Belize 2018 Photos

Below is the link to the photos from our trip this year! (All 3,666 of them!!!) Email me at tgordonva@gmail.com to get the password for access!

http://taylorlynnphotography.passgallery.com/-belize201

Travel Update

We have made it to our gate in Atlanta and are enjoying some food. Our flight has been delayed by just a few minutes, but we’ll see you in Richmond!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

New Life | Day 9 (7/21)

I can’t believe today was our last full day in Belize. These 10 days feel quicker and quicker every year! I don’t think anyone on the team is fully ready to go home. Of course we miss our family and friends back home, but it’s so hard leaving these kids and families each year. Tomorrow will be a hard morning, emotionally, for everyone.

We spent our last full day on South Water Caye relaxing and reflecting on what God has taught us this week.

We woke up at 7am and had a quick 30 minute breakfast at 8am. We had fry jacks, hard boiled eggs, beans, juice, and sweet tea. We didn’t know if we’d be able to go to the Caye because of weather. It was kinda iffy when we left this morning. We decided to wait and get Mr. Logan’s opinion. He was our boat captain, so it was nice to have an expert opinion!

On the way to Dangriga to meet the boat at the dock, we went through heavy rain. When we got to the dock, the sun was starting to peek out. Before we left, we said a prayer for safety and peace. On the way out to the caye, we went through two downpours. We were going so fast that the raindrops felt like needles going through our faces. We made the best out of it and giggled our way through it. We stopped at Bird Island on the way out. Clint showed us the different birds and explained their purpose. He knew so much, and it was fascinating information.

When we got to the Caye, we went up on the deck of a waterfront building to hear the rules for the day. This was also the area that we would have lunch. There was juice, water, and chocolate chip cookies waiting for us. Once we got our rules, we were free to roam. We all got in the water and spent some time swimming around before a group went to learn how to snorkel. The rest of us spent time on the deck, in the water, or paddle boarding. By the time the group finished learning how to snorkel, it was about time for lunch. We had BBQ Chicken, Rice and Beans, Plantain, Cucumber, Tomato, Watermelon, and a Powder Bun. We could choose between water or Soursop juice as our drink. A few people ordered frozen drinks to enjoy before snorkeling.

Right after lunch, we had our own little baptism. This wasn’t anything planned or extraordinary. Just something that seven people made the decision to do. While the snorkeling group was out practicing, the instructor said that he doesn’t go to church, but that he could recite all of Psalm 121. He did so in the moment and also did it at the baptism. Little did we know that God would lead him to be baptized as well. His name is Ishmael and he made the incredible decision to want to follow Jesus in a more different and real way. The others that were baptized were Taylor B., Ben, Tyler, Pam, Sydney, and Kerstin. God is so good, and it’s so cool to see Him at work in the hearts of our team members. These 7 individuals made a decision to put Jesus at the forefront of everything, and there’s no better decision than that. (Don’t worry mommas, we’ve got video and camera footage). After the baptism, we all sang Grace Flows Down to close out our time. Something we noticed when watching the video of the baptisms later this evening is that there is a sun ray that comes down right onto the person being baptized. God is ever-present, and it always moving.

After the baptism, the snorkelers went out to the reef to snorkel. From what I heard, they saw lots of cool fish and even a shark! While they were out snorkeling, the rest of us sat on the deck or swam around. I was stung by something in the water, but was all better about 2 hours after it happened!

When the snorkelers got back, we had about 30 minutes left to enjoy the island. Around 3:45/4:00, we left the island to head back to Dangriga. On the way back to the Macaroni from Dangriga, we stopped for ice cream in Pomona after grabbing the trailer. It was delicious and a perfect snack to hold us until dinner.

When we got back to the Macaroni, we changed clothes and went out to the village. We took several pictures and just spent time loving on our sweet friends. We went up to dinner a little after 6 and had Vegetable Rice, Fish, Beans, carrot cake, juice, and sweet tea. It was SO good! Madison and I enjoyed our dinner with Shelika (Annamae’s daughter), and we loved our time talking to her and catching up.

After dinner, we packed a little before coming together for worship and devotion. We sang “Overwhelmed” and “Reckless Love”. We shared some God moments from the day and watched the baptism video. In addition to this, we had each written every member of the team a notecard with kind words on them. It’s always so encouraging to read how your teammates have seen Jesus in you.

