We Are Back!

Boarding the plane on Sunday in Belize City to head home brought yet another day of mixed emotions.  We eagerly looked forward to sleeping in our own beds and seeing family and friends at home.  Yet we were sad to be putting so many miles between ourselves and those we have come to love in Belize.  Many of us turned this sadness into joyful anticipation as we look forward to returning to Belize next year.  We began to feel pains of separation anxiety, realizing that the daily smiles and hugs from our team mates would not occur as frequently.  We now share a bond with each other and a commitment to serving God that will last the rest of our lives.


We were glad to land safely at McGhee Tyson Airport.  It was overwhelmingly wonderful to be greeted there by a large contingent of family members and friends.  This ministry experience has certainly deepened our relationships with God, with each other, and with many people in Belize.  We eagerly await what God has in store for us next!

Luke welcomes his sister, Darby, home

Jackie is clearly excited to hug her son, Reese

  

Rachel jumped into Robin's arms and would not let go

Johnny got a warm reception from Emma, Andrew, and Laura 

Caleb greeted Melissa with flowers



It Is Official: Marvin and Reynaldo Are Graduates!

On Saturday, most of the team went to the 49^th Commencement at Sacred Heart College (that is what high school is called in Belize).  The ceremony was held outside at the campus courtyard under big tents.  A total of 162 students graduated.  Of course, we applauded and screamed shouts of joy when the names of Marvin Ernesto Mundo-Lopez and Reynaldo Junior Garcia were announced.  They each approached the stage to receive their diplomas with huge smiles on their faces. 

After the graduation, several team members enjoyed visiting with the excited graduates and a large group of very proud family members and friends.  We were very honored to be able to share this special time with them, culminating 4 years of dedicated and hard work in high school.

Marvin Accepts His Diploma



Reynaldo Accepts His Diploma



Marvin's Aunt Jesus Recinos; his grandmother, Matios; his sister, Jessica; his Mom, Alicia Lopez; Marvin; his sister, Roxana; his Uncle Sebastain Villata; and his Aunt Rosaura Villata

Theresa, Lyn, Natalie, Marivin, Reynaldo, Tere, Tom, Jacque, and Sue

Tomasita and David Gonzalez, Marvin, and Erick Aguilar

Reynaldo plans to enroll at the University of Belize in Belmopan. He will begin his studies in the fall. Marvin plans to work until January when he will also begin studying at the University of Belize.

Back to Back Celebrations

This is a continuation of the previous blog post.  On Thursday afternoon, we hosted a community celebration at Los Tambos Government School.  Many parents, younger siblings, and students participated.  We recognized high school students for their hard work and offered congratulations to the three graduates for the example they have set for the younger students.  Jessica Lopez, who is completing her second year of high school, spoke to the younger students about her love for learning and encouraged them to consider going to high school.  We thanked the community for the warm and friendly reception they always give us.  The children sang Father Abraham for their parents.  We served peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, cookies, and Gatorade to everyone in attendance. 

Linda, Jacque, and Lyn serve refreshments

The youngest students delighted us with a very cool dance.  The boys wore white or blue shirts, and the girls wore colorful skirts.  They danced around a pole decorated with streamers.

Dance performance

An older group sang for us, and a third group performed a skit.  We really enjoyed their performances.

Wishing we could have stayed longer at Los Tambos, we tearfully gave our last hugs and loaded the vans to go the graduation celebration for Maria, Marvin, and Reynaldo that we hosted at the Mennonite Church where Mike and Vickie Coverdale serve in youth ministry.  Including our team, almost 50 people attended the celebration. 

Maria enjoys the slide show

Lyn opened with prayer and a devotional message from Jeremiah 29:11 about God’s plans for our lives and the hope we gain from Him.  Mefi Martinez, former principal of Los Tambos Government School, gave an inspirational talk, reflecting on the student’s younger days and encouraging them to continue their education.  Lily Reyes, current principal at the school, opened her remarks with a quote from Oprah Winfrey and encouraged the students to dream big dreams.

Next, we showed a slide show produced by the McDonough’s Just in Time Productions that featured pictures of the students from 2005 to the present.  The slide show was interspersed with scriptures and other words of encouragement. 

Reynaldo and Marvin enjoy the slide show

We gave each graduate some gifts that included a photo album with photos used in the slide show, Jeremiah 29:11 dog tags for the guys and a necklace for Maria, and wallets with Christian symbols for the guys and a change purse for Maria that had scripture on it about trusting in the Lord.  We concluded the celebration with fellowship while sharing ice cream, lemonade, and cake that was masterfully cut by Jacque to ensure everyone received a piece. 

