July 18

Good Morning Everyone!

We are home! After a longer than expected layover in Miami while sitting on the tarmac, we made it back. We still have some bags MIA - which is frustrating - we have all the people back home - which is great!

The rain this morning reminds us of our adventures in Belize. God's power and faithfulness in spite of the storms.

We continue to pray for our friends in the village - that they will come to understand who God is even better so that they will trust him more. There is a degu (sp?), a voodoo worship ceremony being planned for the village in a couple of weeks. They will talk to the dead through a spiritist and bury food to appease the dead spirits that they believe will come and bring disease and sickness to their family. They will also be instructed to pay different people in order to protect their family and property. It is a very twisted message that they receive.

The good news is that we heard from some kids that the adults are starting to question whether or not this stuff is real or true. We pray that the adults who received Bibles this week will see the truth in God's word and will choose to trust God over the traditions of their culture. We pray that they will be asking questions and that the missionaries living in the village will be able direct them to God's word. (We didn't get to see Jim and Anna this week because they were out of town.)

I'll post pictures of the different adventures that we had over the next several days.
blessings,
erin

July 16

Hey Everyone,

We are back in San Ignacio for the night before we head to St. Louis tomorrow. We visited the elderly at Octavia Waight this afternoon. It was Carmella's 102nd birthday today. We got to sing to her and to sing for the residents after chatting a bit. It was a bright point of the day for them.

We have had a wonderful week. Yesterday we woke up to a heavy gray sky and it did not look wonderful. At breakfast, it started pouring buckets...and kept on pouring buckets...and more buckets. It was the wettest that the team had been...ever. I (erin) was wondering if God had forgotten us and had forgotten that it was the day of His favorite story - Christ's death and resurrection, which forgives our sins and gives us new life. He hadn't. As we drove toward the village, the rain lightened...and lightened...and was gone. He had a beautiful blue sky complete with sun for us in the village. It was cloudy in all the surrounding areas, but not in Seine Bight. :) God is faithful to His people - there is no forgetting with Him. The VBS team had a hard time saying good bye to their new friends in the village. Lots of hugs and see you laters!

The physical therapy team completed all their visits that they had planned to make. They had a wheelchair outfitted with a new seat for a little boy with cerebral palsy; he won't have to ride in a wheelbarrow any more. They gave out new exercises and made some speech cards for a man who had a stroke. He can now point to exactly what he wants so his wife doesn't have to guess.

The dental team saw a record number of patients during the week. Lots of teeth pulled and pain reduced and life improved. Even Dr. Joe and Michael got in on the action. :D

The construction team finished the walls and sides and floor of the house for Rock, our connection in the village. The materials for the tin roof are there and their new friend Thomas aka Turkey will be putting the roof for him. Hopefully he will be able to get it on soon...it was raining again when we left this morning. Rock will send us pictures of the finished product.

Lauren is better! She made it into the village on Wednesday and Thursday for the preschool lessons and was so happy to be present and serving. Thanks for praying for her!

Continue to pray as we return to the US tomorrow. We will have lots of stories to share and pictures to look at. We have been blessed by the experience. It was awesome to be God's hands and feet this past week. Pray for us as we process all that we have seen and been part of.

blessings,
erin

July 13

Hey Everyone!
Amy, Rachel and I are posting from Placencia this afternoon as we finish our gelato. :)

VBS has been awesome! Really fun! It really really rained yesterday. Thunder and lightning - the works. It made for a slow start to the morning, but God brought lots of kids through the rainy weather and we had a great day sharing how Jesus is the way.

Today dawned bright and sunny. :)...which meant even MORE children. There so many coming that they ran out of lunch toward the end. Everyone got something and we took nothing home. Amy and Rachel enjoyed their small group on the beach. The breeze was just perfect as they taught about Ruth and Naomi and how Jesus is the truth!

The dental team is rocking and rolling. They are booked solid tomorrow and plan to stay in the village until 5pm to get it all done.