After we had a chance to read these, we finished packing. Some of the girls went out to say “see you soon” to the kids in the village. After Madison and I finished packing, we went to RJ’s house and spent some time with him and his puppy Ryder. He’s so sweet and knows how to give high fives! He was cuddling up with Madison and I and we loved every second of it.

Now, here we are! Time for bed! Thank you so much for keeping up with our journey! I will post travel updates tomorrow as I am able!

Remember, no news is good news!

New Life | Day 9 (7/21)

I can’t believe today was our last full day in Belize. These 10 days feel quicker and quicker every year! I don’t think anyone on the team is fully ready to go home. Of course we miss our family and friends back home, but it’s so hard leaving these kids and families each year. Tomorrow will be a hard morning, emotionally, for everyone.

We spent our last full day on South Water Caye relaxing and reflecting on what God has taught us this week.

We woke up at 7am and had a quick 30 minute breakfast at 8am. We had fry jacks, hard boiled eggs, beans, juice, and sweet tea. We didn’t know if we’d be able to go to the Caye because of weather. It was kinda iffy when we left this morning. We decided to wait and get Mr. Logan’s opinion. He was our boat captain, so it was nice to have an expert opinion!

On the way to Dangriga to meet the boat at the dock, we went through heavy rain. When we got to the dock, the sun was starting to peek out. Before we left, we said a prayer for safety and peace. On the way out to the caye, we went through two downpours. We were going so fast that the raindrops felt like needles going through our faces. We made the best out of it and giggled our way through it. We stopped at Bird Island on the way out. Clint showed us the different birds and explained their purpose. He knew so much, and it was fascinating information.

When we got to the Caye, we went up on the deck of a waterfront building to hear the rules for the day. This was also the area that we would have lunch. There was juice, water, and chocolate chip cookies waiting for us. Once we got our rules, we were free to roam. We all got in the water and spent some time swimming around before a group went to learn how to snorkel. The rest of us spent time on the deck, in the water, or paddle boarding. By the time the group finished learning how to snorkel, it was about time for lunch. We had BBQ Chicken, Rice and Beans, Plantain, Cucumber, Tomato, Watermelon, and a Powder Bun. We could choose between water or Soursop juice as our drink. A few people ordered frozen drinks to enjoy before snorkeling.

Right after lunch, we had our own little baptism. This wasn’t anything planned or extraordinary. Just something that seven people made the decision to do. While the snorkeling group was out practicing, the instructor said that he doesn’t go to church, but that he could recite all of Psalm 121. He did so in the moment and also did it at the baptism. Little did we know that God would lead him to be baptized as well. His name is Ishmael and he made the incredible decision to want to follow Jesus in a more different and real way. The others that were baptized were Taylor B., Ben, Tyler, Pam, Sydney, and Kerstin. God is so good, and it’s so cool to see Him at work in the hearts of our team members. These 7 individuals made a decision to put Jesus at the forefront of everything, and there’s no better decision than that. (Don’t worry mommas, we’ve got video and camera footage). After the baptism, we all sang Grace Flows Down to close out our time. Something we noticed when watching the video of the baptisms later this evening is that there is a sun ray that comes down right onto the person being baptized. God is ever-present, and it always moving.

After the baptism, the snorkelers went out to the reef to snorkel. From what I heard, they saw lots of cool fish and even a shark! While they were out snorkeling, the rest of us sat on the deck or swam around. I was stung by something in the water, but was all better about 2 hours after it happened!

When the snorkelers got back, we had about 30 minutes left to enjoy the island. Around 3:45/4:00, we left the island to head back to Dangriga. On the way back to the Macaroni from Dangriga, we stopped for ice cream in Pomona after grabbing the trailer. It was delicious and a perfect snack to hold us until dinner.

When we got back to the Macaroni, we changed clothes and went out to the village. We took several pictures and just spent time loving on our sweet friends. We went up to dinner a little after 6 and had Vegetable Rice, Fish, Beans, carrot cake, juice, and sweet tea. It was SO good! Madison and I enjoyed our dinner with Shelika (Annamae’s daughter), and we loved our time talking to her and catching up.

After dinner, we packed a little before coming together for worship and devotion. We sang “Overwhelmed” and “Reckless Love”. We shared some God moments from the day and watched the baptism video. In addition to this, we had each written every member of the team a notecard with kind words on them. It’s always so encouraging to read how your teammates have seen Jesus in you.