Marvin, Maria, and Reynaldo

The students and their families really appreciated the opportunity to celebrate with us, and we greatly enjoyed spending this time with them…in a beautiful air conditioned church.

Montano Family

Garcia Family

Lopez Family

Saying Good-bye Is Always Hard

Think about the most emotional and difficult good-bye you have ever said.  That is what today was like.  We shed many tears on our last day with our friends in Los Tambos.

We finished distribution of beans and rice, completed many bike repairs, delivered a battery to Fernando, and repaired the water tank.  One bike needed a seat, pedals, and tubes.  Once repairs had begun, we saw that the bearings were worn out.  So that child received a new bike bringing the total distributed to 20.  Melissa did a great job with the bike clinic to the delight of many children.

Melissa adjusts a seat on a new bike

Fernando was thilled to receive the battery, and he greatly enjoyed attending the community celebration.  Theresa met a woman from the Belize Cultural Center who is going to get him some books in Spanish about Belize culture.  It was one of those amazing God things.

Several team members went to a Spelling Bee at a nearby school.  Hannah Gonzalez from Los Tambos won the spelling bee!

Hannah wins the spelling bee! 

We had a community celebration when school dismissed.  As people were gathering for the celebration, we showed a video (using solar power) that featured FCPC's Mission Possible Kids packaging seeds for distribution to Los Tambos families and decorating lunch bags to be used by the team.  It was very cool that Robin got to point out her daughter, Rachel. 

Robin shares information about Mission Possible Kids

Johnny pointed out his daughter, Emma, and Mary Beth pointed out her grandson, Gabe.  At the end of the community celebration, we rushed off to the party fo the high school graduates.  More about that later...

The bell just rang for breakfast...That is all for now.

A Day that Began with Patience

Today our “Before Glow” session was about patience.  Our scripture reading was from Matthew 18:21-35.  Lyn pointed out that God’s patience stands between his wrath and his grace.  She also reminded us that God’s treatment of us is the standard for our treatment of others.

Joe, Dave, Johnny, Tom, Andy, and Theresa left at 6 a.m. to start painting the preschool building at the In His Will Learning Center.  By the time the rest of us arrived at 9:00, they had made substantial progress on the first coat.  Robin joined the painting team upon arrival.  With steady work throughout the day, the painters finished putting 2 coats on the building before sundown.

The rest of us assisted Lyn with the Women’s Bible Study where she delivered a lesson about Jeremiah 29:11 to 6 women from the Unitedville.  Kelley, Melissa, Natalie, Sue, and Whitney helped with the craft which involved making a cross and bead necklace. 

At the morning session, Tere took photographs of the women and their beautiful children and printed them on the spot.  Lyn offered the Bible Study a second time later in the day.  Andy took and printed the photos at the afternoon session.   A total of 8 women came to the sessions. 

Althea talked about fasting for 21 days, and Delverene talked about teaching a children’s class at their church.  They are both learning to play guitar so they can enhance music at their church.

Darby, Kelley, Jacque, Melissa, Tere, Theresa, and Tom accepted an invitation from the Martinez family to attend a lunchtime birthday celebration for their son Oseas who turned 13.  The hospitality of the Martinez family was amazing.  Upon our arrival, Abner, another son, was cooking barbeque chicken over a fire on the outdoor “oven/grill.”  His Mom was making flour tortillas over an open fire as well.  Odelia had made potato salad and slaw for us.  She and her Mom had also prepared a birthday cake.  The entire meal was absolutely delicious, and our hosts and hostesses made us feel entirely comfortable in their home.  Oseas seemed to enjoy our rendition of Happy Birthday in our broken Spanish. 

We learned that Mr. Martinez, who preaches at the local Pentecostal Church, spent several years in seminary.  We really enjoyed spending time with Alex, Odelia’s beautiful 2 year old son.  He entertained us by tossing pieces of chicken out the open door to the family dogs and by smearing icing on his face like kids at home.

After the birthday party, team members distributed rice and beans to 4 families, including the family of Fernando, the man who was paralyzed when he fell out of a tree 2 years ago.  We were thrilled to see him sitting in a wheelchair on the front porch and making decorations for a relative’s upcoming wedding.  He was wearing a shirt that had the words, "I'm needed" printed on them.  That shirt speaks volumes about his positive attitude.  He was also wearing the cross that Andy gave him last year.

