Hurricane Ernesto

Please keep our brothers and sisters in Belize in you prayers over the next few days.  Tropical Storm Ernesto may reach hurricane strength before making landfall near the Belize-Mexico border.  Belize will probably experience a 2 - 4 foot storm surge, strong winds, and a lot of rain.  Flooding is always an issue in low-lying areas.  Pray that people and property are spared damage.

Day 11: Thursday - Homeward Bound!!

Sunrise at San Pedro, Belize August 2, 2012

The Lord is my light and my salvation - 

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life - 

of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1-2

Come though house of Jacob,

let us walk in the light of the Lord

Isaiah 2:5

I am the light of the world.

 Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,

 but will have the light of life.

John 8:12

For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"

made his light shine in our hearts to give us

the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6

Day 10: Wednesday - San Pedro and Day 11: Thursday - HOME

This was a relaxing day for us all.  There were a couple excursions for some and a lot of pool, sea, and shopping time for most everyone.  After breakfast the bicycle group of 8 took off for the north island. We rode along the beach for several miles looking at the Caribbean Sea on one side and some impressive homes and condos on the other side.  Lunch was a a small seaside restaurant.
A couple pictures:

 The pier at our restaurant

Restaurant parking lot

Four of our group took advantage of an opportunity to go fishing at sea this morning.  Jake seems to have been the lucky one to land a five foot barracuda.  Lots of fish were caught (or so the tale is told) but no proof, the fish were returned to the sea after they were caught.

Pizza was delivered at the villas tonight and after devotions we walked for ice cream.  Packing and one last swim on the pool before bed.

The morning will be busy with checking out, eating breakfast and catching the 8:00 AM water taxi.  We meet our vans in Belize City then then transfer to the airport.  We will check bags, go through security, and wait for our flight which departs at 12:50.  Arrival in Charlotte at 6:12 PM.  It will take time to clear immigration and customs, get he bus from parking, load up and drive to Marion.  We will let the call chain know if we are ahead or behind schedule once we are on the road from the airport.  We are all looking forward to seeing family at FBC Marion tomorrow night.  

We know prayers for travel mercies are being lifted up.  Say a prayer for Markham Orange, he is been feeling sick this evening, but it is good his Mom and doctor is here.  We pray that he is ready to travel tomorrow.

Last post for this day and tomorrow.  By the way we have reached almost 7,000 page views on the blog.  Thanks for checking in.

Day 10: Wednesday - San Pedro

Our last full day here in Belize and the last day of R&R.  Sun and blue skies early this morning, so it should be clear today - and hot.  Looks like some pool time today.  A few are planning a half-day fishing trip this morning, some will bike up the coast if bikes are available to rent, and just general down time to relax.

San Pedro is a busy town with narrow streets.  Golf carts and bicycles are the main method of transportation, with some cars and minivans.  It all makes for crowded busy streets.

Traffic circle with the town's statue of its name sake San Pedro - St. Peter.  Notice the K-Mart or CayeMart behind it.

The beach is narrow, and in many places a seawall and walkway divide the land and water.  Scuba diving is very popular here due to the long coral reef off-shore and the many cayes.  Scuba outfitters line the beach and offer daily tours to many diving destinations.

Here is a view of the beach and waterfront near our hotel:

Most are sleeping in tis morning; breakfast is not until 9:00.  I know where to get a cup of coffee early.

Day 9: Tuesday - San Pedro (part 3)

Our day in San Pedro:

Breakfast at Lilly's seaside restaurant
Snorkeling
Lunch at Elvie's Restaurant
Some shopping
Pool time/rest
Pizza dinner by the pool
Devotions

Not a bad day!!

A small sampling of pictures from Matt:
SHARKS!!

There are lots more pictures to come.  A CD will be prepared with a collections of pictures from several of us who have been snapping away all week.  

Our last day of R&R tomorrow will have a later wake up in the morning, breakfast and a relaxing day around the pool.  Optional bike riding if we can get rental bikes.  Lunch and dinner at nearby restaurants.

