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?