In past visits, Fernando was laying in bed and barely moving his hands. Even though he is only able to sit up for about 2 hours each day, it is awesome to see how much he has improved.  Theresa, who is a Spanish speaking wonder, engaged Fernando in a great conversation that drew out his friendly smile and helped us learn more about him. He is very interested in learning about history and other subjects. His family has installed solar power and has a computer for him but they do not have a battery needed for power.

God Grants Peace in the Midst of Frenzied Activity

The focus of Tuesday’s “Before Glow” was peace with a scripture reading from Isaiah 43:1-7.  Lyn emphasized how we are God’s children created for God’s glory.  We discussed fear and the source of fear.  Lyn talked about God working to make us more like him.  We also talked about the pastor’s words on Sunday that we should remember what God has done in our lives as a way to help us get through troubled times.  Lyn urged us to find peace by going to Christ, the one who is peace.  She also read a prayer from Mother Teresa asking God to make us an instrument of His peace.

After a tasty egg wrap and fruit for breakfast, we headed to Los Tambos.  We never get tired of being swarmed by the children!  They were waiting for us when we got there.  Dave, Johnny, and Joe worked hard with the students in 97 degree heat to finish the footer for the pilapa house wall and get the concrete poured. 

The rest of us visited families, conducted family interviews, and distributed gift bags.  The children were thrilled with the simplest and smallest gifts.  They totally enjoyed reading letters from donors and seeing their photographs. 

We have slowed the pace of the family visits to focus on getting to know people of the village better.  The team has been very blessed by these most enjoyable visits.  We are forming even deeper bonds with people of the village.

Mrs. Gonzalez shows team members a beadspread she made

Some members of the team were treated to a hike to a pond constructed for rearing tilapia. Along the way they saw a jaguar track, which raised adrenaline since we had heard reports of a jaguar being killed in the village.

Our friends in the village have made very positive comments about our visits.  We have been told, “The character of the people who come makes us happy.  You give us something very special.  You remember everyone.  Our children get very excited every time you come.”  Another resident said, “We see God in everything you say and do.”  Yet another said, “You have made a huge improvement in the self esteem of the children.  They look forward to the little gifts.  They are more interested in education.  There have been huge improvements in education as a result of your efforts.”  It is interesting because the feelings they express about us are the same feelings we have for them.  They bring us great joy.  They make us feel very welcome in their village and their homes.  It brings us great joy to hear that our focus on education is making a difference in people’s lives.

We are encountering more health issues than in the past.  There are several cases of gall stones, kidney stones, and diabetes.  With the expertise of, Sue, the nurse on our team, we are trying to get a better handle on medical needs and help as we can to address some of those needs.

Joe and Tom have been meeting with the Chairman of the Water Board, government officials and other interested people about improving the water system.  We are working together to look at short term improvements as well as longer term enhancements like a well.

In “After Glow” we reflected on how we have found peace on this trip.  The scenic views from some of the homes were mentioned as peaceful.  Visits from very welcoming families were also mentioned.  We all experienced peace last night in the soothing, peaceful effect the sunset had on Whitney, Natalie, Lyn, Jacque, and Darby last night as they remembered Josh and Darrell.

Peaceful Sunset At In His Will

Two Busy and Blessed Days

On Sunday morning in Lyn’s “Before Glow,” she introduced our devotional study which is focused on the fruits of the spirit.  She emphasized how Jesus died for us and thanks to his grace, we do not have to do anything.  She talked about how as we get to know God better and obey him, we exhibit the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control).

Later that morning, we worshiped with Carmen and Faye at the Fountain of Life Mennonite Church.  The service opened with the congregation singing several songs accompanied by a band.  The songs included It Is Well with My Soul, We Worship You, My Redeemer Lives, O Praise Him, and How He Loves Us.  Pastor David Moore offered a sermon based on 1 Samuel 30: 1-8.  He talked about David gained strength from God in times of trouble and how God’s mercy endures forever.  He encouraged the congregation to remember God’s great promises and read the Bible, which he referred to as meat for the soul.  In talking about humanity’s struggle with sin, he said God has given us the power to take back the life He promised if we only keep our eyes on God.  He urged people to avoid letting greed pull them away from God.  He reminded that putting the will of God before our will allows us to become a vessel God can use.  Another key lesson offered by the pastor is that only people forgive and remember.  He said the fruits of the spirit reveal the nature of God.  We were all amazed at how God prepared Lyn to focus on fruits of the spirit and how the pastor’s message connected in a very divine way to Lyn’s study she has prepared for us.