Day 9: Tuesday - San Pedro (part 2)

Here are a few pictures of where we are "roughing it."

And a couple pictures as the snorkelers took off:

Does it look like island life agrees with them?

Day 9: Tuesday - San Pedro

The sun is up and soon everyone will be getting up and going to breakfast at a nearby restaurant.  After that most will go snorkeling.  Off to get early morning pictures.

Here is a link to the video of the youth singing at Belmopan Baptist Church last Sunday.  It was the fastest way to get the video uploaded.

Youth singing "Come Ye Poor and Needy" at Belmopan Baptist Church, Sunday, July 29, 2012.
http://youtu.be/HucZYGKIeHA

Sorry about the choppy start and slight movement during the video, I was videoing with two cameras at once.

Day 8: Monday - Marla's and San Pedro

We are in San Pedro ahead of schedule!!  The youth spent the morning playing with the children at Marla's House of Hope and had a group photo with the completed mural.  Melanie, Lydia,  Grace, and Felipe spent many hours on it, and the results speak for themselves.

The mural is on a wall where the children have their meals.  Imagine how it brightens the room and remind them that Jesus loves all children.

There were lots of hugs as we said goodbye to the children.  There were some thank-you notes and cards made by the children for our youth.  They left knowing that what they did mattered in the lives of the children there.

After a quick lunch at the BTC we checked out and drove to the Art Box, a nice gift shop just outside Belmopan.  A few more souvenirs tucked away and we were off to Belize City to meet the water taxi.  We arrived before the 3:30 taxi, so were bumped up our departure to 3:30 instead of 5:00; so we arrived in Sam Pedro at 5:15 instead of 7:00.  Everyone is checked in to the Paradise Villas (free Wi-Fi by the way) and relaxing until dinner at 6:45.  We will eat at a restaurant a short walk away and then return for devotions.

Pictures of the area tomorrow morning.  Tuesday is snorkeling in the morning and pool time in the afternoon.  Weather is nice, sunny with a sea breeze on arrival.

Everyone is well and ready to eat.  More tomorrow.

Day 8: Monday - Marla's and San Pedro

This morning will be the last half-day at Marla's before loading up and leaving the BTC.  Our work phase of the mission trip is ending, and the R&R phase begins.  During devotions we have talked that even though our work is ending, we are still on mission and represent Christ during the R&R time and the entire trip.

The water taxi will be a new experience for the youth. They will see densely-populated Belize City; quite a contrast to the rural areas we have seen.  The boat will take 1 hour and 20 minutes to go from Belize City to San Pedro.  Once there we check into Paradise Villas, go to dinner, and then have devotions.  Tuesday and Wednesday will be snorkeling, pool time, and other activities.

Prayers for safe travel and safe adventures over the next few days.  Blogging will be dependent on Internet availability over the next few days.

Day 7: Sunday - Worship and Xunantunich (part 2)

Our youth sang beautifully this morning at Belmopan Baptist Church.  The video file is too large to upload, but it will be posted as soon as we are home.

We left for Xunantunich at 1:30 (after church) and had time to shop at the small market and then explore the ruins.  The group photo shows El Castillio in the background, which I believe, everyone climbed.  More pictures from the top will have to wait until later.

Tonight we are packing up and getting ready to spend the morning with the kids at Marla's and complete the mural.  We then load up at the BTC and travel to Belize City to get a water taxi to San Pedro.  We should be in San Pedro after 6:00 PM, check in and then eat dinner at a local restaurant.  Tuesday and Wednesday will be R&R activities and pool time at our resort.

There is no guarantee that I will haveInternet service on San Pedro, so you may or may not see blog posts.  Just keep checking, but don't be alarmed if there are no posts for a day or so.

Day 7: Sunday - Worship and Xunantunich

My computer is having some problems that prevent me from using it at all.  It is working now, but it may not another time.  Just to let you know that if there is not a blog update at the usual times, it is due to computer problems.

