King Henry

Can you tell from a small seed how large the tree will become?

At times, we have an idea that the little seed will become something of great size or importance.

At times, we have no idea.

Last Monday night, I went to Hope Creek for the church service. 

We did NOT have a music leader.

We did NOT have much of a plan. (since the song leader decided last minute not to attend)

We did NOT even all speak the same language.

We did have one man closed his thumb in the truck door! Ouch!

We did have others fail to attend even though I drove several miles to go get them. Bummer.

We did have an accordion played by a man who only speaks Ketchi and Spanish.

We did have  a lady who led us in some singing, we even knew 'some' of the songs!

We did have a message, although not what I thought I had planned.

We did see fruit as God's Spirit stirred the people's hearts.

After the message, several questions were asked which helped to carry the point of the message into their hearts and minds more clearly. This encouraged me.

What encouraged me as well, was a man who was in church - for the first time ever. An alcoholic who is trying to turn his life around. Great start, my friend!

But even better than that was a 14 year old young man who came up to me with a simple question: "Pastor Ray, how can I become a Christian?"

Can you see the seed? Can you hear its potential?

I did. How exciting the next several minutes were as Henry and I talked. When it was clear that his desire was to begin this new life, I motioned for his mom to come join us. I explained what was happening with her son and asked if she thought there was any reason Henry should not do this. "No," she said, "he should do it."

Then I called for Henry's older sister to join us and filled her in on the rapidly developing moment in eternity.

Then, as I like to do, I had Henry pray first, telling God what was on his heart. Henry's first pray was beautiful. 

Heartfelt, honest, sincere...

I followed his words with my own while mom added her tears.

Afterwards we talked about mom's relationship with the Lord, "I''m trying to get there." she said. 

Henry's sister then asked some really good questions herself. Already a Christian, Sherry is wanting to grow, wanting to see her faith make a difference in some serious situations at home.

What a great night this turned out to be!!! As the angels in heaven rejoiced, I rejoiced as well on my drive home. Yes, several things had 'gone wrong'...but the one thing that mattered - went right - very, very right!

The next day I met Sherry and Henry at the new Internet Cafe in Hope Creek and taught them a little about using the computers. Henry decided his email name would be King Henry - 

later he sent this message to us:

"Last night I accepted Christ and I am happy."

Another Bar May Close Soon!

Tonight I went to go meet with 8 men who were supposed to come to have a chat about stopping their drinking habits. 

Did you guess that they did not show up - not a one. Not even the ones who shook my hands this afternoon and said they would be there. Such is the nature of addictions - we don't want to let them go - or they don't want to let us go.

I did talk to some folks who were in the bar - and listened in on conversations. It was interesting that at one point, the topic switched to it being Holy Thursday and where they should go to church! One woman did not care where, just any church and her husband had no interest at all. When a friend asked him what church he would want to go to when he died, he said he did not care. When the same man said, "What if you feel the heat?" The reluctant man said, "I'd get up and run!"

At that point I had to chime in, "It'd be just a little late then." Good natured laughter brought about a change of subject.

I did get to hand out a couple of papers with the 8 Recovery Principles from Celebrate Recovery. One man understood that if he stopped drinking it would affect Miss Gloria's business. What he did not know was that Miss Gloria, the owner of the bar, is the one who suggested that we have our meeting there!

Even after he left, I talked to Miss Gloria about making a choice that would honor God. 

She has 2 sons she is concerned about who drink too much. I suggested that maybe her sons think it is okay to drink since she sells liquor. She agreed, saying that she has been thinking about that very fact.

That is her part...

This is your part...

Miss Gloria is divorced, and cares for a 20 something daughter who is mentally challenged but sweet as can be! She smiles and waves excitedly when she sees me. Her perpetual smile makes me think she has something many of us are missing.

So, back to your part...

Please pray for Miss Gloria - pray for her to find some other way to make a bit of money to support her and her daughter. Life is not easy here. She cannot leave to go get a job without hiring a sitter (if she could find one) and then it would take all she might earn to pay for the sitter. That is why she opened the bar. 

EZ $...

Now a choice lays before her. I shared with her that I was not trying to offend her. She readily stated that she was not offended and would think about what else she could do instead of having the bar.

Pray that God honors her intention to close the bar and shows her in a very personal way that He is Jehovah Jireh, her Provider.

May God bless you as you pray for Gloria.

~ Ray & Becki

Walter Logan asked for Prayer!

Walter Logan asked for Prayer...

You don't know Walter Logan. Before today I did not either.

