DCS in Belize

Praise! Team's Closing Comments

2010-05-23T18:36:00.000-07:00

Our final morning the power went out - we were so blessed that we had made it all week without that happening. They were able to get us a little to eat. Anthony read Acts 1:8, "8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." for our final devotion. He charged the group to really go forth and from this journey - taking the passion they had for missions and spread the gospel to their hometown and state and beyond It was a great last word of encouragement.

It rained on the way to the airport - but we processed easily through check-in and our flight was on time! Praise. We landed in Houston - and had 2 hours - enough time you would think - but we spent 1 1/2 hour getting through customs, claiming luggage, and going back through security. We then ran through the airport - 3 terminals away - JB quickly connected with his Aunt Lucinda, who had cookies for everyone - (a much needed boost) and we boarded the plane with about 2 minutes to spare. While everyone boarded - I grabbed sandwiches and water and we took a great sigh of relief. They delayed take-off about 10 minutes for our luggage - and then we headed for Charlotte. It was a great day for flying! We were thrilled when we got to the airport and were greated by Anthony, Gary, Sara, Kaitlin, and Stephen's parents.

We made it - - - but most of the luggage did not:) No one complained at all - they promised to deliver on Sunday.

Words will never express how much this week has meant to the team. I could write for hours telling you of all the times and ways God showed us His power, grace, provision, and love! He thrilled us over and over! I thought the best way to end the blog was allowing the students to express their feelings about how the trip impacted them in their own wordsl

Going to Belize has been a good time. I have learned a lot about my class and personally. I have learned how lucky we are. We have accomplished a lot here and learned many things too. I think that going to Belize was a great experience. – Corbin

I feel like during this week we have all grown closer and have helped other team members when in need. This has been a spiritual blessing for all of us, as we have seen each other grown in many different ways. Being in a third world county has its challenges, but the challenges have made the trip fun. It has been a lifetime experience. – Sara Arnette

It has been a life changing experience for me. It was an awesome experience being out of the country and seeing how another part of the world lives. It was great being able to help those people. – Daniel Brown

Thank God for His mercies this week to me and all of us. We praise Him for His tender care for His children from DCS and His children in Belize. From the weather to our health, He has protected us and blessed our mission. – Michael Brown

This past week I’ve learned a lot. I learned about how they live, with none of the accessories we take for granted. Also, Omar gave us a lot of facts and taught us about the wildlife. We went to the Myan Ruins and learned a lot about their history. – Zeb Boykin

This week has been a life changing experience. I have loved sharing the gospel with the people here. Belize has made me feel blessed with what we have at home. God has blessed us with many great miracles this week, and we praise Him for it! - Marian Carr

During this last week I have learned that there are people everywhere that need help. Many other people have it a lot worse than we do so through some of our troubles we should always know that things aren’t so bad after all. We should appreciate everything we have and thank God for everything He has blessed us with. – Gary Deese

This trip has really opened my eyes. Being here has shown me how great we have it. I really enjoyed being with the kids. God has shown me a lot through our talks with Dr. Brown. This has been the most eye opening trip I have taken. – Stephen Johnson

I have realized how important it is to make sacrifices in your daily life for the Lord - also how important it is not to complain because there are so many that have it much worse. We are extremely spoiled and take everything for granted. We should constantly be worshiping and praising His name for all the blessings He has given us. - Hunter Jordan

Belize is a great place. It was fun to stay at a hotel without air-conditioning and learn to appreciate it more. I enjoyed paving and finishing the job early. The kids at the church were great and by the 3rd day, I have gotten to know them and like them a lot. It was amazing how they can be so happy and full of energy without much food, A/C or belongings. – Lawrence Jordan

This trip has meant a lot to me. At first it was hard for me being gone from home for so long but after hearing great devotions, they reminded me to stay strong and that the Lord would take care of me. My favorite part of this week was working with kids at VBS. It was amazing to see how excited they were about everything we gave them. This trip really has been a great experience. – Kaitlin Locklear

This trip has opened my eyes to the needs of third world countries and also the needs of our country. JB Pittman

The biggest impact I have experienced is how poor and needy the church and community was but they continued to stay happy and excited for the Lord. This showed me that even though we have PLENTY in America, we need to be thrilled that God is our Savior, and we need to be thankful for all things. – Allyson Rice

Although some people don’t agree with short term mission, going on one and seeing all I have seen, they are all worth it, and they can change people’s lives. So I encourage all people who read this to think about going on one. – Anthony D. Santilli

Thank you for supporting us, loving us, praying for us, and encouraging us! Continue to pray for the people in Belize. Please pray for team members - pray for their spiritual growth and desire to continue missions. As Anthony said this morning - we are His witnesses - may we all be obedient to the call to Go & Tell!