Today we get a later start, so an extra hour sleep.  We leave for worship at Belmopan Baptist Church 9:45 tis morning.  Pastor Norman Willacy is also the principal of the high school we painted yesterday. Our youth will be singing the hymn, "Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy" during the service.  This was not in the plans, but they were asked/volunteered, and we know they can sing.   They sounded great at rehearsal last night!  Say a prayer fir them, they are a little nervous.

We have a full day after church.  After a quick change at the BTC and a bag lunch in the vans, we head west to Xunantunich, a Mayan archaeological site near the border with Guatemala.  There are several structures that have been excavated there, the central one is El Castillio.  It is a pyramid-type structure that rises 130 feet.  Climbing the steep stairs gives a great view of the surrounding forest.  The site is one of many scattered across Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico.  Often spider monkeys are seen in the trees, and where the ferry takes us across the Mopan River we should see iguanas.  Along the highway at the entrance to the ferry many local people have market stalls where we can shop.  Clarissa Falls for dinner is the last stop before returning to the BTC for devotions.   The blog update for the day will be later because we won't return to the BTC until after dinner.

Thank you for your affirming comments and continuing to support the youth and adults in prayer and encouraging words.  Pray for safe travel today.  Our devotions over the next few nights will be in Philippians, so if you want to follow along, last night was chapter 1, chapter 2 tonight, and so on.  Each family is leading the discussion and guiding questions for small groups.

Day 6: Saturday - Workday (part 2)

We rolled into the Belmopan Baptist High School around 8:30 this morning.  Melanie and Lydia went to Marla's to finish the mural; the rest of the group was ready to tackle painting the school.  Hannah and Matt worked out a plan to to divide the job into rollers and trim painters.  Half started on the second floor, the other half on the bottom floor.  In a couple hours the ceiling of the porch had been rolled and most of the trim around the windows was done.  After a water break, the rollers got the walls done and the trim painters finished the high areas.  After lunch, the lower part of the walls was painted brown and the brown trim around the doors was completed.  We were helped by Jose, Manuel and Enrique - students at the high school - as well as Pastor Norman Willacy, principal of the school and the school caretaker.  With all that help we not only got all the front exterior done, but also the two ends of the building too.  All that by 2:00 this afternoon.  Prayers for good weather were answered; we had sunny skies, a breeze ,and were shaded by the porches we were under.

After a group shot in front of the school, we decided we could all go to Spanish Lookout for ice cream.  Western Dairy is sort of the Jack Frost of Belize (don't worry Jim, yours is still the best!)  Spanish Lookout is a Mennonite community in this district of Belize, with large farms and pastures.  It is very un-Belizean because the Mennonites have preserved their culture and traditions.  We were back at the BTC by 4:00 ready for showers and down time until dinner.

A few photos:

 Belmopan High School before

 Aaron painting the ceiling

 Finished!

Group photo - can you tell what color we painted?

We will be worshipping tomorrow with our brothers and sisters at Belmopan Baptist Church, as you will be at home as well.  We will worship together in spirit and truth. Tell our church family that we are well, putting our all into the mission, and growing spiritually.  We do miss our families and covet your prayers of support.

After church we are eating a bag lunch on the road on the way to the Mayan ruins at Xunantunich.  It will be another adventure for the youth - they can explore the ancient temples and buildings at the site.  We will end the day with a traditional Belizean dinner at Clarissa Falls Resort and Restaurant and devotions when we return.  

Day 6: Saturday - Workday

I think everyone was ready for a good night's sleep after our adventure yesterday.  We  will be up and going this morning to Belmopan Baptist High School.  Our plan is to paint the front of the two-story main building.  Each floor has a balcony, so only step ladders will be needed.  Since we have painted so much, specialties have emerged.  Some are good with rollers, others doing trim painting; some are can easily work from a ladder, others like to keep their feet on the ground. The mural that will be finished today is a testament to the artistic abilities that some have.  Our devotions have touched on this theme as well.  We all have gifts.  Time and experience teaches us what these gifts are, and a mission trip such as this one gives us an opportunity to use those gifts.  Our gifts are not limited to jobs like painting.  Our youth have shown the gift of love and compassion through interaction with the children at the two homes.  Several have played here at the camp with Jane's daughter Hannah.

