Mission to Belize
July 28th - August 5th
Our team joined missionary Patrick Evans and his team in Belize located near the Yucatan peninsula in Central America. They worked with the Mayan indians of San Jose. Although English is the official language of the country, it is a second language to the indian population, which still speak a form of ancient Mayan as their native tongue.
Our team taught Vacation Bible School lessons, led sports evangelism activities, and directed various activities for children as they reach out to the community. They also had the opportunity to prayer walk, develop relationships with new believers, and disciple these new believers in their faith. In addition to all of that, they participated in a construction effort in the afternoons.
Live Journal of the trip
Thursday 6/22
Ashley Grisham came to the house and reviewed the trip packet and video. We are starting to get excited. This will be my first missions’ trip. In the past I felt my role was to support missions financially. It was always someone else’s role to do the hands on work. “Anyway I wouldn’t know what to do”.Ashley is great. She has been to Belize twice before. We will meet our team tomorrow night at the weekend retreat.
Friday 6/23
We met at Daniel and Mary Moore’s home. Including ourselves there are three families going. The Moore’s are taking their 12 year old granddaughter, Alex Burroughs and their niece, Katie Johnson. Neil and Freda Byrd have 2 boys, Edward and Landon who will be going. There are 2 female Samford Students going, Tessa and Sharon who are both Stephanie’s age. They are already bonding as friends in faith.
We completed an animal personality test. Lion is a leader, Otter is fun-loving, Golden Retriever is loyal and Beavers are the organizers. I was an otter along with most the kids. Hey they need a leader too. Deborah and Neil are Lions, Ashley and Daniel were beavers and everyone else, Retrievers. The otters will rule.
Saturday 6/24
We had breakfast at the Moore’s – no coffee drinkers. We each prayed about our trip and discussed fears or concerns. We did find out we will need backpacks. Men and Women will be broke into separate groups. Jeff who has been twice before talked about what to expect. Tarantulas and the infamous fer- de lance ( locally called a "Tommy golf") one of the ten deadliest snakes in the world. Daniel asked if Jeff and Patrick the missionaries had any anti-venom and Jeff didn’t think so. However, the village does have a Witch Doctor. All was quiet as we each prayed. I have a feeling we all prayed no one would have to visit the Witch Doctor.
6/25-7/1
Randy's sermon was about unclaimed baggage in our lives. James 1:2-4 and Psalms 46. As Randy stated God is the ultimate baggage handler. At the end of the service we all went and pulled a verse from a suitcase. Mine was Psalm 30:11-12. I have it taped in my journal and carrying it with me on our trip. " You turned my wailing into dancing ; you removed my sack cloth and clothed me with joy, that made my heart sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever."I tend to want to carry my own baggage .The key for me is to let go and turn it over to God. I read the book of James this week. Deborah had bought me a new Maxwell leadership bible for fathers day. I have enjoyed it immensely. One thing that stood out in the book of James for me was someone with saving faith who voices belief in Jesus Christ, their actions should back up their words. Walk the Talk!! I have been praying the Lord will use me to have a positive impact on others. There is no question this trip is out of my comfort zone and will stretch me spiritually. I know the Lord wont give me more than I can handle. I am looking forward to the challenge. Sharon Moore ( Samford student) sent out an email ask us to pray for faith. Ephesians 1:18-19, John 6:29, Galatians 5:16, 5:22-23, 6:8-10. My favorite: John 15:5
" I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit: apart from me you can do nothing."