The construction team is working a house for Rock, our local leader/organizer. It has several walls and some siding up. Building in Belize is always an adventure.

Pray for our teammate Lauren; she's had a stomach bug and hasn't joined us yet in the village. She is anxious to do that!

Continue to pray for our kids here to understand how much Jesus loves them and that as one of their favorite songs says "their life will never be the same" because of knowing him.

Hopefully we'll get a post in before Friday to keep you up to date!

blessings
erin and the girls. :)

July 10

Hey Everyone!
We have made it safely to San Ignacio today after a 2 hour? drive. It was an early morning at the airport for an early morning flight to Miami and on to Belize City. We are spending the night at the Hotel Aguada before heading off for a zip lining adventure in the morning. Everyone is hanging out after dinner and relaxing after a long day of travel.

Thanks for praying for our safe arrival today. Continue to pray for our flexibility as plans are always a little bit different than what we expect as we work and minister in Belize. :)

July 10

I'm posting a little early because tomorrow is travel day for us.

Here are the final prayer requests before we leave...

7/10 Jim and safe travel
7/11 open heart
7/12 VBS, dentistry, construction, p/t starts - smooth set up for all
7/13 It's Jon's birthday! Pray for lots of kids to be touched by the message of Jesus' love for them.
7/14 Men's Bible study
7/15 Women's Bible study and the youth Bible study
7/16 Safe travel from Seine Bight to San Ignacio, for Chepito and Fabi back to Zacapa, Guatemala
7/17 Our families and our safe return to the states

Thanks for praying with us and for us as we prepared to do this ministry!
I'm praying that we can continue to post on a daily basis about what God is doing in Seine Bight. (I should be able to post our safe arrival in San Ignacio tomorrow evening.)
You can leave comments for us if you'd like in the comment section. I'll do my best to pass them on to intended parties. :)
Blessings,
erin

July 9

Today we are praying for Lesley, who will be leading a small group. We pray for her small group to be blessed by her leadership. We pray for God's Word to richly dwell in her and to be a clear light to her small group. We pray that Christ will be see in her words and in her actions.

We also pray for our recess time next week. We pray for safety for the kids involved. We pray that there will be a spirit of gentleness in the children. We pray for strong arms to hold the kids and hug them. We pray for plenty of laps for kids to sit on and feel safe in. We pray for energy after a hot, busy morning so that we can continue to be gentle in speech and in action as we work with the kids in an unstructured environment.

July 8

Today we are praying for Andy. He's from Eastern Tennessee State University and will be joining us for his first mission trip. He will lead a small group and work with the physical therapy group in the afternoon. We pray that he will connect to the young men in his small group and that they will see Christ in Andy. We pray that he will be a blessing to those in the village who need physical therapy. We pray for his diagnostic skills and for him to teach skills and techniques to people in the village who need treatment.

We also pray for the home visits for the physical therapy team. We pray that doors will be open for them to serve. We pray for meaningful connections to be made for the long term, that this will be a good starting point. We pray for the team to be able to use the materials that we have to make diagnoses and develop plans for the p/t patients. We pray for the patients to see the wisdom in the therapy and to value the time it takes to practice so that they can regain muscle strength or dexterity or range of motion.

July 6

Today we are praying for Sue, the fearless team leader. We thank God for her on her birthday today! We thank Him for planting the seed of love for Belize and sharing His Word in her heart and for how that love has grown over the years and trips to include all of us. We pray for her spirit to be protected during the final preparation, that Satan would steal no joy from her. We pray for clear vision of what needs to happen and what is happening so that she knows where God is directing the ministry to go. We pray for her to be at peace and to rest well, to be protected from illness and stress; we pray for God's blessing to be on her!

We also pray for the leadership team as they make final preparations for the team to head out. We pray for safety for the Dicks and the Hillards as they leave on Thursday. We pray for the leadership to have clear heads and not be worried about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, bring the requests of the team before God. We pray for God's peace to rest on them. We pray for eyes to see what God is doing and ears to hear what God is saying and minds to process what God wants them to understand about Himself and His people, in Seine Bight and on the team.