After we had a chance to read these, we finished packing. Some of the girls went out to say “see you soon” to the kids in the village. After Madison and I finished packing, we went to RJ’s house and spent some time with him and his puppy Ryder. He’s so sweet and knows how to give high fives! He was cuddling up with Madison and I and we loved every second of it.

Now, here we are! Time for bed! Thank you so much for keeping up with our journey! I will post travel updates tomorrow as I am able!

Remember, no news is good news!

In His Hands | Day 8 (7/20)

We can’t believe it’s already day 8! What a week! God has been ever-present through each interaction and through our ministry events. We’re so grateful for His guidance and that He holds us in the palm of His hand. God has been and continues to be at work here in Belize. We feel so honored to have been called by Him to minister to His people. God is good.

Today was the first day this week that we didn’t have camp, so we got to go on an adventure this morning! We woke up at 7am for an 8am breakfast. We enjoyed French toast, beans, eggs, bacon, juice, and sweet tea. After breakfast, we had quiet time before heading out for the morning.

Our first stop this morning was the Crossings. This is a shopping center that Kidz Konnect owns. There’s an IT Shop, Sewing Shop, Restaurant, Wood Shop, and Iron Shop. This give Belizeans an opportunity to own their own business and make a living to support their families. There are about 15 people that work here! It’s been so cool to watch this grow over the years into what it is today! We spent some time there talking to David and shopping around. We also saw someone wearing the shirt we sold through Bonfire this year. Her name is Phebe and she was there with the team from South Carolina. Her and I took a photo together! Such a cool moment!

After the Crossings, we went to Marie Sharps and shopped around for some hot sauce. We partook in communion there while shopping. This is always a fun stop for our team. We didn’t get to see Marie this time, but we still had a lot of fun and bought a lot of hot sauce and jam.

We came back to the Macaroni for lunch and had burritos and French fries before setting up for our fun family surprise for the village. We set up a carnival and had all kinds of games for the kids and their parents to play! We had Cotton Candy, a Tattoo Booth, a Photo Booth, Penny Toss, Sack Race, Lucky Duck, Ring Toss, and Balloon Animals. The kids loved that they got to take home their own polaroid from the Photo Booth. We had Carnival Passports that the kids had to get checked off at each event, and they got biscuits when they completed all of them. The joy on the kids’ faces was priceless. It was a beautiful time of unity for this village. We loved just being together today! We ended with a group photo and went inside for a few minutes.

Sydney and I planned our devotion while the rest of the team rested and did whatever they needed to do. Around 4:45pm, a few of us went out to the village to play with the kids and say “see you later” to some friends that are leaving for Police Camp tomorrow. It wasn’t long before my tears started flowing. Having to say “see you later” to my buddy Darvin was SO hard. It gets harder every year because we get more and more attached. I’ve known Darvin since he was three years old and he’s always had a piece of my heart. Darvin is now ten years old and leaves for Police Camp tomorrow. I was crying when he hugged me. He looked up at me and said, “You know, I’m going to miss you too”. Their hearts pour out love for others in such a beautiful way. There are so many lessons that one could learn about love and friendship from these children.

From there, the crying didn’t stop. It wasn’t long before Amy, Sydney, and Katie were crying too. Then, Annamae made everyone cry. She came out to dinner with a box full of boxes. She had taken a photo of each of us when we went to Placencia the other day. She had someone make mugs with a photo of us on them in addition to our team Bible verse. God blessed us so much when he led us to the Ferguson family.

After we finished crying (for the most part), we had devotions and shared God moments. Sydney and I talked about the importance of serving and how our greatest witnessing power is through serving. We focused on the part of Daniel 6 that says “your God whom you serve continually”, and dug into Daniel’s faithfulness and what a witness that was to Darius. God moments were flowing out of us today. God was SO good today, and everyday. He holds us in the palm of His hand – in good and bad.

After devos, we took a field trip to see inside Annamae’s house! We even saw a photo of Madison in there! Then, we came back to project photos from today on the wall. We have loved looking at all of our sweet friends on the big screen. It’s so fun to sit and look at pictures and see how God has worked in and through our team.

We started the packing process (sad) and now everyone is off to bed. Thank you so much for reading along! We couldn’t have made it this far without YOU!

Blessings, friends and family!

Bee a Friend | Day 7 (7/19)

You know it was another good day because here I am, after midnight, just starting to write the blog! God has overwhelmed us with laughter and joy, and has given us such a strong sense of family within our group. None of us are ready to come home and have to leave each other! We’re already planning our next get together!