Fun in New River

2010-05-23T10:20:00.001-07:00

More Friday Photos

2010-05-23T05:17:00.001-07:00

Mayan Fun!

2010-05-21T18:08:00.001-07:00

Friday - Fun In the Sun!

2010-05-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful morning! God has blessed us with perfect weather for every day’s adventure! The sun burst through the sky across the bay this morning and it was beautiful. Daniel led the devotion reading from Acts 8:26-40 about Philip responding to the call of God along the road to witness to the Eunuch which in turn spread to all the Ethiopian church. He really encouraged us to know that our work is not complete – while in Belize or after we leave – because “along the road” God may call us to share – and we may never know what our response to His call to just one person could mean eternally. It was great! We looked at a few more comments in Mark Batterson’s book which included “the most important choice you make every day is your attitude.” “Your internal attitudes are far more important than your external circumstances. Joy is mind over matter.” “Worship is forgetting about what’s wrong with you and remembering what is right with God.”
The excited 15 member mission team headed out with driver’s Dr. Brown and Omar for Orangewalk Belize. We drove an hour to get to the New River for a river tour heading to the Lamania Ruins. It is the hottest day we have experienced – unbelievable heat and humidity. We all got on a 26 foot boat – and it did not take long before the adventure began. We saw 2 iguana, lots of birds, a man floating down the river with a bunch of orchids he had just cut, lily pads, a bird that ran on water, hawks, and a variety of wildlife. The highlight was the driver pulling up a tree and handing a couple of kids bananas – a monkey jumped into the boat and took it from them! Another monkey – a little shy – came to the edge of the boat to get his banana. All of the students had so much fun – they were even able to pet them.
We continued down the river – we wanted to see a jaguar or crocodile – but had not luck. After we arrived at Lamania, we had lunch, and then began the tour. It was amazing! These ruins date back to prior to the life of Christ. They included parts of royal homes, many places of worship, god heads – you will see in the photo. We climbed & climbed & climbed to the top of all of the tall ones – the tallest was 115 feet high. There was a rope on the stairs to help you climb similar to a mountain. It was intensely hot! But we had a blast! I truly stood in awe at the bottom of one of the huge monuments in amazement at the lengths they went to worship idols. Then, I felt convicted – we are so similar – we create our own idols – things we place before the One and Only God – and pour so much time, money, and energy into them. Humbling thought.
The trail walk was beautiful. We saw a tarantula wrapped around her eggs – it was in a hole in the ground – there is a picture. It was wild!
After exploring all the ruins, we had the most fun on the dock. The kids all jumped repeatedly off the high dock – everyone went! We swam for a long time – and it was great! We laughed at everyone’s attempt to out do the other. Then, the entire group tried to take a jumping picture. Lawrence kept jumping out of the photo – it was hilarious.
The ride back was beautiful. The New River is a winding river with gorgeous vegetation on both sides. Again, I truly was in awe of our Creator – that he could speak this world with all it’s uniqueness into existence. We serve an awesome God!
We came back and had supper with Lupe and his family. They have been so kind to prepare all of our meals. We have eaten a lot of chicken, rice & beans, and so many tortillas. It has been really good. Then the boys worked out again with their water bottles.
Humor for the day included Lawrence’s daily description of swallowing a pill, Zeb chasing a lizard in the girls room and trapping it in a hole in the wall, Hunter's failed attempt to prove a knife was dull, learning a new way to open a coke bottle, Sara buying a machete, climbing the high rock formations and hyperventilating coming down, Hunter throwing water on Stephen & Stephen's revenge, climbing to the top and forgetting a camera and Lawrence sprinting to tbe bottom and back, and truly enjoying each other’s company.
We had our final evening team meeting. Gary and Sara led the devotion. They talked about unanswered prayer. They read Luke 17:6 which says, “He replied, If you have faith as small We as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea and it will obey you.” Faith is “trusting God’s heart, and trusting God’s power.” God knows what is best for us – and sometimes what we ask is not best. Other problems may be that the timing is not in line with God. Yet we must remember, God’s answers are wiser than our prayers. They did a great job.
Then, Dr. Brown read Luke 22:15-20 and discussed the sacraments of communion and baptism. Once again, the discussion with the students was wonderful! He charged the students to guard all that they have learned over the last 18 years and share it. He read out of Exodus 20 about not having idols – and I shared with them my thoughts about the lengths we go to worship idols. The kids discussed things we put before our time and relationship with God. I told them that several times this week, as I have looked at the extreme poverty, I have thought how blessed we are to live in the US. However, God really convicted my heart one day as we were riding. The reality is – they are truly blessed. We have so much that distracts us from our relationship with Him. All the possessions and quests for self pleasure – distract us from our time with the only God worthy of worship. Their lack of distraction gives them riches and blessings as they seek Him, lean upon Him, have trust in His provision, care, and love. What a week! We have all been exposed to so much – God has been so good to us!
We ended the night reflecting on the trip and then Dr. Brown charged the students to pray for DCS as alumni. We closed the night praying for the school, staff, teachers, coaches, spiritual growth, strong leaders to step up in the rising senior class, and many more things. We also prayed for the students – God has given all of the seniors – here and in Dillon a unique sphere of influence. We prayed for them to be strong, passionate leaders and to stand firm on God’s promises. We prayed for their priority focus to always be on Him.
We have an early wake up in the morning – all day in the airport. Keep us in your prayers! Love to you all!

