Saturday / Day 1

We made it to Belize without any major problems....we got a little worried when one team member was told her passport was invalid - she needed to sign it. We didn't exactly make friends at the Atlanta airport or Belize City airport with our 100+ pieces of luggage (includes our carry-on). However, we made it safely (all team members) and all pieces of luggage. Praise God!

Great lunch at Cheers on the way to the compound in Roaring Creek. We met another team that had just arrived in Belize. They are going to be spending a week in LaGracia. We had hoped to visit LaGracia, but since this team will be loving on them and sharing the Word with them...we will be going to another village. They were super nice and my hope is that they plant many seeds in the village.

When we arrived at Roaring Creek, we immediately unloaded all of our luggage and unpacked/sorted supplies. WOW - there are a lot of supplies. THANK YOU to all of you who have donated!!!!

It is now Sunday moring and we are excited for our first full day in Belize. We will be going to church in Belmopan.

T minus 8 hours!

One more day!

We are on countdown! Only one day until we lift off for Belize. Lifting each of you and your families in prayer! Are ya ready for Jesus to blow your mind and melt your heart? Be prepared! :)

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