Last morning in Belize

We leave this morning to return home. It is bittersweet. We are anxious to see friends and family, but we feel that there is still much work that can be done here. We feel good knowing that we have left a mark. We have made friendships and our group alone has sponsored 11 kids!!! There is another group coming to Body and Soul today. It is good to know that there are more hands to continue God's work...building building building. Many of us are already counting the days when we can come back next year at the end of March. Please pray that we don't face any major problems at the airport in Belize City or Miami. We greatly appreciate your support!

Day 6 in Belize

I really can't believe how fast this week has gone. I wish we had more time...although I do miss my kids. Last night's Hot Dog Dinner / VBS / Puppet Show was a success. We didn't have as many kids as we thought we would - probably about 150. The biggest hit was the family photos. We took pictures of the kids / families and printed them out to take home with them. For some, this was the first picture they had of their kids. We all have a lot of GREAT GOD MOMENTS to share. We met some great kids and families. Many of us on the team have been so touched by these kids who don't have sponsors that we have immediately signed on as their sponsors. Please...if you fee led by God to make a difference in a child's life, please let someone on the team know. While these kids are required to go to school, they are not allowed to graduate unless they have a sponsor or unless their parents can pay for school.

This morning was a busy one. We filled our backpacks with beans and rice, school packs, hygeine items, and toys. We distributed these items in another poor spanish village. I really do think this is one of the things I enjoy most. I just wish we had more to give. Afterward, I went with Kathy to meet her sponsor child, Leslie. She was so excited to receive her bike.

Tonight we are having a campfire night for the teens of the village. We are going to tye die t-shirts and make ssmores in the fire. It should be a fun night.

Tomorrow is a "free day". We are going cave-tubing and zip-lining. Should be fun (smile).

Sheila

Day 5 in Belize

Today was the Ladies Event from 10-12pm. We had around 41 ladies come and we pampered them with manicures and pedicures. This pushed many of us out of our own comfort zones (I don't even do my own nails - smile). However, it was a special morning. Some of these ladies had beatiful well-kept nails. However, I think they were touched that we wanted to pamper them and talk with them. While I may not have been great with painting their nails, I could massage their hands & feet. One woman stayed and helped make the nails look even better with designs. Our teens looked after the kids. They were able to enjoy snacks and punch. Some of them had sad stories. One woman had bruises and cuts on her arms where she had been beat by her husband.

A few of the men worked around the compound while a few others went with Terry on a special project. We had a generous donor from our church who donated money. We decided to use that money to help a family that did not have running water. The father had been killed by a drunk driver and the family was struggling. They installed a water collection/storage system. This will greatly help this family.

We are now preparing for a Hot Dog Dinner / VBS / Puppet Performance in Roaring Creek. This will be on the compound and we expect a large crowd. We expect many of their church memebers, but we are also hoping that other members of the village will come. Please be praying that God will continue to work in this village. While our time in this village is nearing an end, God's work is not. This is only the beginning. May we continue to plant seeds in these people that will grow.

Day 4 in Belize

Whew it was a hot busy day today in Belize (100 degrees). The puppet team left early to perform in a school and then in a market while the rest of the team stayed on the compound and either painted the clinic, sanded the bus (to get it ready to be painted) sorted supplies & beans and rice. After lunch we then went to Spanish Village - one the poorest areas. Most of the people who live here are squatters - they don't own the land and they just gather whatever they can to live there. We distrributed hygeine packs, beans and rice, school supplies, and some toys. This was really a tough sight to see. There were so many kids living in such small quarters - no electricity, no running water. They had to walk to a creek to wash clothes and to get water for cooking. Everyone we met was so thankful and so welcoming. We met a pastor who wanted to pray with us. I was just filled with so much emotion that the need was so great and we couldn't give enough or go to every house. One "house" alone had 15 people living in it. We just have to pray that we have just planted a seed that God does provide.

When we got back to the compound, we had an hour to rest before we had to leave for the VBS at Ontario. We expected about 150 children, but I think we had about 40. The puppet team performed and I think the kids really enjoyed it. We also were able to take pictures of the kids and print them off on the photo printers that we brought with us. We are exhausted, but just so blessed that we were able to share God's word today. Tomorrow we will have a Ladie's event from 10-12 on the compound and then a hotdog dinner in the evening along with a VBS.