2010-05-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday - Final Work Day!

2010-05-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

Today is our final day of work – we actually have mixed emotions. We woke up for the first time in Belize to – NO RAIN! It is a little cloudy – but it looks to be a beautiful day. The mosquitoes have really been bad – but with the rain gone – they were not. Corbin led the team devotion reading from John Piper’s book – Don’t Waste Your Life. He began with 1 Corinthians 6:19-2o –“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” He read, “If you are a Christian, you are not your own. Christ bought you at the price of his own death – now you belong doubly to God – first He made you, and he bought you. Glorifying God is the meaning of your life.” He also read, “if you make a difference with your life that lasts, you will not waste your life.” He added some personal thoughts and encouraged the team about the work we had ahead today – making a difference that last! He also read that “our desire should be to make knowing and enjoying God the passionate pursuit of life!” AmenJ
We pulled back out The Lion on a Pit on A Snowy Day for a few other thoughts that complimented his devotion. In chapter 3 he writes, “don’t let mental lions keep you from experiencing everything God has to offer.” “Accumulate experiences, not possessions.” He also said in our pursuit to know and enjoy God we need to consider our minds like a computer – and we need to “upgrade your mind by downloading Scripture.” “develop the mind of Christ.” These were all great thoughts as we headed out for the final day of work.
We headed to the school to complete the job. It was blistering hot! I think God gave us the weather today to make us realize what a gift the clouds and rain on the previous days had been! We only worked for 2 hours – but we all agreed we sweated more in that time than we had in the previous days total! We had a pile of rocks and a pile of sand leftover from the concrete. The Headmaster of the school wanted us to extend the driveway out to the parking lot – so we shoveled the sand and spread a layer of sand – then a layer of rocks – and topped it off with sand. The students did a prayer walk around the school today for our prayer time. We cleaned up the site and celebrated the victory!
The Headmaster then took us on a tour of the school – it has students 3 years through standard 4 – which would be our 8th grade. The younger students sang for us. The halls were painted with beautiful murals which I will include in the pictures today. They would love to have another team come and tile the upstairs of the school.
Then we went to see the addition that MTW is building at the high school. They have really done a great job – and hope to move into the classrooms soon.
Next, we went to the Presbyterian medical clinic. It was a very simple building – a very humbling experience for the students. The missionary doctor is from Tennessee – I think she was delighted to see some US people and talk to Dr. Brown. Her husband began the only rehab center in Belize for drug and alcohol. They are doing amazing work with very limited resources. She asked for prayer for a furlough doctor.
Then we went to Lupe’s home for lunch. His wife has kindly cooked for us all week – their house is the green house in the pictures. We had tacos and cantaloupe. The kids really enjoyed! There is also a picture of the grinder she uses in the back yard to make all of her spices. She also had a lime tree, a papaya tree, and an avocado tree. The kids took a siesta in the chairs around the house – they were so tired from the heat!
We came back to the hotel – by back roads. We have been travelling on paved roads – but we took a different route – wow – they were bad. We did pass a papaya orchard. In the fields you will see as you drive a cow tied up – they take their animals wherever there is grass to feed. There are goats, chickens, roosters, and cow everywhere. The houses are very small and the poverty is overwhelming.