7/2-7/9
We bought Deb a back pack and Steph and Josh a pair of Chaco sandals for the trip. Sharon has become the prayer warrior and sent out Belize prayer 7. she shared Luke 11: 5-10 and asked us to pray with boldness this week. Pray with boldness - what a thought. We are praying for the ministries that Patrick and Jeff are involved in outside of San Jose. The ministry outside of san Jose is done mostly via horse and buggy. They also produce and distribute literature which is called Horse & Buggy Publications to the various villagers. Alcoholism is rampant among the men in San Jose. Patrick and Jeff are trying to change the culture by ministering to the children to stop the chain of abuse
7/10 -7/16
We received our e-ticket confirmation a couple of weeks ago and I was reviewing our trip itinerary. We are meeting at Shades Mountain (SMBC) at 4:00 am. On Friday 7/28. We fly out at 6:00 am to Houston. From Houston we fly to Belize City. We then take a puddle jumper (10 seats) down the coast to Punta Gorda where Patrick and Jeff will meet us.
The flight down the coast is said to be spectacular. The Belize Barrier Reef extends from the tip of Mexico's Isla Mujeresto Sapodilla Cayein to the Bay of Honduras. This is 180 mile long reef and is the longest reef in the Western and Northern Hemispheres.
On Saturday the 29th we will take a bus to San Jose and have lunch in the home of a local villager. We will help Jeff and Patrick with Sunday's service and later prepare for Bible school. Each of us will have a different lesson to teach. Josh is teaching the sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22). Steph is teaching the serpent on the pole (Numbers 21:6-9). Deborah is teaching on the plagues on Egypt (Exodus 7-10) and I am teaching the Passover sacrifice (Exodus 11-12).
Josh and Steph were at Centrifuge Camp this past week. We prayed God would touch their heart and prepare them for our trip to share His word. Josh still needs his passport. Deborah called on Thursday and they said it would take a couple days to be issued. We are coming down to crunch time. Josh and Steph had an AWESOME week at camp. Josh had said he had been praying all week that he would receive his passport. It came Saturday.
7/16-7/23
Only 12 more days. I have had a lot of sleepless nights praying that God will find a way to use me in Belize. I guess I should be careful what I pray for but I am not sure how I can make a difference. Faith and Perseverance. He will use me as he sees fit. Pray with boldness.
Sharon the prayer warrior has sent out a prayer request and asked us to read Luke 11:11-13.
Deborah is designing and printing bookmarks for the women villagers who will be involved in bible study. The men will be working on building a permanent shower facility after Bible school as they just have tarps thrown over some poles.
Deborah has been diligent in her Bible study and prayer. She came back from Honduras with a passion for missions. It was a reality check. The thing that stuck out was everybody had so little but were so happy. It sounds simple but why cant we accomplish this?
Follow Gods word and find your hearts desire!
7/21
I met Ashley at Shades Mtn. Baptist Church today to pick up extra food. I took back the canned items and exchanged them for supplies for Bible School.
Stephanie is finishing the Jacobs ladder craft for Bible School with some of her friends who have volunteered to help her out. We need 250 finished crafts for each Bible lesson.
7/22
I am in search of eight cots for the trip. I am getting frustrated because the cots we picked out online are not in stock in the store. We ended up going to two different stores around town and found cots. It is going to cost us an extra $200 to ship them via the airlines because they exceed the height and weight limits.
Wednesday is the packing party in which the team will separate and begin packing supplies for the trip. Unfortunately Deborah and I will be out of town and unable to attend, however Steph and Josh will be going to help.
God continues to work in wonderful ways. I received a call today from a former pastor and friend who was very instrumental in my spiritual growth. He took the time and energy to disciple me at a crucial time in my life. I was at a cross roads and could have gone either way. He had a dramatic impact on my life and for that I am ever grateful. Our families are meeting for lunch on Tuesday as they are coming through town. Gods timing is unquestionable!
Friday 7/28/06
Today is the day! We were up at 2:30 AM.. And are ready to go. Deb and I packed 50 nylon Frisbees for the kids. My youngest son Taylor (lives in Ohio) stayed up all night and sent me a text message at 3:12 telling me he loved me. It really touched me that he had been praying for us and stayed up to tell us bye. We spoke on the phone on the way to the airport. He is coming down the week after we get back. I pray that God touch's his heart and he as accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. Both he and Travis have said they have but it is so much more.