Another area where giftedness shows is how the youth relate to one another.  On the work site they help one another; holding a ladder, a can of paint, handing a brush or roller, any number of ways.  At the camp, they spend down time talking in a large group or exploring the grounds.  The gift of unity has  been evident all week.

Finally, there is the gift of leadership.  A successful mission trip comes from advance planning.  Matt has planned an excellent mission trip.  Untold details have been worked out and taken care of. He prepared a wonderful devotion booklet and keeps the youth informed on what is coming next and what they need for that event.  Scott knows so many people here that any question is usually answered with a phone call to the right person. Steve Little has taken care of logistics and keeping us fed.  He picks up Jane and Laticia in the mornings between 5:30 and 6:00, takes them shopping (in Belize shopping is an hours-long process), gets them back to the BTC in the afternoon to cook dinner, and takes them home between 7:30 and 8:00 at night.  Melanie Orange has been our official doctor (only minor things so far) and is directing the work on the mural at Marla's.  Hanna Hagaman and Dan Smith have organized the painting at Marla's; and Patrick Ellis and Steve Pierce organized the work at the King's home.  The chaperones also have their families who are responsible for leading nightly devotions and kitchen duty after each meal.

Breakfast is cooking, the youth are stirring, and we will be off to the worksite soon.  Prayers for safety, good weather, and God's good grace today.

Maybe a couple pictures of earlier work will upload this morning.

Taner is one of our steady hands for detail work

Filipe and Grace beginning the mural at Marla's

Erika doing trim work at Marla's

Day 5: Friday - ATM Cave

To answer your questions:
1. Yes, we went into the ATM Cave.
2. Yes, we came out of the ATM Cave.
3. Yes, the same number that went in came out!

The cave adventure was one that most will not forget.  Here is a sampling of words heard after the trip:
Awesome!
Indescribable!
One of the greatest experiences in my life.
A once in a lifetime trip.
Epic!

We rode for almost an hour over a bumpy gravel road to the parking area.  We were given helmets to carry along with our water and lunch.  We hiked through the rain forest for 45 minutes to the area at the mouth of the cave.  Along the way we had to wade across Roaring Creek 3 times.  Once at the cave we were given lights to put on our helmets and left our lunches and water behind.  The entrance to the cave   has a deep pool of water formed by the stream that flows through the cave.  After swimming 20 feet to a rock ledge we began to walk up the stream further into the cave.  Our lamps on our helmets were the only light we had.  The stream depth varied from ankle deep to chest high.  Some places the cave was wide, others you had to squeeze between rocks.  In several places the water was rushing over boulders in the stream bed.  After 30 minutes of walking upstream we climbed above the stream and took off our water shoes to explore the Mayan artifacts.

The Mayans used the cave between AD 250 - 900, venturing farther in as time passed.  It was a ceremonial cave used for religious rites that eventually included human sacrifice.  Since everything taken into the cave was consecrated, nothing was removed; so the cave is littered with pottery of all sizes.  All them were purposely broken or had a hole put in them as a part of ceremonial rites.  At some points in the cave skulls and other bones are visible.  At the end of the cave, in a niche that is reached by a ladder, is the complete skeletal remains of the "the Crystal Maiden" - probably a 14 year old girl.

In addition to the artifacts, the cave has stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and other geologic formations. All together you have a cave trip, and archaeological site, and the adventure of climbing up a stream in the cave.  It was a trip to remember.

Unfortunately, cameras have been prohibited from the cave, so no one was able to take any pictures.  Matt and I have pictures from January, and we will include them on the CD that is compiled after the trip.

One last note.  Some of the girls were in a quiet part of the cave with their guide when they began to sing "Amazing Grace."  Their voices echoed through the cave as they sang.  All those choir practices and performing has influenced our youth.  They are a blessing!

Dinner is in an hour or so - stew beef with vegetables and rice, followed by devotions and a good night's rest after our adventures.  Tomorrow is another workday; painting again at Belmopan Baptist High School.  Pray for good weather.