After a short break – we headed to the final day of VBS. The church is 30 minutes from the hotel. When we arrived – the children we lined up along the fence – they are so excited. The church is behind a chain-linked fence. The children just push each other aside to get close to you – they want lots of hugs and affirmation. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. They crave love like nothing I have ever experienced. We sang our songs again – and the kids just love the energy. The boys headed out again to play soccer with the older students and the girls stayed to do a pipe cleaner fish using beads telling the message of the gospel. Kaitlin had organized the craft. We explained each bead as they put them on and then shaped the cleaner like a fish – they were thrilled! The pastor brought all the kids in for a closing ceremony – they were literally hanging out the windows! It was chaos beyond words. There was no order – over 150 kids in a building designed for about ½ of that. Not even half of the kids speak English – so that has been a hurdle all week – and then – if a child needed to go to the bathroom – they just went in the church yard – if a baby was hungry – a mom fed them right in the church – there were few parents – mostly children bringing children – and I am talking about 5 year olds walking with their 2 year old siblings – and craft time – they were hauling in infants and wanting a craft for them - it has been a real eye opening experience for these students!
By the end of VBS – I think it is fair to say we all felt completely poured out! It has been such a blessing to share in the lives of these children – they were pleading for us to come back again. We have so much in America – and they true delight in the most simplistic things – well there are really no words. Yet the joy of these children shines on their faces in an unbelievable way. They are content. What a blessing!
The ladies of the church fed us dinner and we headed home. The energy and laughter on the van rides have been great – lots of singing, talking, and truly enjoying each other’s company.
While the majority of the team took showers – JB, Zeb, Hunter, Corbin, Gary, and Stephen did a workout using the 40lb water bottles. I am always amazed that when boys want to workout – they find a way – there has been a group of them doing this every night. I will get pictures.
Lawrence led devotion tonight – he read out of Acts and talked about Peter and John – truly evangelizing – no matter the cost. He did a great job. Then Michael and the team got into deep conversations about true worship. He described how in the OT people were told down to the detail how to worship – and today – we need to go by Jesus’ example. He read Scriptures and they were soaking it up – he also discussed communion and the need for repentance before we partake and finally they discussed the Anti-Christ. I have been so impressed with the intrigue and questions from our seniors. They have asked great questions – and Dr. Brown has really given them Scriptural references to get their answers. As we finished – the guitar player came back in – and JB gave him money NOT to play again – we are ready for bed!
Laughter today included: Sara talking in her sleep, Allyson having a lizard come into the shower with her, Lawrence killing mosquitoes, giggles at VBS closing, the lizard chirping in Kaitlin, Allyson, and Marian’s room after they went to bed,(they are afraid of a night attack), and many, many more.
Tonight ended with many of the students on the balconies singing the VBS songs in Spanish. What a blessing! Thank you for all of the encouraging notes on the blog. They are such an encouragement in our morning meetings. Know we love you all – look forward to seeing you Saturday, and thank you for allowing us to the great privilege of answering the call we felt to come.

