So apparently my blog didn't update last time around. I guess that was the error message I got. It was in Spanish and since I didn't see smoke I figured everything was going to be okay.
Yesterday we trekked into the jungle once again to visit a couple of workers with TEAM Mission International. Not far from Orange Walk (where we are home-basing) they are developing a bootcamp site. God bless them. I feel like one big mosquito bite I can only imagine what the poor 20 American teenagers arriving on Sunday will look like.
There mission is to challenge and training teens to be active in service and evangelism. If they can break through to the youth of Belize I think this could be an awesome ministry but I think things have been slow going in that neighborhood. Some of the locals have mentioned that they think they're a little nuts living in the jungle - though it is beautiful is filled with many dangers for those who are not careful.
Our own program continues to go very well. When I wrote this morning we only had a few hours left in our training session and now we are done. So it's on to a trial day camp program tomorrow. Up until yesterday we were expecting 45 children that one of the pastors recruited from the community. However, a kind gesture of some unknown individual may bring out substantially more children. Alex's sister informed us that someone is advertising for us on the radio. Though it's pretty cool we don't have the facility to house more than 45. In fact housing 45 will already be a small miracle.
Prayerfully we'll do our best tomorrow. We're looking into a community recreation center that would be absolutely perfect for us. Alex pointed it out the other day as we were on the way to check out a Christian school that hoped to rent. For a small fraction of the price we can rent this facility complete with cooking facilities, meeting rooms, indoor play area (which is important since it is technically the rainy season here) and plenty of play space outside. The only thing we need is a sound system for chapel times. What a blessing! Alex asked what I figured it would cost to rent the place and I figured $100-200 per hour. They only wanted $100/week! (and I think that may be Belize dollars which would make it $50 CDN) Here's a secular organization that simply wants to bless us because they feel the community needs a program like this. Even the cheapest Christian school wanted 6 times the rents with half the facility.
After we complete the day camp tomorrow we'll head to Alex's house for supper (I hear lobster is on the menu - yeah missions in Belize is tough when you visit a fisherman's house - apparently lobster is extremely cheap out here). Please pray that we'll even be a light during this time. Though a wonderful woman (did you know that Alex was abandoned as a child and she took him in) she is involved with witchcraft among other things.
The next day we hope to travel south to Belize City making a couple of stops along the way (Spanish Lookout - another Mennonite community where we have some Manitoba connections, Belmapan - a beautiful camp facility with no leadership, and Belize City where we hope to meet some key pastors in the community). We've been told that Belize City has some not so great areas. Fortunately our transportation fell through so we will have to hire a driver to take us around the city. Otherwise I was going to drive, Alex to navigate, none of us knowing where the bad parts are. So already God is answering your prayers for our safety.
After we complete the loop we'll get ready to come home. My apologies is you don't hear from me after Monday but we're unsure when we'll have access to the internet between then and Friday.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
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