This morning, a few of us had a fun activity planned before breakfast! We woke up at 7am for an 8am breakfast. Morgan, Katie, Madison, Sydney, Ben, Tyler, and I went out with RJ to ride his ATVs. We had a BLAST driving them around in the field! [P.s. If you’re ever in Belize and need a tour, check out Untame Belize! RJ is the best!] We had so much fun being tourists for 30 minutes, and are so thankful that RJ put up with us that early in the morning.

At 8am, we went upstairs for breakfast. We had tortillas, eggs, bacon, beans, fruit, juice, and sweet tea. We spent time talking upstairs and reminiscing on past Belize years. We are so grateful to have been called to Belize 7 years ago because of the relationships we have that will last a lifetime. The Lord has done so much in Belize over the past 7 years and I feel so honored to be about His business and to play a small part in what He’s doing.

After breakfast, we transitioned right into quiet time before squeezing in the van for camp. (Seriously, we are so squished in that little van.) When we arrived at camp we had to set up everything in less than 20 minutes. We were pushing it close, but started exactly on time. We had 118 kids at camp for the last day. The last day of camp is always filled with so much emotion, and this year was no different. It’s sad because there’s so many friends we have to say “see you later” to until next year.

At camp today, we learned the Bible point “Bee a Friend! Put others first!” Our Bible story was about Ruth and Naomi and how they cared for one another in good times and bad. They set a great example of what true friendship looks like. The kids got to pick out a pair of slippers (a.k.a. flip flops) during craft time. These were donated by Saint Mary’s Catholic School. The kids had so much fun picking out their favorite design/color. At the end of camp, they also got a Bible to take home. We challenged them to read the whole thing before camp next year. We’ll see!

We had meat pies for lunch when we got back to the hotel along with carrot cake, juice, and sweet tea. Between lunch and PHD we all took a little bit of a break to re-energize. At 2pm, we started and annotated John 4.

After PHD, we held a Clothing Boutique for the whole village. We brought clothes that we don’t wear anymore (babies, kids, men, women, teens, shoes, makeup) and set up a little boutique. Each person could pick 3 things to take home with them. This is such a nice way to bless the village.

After the boutique, we found out that there’s a team from England staying at St. Matthews as a part of World Challenge. They were chased out of the jungle by bees, so they arrived a day early. They’ll be taking over painting/construction from here. We walked over to meet them! Before we left, someone heard my name being called outside. It was my friend, Fred! We’ve been friends since year one! He was asking me for a photoshoot, and we had SO much fun! We walked around the front of the Macaroni! Ahh! He’s such a good model! Shoutout to Madison and Sydney for watching the road for cars when we were taking photos in the middle of it. The people from England were very nice! They’ll be sleeping in the classrooms in mosquito nets. They had quite the setup in there! We continued the photoshoot there, and I got my picture taken on Fred’s motorcycle.

We couldn’t stay at the school for long because the bugs were very bad and we had dinner waiting on us. I requested chicken tenders, bread, mac-n-cheese, mashed potatoes, juice, sweet tea, and lemon tarts. So so so yummy!

After dinner, we had a devotion led by Ben and Katie. Tyler and I led worship, and sang “Overwhelmed” and “Build My Life”. This is such a special time, and it gets more emotional the closer we get to leaving this beautiful country. We shared God moments, and it’s so cool that we get to brag on God as much as we do.

After worship, Tyler and I set up a little movie theater with the projector projecting on the wall. We watched old Belize videos (2015, 2016, 2017) and looked at this year’s pictures and videos. This is such a special place. I’m not sure how anyone could come here and not want to come back. It steals your heart, but, more than that, the people’s joy is so contagious and beautiful.

Thank you for reading, friends! I know I’m probably forgetting something, but I have a 7am wakeup call!

Goodnight!

 

 

Bee Generous | Day 6 (7/18)

You know it’s been a good day when you don’t start writing the blog until midnight! Today was so much fun! Our team has worked so well together! We are all about our Father’s business, and are so thankful He called us to Belize.

We had a 7am wakeup call for an 8am breakfast (but y’all know that by now), and it was delicious. We had johnny cakes, beans, eggs, Canadian bacon, fruit, juice, and sweet tea. [Roma, if you’re reading this, Ratita has been walking around during our meals looking for you!] After breakfast, we transitioned into quiet time before leaving for camp. During our quiet time, we’re listening for God’s voice in order to shift our focus for the day back to Him.

