Small Updates that will make a BIG Difference

HI Everyone!

In the midst of packing and sorting and selling and tossing out...
and tossing out and packing and scratching our heads wondering where all this stuff came from...!

A few little notes to help life along, especially once we are in Belize.

EMAIL

We do expect to have internet. However, it will be much less convenient, much slower and at times, just downright challenging. Therefore, please DO write us
but please DO NOT FORWARD things on to us. We will not open them.

We love many of the things that circulate and are encouraged by many
but for the sake of agonizingly slow connections, potential virus issues and use of our time, please do not send forwards to us. (You could print out your favorites and mail them to our new P.O. Box.... or better yet, just bring them yourself!)

SNAIL MAIL

We have an address for receiving mail...you know paper letters, cards and packages.

Ray & Becki Neu
P.O. Box 168
Dangriga (town)
Stann Creek (district)
Belize, Central America ( do not abbreviate to CA as often it then goes to California!)

So, why not be adventurous and send us a little something? We are curious to see how long it takes and how it arrives.

Be sure to ask the post office to send to "Belize"!

MOVING DATE

We are moving out of our side of the duplex this week as it has been rented - Praise God!
We will be staying with Michelle and 2 1/2 year old Christian until we move to Belize.
When is that?
Not sure quite yet but for now, our phones will still be working, so give us a shout !

Love you all

Ray & Becki

A Bible Story Saved Our Lives!!!

While in Belize with the mission team that was working on our house, I had the opportunity to teach a Bible Storying lesson. A number of you have experienced this and may understand the enthusiastic response. It was well received enough that on one ride back to the camp, Leah asked if we could do a Bible story, so I started in on the story of Martha and Mary. As a really good discussion ensued we reached the 7.4 mile dirt road that brings us to Advance Camp. As this road is very bumpy it makes the van very noisy.

I had slowed down to a near crawl in order to allow conversation to continue to be heard. As we came near one bend in the road, we were surprised to see a semi truck barreling our way! Not only was the truck moving very fast but as it came around the curve right in front of us, it also slid sideways and covered the road before the van. I literally had nowhere to go - other than to try to drive off into the jungle, if that would have been possible.

I came to a stop after having moved as far to the right as possible...and waited very brief, anxious moments as the speeding truck flashed past within a couple of feet of our van. The ensuing cloud of dust was nearly as dangerous as we could not see or be seen if any other vehicles had been on the road.

As many such events are, it all happened very quickly. One thing that became very clear to me was that had we not been having this Bible story discussion, I would have been driving at the normal speed for that road -------- and at that speed - we would definitely have had a horrific collision!!

I reviewed the vision of that truck hurtling towards us several times in my mind ---

     and always came to the same conclusion....a Bible story saved our lives!!!

Carol, the constant prayer warrior, was not surprised that we were spared since she had prayed in the morning that we would be covered. I know the power and thrill of answered prayer - and I believe that on this day, God covered us by using a Bible story discussion.

Can I say on behalf of all of us - we REALLY appreciate YOUR prayers!

Ray

MOTHER'S DAY

We spent the morning at Red Bank Village where the Sunday morning service consisted of a whole lot of singing and --- a wedding! We really enjoyed worshipping with people from various villages as they came together for this special occasion.

Then we went to a "nearby" waterfall. We had never been there before and did not know about the 4 = mile drive back thru the bush, then a 2 mile hike....thru the jungle...then had some fun slipping on the moss covered rocks, sliding down the rocks into a small pool of water and interrupting a photo shoot! We would never have imagined that in this out of the way place, that we would come across a professional photo shoot, complete with bikini clad models and make up artists, grips, photographer and a jungle guide...(who had according to his clothes, taken a bad fall somewhere along the way!)

Some of the team was asking if this long hike thru the steamy jungle, all uphill on the way in,  was our R&R day....declaring that it seemed more like a bootcamp adventure. There were some who said next time we go on R&R they'd rather stay back and work on the house since it was easier! So, to all those back home whose mothers were here today - you will need to give them some extra pampering when they get back home!

THE HOUSE is coming along nicely. The team has been working seriously well together and really hard also. We literally had to force them to quit last night to come to dinner! The drywall is nearly finished, electrical and plumbing are close as well. Some Indian workers are putting in the windows and doing the concrete stucco finishing work around the windows. It is amazing how nice it looks- we simply could NOT do what they do!

Please keep praying - we are doing well and with the exception of some small cuts and bumps and bruises, we all seem to be in good health.

BIRTHDAY ! My birthday was actually 2 weeks ago, but on Saturday night, the team surprised me at dinner with their singing and cards from our friends at Seashore! Wow~ what a great surprise! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! It was great to see the cards - which were hilarious, but also to see your notes and love and well wishes.  I am indeed blessed to have such friends!

Blessings from Belize!

Ray & Becki

House Building Update

Team one has completed a week's work and Mike Sterle has gone back home. He did a great job helping us get the interior walls up and strips for the ceiling set in place. Team Two arrived today which is great because we can start drywall tomorrow! Plumbing and electrical has been started as well.

It's starting to look more and more like a house!

CRITTERS:

Carol was privileged to find 2 scorpions in the ladies dorm. She let them live as they are part of God's creation - but has been advised to extinguish them as they have a tendency to propagate and make more and more little stinging scorpion babies! Watch out scorpions!

JAGUAR!!!!
May 1 as we were coming back from the airport, we saw and nearly ran over a large Jaguar in the area of Blue Hole National Park in the Maya Mountains! Absolutely beautiful animal. It was jumping through some long grass about to cross the road when I hit the brakes so as to not hit it - when it saw the larger white van about to run over it, it turned and in two long leaps was back into the jungle from which it came. What a beautiful animal and a wonderful moment to see one of God's creative efforts.

Many people here have never seen a jaguar outside of the zoo so we feel very blessed.

We also have seen another large black jungle cat - found out that they are called Jaguarundi. Gray fox are seen near the camp. Howler monkeys came by for a brief visit in the 60 ' tall bamboo on the river bank yesterday. Coati Mundi have been seen a couple of times too. And, birds of many kinds can be heard nearly all the time - which is very cool. Carl saw a Toucan yesterday as well. I'm telling you --- the Jungle is a neat place to live!


On Sunday, after having church in Silk Grass, with the wonderful brothers and sisters there, we went for a bit of R&R. We explored St. Herman's Cave --- you'll have to ask Carol about being left in the dark while the men went on a little excursion!

We also swam in a fabulous sinkhole in the jungle called The Blue Hole. The blue water comes up from springs and an underground river, beautiful blue and very cool - actually chilly. It was a great way to relax and anjoy another part of God's incredible creation here in Belize.

Grateful for those who are here helping us -for those at home praying for us -
and
Wishing everyone else could come visit !

Ray & Becki