After worship, we went to Los Tambos where we encountered a huge rain storm.  Even though the soccer field had standing water, a large group of teen and pre-teen guys were playing soccer.  The field was like a giant slip and slide.  The guys seemed more intent on sliding on the field than playing the game.  They were totally drenched, covered in mud, and having a great time. 

With the rain still falling at 2:00, families started arriving for family pictures.  A total of 37 families or about 90 percent of the families came out in their best clothes for pictures. 

One little 2 year old girl had on a beautiful purple dress and ear rings.  We met new babies of the village, including a 1 month old child.  Getting a picture is a rare treat in a village where the homes have no electricity.  One of the high school students, Jessica, helped Jacque, Tere, and Tom keep track of the names of the family members in each picture.  Robin renamed Tere and Tom "Olin" and "Mills" for the impromptu studio set up in the village.

Sue worked with several of the teen members of our team in offering an opportunity for people to make beaded necklaces and bracelets.  The Moms of the village were thrilled to take this as an opportunity to make gifts for their children and many children made items as well.  Helping with the craft proved to be a great way for Natalie to introduce new team members (Nola, Whitney, and Katherine to kids in Belize). 

The next day several students wore their new jewelry to school.

We came back to In His Will for dinner. The "After Glow" session focused on love.  Lyn challenged us to reflect on why it is hard to love some people and think about how we can show those people the fruit of love.  Tom reviewed key lessons from the book, When Helping Hurts, studied by the Mission Committee.  He urged the team to complete an evaluation to help assess how we can improve our ministry in Belize.  We then spent several hours, packaging rice and beans, organizing other supplies for delivery during home visits, and printing pictures. If you are wondering why you are not getting many phone calls, we have been very busy!

On Monday morning, our "Before Glow" lesson focused on joy with scripture from Luke 24: 33-53.  Lyn read a quote from Mother Theresa about a joyful heart being the normal result of a heart burning with love.  She pointed out how Mother Theresa emphasized the importance of always giving a happy smile and sharing God’s love.

We were bombarded with joy when we arrived at Los Tambos Government School with many children hugging us as we stepped off the first van to arrive. 

The children quickly started asking why Natalie, Andy, and other team members were not there.  Fortunately, the other van arrived soon and got their warm greeting as well. 

The Los Tambos School Day began with an opening assembly where the children said a pledge as the flag was being raised and sang the Belize National Anthem.  They spoke of being the hope for the future of their country.

Ms. Lily, the principal, recognized the girls soccer (called football in Belize) team for placing 3rd in a recent competition.  She urged them to improve their sportsmanship.  She also recognized the boy's soccer team for winning their competition for the 3rd year in a row.  They now get to keep a large trophy at the school.

We experienced joy on the home visits when greeted by hugging Moms.  Several of the pre-teen and young teen students helped dig a footer around the entire pilapa hut.  They had huge smiles with every shovel of dirt they removed. 

The beans and rice delivery crews saw joy on the face of every little girl who excitedly picked a dress made with love for them by the Flannel Flussies.  The young boys were equally excited with their new shorts sewn by the Flannel Flussies. 

Reynaldo brought us joy when he brought his final report card to show us which showed he scored high marks on his graduation exam and ended his high school career with a very good overall average.  He has been accepted for admission to the University of Belize and Sacred Heart College.  The day before Marvin shared that he also received a high score on his exam and that he is thinking about working during the day and going to college at night.  Maria, who graduated last Saturday from Eden High School, plans to attend a university in El Salvador where her brother serves as a pastor.

We also experienced joy talking with Ms. Lily and people of the village who expressed great appreciation for our role in emphasizing the importance of education.  One of the residents said he sees God in everything we do and say.

Thanks to donations from many members, friends and families, we donated 19 bicycles today, generating many smiles.  The bike delivery always creates a lot of excitement and the bikes really help get the children to school safely and on time.

Linda offered sewing instructions to some of the women in the village, who were excited to learn a new skill.

We hosted the first day of VBS with a focus on Jeremiah 29:11.  Kelley and Natalie taught the children new songs and we sang the Los Tambos favorites, Father Abraham and This Little Light of Mine. 

Lyn read a story to the children, and they worked on a craft that encouraged them to think about what things in their life shield and protect them.  Items listed included father, mother, family, food, and friends.

We made an ice cream stop at Rosa’s Restaurant before returning to a wonderful soft taco dinner at In His Will.  In "After Glow," we reflected on the ways we experienced joy through the day.  While the blogging team member has worked on this blog, the team has been losing it playing a game called fish bowl.  It does not seem to qualify as joy, but they sure sound delirious.  Could it be lack of sleep or heat exhaustion?