Thursday

2010-05-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Thursday - Final work & VBS day!

2010-05-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

More Wednesday

2010-05-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

More of Wednesday

2010-05-19T22:58:00.000-07:00

Wednesday - Mission

2010-05-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

What a blessed day!!! God is so awesome! Our morning started with the team leader oversleeping – yes – the team had 10 minutes to get ready for breakfast – and I am thrilled to say we rose to the challenge! Allyson led our team devotion – she read an excerpt from John 11 about Lazarus. She discussed the how Jesus waited 2 days before going to Lazarus – then she asked if God had trusted us with silence on an issue in our lives. She said there may be something He wants to teach you in that – and that true trust in God stays strong even in silence. We also read more out of Mark Batterson’s book. We discussed how big our God really is – he said that our biggest thought about the size of our God falls infinitely short of all that He is. Our minds cannot even begin to conceive His greatness, goodness, mercy, and power. He also said the more we grow in Him – the bigger He should get in our minds – and the bigger He gets in our minds – the smaller our problems will become – with God – there are not degrees of difficulty. Wow!
Lupe called after breakfast and the van had broken down. We were able to go back to our rooms and chill for about 30 minutes. And yes – it was pouring rain. Lupe had to bring his truck so we loaded the other van and his truck and headed to the school. And yes, right when we got ready to work – and not before – the rain stopped. This has truly been unreal. We began the prayer journal time and the work began.
The sky stayed cloudy with occasional very welcomed sprinkles. It is humid beyond words. About 20 minutes before lunch – while we were shoveling sand and rock – the sun burst out with unreal intensity – we all praised God we had not had to work in that during the last 3 days! Lupe’s wife made lunch – very local rice and chicken – and very good. We continued until about 2 o’clock shoveling, lifting the buckets, hauling the wheelbarrows, and we are happy to report that WE FINISHED THE DRIVEWAY!
We headed to San Jose to lead Bible School again – today there were about 150 plus kids. We have been holding VBS for about 2 ½ hours – Lupe informed us that it only needed to be 1 ½ - as tired as we are – that was wonderful news. Lawrence welcomed everyone and we sang I have that Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My heart –(in Spanish) as well as Alleluia Praise Ye the Lord (in Spanish) – then – the favorite – JB & Zeb got up and led My God is So Big.
The boys headed to the soccer field and Marion had made huge white fish – the kids glued eyes to them and then painted with water colors. They were ecstatic – we continue to have moments of revelation of how blessed we are – how we take all the materials we have for granted. At the end of craft time we handed out small balls of play dough – once again – they were overwhelmed with joy!
We closed today’s VBS with a game of charades in the sanctuary. The seniors acted out familiar Bible Stories and the children had to guess which one they were. We have quite a group of actors – they did Daniel and the Lions Den, The fiery furnace, The Good Samaritan, and David and Goliath. The kids loved it!
After dinner, we came back to the hotel and had time for long awaited showers. Then we met in our team room and most of them ordered a second supper. The Belize dollar value is ½ of ours. So if an item is 10 Belize dollars – it cost us 5 American dollars. They had huge pieces of fried fish, hamburgers, or club sandwiches, salads, fries, and a drink for well under 10 dollars. They were hungry. Then JB led devotion on the great and precious promises of God from a devotion written by Skip Heitzig. He told us that a man in Canada counted the promises of God in the Bible – there are over 7400. That means that in a year – there are over 20 promises a day for you to lean on! However, a promise is only good if the one making it is reliable – we know that we know that we know that our God is reliable! Joshua 23:14 says, “Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!” And Peter said about the promises of God in 2 Peter 1:4, “exceedingly great and precious promises.” JB did a great job with his presentation. Dr Brown challenged the students with one question tonight – why did God create the Heavens and the Earth? You will have to ask the students – it was a great discussion.
To complete our day – we had a surprise visitor. A gentleman walked in playing a guitar – he sang songs with the kids for 30 or more minutes. He had a huge song list and played many of the students favorites – Buffet, Elvis, the list went on and on. He was very good and it was a fun way to end the night – especially his finale!
There were many humorous moments today including: silly giggles at the worksite, a van full singing 99 bottles of Sprite, Corbin dumping a load of concrete, tribal wars, gringo songs, Lawrence’s crash as Goliath, Corbin’s special notes, Zebbie, Gare Bear, Lawrence’s safety pinned pants & over the top energy, the skits, interesting conversations, Marian losing it during the singing, and the final performance of the guitar player.
Once again – ½ the team is fast asleep – and the balcony is full of the other ½. It is after 11 here – which may sound early – but with the heat, humidity, and extremely hard labor – no one complains about sleep.
It is hard to believe that there are only 2 more days before we fly home – the seniors got a little sentimental tonight reflecting on how soon they will graduate and go their separate ways. They have really missed their other classmates – even though they are happy that such great work is being done in Dillon. This is a special class – all 30 of them – they have been blessed to be classmates. My prayer for them is one of the comments JB read tonight in the devotion – Skip Heitzig wrote, “there is a song called “Standing on the Promises of God.” “We ought to learn that one, and more importantly we ought to do it – we ought to stand on them.” I pray that as our seniors go out their many separate ways – in just a little over a week from today – that they will cling to the Word of God – that has been sewn into their hearts by the Spirit in their homes, churches, DCS, and their personal quiet times. I pray that they will Stand Firm on His Word and that this week will passion them all to be servants of our Awesome God who is infinitely greater than our minds will ever conceive! Have blessed day – we love you all!