Sheila

Our God is an Awesome God

Yesterday was just an awesome day for so many. We had prayed the night before during our devotion that we would have a truly "God moments" and we had that yesterday I have no doubt we will continue to have them. We left on the bus yesterday with the intent to go to Buena Vista. We were going to distribute beans and rice in the village, paint the church, have a puppet church, distribute school supplies/soccer uniforms and hold a vbs. Once we arrived, the pastor of the Buena Vista church recommended that we drive to the village of La Gracia. So we handed out some soccer uniforms, suppplies and uniforms. We told the families that we would be back in a couple of hours for VBS. We left for La Gracia which was about 30 minutes away. I was really excited because I have been sponsoring a little girl named Sara for 3 years. I never thought that I would have a chance to meet her. I thought she lived too far away. But God knew. I thought the chances of seeing her in the village would be slim....but God knew. We entered the beautiful village (can't wait to share the pictures! There were kids playing soccer. Terry and Samantha approached the coach - who we later found out was the principal of the school and from Colorado. We asked if we could hand out beans and rice and talk about Word of God. I also asked about Sara Polanco. He said he knew her and called her over. I couldn't believe I was meeting her. Her brother was there also. Then we started walking the village. The very first house my group walked up to....I asked "do you know where Sara Polanco lives". The woman said "she lives here". I told her that I was Sara's sponsor. She said "Are you Sheila". Then she she asked how my two kids were. I was so overwhelmed. We spend a lot of time. She and her husband have 6 kids. They have a very small house. She graciously gave us a watermelon and tomatoes in exchange for the beans and rice we gave them. She told me a story that they believe that when a bird hangs around their house, they believe someone special is coming. They have had a bird hanging around and they didn't know who was coming since all their family had visited. She said that special someone was me. It was a WONDERFUL day. Then as we left the village Rhonda was able to spend time with the Brown family in Buena Vista. This is a family she connected with. She was able to deliver two bikes to the boys. The joy in that family was just so amazing. Our God is so amazing. There is no way we could have planned this day yesterday....only GOD.

Sheila Johnson

Monday Blog by Brooke Barber

Today we had an amazing day. To start our day off some (about half) of our team went to a little classroom and we sang,danced and did puppets with kids the ages 3 - 5. Next we to a very little town called La Gracia and went to a school there. At the school we gave everybody a hat, a pair of soccer shorts, and rice and beans. While some of the team was doing that the other part of our team went to peoples houses told the about Jesus and gave them rice and beans. Then we drove the van to another small town and gave everybody school suplies,an outfit, shoes, and toilitries. Then a couple hours later we did a V.B.S.(vacation bible school)we did activities such as salvation braclets, decorating paper bags, face paint, playing soccer, and playdough. Today was an amazing day. Belize is a really nice country. God really put us to work today, but He led our path tody and let us meet a lot of really cool people.

The Best Time EVER

So I'm not kidding when i say that Mission Trips will change your life. I didnt know that doing work, and running around all day(literally, we played soccer for a while with the children at Buena Vista) could be so fufilling.
I didnt have any expectations, and i didnt expect God to move in me, and it was the smallest thing too.
i prayed. thats all. i asked a family if i could pray for them. one of the best moments ever. today was one of the best days I've ever had. I had amazing fun, and all in the name of the Lord our God. How is anything supposed to be better than serving our God and having such a great time?
God touched me. i feel it. and its fantastic.
GO BELIEZE.
:)

"Solo a ti Jesus"

So last night we did a puupet show for the people of Roaring Creek. The pastor opened us in worship. We sang numerous songs that were familiar to us with a Spanish twist. It was amazing to hear different languages praise the same God. The puppet team did a great job and the rest of team really showed God's love to people. Being here has been amazing. God is busy here. "Solo a ti Jesus" means "It's all about you Jesus." That's why were here. Not to benefit ourselves, but to benefit others for Him. We are not capable of doing anything here, but through Him, all things are possible. It is all about Him. Not us.
Thank you for the prayers. Today we are going to a school to do a puppet show as the rest of us prepare items for Buena Vista. I personally am so excited to see the girls God placed in my path last time and i am ready to meet new people. We love you all and we do miss you. Praying for you guys as you are in the mission field there as well :)

Sunday Update

Amazing morning church service in the village of St. Margarets. People were very welcoming and friendly. We started with worship music and puppets. We helped the kids make puppels - they loved them. Can't wait to get home to post the video of the kids singing with their puppets. 9-10 either gave their life to Jesus for the first time or re-dedicated their life to the Lord. It was ver touching. The puppet team was absolutely amazing!!!!! We then distrubuted rice & beans, school supplies and toys. We spent the afternoon preparing for the evening church service and packing supplies for our busy day at Buena Vista tomorrow. Thanks for all the prayers....keep 'em coming!!!!

More updates tomorrow, the day was long. :)

Saturday update

After months of planning, we have finally arrived. We were quite the sight at the airport – all 30 of us and our 70 + pieces of luggage. We are so thankful to God for the many blessings today that we all made it through without any problems and only one missing suitcase. We were blessed to only have to pay a $37 import tax for our supplies – this could have been significantly more.

We had a very relaxing lunch at Cheers. Once we arrived at the compound in Roaring Creak, we went through the daunting task of sorting the supplies – this took several hours.

Sunday will be a busy day. We will be attending church in St. Margarets and then we will hold a service at Roaring Creek Sunday evening.

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