When we arrived at Shades Mountain. Ashley gave us some last minute details. Neil lead us in prayer. He asked God to forgive us for feeling anxiety over the trip as we know it is in hands.
We each are responsible for a crate full of supplies. Deb and I handled getting the crates through screening and having security zip-strip each crate after inspection. Randal (airport security) became our friend.
We are on the plane and Josh is doing well considering this is the first time he has flown. I am really proud of him. He hasn't complained about the trip and mission work. He is growing spiritually and I pray this trip will help the two of us bond and improve our relationship. I know I am hard on him but I want so much for him and all our children. We will be in Houston shortly and only have 50 minutes to catch our international flight to Belize.
Our flights were uneventful. Patrick and Jeff met us at the airport. All of our bible school and food supplies are still in Belize. We traveled by bus to a small hotel outside Punta Gorda to spend the night before our trip to San Jose. We had prayer time then Patrick and Jeff filled us in on their work and plans for the week. We were all given encouragement cards. Mine was Mark 6:4-5. Gods purpose or mine? We slept well other than the rain storms throughout the night. I t seemed as if a train was coming through our room.
Saturday 7/29/06
It is 5:15 PM. and this is the first chance I have to write in my journal. We met at 8:00 this morning for prayer. We each went around the room and prayed.
The bus picked us up at 9:00 and we picked up lumber to build a more permanent structure for a shower and toilet. Felix was our driver and is one of the few Christian men in the village. We stopped at his home for lunch and had tamales made from the heart of palm. The bus couldn't make it up the hill to the mission house. We transferred everything via horse & buggy.
The women, Byrd and Moore family went to homes of local villagers where they will be staying. Josh and I are getting settled in the mission house. Tess and I are on cooking duty. I need to get back to the kitchen.
We had good fellowship and a meal. Jeff played guitar as we sang. We prayed for a great week and thanks form the Lord. I didn't have a cot and had to sleep in a hammock.
Sunday 7/30/06
I had a fairly good nights sleep considering I don't usually sleep in a hammock. We got up at 7:00 AM. And had a breakfast bar along with devotional time and music provide by Jeff. Worship was great. Jeff and Patrick both spoke about spiritual warfare. The village still relies on pagan worship and a bush doctor for medical help. The Mayan culture is still prevalent. It is a battle good vs. evil. We read Psalm 108, Ephesians 6:10-12, Luke 8:22, and Philippians 4:8
Psalm 108: 12-13:
Give us aid against the enemy for help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.
Ephesians 6:10-12
Finally be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on your full amour of God so that you can take your stand against the devils schemes.
We are getting ready for the Sunday Bible school that Patrick and Jeff teach at 1:00. Later today we are taking a hike to a mountain overlooking the village so we can pray for the village and our work this week.
The team is really coming together as everyone has a heart for the work being done here. Sunday bible school was awesome. They had 130 children. It was one of the biggest for a Sunday. We had lunch at the Pecks a local villager. We had tamales with beans which were great. Patrick had some local hot sauce which really made them tasty. I had six and Michael the intern had eight. We were kidding him to go for the village record. Michael has been here for all summer and he is spiritually mature for a 17 year old. Patrick and Jeff have an intern program which can go for a couple of months to a year. It is an awesome ministry and opportunity for the right person. Elizabeth and I are doing a puppet show for VBS tomorrow. Our theme is there is only One Way to GOD! Acts 4:12.
Monday 7/31/06
I was up all night because there were two cats fighting outside the mission house. It is 7:10 AM. And we are all back in the mission house getting ready for the day. I really have a heart for the children. I couldn't keep from smiling all day yesterday. I need to have the same patience with our children as I do with the children here in Belize. God is convicting me this week in many ways.
I am so proud of Stephanie as she jumps right in and hasn't complained. Josh has been labeled the cat whisper. There is a kitten that lives in the mission house and it wont leave Josh alone. It curls up in his lap and sleeps in his hat.
