Monday - What a Blessed Day!

Monday morning – the alarm clocks were ringing at 6:30 this morning - we woke to torrential rains – the weather looked hopeless! After breakfast, Dr. Brown led the team devotion. He truly inspired the group – He discussed the Trinity. He read Matthew 13:13 – 17, Genesis 1:2 & 26. He shared early Creeds and explained their interpretation of the Trinity. He was great and the students asked questions and truly enjoyed the lesson – they continued to ask him questions while they were working. Lupe arrived at 8 to take us to the school to begin wiring the rebar for the concrete to be poured tomorrow. Sounds simple – but we quickly learned that this is a very tedious job. The rain subsided and all day long we had minor sprinkles – all which felt like showers from Heaven. It was very humid and when the sun came out – it was too intense.
The team worked so hard. We were given various assignments and were to rotate around the different projects. We also had a prayer station where each member of the team rotated for a time of prayer. The projects included shoveling a huge pile of sand from the ground – pulling out all of the grass and weeds. Another job was to haul lots of concrete and rock – loaded into wheelbarrows and pushing it behind the school. And the biggest project was to tie wire to the rebar making 12 inch squares – this took the entire day with several students at a time using special tools to twist the wire to hold it in place. We had a couple of local guys helping us – but our students really did a lot!!!
Lupe’s wife brought us lunch – she had made from scratch fried tortilla shells – they were wonderful – she filled them with chicken, lettuce, and tomato. She had fresh watermelon and PBJ’s. Everyone enjoyed. The children are in school but have several recesses during the day. They played marbles, and ran around the playground. Some would talk to you and others would try to sneak off with your food. They are all so adorable. We worked a couple of more hours and then got ready to head to Bible School.
The rain started back as we got to the church – but cleared by the time we started. God is so good. After introductions – Anthony opened the VBS with a welcome and Zeb led us in prayer. We had a time for singing songs. JB has discovered his new favorite song – “My God is So Big” – the kids love him and how easy his name is to pronounce. Today – Sara planned the craft and all the girls helped – they shaved crayons with pencil sharpeners and ironed between wax paper – and attached a cross to construction paper – the kids were thrilled – all 100(plus) of them. Marian, Kaitlin, & Allyson painted finger nails – and the girls loved the attention. The boys played soccer, Frisbee, baseball, and gave piggy-back rides. I told Bible stories in the sanctuary and read books. We all were overwhelmed with how quickly the children fall in love with you. They just crawl all over you – hug you – hold your hand – and just want your full attention – they love being photographed!
The ladies of the church brought a typical Belize dinner with beans and rice, chicken and slaw. We are all so way passed exhausted – we came back to the hotel for much anticipated showers. Stephen led our devotion tonight. He shared Philippians 4:6-9 which says, 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. He did a great job encouraging the team to release any worries and focus on the qualities in verse 8 – things that are lovely, true, noble, etc. He told them to focus on God! Dr. Brown then read Psalm 22 and discussed more about the Trinity and Jesus’ comments on the cross. The students are really enjoying his insights and wisdom. No cards tonight – we have a long day tomorrow and everyone is exhausted.
Some funny moments in the day were: A side trip to the store to make photos for Mr. Mark, Zeb pushing Gary in the wheelbarrow, Sara crashing a wheelbarrow, Lawrence chasing a turkey, Lawrence hunting a Frisbee with the horse, jokes on the van ride, Lawrence made up a new song – and one of the workers began whistling it, the team singing the frog on the log in the hole in the bottom of the sea while tying wire, Stephen teaching a boy to say how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood, Allyson’s little admirer who blew kisses, & singing in the hammocks.
One special moment today was at the church. Only a few children had arrived and our team embraced them and began painting nails and playing Frisbee. The CD player was playing a worship melody which included “There is none like You.” I was standing in a doorway by a grassy areas where Gary, Anthony, Hunter, Stephen, Corbin, Lawrence, JB, Zeb, & Daniel play Frisbee with three little boys – they were totally into it and the boys were thrilled – there were 2 other little boys staring at them through the sanctuary window and in the next building you could see Marian, Allyson, Sara, & Kaitlin loving on the girls as they arrived hugging them and talking to them. The entire scene was so moving – the younger children cannot speak English – but they speak the language of “love.” The DCS team enveloped those kids with love and the young Belize children could not soak it in enough – I had tears running down my face as the CD player played – “There is none like you. No one else can touch my heart like You do. I could search for all eternity long and find there is none like You.” God is beyond words! His Spirit is moving through these students in powerful ways – they have truly emptied themselves and are vessels - and the Spirit is working through them – isn’t it amazing that He would give us the privilege to come all the way from SC to be His hands and feet. What an awesome God we serve! We can search the world over – but will never find the thrill that is ours when we are in the center of His will for our lives – pray for that realization to become deeply embedded into the hearts and minds of our seniors! God bless!