We left for camp around 9:30am, but realized we forgot the keys to the school and the supplies for camp back at the Macaroni. So Rodney and Simon (a Belizean that has become an honorary team member over the years) drove back to the Macaroni (less than 3 minutes away) to get what we left behind. As we set up for camp each day, we’re amazed at the number of kids who want to help. I, personally, haven’t had to carry the speaker more than 1 foot because one of the kids has carried it for me. Their willingness to serve has blown me away.

Today’s Bible point was “Bee Generous! God will provide!” We shared the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 and discussed the little boy’s generosity. We talked about how God used the little boy’s generosity to provide for so many! They got to eat Goldfish for the first time during snack and they loved it! In crafts, they colored a picture and were so proud of their work! In my video station, we watched a video and reviewed everything we have learned so far. It’s so obvious that they’re retaining these Bible points. They were screaming them out so loud that everyone at camp could hear!

At the beginning of camp, we had a special prayer request for each crew to pray for. We have a friend at home named Luke who has been diagnosed with Acute Leukemia. We spent time in prayer (all one-hundred-and-forty-something of us), and sent him a video of the Bible point from yesterday: “Bee Brave! God is with you!” We’re praying hard for you, Luke!

After camp, we went back to the Macaroni for lunch and had burritos. After lunch, we hung out until it was time do start more organized activity. We enjoyed some pb&j’s and coke to jumpstart our afternoon. We also met a couple who arrived to just stay the night. They live in Orange Walk and are on a roadtrip throughout Belize. The funniest thing was when the man came upstairs and I said, “Hello! Welcome to Belize!” and he said, “Oh, I actually live here.” (He should’ve been welcoming us!)

After some chill time, the teen girls went to PHD to continue with annotation. The women went out to chat with some women in the village and give them cosmetic bags and cookies. Then they played with the kids and colored and played jump rope. They’re so good at jump rope! The men and Martha went up to the school to work on the bathrooms and to have a small group with the young men.

Afterwards, we used our time to sort supplies for a fun surprise later this week. We had so much fun just being together and chatting! We worked on this until dinner time. I went down to show the kids videos the Maddie makes every year, and they loved it! They gathered around me and we took the cutest picture! They also wanted to film a short video, so we did that also!

For dinner, we had BBQ chicken, rolls, cole slaw, juice, sweet tea and banana cake. We ate relatively quickly before heading down for devos and worship. We talked about the feeding of the 5,000 and sang “Grace Flows Down” and “King of My Heart”. Amy and Kerstin led devotions for the group tonight. We shared lots of God moments today!

After devos, we went outside to give the kids glowsticks and say goodnight. They loved them! We got to see our friend DJ Downa while he was here for the night! When we came in, we spent time together talking to RJ about his tour company. We also watched a bunch of “vlogs” from Katie’s camera on Beth’s bed! We had so much fun giggling together.

A few more shenanigans happened after that, but now I’m exhausted and it’s time for bed!

Goodnight, friends!

Bee Brave | Day 5 (7/17)

We’re halfway through our time in Belize, and it’s hard to imagine leaving in just five days. We had a great second day of camp and are excited for day three tomorrow!

Just like yesterday, we had a 7am wakeup call for an 8am breakfast. We had pancakes, beans, eggs, papaya, juice, and sweet tea. During breakfast, I got a chance to catch up with RJ (one of Annamae’s kids) who owns his own tour company. He told us that Lecrae was here using his ATVs as we pulled into the Macaroni on Friday! They posted a video to Instagram where you can see the community center and church! See the video at this link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlT1j7vFzix/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

After breakfast, we had quiet time before leaving to set up for camp. When we got off of the bus at St. Matthews, the kids swarmed by the door to greet us and help us carry things for set up. We had 137 kids attend camp today and it was a packed room! Today’s Bible point was “Bee Brave! God is with you!” We talked about David and Goliath and how David was brave to fight Goliath. They colored small, smooth stones in crafts (like the ones that David collected) and played a game called Escape the Giants. The kids have so much energy and it takes all of ours! But, it’s so worth it because the kids remember everything that they learn and they use it everyday. Today, one of the girls used something that she learned three years ago to handle a conflict that she was having.