VBS was fantastic. It was a packed house. We had over 200 children in the mission house which is only 510 square feet. Jeff started with songs and talked about our theme this week which is there is only one way. Elizabeth and I did a puppet show which showed the children there is more than one way to grind corn, there is more than one way to make a tamale, and instead of walking to town you can ride a bike or horse. But there is only one way to get Heaven. Through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Josh was in a skit about Noah. Our craft was building Noah's Ark and we filled them up with animal crackers. Then we gave them kool aid. I cant believe how attentive the children are. We are going to break them up in two groups tomorrow as we are expecting more children. One group will do crafts first and the other will group will be in Bible school.
It is very muddy as we are in the middle of the rainy season. Josh borrowed a pair of rubber boots from Jeff so he didn’t have to wear sandals on our way to lunch. As we were walking down the hill he said he thought something was in his boot. When we got to the bottom of the hill he took his boot off and dumped out a tarantula about the size of his fist. Contrary to popular belief they are not poisonous. They put it in a water bottle and put it in the aquarium in the mission house which houses other large tarantulas. He was very calm as I think he was in shock. I know I was.
We don't have our post for our project. A local man was supposed to go into the jungle and cut rosewood post but he didn’t have them done on Saturday. Patrick, Josh, Michael and I are going to check on them later today. We did a couple of loads of laundry by hand and I cleaned out the bathroom. The women are teaching a bible study to the women of the village. Felix picked us up in his truck and took us to the Wesleyan Missionaries home where we were to pick up the post. I was able to send an email to Matt. I hope he receives it. The post were waiting on us. While Patrick, Felix and I loaded them Josh and Michael collected 24 coconuts so everybody could have one after dinner. The truck wouldn’t make it up the hill so we tried carrying one by hand. They are 12 feet long and extremely heavy. Once we got to the top of the hill we decided to hitch up the horses.
Our encouragement verse tonight was James 1:4 Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, and lack nothing.
I am preparing for our lesson tomorrow Josh and I are doing a skit about Abraham and Isaac.
Tuesday 8/1/06
Josh and I did our skit and story for the kids. It went well other than a couple of the smaller kids got scared during the skit when God was talking to Abraham. One of the interns was in the loft out of sight playing the role of God. We modified our skit for the second group.
Patrick asked Josh and I if we wanted to go to San Cruz this afternoon to teach bible school. They teach there once a week. It is a village with 300 people and eight churches but none of the missionaries or pastors live in the village. They all compete for attendance and offer gifts such as corn or agree to buy baskets from the locals. Patrick and Jeff refuse to let this deter them. They teach the word of God and lead by example. We took the horse and buggy which took about an hour. When we arrived at the village we drove through inviting the children to our lesson that day. One little girl said she would only come if we bought a basket. Patrick told her that we wouldn’t buy a basket and our bible stories were free. We had 25 kids. I taught a lesson on Samuel. I wish I had had more time to prepare. We had a good trip and got back just in time for dinner. I brushed the horses as they worked hard on the trip back. The other men had set the poles for our construction project.
I really believe God is touching the hearts of the women and children. There were 35 women at the ladies bible study. The women have been visiting after bible study. Deborah has been out twice. She visited Romomila who is pregnant and lives with her boyfriend and his family. Her boyfriend gets drunk and beats her. It’s a vicious cycle since very few people ever leave the village. Jeff and Patrick are making a difference by working with the children.
I really have enjoyed my time with Patrick as he is a breath of fresh air and a man of God. Both he and Jeff have a heart for the children and families of San Jose. They would ultimately like to turn there work over to a husband and wife team so they could minister to the women. Deborah has seen first hand the need for the women as the majority are abused by alcoholic spouses.