July 5

Today we are praying for Maddie. This is her first trip to Seine Bight and she will be leading a small group and hanging out with the youth in the afternoons. We pray that she will connect with the kids in her small group and that she will share her faith in the one true God with them. We pray that she will be a light in the village during the next week.

We also pray for the music time. We pray that the team will pick songs that the kids can relate to and enjoy. We pray that the message of the one true God will be shared clearly during the singing and talking and praying. We pray for your Holy Spirit to dwell among the group that gathers to worship and that He will be preparing everyone to hear God's Word during the small group time. We ask for His anointing to be on His people so that everyone in the village can see Christ in the mission team.

July 1-4

Happy 4th of July!
We thank God for the freedoms that we have in this country to worship and to share about our faith! We are thankful for the opportunities to travel and to share the one true God with our friends in Belize!

We pray for Joe, who is joining us for the first time in Seine Bight. We pray for him to connect to the dental patients that he will serve, that he will be able to make them comfortable and un-afraid. We pray for him to have opportunities to pray for the patients and impart God's peace as he and Mike work to make them more comfortable.

We also pray for the dental patients - that they would have time to visit the dentist - that they would be fearless in coming - that the children who come would be brave and enjoy their time with Mike and Joe and Kris. We pray for them to learn new habits that would be healthy.

We pray for Katie who is joining us for her first trip to Belize. We pray for her to find her niche on the team. We pray that she would be bold in sharing about her faith during the small group time. We pray for God's message to be clear in her so that everyone will see Jesus in her words and actions.

We pray for the youth ministry that will be happening in the afternoons. We pray for the youth to be available to hang out with our youth. We pray for God's Word to be shared clearly and for the testimonies to have powerful messages. We pray that relationships will be built with the new members of our team and that they will be renewed with the returning members.

We pray for Krista, who will lead a small group on the trip. We pray for her to reconnect with the girls in her small group from last year. We pray that she will share God's Word clearly with her kids and that they will see God's love in her words and actions.

We pray for the Early Childhood program that will happen during the afternoons. We pray that the information that they share with the moms will be clear and easy to implement. We pray that the moms will have time to come and learn more about how to talk and play with their young children.

We also pray for Kris, who is on her first trip with the team. We pray for her to adjust to the new culture quickly and that she would be able to organize the dental education effectively. We pray that she will be blessed in her ministry on the trip. We pray for her words to be clear and her actions to be welcoming and to be a calming presence so that all who visit the dentist will see God in her.

June 29-30

We are praying for Carin and Brian today. Carin will be leading the preschool lessons and the recess time. She has a huge heart for sharing Jesus with preschoolers. We pray for her opportunity to share Christ with them. We also pray for her ability to get around the village- that her foot wouldn't be a hindrance. We also pray for Brian who is joining us for the first time. He will be helping with construction. We pray for his family with young kids that will be staying behind that mom and kids would have lots to do and lots of support to do everything that week. We pray for Brian to be able to solve the construction problems that he sees with the materials that he has.

We also pray for our recess time. We pray for the materials to be a blessing to the kids who will play with them that they can practice sharing, reading, teamwork, and having fun in a more gentle manner. We pray that recess will be a safe time for the younger kids and that they will get the love an attention that they need to fill their love tanks. We also pray for the construction team as they head into the village on the first day. Give them eyes to see the needs and wisdom to know how to solve the problems that they are given. Grant them the materials in a timely manner.

(I'm in Texas at the moment away from the wifi, so the updates may be combined over the next few days.)

June 28

Today we are praying for Rachel. She's joining us for the first time and will be leading a small group. We pray for her to be bold in sharing her love of Jesus with the kids in her group. We pray that she will adjust quickly to a new culture and be ready for the adventures that God has in store for us. :)

We also pray for Dorothy and Daniel, the leaders of Octavia Waight. We pray that they continue to be in good health and that they are able to meet the needs of the elderly there. We pray for their spirits to be encouraged and that they will see clearly the ways that God is at work.

