Day 2 - Church and Horseback riding

Wow, what a great day!  Although we were disappointed to arrive at church and find that Pastor Betson was in Corozal, we pulled together an impromptu worship service right there at Dorothy Menzies Child Care Center with the kids.  Laura led an opening prayer, several children chose and led a set of praise & worship music, and Bev and Natalie read scripture and did a short message.  It was the perfect way to begin our day, and prepare us for our field trip.  

After lunch we took the age 11 & older kids on a 2+ hour bus ride to Cayo district, near the Guatemala border, for an afternoon of horseback riding.  Santiago Juan, owner of Hanna Stables near San Ignacio, was wonderful with the kids.  All of the kids except two were brave enough to ride, along with several of our team members. Since we can't take photos of the kids, here are a few of us as well as the grounds!  

Many of the kids had never been up close to farm animals before.  The smiles on their faces were priceless! Two girls had us laughing on our nature hike when we encountered a bull, and since they were wearing red, they were too afraid to walk past him.  Thank you Beth for seeing them back to the farmhouse safely. There were games of futbol and football in the large open fields (a luxury for these kids) while they patiently waited their turn to ride. We were treated to fresh watermelon, mangos and freshly squeezed lime juice on a beautiful veranda lined with plush flowers and greens, as well as a cat who was somewhat patient as he was showered with a lot of love.  

On our way home we stopped at Cheers Restaurant near Belmopan, where we enjoyed fabulous burritos and home made cookies.  The kids got a chance to play in their beautiful grounds before climbing back on the bus for the rest of the ride home.  The last hour of the bus ride was filled with joyful Christian singing, with a lot of animation, led by two of the older girls.  What fun! 

Day 1

The team is all back together!!!! Half of the mission team arrived in Belize yesterday; the rest arrived today.  Laura greeted them all at the airport, and we shared a lunch together, then off to Dorothy Menzies!  All were welcomed with hugs and smiling faces from all the little people.  Old friends and new friends got to hang out and get to know each other.  All agreed the children displayed better manners.  Most of the credit is due to the onsite counselor, Pat Brown; some to our behavior modification program we supported this past year; and of course God's presence with us all.

Then we were given an amazing welcome party at Pat and Dave Brown's house, where we ate and shared a wonderful devotion.  Our newbies had some emotional moments.  It can be very overwhelming to meet the kids and put faces, hugs, laughs and identities to these precious children.  Many of these kids have endured more pain than some of us will in a lifetime.  

Tomorrow we have church and then horseback riding with the older kids.  Please keep us all in your prayers.

Meet our Belize Mission Team!

Powerful commissioning service at church

Sunday's commissioning service at First Presbyterian Church, Dunedin, was really powerful! Our team of missionaries knelt down in a circle, while members of the congregation placed their hands on our shoulders as they prayed for us, read scripture, and sent us out into the mission field. I was humbled and overwhelmed as I felt God's holy spirit right there in the prayer circle with us.  WOW --- God has entrusted us with so much.  We are grateful for the support of our families, friends, and congregation as we prepare to embark on this journey.

Preparing our hearts

The 2014 Belize Mission Team is preparing to depart for Belize City in less than two weeks! This year's trip dates are June 28 - July 6, 2014. We invite you to experience this journey with us through our blog. 

This year we are a group of 22, and we are amazed at the many things God is calling us to do. We will be teaching a Math Camp at Trinity Methodist Primary School, offering teacher training for instructional teacher/coaches across Belize City, and volunteering at Dorothy Menzies Child Care Center, conducting Vacation Bible School  and doing a construction project. We are all very excited to see the Dorothy Menzies children again, but probably nowhere near as excited as the children are to see this team again.  Laura and Natalie have made several follow-up visits since last summer's trip, and each time the children ask about when the rest of the team will be back. During the past year, our team has sent letters, Christmas surprises and photos, providing encouragement and love to these precious children.  Yes, long-term relationships have developed.  Our God is an amazing God!!!

We are incredibly grateful for the many donations we have received from our teacher friends as well as our friends and families.  In fact, a shipment of 35 boxes left Miami by boat last week and is due to arrive in Belize City any minute. 

We invite you to follow our blog as we share our emotions and our experiences.  We praise God for each of you, for your love, your prayers and your support.