We had business in Belize City today so we made the drive into Belize's largest and roughest city. After finishing all that was required for today we stopped at a roadside vendor to buy some lunch. We had, as we usually do , taken our puppy Chaz, along with us. Becki was taking him for a little stroll while I waited on the food to be dished up for us.

While she was walking along, a man approached her asking if he could have her dog. She declined saying that we wanted to keep him because we love him and he loves us - and as if he understood, Chaz went right over to the man and started sniffing at his boots, tail wagging happily. The man said, "Well it looks like he loves me too!"

When I joined in, the then unknown man asked me a question. Based upon his appearance I expected to be asked for money, but instead he asked for a meal. Becki gave me a look that said, "Yes." so I headed back to the food vendor while Becki and Rachel and Chaz headed for our truck. 

Pleasant conversation ensued as we decided on what he would have for lunch. He told me that at one time he had been an evangelist here in the city but later - had been deceived and had fallen away. I felt a  nudge from the Lord to share with him the story of the blind man whom Jesus had touched and then asked, "What do you see?"

The not as blind man replied, "I see men walking around like trees." This indicated that his healing was not yet complete, as his vision was still obstructed.

Jesus then touched the man 

                                                                   a second time 

and he could see clearly then without any hindrance. I told this man that God could still do the same for him even now. He had been touched once before and even used by God and that if he desired it - Jesus would touch him again - and make him whole and perhaps use him once again.

He stood on the sidewalk, looking at me, weighing those words...then asked if I would pray for him before I left. After some more conversation, I asked his name and there in the midst of a busy Belize sidewalk prayed that Jesus would come and touch Walter Logan a second time. I prayed that God would come to him, bring wholeness (even for his one clouded eye) and use him according to his obedience to God's Word.

Then I encouraged Walter to begin again to attend church, on Easter - a great time to begin again. Would you join me in praying for Walter Logan? Pray that he indeed makes it to church on this Easter Sunday and that he receives in full, that second touch from Jesus.

~ And may you also receive a second touch from our gracious Lord this Easter time!

~ He is risen!  

Ray & Becki

What We Give Away

Been thinking about the things we give away...

Usually they are things that hold little value to us - at least at the time we give them away.

They may have held greater value at one time - like when we first bought them. Even then, the value may have been more of what it meant to us than the dollars actually paid for it.

You know what they say, an item is worth whatever someone else will pay for it. I think that often explains the prices for designer clothes. They make little sense where we live. We see designer labels sometimes...no doubt given away in someone's moment of charity - or simply because they were no longer the fashion of the moment.

What about other things, like furniture, vehicles, land, cash...

Whoa now! Getting a little carried away aren't we?! Not really, people give away those thing all the time. Sometimes for personal gain,  sometimes as acts of gracious, generous hearts.

Most times we give out of our abundance 

       - sometimes we give out of guilt 

                 - few times we give out of a desire to change someone else's situation 

                           - occasionally, I think we give out of obedience...

I have been all of those.

I think I recently gave out of obedience. I gave something that to most people would not have any value at all beyond the price a yard sale might find on it. But to me...and I dare to believe, that to the person who I gave this item, it carries GREAT VALUE.

I gave out of obedience - I am sure of this because, at first, I did not want to give it.

I struggled with the idea.

I thought of other options.

I thought of valid reasons to not to do  - or to do something else.

Funny thing about obedience - it only works when you do it.

When I finally came to the point that I was giving this item, it was still difficult, but the dye had been set. I was on a course to deliver it and the conversation's purpose, known only to me, confirmed what I felt the Lord had told me to do. 

At that point, I was gaining strength and determination. This treasure - that cannot be replaced - I was willingly placing into the hands of someone else. 

        Someone important to me. 

              Someone important to God.

I think this is my point today - that our obedience - in giving, in doing, in listening, in just living out life - is always about us - and about someone else that is important to God.

So our giving - should just be a reflection of God's grace being poured through our lives in the lives of others.

Yeah, I think that about says it - 

It will be interesting to see, somewhere near the end of our life's journeys, what things we valued most of all - and what we did with them...

I think there must be a category that tells in no uncertain terms, that the things we valued the most, were the things we gave away.

May we all follow Jesus with the heart of Psalm 119: 4 "You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed."

~ Ray

First things first - we APOLOGIZE for being so tardy in keeping in touch with updates - ! It is my fault really, I have been pretty busy teaching and some of the schedules have been changing a bit which makes preparation different, etc...all excuses though, so I apologize....