June 27

Today we are praying for Michael. This will be his first trip with our team. We pray for his adjustment to a new culture and for him to connect with the preschoolers. They will try to use him for a human jungle gym. We pray that they will feel loved by our team and that they will see our young men as a positive role model for the few days that we are with them.

We also pray for the Octavia Waight center. We thank God for their service to the San Ignacio community and for their for the older folks there. We pray for them to be able to serve the elderly well and for them to have their needs met. We pray for their efforts to be blessed and magnified.

June 26

Today we are praying for Betty on her birthday. We thank God that for the gift of Betty and her gentle spirit on our mission team. We thank Him for her servant leadership and for her willingness to go the extra mile in caring for others. We pray for her ministry in Seine Bight with the lunch ladies and their preparations together. We pray that they will be united in spirit and have discussions about faith in the one true God.

We also pray for Betty and Bob on the loss of Bob's mom this week. She is celebrating in heaven after 94 years here. We pray for comfort for their family and for the details of funerals and estates to be easy to work out. We thank God for her faithfulness in raising Bob and his siblings and for the legacy of faith that she has left for them.

(Yes, I'm mixing up the days for praying a little bit if you are following on the prayer calendar.)

June 25

Today we are praying for Mike, our dentist on the team. This will be Mike's first trip to Belize with our team. We pray for the patients that he will be seeing and for the location where he will be working. They will be using a room at a local hotel in Seine Bight instead of the nurse's station. We pray that he will be able to minister to many people and that they will have no fear of visiting a dentist.

We also pray for Jim and Anna, the missionaries that live in the village. They will be in Canada during our visit this year, so we won't be able to meet with them. We pray for their Bible studies that they have started - that the youth who attend will be excited to learn more about Christ and the life-changing power that He has. We pray that Jim and Anna will be effective in their ministries in the school and in the local church. We pray that they will build strong relationships not only with the youth, but also with the parents in the community. We pray for their time in Canada and elsewhere to be a time of refreshing for them.

June 24

Today we are praying for Lauren M. This is her first mission trip and of course her first trip to Belize. We pray for her experience entering a new country and a new culture and that she will be able to process what she sees and experiences for the first time. We pray for her time with the preschoolers that week, that they will see Jesus' love in her during their time together.

We also pray for the village council members. We pray that they will be looking to the big picture of their community and that they will make wise decisions as they look to the future. We pray that their hearts will continue to be open to our team's visits and work within the village. We pray for their favor to be shown to us. We pray for an open door for Sue to communicate with them.

June 23

Today we are praying for Janet. This will be her first trip with our team. She will be working with the young mom's Bible study in the morning and working with them in the afternoons to help them develop the children's speech and language skills. We pray that she will be able assess the needs quickly and give them simple things to do with their kids that will improve their development. We pray that she will develop strong relationships with the young women in her group and that they will see God's love in her speech and actions. (Here's a photo of the young mom's group.)

We also pray for the homebound in Seine Bight. Some are homebound because of their physical needs; some are homebound because of their housing needs. Last year a construction team put railings on a set of stairs and the woman walked up and down her stairs several times - so proud because she could get out of the home on her own and not crawl or be carried down the steps. We pray that the construction team will be able to assess and meet the simple housing needs for some of the homebound. We also pray for connections to be made to homebound people so that we can visit and develop relationships with them. We pray for a spirit of openness to be present in the village.

June 22

Today we are praying for Lena. Lena has joined the team for the last couple of summers. She will be leading a small group again. We pray that God will use her to encourage the girls of the village and that they will be open to learning more of what it means to know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. We pray that the message of God's love through Jesus will be clear to them. (Lena is on the left and Lisa is on the right.)

We also pray for the men in the village. They are starting a men's Bible study this summer. We pray that the men will be open to learning more about who Jesus is and how He is the one true God. We pray for their hearts to be ready to receive the seeds of God's Word.