Wednesday

2010-05-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

More Tuesday Pictures

2010-05-19T07:25:00.002-07:00

Tuesday

2010-05-18T22:21:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 18 2010

About midnight last night it began pouring rain and it was especially loud on our tin roofs. However, by 6a.m. it had lessened greatly! The water was a beautiful sea green – so peaceful. Kaitlin led devotion on Hebrews 3:4 which says, For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. She said that God is our builder and He desires to build us in His image building us to by “living temples.” Ellen read several quotes from the book, “In a pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day” by Mark Batterson. It is based on the story in the Bible in 2 Samuel 23 about Benaiah, a valiant warrior that killed a lion on a pit on a snowy day. Several key points discussed today were – “Think of every opportunity as God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to God.” “Spiritual maturity is seeing and seizing God-ordained opportunities.” It was a great beginning to the day.
The rain continued through breakfast and until we arrived at the worksite. Lupe described the work for the day – one bag of cement mix, 7 buckets of gravel, 5 buckets of sand, and one bucket of water. (the buckets were 5 gallon buckets) Within minutes of his explanation – the rain stopped! God has continued to thrill us! We may not have seen the Red Sea part – but we have witnessed stormy skies disappear just when we need them to!!!
Once again we had our prayer chair – I think the entire team has enjoyed their time praying! Our prayer list continues to expand – praying for the school, the missionaries, each team member, fellow classmates doing missions in Dillon, the church, the 3 workers that are not saved, etc. It really is a special time. We have a journal with all the prayer concerns and praises listed – there is a Bible to read and meditate. It has been wonderful.
Allyson, Marian, Sara, Kaitlin & Ellen stayed on the job shoveling sand and rock all day! JB helped the workers hand crank the gas powered mixer and then the boys switched among the various lifting jobs – JB, Zeb, Daniel, Lawrence, Stephen, Gary, Dr. Brown, Anthony, Corbin, and Hunter rotated among shoveling, lifting big bags of concrete mix, lifting the buckets of sand and rock, hauling the wheelbarrows to the driveway, etc. There were very few breaks – and team epitomized TEAM UNITY! I was so incredibly proud of them. Although it was cloudy – it is very humid and still quite warm here. They far exceeded the expectations of the missionaries on completed work today. The driveway is 105 of Lawrence’s feet long and they thought it would take both days to complete – however, with the team pulling together – by lunch we were 51 (of Lawrence’s feet) complete. After a great meal prepared by Lupe’s wife of homemade tortilla wraps and – chicken or iguana – we are really not sure – and fresh watermelon – we continued. Zeb and JB began sifting the sand that we dug out yesterday using a giant screen about the size of a house window. By the time we had to quit – we were over 2/3 complete with the driveway. And praises to God – we had no more than completed the work and clean-up – when it began to rain again. God is so good – no doubt who controls the rain!
We headed to VBS – and much to our thrill – we found a convenience store – we had the best cold drinks and m&m’s – life’s simple pleasures!!!! It was raining when we first got there – but subsided when the children arrived. Marion opened VBS and Anthony prayed. The seniors then sang “Muerte Vencio” – or “Mighty to Save.” The children really wanted Zeb and JB to lead “My God is so Big.” The boys continued with the soccer games – they learned just how skilled little kids can be. Allyson brought beads and elastic to make bracelets – the kids had a ball. The ladies of the church made fried chicken, beans, potatoes, and homemade tortillas.
There were many humorous moments – all the singing while working, Daniel’s true identity revealed – RoboBrown, a comical wheelbarrow race between Corbin & Daniel, and Lawrence & Hunter – lets just say – that when Lawrence dumped Hunter in the mud – Corbin and Daniel crossed the finish line quickly. Sara was soaked by Zeb, when the clean-up occurred – she looked like she had taken a swim! Hunter and Lawrence’s rattail war, Anthony nailing Allyson in the head with a Frisbee, & Marion with a ball, the children running across the concrete after we finished, the dog running across the concrete after we smoothed out the mess from the children, peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter on bananas, the Frisbee tournament called points which Daniel won, Hunter throwing a child over the fence, Lawrence’s floatees outfit, JB sucking everyone’s leftover chicken bones, and the never ending singing of 99 bottles of Sprite on the wall with a minor (or major) fight in the back seat of the van! Gary, Zeb, Sara, and JB finding “real food” at the hotel, and the list goes on.
After much anticipated showers, we had a phenomenal team devotion – Zeb led us by reading out of Luke and discussing our need to serve. He did a great job. Dr. Brown followed with what turned into a 2 hour discussion. He began with an explanation of the different translations and before the night was over we had delved into:
Why good things happened to bad people
Election
Can you lose your salvation
Hosea
Purpose of witnessing, obedience, and on & on.
It was a great discussion among all of the students – but in the end – several had called it a night and Stephen, Anthony, Corbin, Hunter, Dr. Brown, and JB still had Bibles out and were really intense in their knowledge and beliefs – I really enjoyed!!!
Thank you for all of your prayers – and we love reading every morning your comments on the post or on Facebook – it is a real encouragement to the students to hear from home. Thank you also for all of the cards the teachers and students wrote – they are also a great gift from home.
The girls are all asleep – too much physical labor – the guys are on the balconies laughing, talking, and fellowshipping. God is so good! Love to you all!

