Easter Sunday

We woke up this morning at 4:30am and went to a sunrise service in Belmopan. The service went from 5:30-7:30am and it was raining. We got wet, but it was a wonderful time to remember that Christ has risen! We came back to the site for breakfast and then headed out on the buses again for 9:30am service which was held at the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) base. There were over 200 people and it was a powerful worship service! After service we had a big church picnic. We played with the kids and had lunch. We played some volleyball and had a great time of fellowship! We are back at the ministry site for the day. We leave tomorrow to come home at 11:15am. l
It has been an amazing week of service and worship - Praise the Lord!

Old Belize

Yesterday was our day off. We slept in (7:30am) and had breakfast and then we saw the annual bike race go by - It goes from Belize City to Cayo and back and it is 135 miles. After breakfast we watched the race go back the other way. We left to go to Old Belize - a resort with a 90ft water slide, rope swing, beach, etc. Unfortunately we got stuck in traffic from the bike race. We eventually made it and had a wonderful lunch! It was Elbia's birthday so Pastor Ron, Elbia, Irma, Junie, Melvin, Stephanie, and Annalise came as well. We had a great time and got some sun! When we got back to the ministry site we hung out for a bit but then we went straight to bed so we could get up at 4:30am!

Work and Cahal Pech

Today we shifted from the normal routine. This morning after breakfast and until 9am we all raked leaves and spread gravel in the driveway - the kids all helped by ripping out the grass that was beginning to grow. At 9am the kids from Easter school came, but today they were watching Night at the Museum on the big screen in one of the classrooms. Some of the team watched with them, others raked more leaves and cleaned. When the movie was over everyone finished sweeping and mopping the preschool rooms and verandas. Somewhere in the middle was a coconut excursion - we learned that you should eat the green ones! And so, we put the 'lime in the coconut' and it was delicious!
After lunch we went to Cayo to go swimming at a resort called Cahal Pech. It was a wonderfully refreshing afternoon and Chris even put on sunscreen! This evening we had a Good Friday service at the Step of Faith Church in Belmopan. The buses were full and the service packed. God was truly at work and His Spirit was present. Three people went forward to accept Christ as their Savior - Praise the Lord! The service was wonderfully put together and very moving!
Tomorrow is our day off - we are headed to Old Belize (a resort) to hang out on the beach, swim, play beach volleyball, go down the water slide, do the zip line, and have a wonderful Belizian lunch. Tomorrow morning we'll also see the bike race go past - this is one of the largest events in all of Belize. Hundreds of cyclists from multiple countries compete. We have seen them train for the race this past week. The race goes from Belmopan to Cayo and back.
God is good!
Belize 2010

Fun in the Sun!

It was a beautiful, hot day in Unitedville, Belize! We all enjoyed being in the sun :) This morning the guys put up drywall in one of the 'dorms' on the ministry site and the girls taught Easter school. After lunch we organized and cleaned the preschool buildings. We took a break to jump in the river and then went back to work until dinner. For dinner we had a traditional Belizian dish: rice and stewed chicken - it was delicious! This evening Andrew and Emily took us to Cayo (a city about 30 minutes away) to experience Belize night life. We stopped at Cayo Twist on the way home for ice cream - it's non-dairy but you wouldn't know it if you didn't see the sign...
All in all it was a great day - spent some time with Pastor Ron and Miss Linda's children - Stephanie, Annalise, Melvin, Junie, Elbia, Irma, and Delmi and enjoyed the weather and serving the Lord!
ICO Belize 2010