June 21

Today we are praying for Nancy. She's joining us from Tennessee and will be working as a small leader in the morning and helping with physical therapy in the afternoon. We pray that she will feel connected to the kids in her small group and that they will be blessed by her gentle spirit. We also pray that she is able to meet the physical therapy needs in the afternoons. We pray that the people she meets will be able to find time to practice what she teaches them.

We also pray for the women in the village. They carry the load of providing income, food, shelter, clothing for their families. We pray that they will be encouraged during our visit, that they will be strengthened in their faith and that they can see Jesus through our actions. We pray for the women who will have time to attend Bible study and to serve with our team that they will be blessed in our interactions. We pray for those women who will be working all day and entrusting their kids to us during VBS and recess/youth time. We ask God's blessing on the work of their hands - that they have enough for that day and they can see that God gives enough for their needs each and every day. We pray that they will come to know the one true God as their Lord and Savior.

June 19-20

This weekend we are praying for Emily and Tyler. Both are college youth who have been on the trip before and both might be sharing their testimonies with the youth in Belize. We pray that they will be able to share their stories of faith clearly with the youth. We pray that they will be able to reconnect with the kids in their small groups and that they will have excitement in sharing God's Word. We pray that the kids and the youth will be touched by God's message through Emily and Tyler. (Emily is in the middle and Tyler is on the far left.)

We also pray for the 18 year olds and the infants in Seine Bight. We pray that the 18 year olds would be open to God's love for them and how God's love changes them from the inside out. We pray that they would have no fear in following what God says in His Word. We pray that they would be amazing helpers who continue to seek out knowledge of the one true God - even when we are not around. We pray for the infants - that God's love would be planted in their hearts. We pray that they would be protected and provided for. We pray for their development to be steady and healthy. We pray that we would be able to show God's love to them in how we model infant care and development for their mothers.

June 18

Today we pray for Ashley. She will be joining us for the first time in Seine Bight this summer. She will be leading a small group and will be helping with the youth in the afternoon. We pray for her experience to be rich and faith-building. We pray for her to be open in sharing about her faith and how it has changed her life. We pray for her to make good connections to the kids there in her small group and in the youth group.

We are also praying for the 17 year olds today. They will be helping in the small groups as well as attending youth group in the afternoons. Many of these youth have been helping us since we started doing VBS in small groups several years ago. We pray that their hearts will be touched by the message shared by the youth and that God's Word will be clear to them.

June 17

Today we are praying for Taylor. She has just graduated high school and will be leading a small group of 6-7 year old girls. We pray that she will be able to connect with the kids there again, that she will be able to share her faith clearly, and that she will continue to serve in different ways there. We also pray for the 15 year olds in the village who will also be helping the small group leaders. We pray that they will continue to desire to serve and to spend time with the kids in the future. We also pray that the seeds of faith will continue to grow in their hearts.

June 16

Today we are praying for Bob Hillard. Bob is the financial tracker for the trip, helps with construction, leads the new men's Bible study and helps organize a myriad of details. We pray that he and the team will be able to find and complete the projects that are most needed in the village. We pray that he will be able to include the villagers in their tasks and are able to make meaningful connections with the men through studying God's Word. We pray that the Word of God will be a powerful witness to the men in the midst of their culture.

We also pray for the 16 year olds in the village today. We pray that they will be amazing helpers to our small group leaders and that they would be seeing a clear witness of what life with Jesus can be like through our mission team.

June 15

Today we are praying for Linda. This is her first trip to Belize. We pray for her to adjust quickly to a new culture and to develop a love for our Belizean friends. We also pray for opportunities to share her faith with the children and adults in the village.

We are also praying for our 14 year old friends in Seine Bight. Many of these friends will be our helpers for the small groups and will be heading to the youth group in the afternoon. We pray that they would be interested in sharing more about their faith. We pray that they would be challenged to grow in the afternoons and that they would participate in small group discussions. We pray for those connections to be reestablished with old friends and to be made with new friends.