10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:10-11

Tuesday in Pictures

2010-05-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

More Monday Photos

2010-05-18T05:54:00.001-07:00

Monday - What a Blessed Day!

2010-05-17T23:02:00.000-07:00

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!

Monday in Belize

2010-05-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

More Sunday Pictures

2010-05-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

Sunday

2010-05-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

After an amazing breakfast – French toast, local eggs, bacon, cantaloupe, and watermelon, we headed off to church. We rode first by the school and saw the concrete driveway location we are going to pour – then off to church. Riding in the vans on the local roads is always eventful – our drivers are wonderful – the no road rules adds comedy. I do not know how to begin to describe our experience at church– as we entered the small concrete church building – the anticipation on the little children’s faces was beyond description. At first they were bashful – staying at a distance – but the more we smiled and reached out – the more they opened up. The service was in Spanish – there was lots of singing and prayer. About 30 minutes into the service, we were dismissed with the children for Sunday School. We sat on benches under a big tree in a circle and our students sat intermingled with the children. Anthony opened us in prayer. Then, they took turns reading favorite passages from Scripture. Stephen, Lawrence, Hunter and Daniel read from a Spanish Bible – we were struggling with our pronunciations – the children giggled a lot – they even offered help – then they admitted – they all spoke English fairly well– we all had a big laugh and then we sang a variety of songs. Jesus Loves Me, Father Abraham, My God is so Big, and God is so Good. There are definitely cultural differences and minor communication issues – but the voices of our seniors with those precious little children broke all barriers. Next, the drama team took the floor – Lawrence told with great detail the story of Jonah and the whale – Daniel told about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and with a dramatic finish – JB told all about Samson.
After church, we returned to the hotel and changed into swimsuits – and went to lunch. We went to a local restaurant – R & B’s. We had barbeque chicken, potatoes, and a salad. Dr. Brown became our second driver – and he did great! We went to a lagoon and swam for hours – it was beautiful. The water was like a giant wave pool – clear water and very soft sand bottom. The water was a perfect temperature. The boys were very humorous – they had multiple chicken fights, bottom sand fights, & wrestling matches. Dr. Brown swam for a long time. Then, the boys had more fun on a swing set that had no swings than I can describe – they had pull-up contests and flipping attempts. We had a wonderful dinner – JB said it was better than Del Sol. Each night and morning a different team member will lead devotion. Hunter led tonight – he challenged the group to pour it all out this week. He read Philippians 1:27-28 which says, “27Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you” Hunter reminded the team that we will leave a legacy in Belize – just as they had at DCS. He encouraged the team to strive to pour out themselves completely – in “a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” He said for each of us to make everything we do this week to be about Him! What a wonderful daily challenge! Everyone is in a great mood – faces are aglow from the sun and everyone is adjusting to the 2 hour time difference. Our rooms are on the 2nd floor and the decks have hammocks. As I finish typing this journal, Marian and Kaitlin are swinging in the hammocks – several of the boys intend to spend the night there. In the meeting room below, JB, Allyson, Zeb, Gary, Daniel, Lawrence, Hunter, and Corbin are having a Phase 10 challenge match. So much laughter. Thank you for your prayers – we can feel them! Have an amazing week. God bless!

2010-05-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

Sunday in Belize

2010-05-16T17:58:00.001-07:00

This is the Day the Lord has made - Let us Rejoice!