Day 5: Friday - Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave

After 3 days of hard work that has exceeded expectations, we are taking a break today to experience some ancient culture.  The Actun Tunichil Muknal or ATM Cave is a cave used by the Mayans for ceremonies between 600 and 900 AD. (These dates are based on my memory from January, so they may be off some.)  The unique aspect of the cave is that one must wade and swim short distances through water in the cave to reach the relics at the upper end.  This is the part of the cave that was used for ceremonial rites by the Mayans.  Our guide will interpret the relics left behind and explain the Mayan culture.  We will continue our look at ancient Mayan culture Sunday afternoon with a trip to Xunantunich, Mayan ruins near the Guatemala border.  


Here are a couple pictures if I can upload them:


Sorry, but 15 minutes and the first picture didn't even halfway load. I guess they will have to wait.
Finally, one picture of Marla's House of Hope in its new tropical colors.

And one more:

The Girls room at Marla's in pink and purple.

Painting at the Kings Children's Home

Our devotion theme last night was on unity, and our youth have certainly displayed unity throughout this mission trip.  With working at two sites and inside/outside teams at each site, they maintained a sense of mission.  Even though we work in different places and use our different gifts, it is all for the same purpose.  Before and after dinner, the youth gather on the porch outside the rooms to talk and enjoy each other's company.  It is a true fellowship.


Prayers for safety today as we travel, hike, and explore.  Thank you for your comments; and a "shout out" to Cy and Ellen Miller for sending the individual cards to each team member.  We are encouraged and humbled to be lifted up in thoughts and prayers.


We will let you know when we return form the ATM cave.  

Day 4: Thursday – Workday (Part 2)

Marla’s House of Hope is freshly painted inside and out.  The mural is nearing completion.   The King’s Children’s Home has a fresh coat of paint on its exterior.  Two homes for children are a little nicer than they were.  The children can take a little more pride in where they live because of the labor of our youth.  In speaking with several of the children at both homes, they said they liked the new colors on the walls, and we know they enjoyed the company of our youth.

When we have been painting, the children always want to help.  They will freely pick up any brush or roller that is laid down.  Letting them help allows them to take part in fixing up their home.  It also takes patience and more patience.  Sometimes it creates more work, depending on how skilled or old they are.  We often found ourselves repainting the sections that children had painted.  

We ended our day a little early today, so one van went to the Village of Armenia to see our friend Ramon.  He is 80 years old, and we have known him for many years.  One of our construction teams built a small house for him several years ago, and he is always seen by our medical teams in January.  Ramon only speaks Spanish, so we relied on Eric Burton to translate for us.  Another van took care of business by getting more supplies for the mural and for the next work project on Saturday.

I asked the youth if they wanted to add to the blog.  Laydon Hutchins was the first to volunteer:

So far the trip has been an incredible and eye opening experience filled with excitement and lots of big hearts seeing the children. It was so incredible seeing the work we had accomplished and how the children offered to help and paint right beside us just touched my heart. I can’t wait to see the rest.

--Laydon Hutchins

Mornings are better for posting pictures, so I will try tomorrow.

Day 4: Thursday - Workday

It has been getting light a little after 5:00 AM and by 6:00 the sun is peeking through the morning haze.  Today will be hot and humid, pray the rain holds off so we can finish outside painting projects at both children's homes.

Matt has prepared a devotion booklet for everyone with evening group devotions and an individual morning devotional.  Devotions each night are family-led, so the youth lead through prayer, sharing about the day, and dreading the day's selected scripture.  Matt then has a short devotional based on the Scripture, relating it to our experience here in Belize.  We break into our families for discussion questions, the return to the whole group for final discussion.  Matt is doing an excellent job in both organizing everything, but also seeing to the spiritual growth on this trip.  Later in the week we will be using Philippians chapters 1 - 4 in our devotions.

Jane and Laticia are keeping us well nourished.  Breakfasts are usually bacon and eggs with toast or cinnamon buns and fresh fruit.  Dinners have been fried chicken, spaghetti, and last night stew chicken with rice and beans.  Everyone is eating well.

