church plants for our missionary host, Randy Gaither. It is exciting to see a new church plant that is still in her infant stages.
More Tomorrow is also the home of Minor Omar, the trainer of the infamous fighting duck. Last year Minor gave us a demonstration in the techniques of duck fighting. Mostly, he just beat the snot out of the duck! That duck has since died (probably due to the stresses of being a fighting duck and one too many duck concussions), but Minor has been training his replacement. My Daughter, Madison, was very excited and said, “I finally get to meet the kid with the fighting duck….that was one of the goals of my trip!” She was really glad that she got to meet the “fighting duck” kid.
Minor is an interesting kid. He made the biggest impression on me a year ago when I was here. I am not really sure if that is good or bad. Sometimes, he is the kid that just needs a hug. Sometimes I want to hug him til he stops breathing (he is the kid that makes grown-ups stop teaching Junior Church!). Ultimately, Minor needs Jesus as his Savior. He has not been born again…
Minor is 12 years old….the same age as Madison. Today, I watched as my 12 year old daughter and the other 15 students on our team shared the story of Adam and Eve. They loved on the kids in More Tomorrow. They shared their faith. They stepped out in obedience
Who knows….Maybe God will use the faith and obedience of a group of students from Arkansas to demonstrate His desire to have a relationship with a whole village in Belize.
Please pray on Wednesday for good weather. We are supposed to head south to the village of San Pablo if we can make it across the bridges that have been under water. Pray for God’s favor and boldness in revealing the “mystery of the Gospel.”
Monday, August 2, 2010
Typical Church Trip
We stopped today at Cheers (yes they stole their logo from the early late '80s/early '90s) to have a snack and something to wet the whistle.
When it was time to get into the bus to press on toward the Roaring Creek Compound,,,,the bus wouldnt start. We prayed. The bus didn't start. The grown men all looked at the engine,it is in the back and grunted and spit and talked like we were deisel mechanics. The bus didnt start. Uncle Steve came back with his Leatherman pocket tool, and moved us all out of the way so he could work without any hindrance. It is amazing what you can accomplish with a Leatherman pocket tool. Now the bus won't start and there is damage to the wiring, too.
So, here we sit, the sun going down waiting on someone from Roaring Creek to bring some tools while the mechanic comes from Belize City. We are somewhere in the middle....waiting.
Sometimes the Lord does things for a reason. This is the first time that our team has had a chance to "veg out" since leaving this morning. It seems like there has been a lot of waiting and searching and moving toward this gate or that plane. Now we are sitting, catchign up on email and playing cards and waiting on two guys that we dont know.
We will see what the Lord has in store...
When it was time to get into the bus to press on toward the Roaring Creek Compound,,,,the bus wouldnt start. We prayed. The bus didn't start. The grown men all looked at the engine,it is in the back and grunted and spit and talked like we were deisel mechanics. The bus didnt start. Uncle Steve came back with his Leatherman pocket tool, and moved us all out of the way so he could work without any hindrance. It is amazing what you can accomplish with a Leatherman pocket tool. Now the bus won't start and there is damage to the wiring, too.
So, here we sit, the sun going down waiting on someone from Roaring Creek to bring some tools while the mechanic comes from Belize City. We are somewhere in the middle....waiting.
Sometimes the Lord does things for a reason. This is the first time that our team has had a chance to "veg out" since leaving this morning. It seems like there has been a lot of waiting and searching and moving toward this gate or that plane. Now we are sitting, catchign up on email and playing cards and waiting on two guys that we dont know.
We will see what the Lord has in store...
Leaving for Belize
When American Airlines called at 1:40 this morning to tell me that our flight from Fort Smith to Belize had been canceled, I knew it was going to be a good trip!
Cant wait to see what God has in store for our group.
Pray for safety as we travel today.
Hopefully, we will have enough internest access to keep you posted!
Cant wait to see what God has in store for our group.
Pray for safety as we travel today.
Hopefully, we will have enough internest access to keep you posted!
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