2010-05-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful morning! The sun rises around 4:30 - and the team leader got a little confused with the time difference - yes - Ellen woke everyone at 5:30 instead of 6 - oh well - it actually turned out to be a blessing - we had time to swing in the hammocks and overlook the bay - the breeze is amazing - it has been such a relaxing morning - It is election day here today - people work during the week - so it is the best day to hold an election on Sunday in their opinion. Adventures of the morning - Marian had a lizard help her brush her hair - Hunter fell over the hammock and crashed - Lawrence has a wierd impression of a "short shower" - and it is only 6:50 a.m. Keep on praying! "Let the name of the Lord be praised both now and forever more!" Psalm 113:2

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2010-05-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

5:30 – wake up calls begin – hurry – hurry – we don’t want to miss our flight! Rush through breakfast – load up – process through check-in – then……WAIT! A 2 hour delay was the greeting we received from Continental this morning – and our response – our team motto for the trip - “That is just the way we like it! And trust me - we had to smile and say that ALL DAY LONG! I have never encountered so many delays - 1st - there was bad weather the night prior to our flight so the crew needed 2 extra hours sleep - we had 25 minutes to cross three concourses in Houston - jump on the plane - no lunch - and onto flight 2 - where as soon as we were seated and the door closed - they informed us that the co-pilot would be 1 1/2 hours late - then need to be briefed - delay again - finally we are 15 minutes from Belize - and they inform us that there are thunder storms in Belize and they cannot land - off to Cancun we go - sit on the ground for fuel and waiting out the storm - then back to Belize. What a day - but everyone did great - we had many first time flyers - they were great - even better were the attitudes - no food, little to drink, minimal air in the plane - and yet our seniors truly were great witnesses! The flight crew even commented on their patience and kindness. Lupe greeted us at the airport and we loaded in vans for the 1 1/2 hour drive to Corozal. What a ride - the driving rules in Belize are - there are no rules! It was a very humbling drive. They live in small, simple concrete houses where 5 to 15 family members live. Many have outside plumbing and air condition is a luxury! We drove past fields of sugar cane and a huge processing plant. The workers are in the fields 12 - 14 hours a day. Our hotel is very interesting – it is concrete – some of the rooms have air – others do not. On the balcony – hammocks are hanging – there is a great breeze. We are across the street from the bay. We do have hot water – but it is so hot – we may not be using. (No one can text right now – we have someone working on that for us – so email will be the only communication for now.) Lupe's wife - Gloria had made us dinner - so finally - 15 hours after breakfast - we sat down for a wonderful meal. After dinner – we had a time of prayer called it a night. God is so wonderful – although we do not know why all of the delays occurred – we know the One who watched over our every move. I know He has called each of these seniors for “such a time as this.” Lupe described the week – it will be hot and full of hard work – but these students have such willing spirits. Perspective trumps circumstances – and although our circumstances may not be all that we are used to – we will continue to have the attitude – that “This is just the way we like it.” We are all excited for what God has in store for us this week – as I finish this journal – it is 1 a.m. – we have to get up at six – the girls are all on the bed sharing their hearts and the boys are swinging in the hammocks on the balcony – laughing and talking. We are hot, tired, and a little wide-eyed – but oh so blessed! What an adventure ! Praise God for the promise in His word that… "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

2010-05-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 14

2010-05-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

Our team (Dr. Michael Brown, Daniel Brown, Corbin Arnette, Sara Arnette, Stephen Johnson, J.B. Pittman, Zeb Boykin, Gary Deese, Allyson Rice, Anthony Santilli, Marian Carr, Kaitlin Locklear, Hunter, Lawrence, and Ellen Jordan) met at DCS surrounded by family, faculty and friends for prayers, hugs, and a great send-off. Many brave warriors boarded the hot bus in 90 degrees and the others road with Ellen in the car. We arrived in Charlotte about 8 o'clock and had dinner at Chili's with Stefany and Alex. After a humor-filled meal - complete with Lawrence's reenactment of seagulls on a dock - birthday shakes - and an interesting encounter with a couple in the parking lot where Lawrence (encouraged by Michael) offered a snorkle for air - and Hunter soliciting a cop's help - we headed to the Wingate Inn. Alex led the team in a devotion. The team is extremely excited! I wish I could effectively express the energy, anticipation, and thrill! Pray for us - wake up calls in the morning set for 5:30 a.m. - flight departure - 8:50 - to Houston - then to Belize. Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore I urge you brothers in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The you may be able to test and approve what God's will is, His good pleasing and perfect will."

24 hours!

2010-05-13T22:47:00.001-07:00

Our bags are packed!!! In less than 24 hours our journey will begin! We are so excited to see God work in countless ways in the upcoming week. Our prayer is that our hearts will be open to see God's hands do mighty things as we follow Him into a new and exciting place. Please pray that we will make an impact on the people of Belize and that through this experience our hearts will be broken as we see the unexpected and experience God in an entirely new way.

Daily stories and pictures will be added to this site so that you can experience with us as our time in Belize unfolds...