BECKI IS IN BELIZE !!!!!!!!

WOW!  

It's been 47 days since I left Ohio to come to Belize...

It's been 47 days since I saw my wife...

It's been 47 days of hectic schedules, busy busyness on both ends,

It's been 47 days of emails, im's and phone calls...

It's been 47 days of "I miss you" and "I love you"...

It's been 47 days of wondering when this day was going to come.

At last - it's here!!!!!!

Wow, she's gorgeous!

Becki and Rachel and I had a great reunion, just so happy to see each other. Yes, Rachel is here too - Becki has been homeschooling her this year and she is just as happy to be a homeschool student in Belize as in Ohio or anywhere we might be.

We also had a divine appointment in meeting a Nazarene mission team from Kansas that just arrived in Belize. I cannot even tell you all the details now, but it was a true 'God - thing'!

I tried so hard to make a certain thing happen and circumstances far beyond me stopped all progress. Yet, God had other plans. He actually used this group to accomplish what I was trying to do - without them even knowing that a local pastor needed exactly what they were bringing to that table! Not only that but they blessed me in another way too as they have some men who will help tackle a little project for the future training of our pastors here.

And - I met a recently retired man who is interested in helping us with teaching the lay pastors. All this because Becki's flight this morning was delayed a couple of hours due to thunderstorms last night which kept the flight crew from getting enough sleep to be able to fly.

Um, is God in the details...or what!??!! 

I  LOVE  IT ! &  I LOVE GOD even more for making such things happen, and allowing me to see it in full living color! Too cool!

Pray for me this week as I go to teach a class on New Testament to the lay pastors. I just found out about this as I was leaving to go to a seminar for 3 days. Can you say 'brain overload'?!

God is faithful  -  so I KNOW it will be a good week, but I also know it will be an even better week  - if YOU will pray!

Thanks everyone!

Ray

First Service for a New Church Plant!

Lord's Bank is a nice name for a church! It is the name of the village where Dionicio Teck lives and it is where we had a rally this morning as the first service held here in efforts to open a new church. Dionicio is not a pastor, he is not wealthy, he is not an evangelist. Dionicio is a layman who has a heart for the Lord and for other people. 

This heart for others and for the Lord led him to make a plan to open this new church start. He worked hard to invite others, clear the lot in front of his very simple, little house, arranged for a set up the small tent we used for shade and paid from his own pocket to rent chairs, provide food and even help pay for transportation to bring others from a village farther away so they could be there to offer their support.

In light of all that he did, it was sort of fitting that I preached from the story of the woman in Luke 7 - who brought an alabaster jar of perfume, wept on Jesus feet, dried them with her hair, and poured the expensive gift on His feet. Dionicio did all of this over the past couple of weeks.

His lavish gift to help start this church does NOT come from deep pockets - nor does it come from a high paying job - it comes from a certain low level of income but a deep level of love and commitment. 

More than 110 people attended this morning. Many were so happy to see a church in their neighborhood. We were blessed far beyond the heat, the brief rain (which make it even more humid after it passes), and the bugs - by the smiles on the faces all around us. Their songs, the children who were dedicated and the many kind words shared after the service, during the fellowship meal, were of great encouragement. 

PRAY for this new start church

PRAY for a pastor to be provided

PRAY for the pastor who is asking his church to allow him to go preach there in the afternoons

PRAY for the people of the community

PRAY for salvations to be abundant

and PRAY that LORD'S BANK will become a true repository of God's abundant grace and love and forgiveness to all who need it.

Ray

Sunday - Bliss to busted!

With only so many hours in a day you wonder sometimes how much can happen in just one day.
This Sunday started out with an amazing number of 'coincidental' meetings. I thought I was starting a little late for the church that I wanted to attend but soon found out I was right on time - God's time!