We got back to the Macaroni for lunch where we had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, rolls, salad, juice and sweet tea. Most of us had Fantas because we needed something fun to give us some energy. We enjoyed a nice lunch and break before PHD at 2. We had about 14 girls there today, and we annotated Genesis 3 and talked about observations and interpretations.

The guys and Martha worked on the construction project and got some painting done. Rodney spent some time talking with some of the guys about different topics to give them a space to speak freely and learn more about what it means to be a man.

The women played with the younger kids to keep them occupied during PHD. They read stories, wrote letters, made necklaces, and colored pictures.

Then, it was time for happy hour! We had nachos and Fanta sponsored by Bernie Mann. This is always a fun time of fellowship and yummy food.

Between happy hour and dinner, we spent time talking to Rodwell and Annamae and hanging out with some of the kids downstairs.

For dinner we had fried fish, white rice, beans, salad, juice, and tea. We chatted for a while before heading down for worship and devotions. We sang “Tremble” and “Set a Fire” and had a devotion about Ruth and Naomi led by Madison and Taylor B.

Since then, we’ve been hanging out and laughing until we’re in pain. Nights like this are so special and so fun!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support! Leave a comment below!

Bee Different | Day 4 (7/16)

Our first day of camp was a success! It was such a fun day learning how to be more like Jesus. Let me start from the beginning.

We had a 7am wake up call for our 8am breakfast. We enjoyed tortillas, eggs, sausage, pineapple, beans, juice, and sweet tea. After breakfast, we came downstairs for worship and quiet time. We sang “Build My Life” and spent some quiet time with Jesus before loading up the bus.

When we got to camp, we set up everything so we could begin welcoming kids in! We had 110 kids at camp today. Today’s topic was “Bee Different” to go along with our theme of “I Want to Bee Like Jesus”. The kids really soaked up every bit of it and thoroughly enjoyed the sessions. We had snack and a story, a video, a craft, a game, and a song station. Today’s Bible story was the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den. We talked about how Daniel stood out for God by praying to Him when it was against the law. Daniel’s punishment was to be thrown in the lion’s den where he would likely be killed by the lions. When King Darius returned the next day, Daniel was alive and well because God sent and angel to shut the mouths of the lions. Not only was Daniel’s innocence a reason he was saved from the lions, but also his obedience – his choice to obey what God had called him to. The bible point was “Bee Different! Stand out for God!” We sang a camp favorite today called “Change Direction”. It’s always so fun to see the kids getting into the dance moves! Camp is always filled with so many individual moments that I can’t fit into one blog post. If you know someone on the team, be sure to ask them about camp memories! Overall, the kids seemed to have a blast today (especially the boys chasing each other across the auditorium) and are excited to learn more about being like Jesus.

After camp, we came back for lunch. We had empanadas, breadfruit, salad, juice, and sweet tea. After lunch we split into groups depending on the schedule. The teen girls stayed upstairs for PHD (Pure Hearts Defined), the women played with the younger kids that couldn’t come to PHD, and Tyler and Ben and Rodney went to work on the bathrooms at the school. In PHD we spent time learning how to dig deeper into God’s love and really interpret what’s happening. Miss Shirley and Laura joined us for this fun girl time.

After PHD, we decided we needed some time to rest. Camp days are always exhausting, but SO worth every bit of it. To know that Jesus’ love is being spread and work is being done is so awesome. We sat in the common area and talked about our day and had some snacks. It wasn’t long before dinner was ready.

We had rice, meatballs, lentils, cole slaw, coconut tarts, sweet tea, and juice for dinner. After dinner, a few people ran to the store to get a few last minute things while the rest of us hung out and prepared for worship. We were able to FaceTime a few people that used to come to Belize.

For worship and devos, Morgan and Tyler led a devotion about the feeding of the five thousand. They discussed God’s faithfulness and how He’s always got a plan. We sang “King of My Heart” and shared God moments to close our our time. We got our second wind during God moments and ended up staying up to chat and eat gummy bears. This time is so special to just spend together and be a family. It’s always such a fun community.

Now it’s time for bed! I’ll need all the energy I can get for camp tomorrow. Thanks for following along! Comment with any questions, thoughts or God moments of your own! We’d love to hear them!

Blessings!

Pointing to Him | Day 3 (7/15)

Hello everyone! I hope you’re all doing well back home! We had such a fun day, and I’m so excited to share with you!