Training of the pastors is our main purpose in being here in Belize. That, I am glad to say is going pretty well. Each of the 3 locations where I teach has its own personality and mix of personalities. We do one subject per month. The entire course of study can be completed in 3 years. Missing a class can have serious delays but we are also committed to doing all we can to move pastors through the courses.

It is interesting teaching full time like this. It is challenging to keep up on all the different courses. The material prepared by the Church of the Nazarene denomination is very good. This means I do not have to make my own lessons for all of these subjects - which is VERY GOOD! Otherwise, I would not get anything done and would constantly be stressing over the next class.

As it is, there is very little downtime. By the time I finish one subject, I am already late in preparing for the next one, as the 3 locations meet at different times of the month, so I go directly from one place to the next and change subjects at the beginning of every month.

A positive note about all the different subjects is that I get to relearn these things all over again. The biggest challenge comes in making it clear enough and easy to apply so that the students can use the information to do more than just past a test - we want to see their churches and their people benefit as well.

It is a blessing to see some of them really grabbing what is being taught 

 - and applying it 

 - and see the effects on some of the local leaders and churches.

Pray that this continues - 

pray that we see more and more attend the classes

pray that they will understand and gain not just knowledge but the wisdom to apply what they are learning

pray that more people will accept Christ

and that the church in Belize will be transformed into the image of Christ that God desires to see!

Also - please pray for District Assembly this weekend. This is a crucial election year.

Belizean blessings to you all !!

~Ray & Becki

ps - if you are not already - can we encourage you to get  a free Facebook account?

We have found recently that it is a great way to keep in touch with a LOT of people.

Just go to www.facebook.com and sign up - then come find us as 'Friends'

In fact, go to this address to see some pictures we just loaded:

http://facebook.com/album.php?aid=16187&id=1077338799&l=f0967

(cut and paste that address to see the pics!)

WE HAVE A HOME PHONE !!!!!!

I know that this may not seem like big news to most of you - but hey!

It IS a big deal, especially for Becki as she has been without a way to call ---- or be called, ever since she came to Belize!

So, for those who wish to:

(from the U.S.)

011 - 501 - 665 - 5217

We do not always get good reception --- heavy clouds, rain, etc. can hamper things but this is the best we've had so far!

we're doing a happy dance - aren't you glad you can't see that!

~ Ray & Becki & Rachel

What the BLIND MAN saw!

Last night we had  great opportunity. We went to the home of some Nazarene friends from a local church. They hosted an mixed group of people who they invited to come for a Bible study - a Bible Story, actually, as I had been asked to teach the Simply The Story model of learning the Bible.

A few other denominations were represented as well as a variety of vocations. I led the group through a discovery of the account of the Good Samaritan and the reason Jesus even told that story. We had a very lively and engaging discussion.

After admitting that I am sometimes the "priest who passes by on the other side" - one of the men, who is a banker, told about recent encounters with a blind man. This particular blind man has a bit of a reputation, prostitutes, smoking weed, etc. This was already known about him, when quite unexpectedly, he moved in across the street from the banker. Suddenly, this Christian man had a dilemma. Should he risk his own reputation and possibly even personal harm...by going over to see the man and see if he had any needs?

He and his wife prayed about it and quickly decided that he needed to be a "neighbor" to the blind man. Even though he initially did not want the other neighbors to consider that he was a friend or had any 'business' with the man, they began to help out. The banker's wife would get up early each morning and make breakfast, so her husband could take it over to the blind man before he left for the bank each day. Some days, he admitted he just wanted to drop it off and run to work but made the point to go in and greet him.

Eventually, he realized that he should do more. So he began to talk to him about Jesus. He shared Scriptures and his own beliefs and was surprised to learn that the man already knew all about Jesus, in fact, at one time, he had even been a pastor!

Although born blind, he had found resources to help him study and had done well - until his life changed drastically.

The thing that struck me the most though was what the Blind Man said to the banker's wife. You see, he had already been a customer in the bank before he moved across the street from the banker. Being blind, he relies only on what he hears - which goes beyond the mere words people use. He can clearly hear their tone of voice, the inflections, the patience or impatience, their condemnation of him, etc.

The Blind Man was speaking to the banker's wife one day and told her, "I already knew your husband was a Christian before he ever told me. I could hear it in his voice and how he treated others. I knew he was a Christian. He's a good man."

Amazing! That the Blind Man "saw" the witness of Christ in the banker without ever physically seeing anything!

May we be so blessed when others see us!

Blessed in Belize!

~ Ray & Becki