I met Ramon, a new friend in Hope Creek, who was walking out to check on his farm. We greeted each other warmly while he updated me on what he has been doing lately...speaking to young people in his village about starting a Bible study! This is very cool, as so far, he and I have not had our first Bible study together even. He is already working though to recruit others. On top of that he told me that he was talking to another man who also said he should probably change his life also - this man owns a bar. I had asked Ramon earlier where we could meet and he was not sure. When he told me about this man - I asked if we could go meet him - and talk to him about this possible change of life - and then told Ramon, maybe he will even let us have Bible study in his bar! He agreed, so we will try to go meet him on Tuesday morning - PLEASE PRAY for this meeting and this man and the Bible study that will soon develop here!

So, I left Ramon and drove on towards my destination. Not too much after along, I stopped to pick up a man looking for a ride. I have been cautioned about doing this with men carrying bags as on occasion they are carrying drugs but I felt a nudge to stop, so I did. Marcel was on his way towards his home after being at work for the last 10 days at a local resort. He gets 4 days off in between working shifts. Our conversation quickly became serious as he found out I was headed to church in the same village where he wanted to go to. He told me about his addiction to alcohol and said that he knew he needed to change as he is a husband and father of 2 now. He was actually raised in the church, by parents that sent him there, but he has gone his own way and gotten into this trouble. It became clear that he knew some Scripture as he asked me about the kind of prayers that God answers, etc. I assured him that whether we are sinning or not, one prayer God always answers is an honest heart cry of "God, Help me!"

He said he had prayed that morning and wondered how things would be when he got home. That already that morning when they got off work his friends had invited him to have a drink. When he turned them down, citing lack of money, they offered it for free. He told them he just had to go home to see his children. I suggested that this ride and our talk was part of his answer. He agreed. He said he just needed some encouragement and had found it.

I took him to his in-laws home after swinging by the church so he would know where it was. Feeling very encouraged myself, I went on to the church at San Roman. There I worshipped with a great group of people and young people especially. It was thrilling to see a dozen teens get up and sing and quote Scripture that they memorized, each doing their own verses. The message I offered was from John 1 - about Jesus moving into our neighborhood. The congregation responded well, even when a drunken man made his entrance into the service. His own brand of 'participation' was politely borne by the people who sometimes tried to help him lower his volume some. Part way through the sermon, he decided he'd had enough and weaved his way out the door.

His entrance, and personal choice to leave when I was preaching about becoming a child of God - made for an interesting Live Object lesson. One in which I encouraged the church people that he is our neighbor, someone to pray for , to show love and hope and truth to - in hopes that he will one day rejoin them - of sober mind and sober spirit!

I spoke to several people in this church about future classes for pastoral training and Bible study and even received a request for 12 Student Study Bibles! It seems someone there has 1 and now they are all eager to have their own so hey can learn and memorize more.

I went on to visit 2 more churches in the afternoon, enjoying fellowship and encouragement along the way before turning back towards home. As I came back through San Roman, I saw Marcel walking along the road, along with another man on a bicycle. Excited to see my new friend, I slowed down, only to quickly recognize that both men were intoxicated. In fact, as I drew nearer to them, I watched the one one the bike collapse into the ditch next to him, while Marcel simply looked at him, apparently helpless himself beyond standing there staring at his fallen comrade. My heart sunk.

I slowly passed by and decided not to stop. I wanted to but have learned from friends in the states that you can't talk to a man while he's drunk. So my morning bliss was busted by this oh-too-real vision of reality.

PLEASE PRAY for Marcel, for his wife and children. Pray that this will be his last day to drink as God's Holy Spirit convicts him of his sin and draws him to Jesus for the help that he needs.

I'm not discouraged - (much) - I am reminded of what Jesus said: "From the time of John the Baptist until now, The Kingdom of God has been advancing and forceful men take it by force."

PRAY for the Spirit to be the force at work in Belize and in me!
~ Ray

"We want lives of simple, predictable ease—smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see
—but God likes to go off-road"

- Tony Snow


Tony Snow (1955-2008). He was not only President Bush's press secretary from 2006-2007, a broadcaster with Fox News, a journalist and newsman, but also a committed Evangelical Christian. Tony Snow died Saturday, July 12.