June 14

Today we are praying for Lisa. Lisa has been on tons of trips to Belize, served in many ways, and she will lead the 11-13 year old girls' small group again. So we pray for her to reconnect with those girls and to give them an example of an amazing godly woman. We are also praying for the girls and guys who are thirteen in the village. They are searching for what is right and what to be doing with their lives. We pray that they will look to God as their source of hope.

June 12-13

Hey Everyone! This weekend we are praying for Kathie and Amy. Kathie is leading the young mom's group. This group began as a way to get the young mom's out of the preschool room so they wouldn't talk and disrupt the preschool lesson and now the young moms look forward to a time together where they can talk and do crafts and learn a lesson. We pray that Kathie will be able to continue developing relationships with the young moms and will be able to lead discussions that help the young moms learn more about Jesus and more about being a mom and what their kids need.

We also pray for Amy. This is Amy's first trip and she will be leading a small group and helping with the youth in the afternoon. We pray that she will be able to make connections to the kids in Siene Bight and will clearly share her faith with them.

We also pray for the 12 and 13 year olds in the village. These kids have been coming to VBS since they were 6 and 7 years old. We pray that they are making healthy choices that will keep themselves pure. We pray that God's Word that has already been sown will be watered and continue to grow when we are visiting. We pray that they catch a glimpse of Christian community during our visit and they will see and desire to be part of a group that cares about each individual physically, emotionally and spiritually.

June 11

Today we are praying for Sara! She finished her first year of college at Ole Miss and will be on the team for the second time. We pray that she will be able to reconnect with the kids in her small group and the youth in the village. We also pray for her (and other's) transitions home from college. (I found Sara in the back of this picture, can you? :)

We're also praying for the 10 year olds today. Pray that they will be ready to spend time with us and that they will have ears and hearts to hear God's Word.

June 10

Today we are praying for Lauren D, one of our two new Laurens on the team. Lauren just graduated from Eureka and will be helping with the preschool program and the music. We pray that she will connect well with the preschoolers, who are three, four and five years old. We also pray that she (and others) will adapt quickly to the culture and the heat. Here's a picture of what music time looks like. Insert your mental picture of Lauren in the middle of Lisa and me. :)
We are also praying for the 9 year olds who are coming to VBS in a few weeks. They have been coming to VBS for several years now and have grown much. We pray for them to continue to grow in desire to know who God is and to trust Him every day to meet their needs. Here's how they line up so that no one runs off and gets lost when they are moving from place to place. :)

June 9

Today we are praying for Rock (aka Rupert). He is our village contact and helps us to get things done. He's been working with Sue to organize VBS and other stuff since the trips to Belize began eight years ago. He is now a policeman and will be taking the night shift in order to be with us during VBS in the mornings. Let's pray for his endurance and energy as he takes care of his family, his job and us. We are thankful for his sacrifice of time and energy to support us!


We are also praying for the 8 year olds. These kids have been coming to VBS for 4 years already. They were one of the first preschool classes that we tried to have for the kids. Pray that God's Word enters their hearts in a powerful way this year so that Jim and Anna can continue to water what has been planted. Here are 3-5 year olds from the 2007 trip!

June 8 - Prayer update!

Hey Everyone,
Starting now on the blog, we're going to be intentional in praying for our team members and for the children in the village as we prepare to head out in one month.

Today, we're praying for Bob Dick, Sue's husband and general go-to-guy for "whatever" on the team. Bob will be working with the dental team so we pray that he can jerry-rig whatever may need to be fixed and that he can do whatever they are needing from him.

We also pray for the seven year olds in the village. We
pray for their hearts to be willing to learn new things as they are in school and that they are open to learning and practicing new things that they will be learning in VBS.

New Team; New Trip

Hey Everyone!

Welcome to Belize 2010! We are looking forward to serving alongside you during the next two months (or less) as we prepare to serve in Seine Bight in July.

Praying for your preparation,
erin