Thanks for you words of encouragement and prayers.  A few pictures from yesterday at KCH:

Part of boys dorm room before  painting

The same part of the room after painting.  Some of the boys cleaned the room before moving the beds back in place.

Holly painting with a smile. 

Adam on the high ladder painting the kitchen at KCH

Teamwork - holding the ladder for Adam (nice shoes, Adam).  

Day 3 - Wednesday Workday (part 2)

A sunny and hot day in Belize today.  Our team separated into two groups today; the larger group returned to Marla's House of Hope while the smaller group went to the King's Children's Home.  Both groups painted at the homes.  At Marla's the work shifted to painting the exterior.  The building is two tone blue with lots of exterior wall space and a porch with a concrete lattice rail that was tedious to paint.  The mural group painted outside in the morning and then on the mural in the afternoon.  By the end of the day most of the house had been painted.  Some touch-up and trim painting needs to be finished tomorrow, and an interior hallway needs a second coat.

At the King's Children's Home two dormitory rooms were painted first.  Six of our youth tackled the task of moving bunks and painting in a girl's dorm room and a boy's dorm room.  The boys room contained 10 bunks and only one or two other pieces of furniture.  That is 20 boys in a narrow room with bunks lined end-to-end on both sides of the room.  A coat of paint was on the girl's room and part of the boy's room by lunch.  After lunch six new youth came to the KCH to finish the boy's room, second coat the girl's room and paint in the kitchen.

It is amazing to see how well everyone is working together.  The painting at the KCH is a challenge with dozens of children wanting to help and wanting attention.  The rooms are cramped and hot.  Yet, the inside painting was completed.  At Marla's the main areas of the outside are freshly painted and the children also pitched in.  This may have been the most demanding day on the youth physically and emotionally, as the reality of life at an orphanage began to sink in.  Despite some difficult conditions our youth were both compassionate and industrious.

We look forward to a restful night and a full day of work tomorrow.  We will divide again to complete painting projects at both children's homes.

Prayers for our own families and our church family back home.  More tomorrow.

Day3: Wednesday - Workday

How many tarantulas did we see?  Well, quite a few.  He-man the camp caretaker took us around the grounds last night.  At first we saw a few small ones - if any tarantula is really small!  Then he found some larger ones.  They live in holes in the ground and are coaxed our with a stick or metal rod.  He-man got them out, and then anyone who wanted to hold one could.  A lot of the youth held one or more.  Lots of pictures were taken, so you will see the evidence when we get home.

Breakfast is in an hour and then it is off to the work sites.

Here are a couple pictures:
One of one of the scripture verses Grace lettered.

And one tarantula picture. Yes, that is Rachel and her friend!

Day 2: Tuesday - Workday (part 2)

We rolled out of the Baptist Training Center at 8:00 AM to travel to Marla's House of Hope. Just out of the BTC we met our third van being delivered to replace the one that overheated yesterday.  Soon we were all on our way for our first day of work.  Marla's House of Hope is an orphanage that houses around 20 young people - mostly girls - who have been victims of abuse.  They were mainly elementary and middle school age.  We found that several of the rooms had been painted recently, and the rain was threatening so starting on the outside walls was not an option.  The paint we thought would be on-site was not, so we worked with the house mother in selecting paint colors for a girl's dorm room and a living room and hallway.  In the U.S., a trip in and out of Lowe,s for paint is pretty quick.  In Belize, a trip to Builders Hardware is another story.  Being waited on, checked out, and then paying at a separate window all takes time.  Even so, by mid-morning our youth were painting walls inside.  You should know that EVERYONE worked very hard today and the results are readily visible.   A team working with Melanie Orange has started a mural and several worked on lettering Bible verses over the doorways throughout the house.

After lunch the clouds began to give way to sun, which means that we will be painting the exterior of the building over the next couple days.  Late afternoon found us washing down the outside walls readying them for paint.  We also have a small group who will be painting a couple dorm rooms at the Kings Children's Home in Belmopan.  Our youth are working so well we felt they could spread their work to another place.