Many times, testimonies do not come from easy, cushy, everything is alright with me type lives. This reflects a general rule of life -Trials produce unexpected blessings.

Tony Snow wrote this in July. He had just resigned as the President's Press Secretary because of his ongoing battle with cancer. In ChristianityToday he wrote an article reflecting on lessons he has learned and is continuing to learn. Here is an excerpt from that article: Cancer's Unexpected Blessings

The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change. You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious, and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies.

4 wheeling anybody?!! ~ Ray

Harvest Time for the Children !

The volunteers I mentioned the other day have been faithfully ministering all week - and are exhausted! Last night they stayed up nearly all night making preparations - one mother of 2 slept just 3 hours and her mother...did not sleep at all!

The morning site was packed with 240 children and the afternoon site was filled with nearly 100 excited little souls. God rewarded their diligence this morning as 18 older children came forward and gave their lives to Christ. I was not able to stay to see the harvest at the second site but God is surely stirring amidst these young hearts.

Continue to pray for the Ayalas as they minister. They minister every Sunday afternoon in an open lot to 35 children that responded to the call of Christ at last year's VBS.

Glory a Dios!

Ray

I stood weeping...

as I listened to a wonderful Cuban lady tell us about how they were gathering the children to come to the VBS we came across today. 

We stopped to check on Pastor Marcos this afternoon, to see how he was faring and were amazed to see their little church bursting with children! A lady from Cuba who now lives in Miami, had come back to Belize to help lead VBS in a couple of locations this week. She and another volunteer from her little church near Naples came to help her daughter and son-in-law do this wonderful ministry. They are doing children's ministry in one area in the mornings, grabbing some lunch and coming to another village in the afternoons. This was their second day and already they are getting a bit tired but were SO EXCITED about the children who were coming.

The morning group is having about 150 children while the afternoon group is about 75. 

Most of these children are not involved in church at all so this is incredible.

She told me about a couple of children who wanted to come but had to help with chores. So they decided to get up at 4 AM in order to help with the chores so they could be ready to go to VBS by 8 AM. Young children hungry, hungry for the things of God!

Another story she told me was difficult to hear and such a blessing also as I realized the depths this family is going to in order to reach out to those who may otherwise be completely forgotten. They found out about 2 young boys who are locked in their house everyday while their parents work. They really wanted to come to VBS, so these burdened adults asked permission to keep the boys with them, all day, while the parents work. They reluctantly agreed because they thought the boys, (their own) were 'malo' - bad but this lady explained to the parents that they thought they were 'bueno' good boys. She relayed that they were so serious and somber, didn't smile and shied away when they tried to hug them --- but --- that they were there and were already warming up a bit and loving being active, making the crafts, hearing the Bible stories.

I think what moved me was more than the story -it was also the fact that this family is making such an incredible impact on these children. The son-in-law took a week off from work to be able to help do VBS with his wife and mother-in-law. She had such passion and conviction in her voice and obviously in her actions, her love for these children was so evident and so encouraging and so challenging all at once. Her love for them was so evident that it touched me deeply. Hearing her son-in -law explain about closing his business for a week to go and help. His wife's voice calling out and sometimes singing to the children as we visited. The fact that they were doing this without help from anyone, without funds beyond what they had in their pockets, without asking for help but just serving the Lord by serving these little ones.

I was so blessed and encouraged that waves of admiration, blessing and great gratitude kept washing over me as...

....I stood weeping - in joy over the little ones hearing about my Jesus!

Pray to the Lord of the Harvest for help in winning and keeping these young ones in the Lord's House!

Ray

POMONA HAS CHURCH!

This newer church in our area has had its ups and downs lately. Sort of like a child learning to walk, they go for a bit, not exactly sure of themselves, then they stumble a bit also. Sometimes they fall down and look around to those watching to see what they should do next. If the adults or older siblings are encouraging, then they get up and try it again.