Today was a teambuilding day and a day to explore a different part of Belize. But, more than that, it was a day to prepare our hearts for the week. We took a day trip to Placencia (where Annamae grew up) where we could explore and truly be together. But, I’m getting ahead of myself….

We started our day with a 7:00am wake-up call and breakfast at 8:00am. We enjoyed fry jacks, eggs, beans, and fruit. We could smell the fry jacks on the way up to breakfast and we couldn’t wait to dig in! During breakfast, Ms. Shirley came up to talk to us about her story and share a little more about what Kidz Konnect 4 Jesus does. She has been such a light here, and has become such a sweet friend to us over the years. We’re so thankful for her family and what they do here each day.

After breakfast, we loaded up the van for Placencia! Most of us were wearing Hawaiian shirts, so we definitely looked like tourists. We stopped at the store in Pomona to stock up on water, limeade, and Coke for the end of the day when we needed something refreshing. We had a little over an hour in the van, but it sure doesn’t feel like it with as much beauty as we get to see on the way! We jammed out to music on the way and really enjoyed being together and building more of a community within our team. Once we got to Placencia and parked the van, we walked to a restaurant called Barefoot Bar that was recommended to us. It was so bright, colorful, and had a great oceanfront view! We each got to choose what food we wanted to order, and thoroughly enjoyed quesadillas, lobster grilled cheese, bean dip, burgers, etc. We had the best server that hopped in a picture with me as soon as we sat down! After lunch we decided to do some souvenir shopping because this would be one of the only places we’d be able to purchase them other than the airport. We each got a few things to take back for ourselves and as gifts.

After our shopping excursion, we went to the beach to enjoy some time by the water. Some were brave enough to walk through the knee-deep seaweed to enjoy the water. Others lounged in the chairs. We had a blast watching Pam, Beth, and Martha make their way back up to the sand through the seaweed. They struggled, but laughed all the way through it! (and so did everyone else!) We did a little photoshoot on the beach and were asked several times if we wanted a massage with cannabis oil. (Our answer was always no, btw)

After some time on the beach, we went to get ice cream at Tutti Frutti. This is the best ice cream on earth and we ate every last bite of it. Once we finished our ice cream, we loaded the van to drive back to the Macaroni. On the way back, we stopped at a Mayan statue to take a team picture. On the way back, the sun was setting so beautifully over the mountains. It reminded me so much of God’s faithfulness to us, His children. In Psalm 113:3 it says, “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” He is so worthy of our praise, and yet we often give glory to ourselves above Him. What a sweet reminder, as we go into camp tomorrow, to look for moments that will give God the glory.

When we arrived back at the Macaroni, we had to change out of our bathing suits and get ready for church at Pomona Baptist. We threw on our church attire, wiped off the layer of salt and sand, and added bug spray before going upstairs for dinner. We had a traditional Belizean Sunday dinner of BBQ chicken, rice and beans, and potato salad. Our meal was complete with juice and sweet tea.

After dinner, it was time to go to church! It was so beautiful to be surrounded by other believers worshipping together. We sang “This is My Desire” and “Good, Good Father”. There’s something about being in a room filled with other believers and hearing all of the voices in unison giving praise to the One who deserves it most.

Psalm 150:6

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

Pastor Wayne gave a message about living a God centered life. It’s always so special to visit Pomona for church when we’re here.

After church, we got to say hi to friends that we hadn’t seen since last year as well as friends from the other mission team that we’ve seen over the years. We love being a part of this ministry and building lifelong relationships. The Lord has built such and incredible legacy through David and Karen, and it’s so cool to see God working in Belize because of their obedience. Just because they said “yes” to God, the hearts in this country and the hearts that come here are forever changed.

When we got back to the Macaroni, we enjoyed a delicious cake made by Shelika. She sent a Red Velvet cake with Deshane and RJ for our team. We always love when we get to enjoy her special treats. Now we’re just waiting for her to come and hang out with us!

Our time with the Ferguson family is so treasured. We have spent the past 7 years with them, and they are family to us. We’ve grown up alongside them and seeing them is like a family reunion. We hate having to leave them after our 10 days is up. But we’re not there yet, so we’re going to pretend that’s not going to happen for now!

While enjoying our cake, we had a devotion time led by Martha and Rodney. We got to share our God moments from the day and spend some time prayer.

I think that’s all for today, friends! Now it’s time for me to go shower and crawl in bed!

Thank you for your prayers and support! Please be in prayer for the kids that will attend camp as we start our week tomorrow!