We returned to the BTC a little before 5:00.  Some local ladies had jewelry and baskets spread out at the entrance to the BTC, so some shopping was done.  A warm or cool shower, depending on the status of the water heating units felt good after a long hot day.  Our dinner of spaghetti, salad and cake disappeared from plates rather quickly!

Devotions are at 8:00 tonight followed by a tarantula hunt on the BTC grounds led by He-man, the camp caretaker.  Not to worry, these are tame tarantulas, and He-man knows the grounds very well.

God has been good to us on this first day of work.  A slow start turned into a day of great progress.  Fresh paint livens up a room, and we hope will brighten the lives of the girls who sleep in the dorm room at Marla's.  The weather seems to be changing from clouds and rain to sunshine - thanks for the prayers for good weather.  The youth have been dedicated workers and have also been very supportive of one another.  We anticipate a good night's rest and a fulfilling day of work tomorrow.

Your comments have been shared with the group, thanks for them.  Uploading pictures from this end is difficult; Internet speed is slow.  I will try tomorrow morning to post one or two.

Day 2: Tuesday - Work Day

It is early yet, so only a few of us are stirring, but "official" 6"30 AM wake-up is minutes away.  Jane and Laticia are preparing breakfast.  All of us have some morning quiet time for devotions before or after breakfast.  We prepare to leave for Marla's House of Hope at 8:00 this morning.

Please be in prayer for us as we begin our work today.  We will be preparing to paint inside and out (if the rain hold off for outside) and meeting the children.

A word about the weather - there has been a lot of rain over the past week, so there is standing water along the roads.  We hope will have brought some Carolina sunshine and blue skies with us!  More on our day later.

New picture added to the post below - check it out.

Day 1: Arrival in Belize

FBC Marion Youth on Arrival at the Baptist Training Center

We had a smooth flight and arrival in Belize today.  We cleared immigration and customs, than loaded our luggage and ourselves in vans and headed west from Belize City toward Belmopan.  Only a couple miles from the airport one of the vans overheated, so we reloaded luggage and passengers into the other  vans and made our way to Cheers Restaurant for lunch.  From the water along the sides of the road, it was evident that a lot of rain has fallen over the past week.  After leaving Cheers we drove the rest of the way to Camelote and the Baptist Training Center.  Once there we settled into our rooms and had a chance to relax before dinner.  It rained hard during the afternoon.

Jane and Laticia prepared dinner - fried chicken, mashed potatoes, beans, and watermelon - the first of many good meals we will eat this week.  After dinner devotions and then an early bedtime due to a long day of travel.

Everyone is well and we are looking ahead to a good night's rest and a full day of work tomorrow.  You are in our prayers, and we rest knowing we are in your prayers.

Ready, Set, Go!

Packing list, itinerary, orientation meetings, and now actually packing for the mission trip!  Sunscreen, work clothes, rain jacket, and all the other items needed for a week of mission work and experiences in Belize.  The days of anticipation are almost over.

We leave from FBC Marion early Monday morning.  Anyone wishing to see us off will need to be at church at 5:30 AM.  Just being in your prayers is enough, so don't worry about being there.  Our flight from Charlotte leaves at 10:00 AM with arrival in Belize City at 11:22 AM.  Note: during the summer months Belize dies not observe Daylight Savings Time, so Belize time is 2 hours earlier than EDT.

This blog will try to keep everyone at home in touch with the mission team of 21 youth and 8 adults while on mission in Belize.  Internet service is unreliable from day to day in Belize, but a daily post will be attempted.  Also, we are limited on posting pictures, so you may only see a text update.  There will be pictures to share when we return home.


Your prayers are greatly appreciated, as is the support our church family has given this mission trip.  We are all grateful to be representing our loving church family.

Commissioning service is Sunday, July 22 at 10:30 AM; and it is a part of the 150th church anniversary celebration service.  Don't forget the dinner that immediately follows the service.

T-shirt design by Lydia Orange