Pomona church has been like that. They have gotten their start, walked a bit, stumbled a bit and recently, unfortunately have fallen or sat down and did not know quite what to do.

Leah McLaughlin and her son Tabor have been here in Belize this week. She became very enthused about Bible Storying during her last visit to Belize. Her eagerness earned her a chance to come back and teach it to some of the women in local villages. The first was Silk Grass. The women there were also captured by this simple yet profound way of digging treasures out of the Bible. A decision was made to take it to another nearby village to introduce to the women there…enter Pomona.

After a morning of Bible Storying at Silk Grass, the ladies loaded up our little vehicle and went to Pomona. A short time later, we had assembled a delegation of ladies and children, plus Tabor and myself, and walked through the village going to homes of those already known to have been involved in the Pomona church. Smiles, greetings called over fences and through windows soon created some excitement for the following day when the class would be held.

Saturday proved to be a bit of a challenge as some followed through on the invitations while others found other things to occupy themselves with. Leah and the ladies persisted which led to the next step…Sunday morning.

It was decided that we would have church Sunday morning and attempt to reignite this little church. There was overnight excitement and enthusiasm which was challenged by reality on Sunday morning. When we arrived, the church was locked and no one was to be seen.

Persistence is an interesting word. We persisted.

We had walked around the village a couple of days earlier, so we knew where people lived and Leah had already committed their names to memory so….

Not too long later we had gotten the keys to the church, had visited a few homes and brought some people back with us.

A happy 3 hours later we slowly reversed the process, took people home, gave lots more smiles and handshakes and words like “See you next time, okay?!”

It is neat to work within God’s sense of timing too. We found out that next week a group will be coming that will be doing VBS …at Pomona! So, is His infinite wisdom, this week was at least, in part, about preparing some of the church folks to receive the ministry that is in store for next week.

It’s fun to be a part of what God is doing, even if we don’t know how it all works out, it is neat to see that He gives us a place in His handiwork.

Just for Grins

See the map clear down at the bottom of this page....

         ............... scroll waaaaaaaaaaay down there.....

You can see we have a long ways to go!

Ray & Becki

How Many...?

How many leaf-cutter ants does it take to strip a small tree down to skeletal remains?

How many bees does it take to harvest the nectar from the flowers of the Kahune Palm?

How many blood-sucking insects are there in Belize?

How many vines does it take to topple a full grown tree?

How many species of birds are there that sing their incredibly different and wonderful songs?

How many beautiful flowers grow that here naturally are sold as Exotics in the U.S.?

How many mangoes can I consume in a week?

I actually do not know the answers to any of these questions. But...I know:

~ leaf-cutter ants are voracious and incredibly diligent workers. Once they begin to harvest, nothing stops them.

~ the bees are equally busy when they gather nectar, the blooms drop with amazing consistency as they work.

~ insects...Who Knows?! But I can tell you there are more than I care for!

~ vines...I did not count them but in the process of clearing it out from the portion of our 'driveway' that is was covering, I found myself thinking, there is NO WAY you could quickly go from point A to point B in such a mass of interspersed vines (and before anyone says "Hey it's the jungle!" Yes, I know I am more aware of it all the time.

~ birds...Couldn't tell you that either although I imagine someone can. It is a treat though to hear such magnificent melodies even though the trees are so thick we cannot often see them. Although today I did see an abundance of green parrots and 4 Keel-billed toucans in a bare tree near the dining hall. How cool is that?

~ flowers...It is amazing to see the Bird's of Paradise flowers growing in ditches when we would pay a premium for them in the U.S.

~ now, to the all important question about mangoes.... I don't know this one yet either as I missed the season and there aren't enough now to discover the quantity but hopefully someday...

Well, maybe some of this would encourage you to visit Belize someday. Don't worry about the bugs, when you weigh out the whole deal - they're not that bad compared to the treats all around you and the wonderful people you meet. 

More on them next time...

Ray