Jeff and Patrick offer an internship for a married couple or boys 15 or older from two months to two years. They asked Josh if he would be interested in coming down for a year before going to college but he wasn’t interested in giving up all the comforts of home for a lengthy period of time. I think this would be an awesome opportunity for the right young man. It would give you a chance to mature spiritually and become grounded prior to pursuing your future. It is apparent that it has had a positive impact on Michael the intern. I look at the spiritual growth and appreciation I have for the things in my life just after a few days, I can only imagine what months or a year would do for you.
Thursday 8/3/06
Wednesday was a blur. It is Thursday morning at 7:15 AM. and this is the first time I have had to write in my Journal. Deborah and I did skits for VBS yesterday. She did the plague and I did the Passover stressing the relationship of sacrifice and blood.
Deborah has been doing puppets all week and created a character called Little Ricky (no relation). He is the kid's favorite. I don't know where the voice or character comes from but it is awesome. Deborah has been so strong and really has a heart for the women.
Everyone has shown resolve and bonded as a team. The project has taken longer than anticipated. All of the men are working extremely hard. It has been so hot and we haven't been able to get much sleep.
It is refreshing that when you walk through the village the kids yell your name. Milton and Philip are trying to teach me Mayan. Wetech is friend and ichan is wife. They said my ichan is better at Mayan than me.
Friday 8/4/06
This is our last full day. I am somewhat melancholy as I have really enjoyed my time here. I want to come back. Deborah and Tracy were confronted by a man coming back from the craft house who told them to leave because we weren't wanted here they already knew Jesus. There is so much animosity because of all the previous short term mission work. The missionaries have come in and left the mission field to start business's and exploited the Mayans. Jeff and Patrick are the only ones to live in the village.
Neil and I are doing puppets this morning. Jesus and Nicodemus relating it to the serpent on the pole and to John 3:16. Hopefully we will finish our project today. God has been working within me. Patience is a virtue. Patience is a virtue. Patience is a virtue. I have heard and been told that a few times this week. I have to be patient with all the children and put God first in all I do. I prayed during devotions that I would reflect on this week when faced with trivial issues and problems. We all put God first in everything we did this week. It was so simple! Why can't I do that at home?
I really like Patrick and Jeff. They are committed to their mission in the face of strong adversity. Yesterday we took a buggy ride around the village and there was a man drunk and passed out beside the road around noon. His wife was trying to get him up.
Patrick is going to give me a couple of pamphlets about internships . I would love to come with all the boys and have them spend time with Patrick and Jeff. I will pray about it. Patrick would like to have a team come down in December and do VBS. The week has gone by so fast. We are always busy. We did finish the project or at least it is functional.
I will miss all the children but Milton and Phillip are special. They just crave attention. The father figure as we know it is non existent. The men are either drunk or just give instruction - NO LOVE.
We quit working at 4:00 today as the Byrd's and us are coming home. We are catching the bus to Punta Gorda at 4:30 AM. Another long day.
Saturday 8-6-06
We got up at 4:00 AM. and caught the bus at 4:30. We are now at the Belize airport. Our flight from Punta Gorda to Belize was interesting as it was rainy and foggy. The pilot looked as if he wasn't old enough to shave and he couldn't see over the cockpit. We had to make one stop on a little runway which was a little more excitement than I was ready for.
This is the first time I have had a chance to reflect on the week. Last night I laid in bed and watched the lighting over the mountain range. It was beautiful. I just want to focus on God and put him first in all I do. I can already see the fast pace and minor bickering and we have only been gone a couple of hours. I am not going to let that back in my life. We missed our flight to Birmingham because it took us three hours to get through customs. My first real test. Trust in God and put him first in all I do. We got another flight and had a chance to fellowship with the Byrd's over a meal. The are a Godly family and an inspiration to us all.
This experience was such a blessing for me. We all really blended and supported each other. I hope I was able to give a tenth of what I received. I want to go back and hope we can organize a team for December next year.
I want to thank everybody for their prayers and the church leadership for making missions a reality and priority. I challenge each of you to get out of your comfort zone. Get involved in a small group and find God's will for you.