The team left PDX at midnight and is almost here! They arrive at 10:30 Belize time (9:30 Portland time). Plans for the day - picnic lunch in Belize City by the Caribbean, time at the Children's Home and then off to Orange Walk to settle in at the hotel.

The team is here, all 23 of them. They have been traveling since midnight Friday, so they are tired but in good spirits and ready to begin their week here in Belize. After a brief time of playing and loving on the kids at the children’s home in Belize City, we headed by school bus for Orange Walk. Everyone is getting settled in their rooms at the D*Victoria and cooling down after the hot trip north. The team needs to rest as we have a full day tomorrow in Santa Clara. Keep praying!

The team began the day with John V. preparing eggs to order. He did a great job! We proceeded to the beautiful Gethsemane Baptist Church in the village of Santa Clara. The team took charge of Sunday school for all ages, creating Father’s Day cards for the dads by the preschool and Bible study for the teens and adults. After a great lunch of rice and beans (not to be confused with beans and rice) and Belizean chicken the group headed out in the sweltering heat to visit with people of the village and invite the children to VBS starting tomorrow. Paul is preaching tonight, and most likely Pastor Val will translate into Spanish. Tomorrow will be a busy day as we start building the walls of the hurricane shelter.

It is another hot one here in beautiful downtown Santa Clara. On this bright and sunny day we began laying cement block for the hurricane shelter. Mortar needs to be mixed, blocks moved into position, and scaffolding built as we work our way around the 40 foot by 40 foot building, raising the walls to 9 feet 6 inches. We are grateful for the local workers who help us build it strong and straight. Vacation Bible School got off to a good start with 53 kids from the neighborhood. Songs, stories, and lots of play time filled up our 2 hours quickly. Tomorrow we will do this all over again. Pray for the team’s endurance.

It's "prayers" not "sunshine." Sorry about that!!!

The team started the day out early yesterday. We travelled by bus to Cerros where we (along with some mosquitoes!) explored Mayan ruins which are situated right on the Caribbean. One bit of excitement along the way was boarding a barge-like ferry which is pulled across a small expanse of water by cable. Then it was off to enjoy some chicken nachos at a nearby restaurant. The team rested by the water, did some kayaking and just enjoyed a lazy hour. We were back to Santa Clara by 3:00 to begin preparation for VBS. Each day the numbers increase. Continue to pray for the team for health, safety and basic protection. God has been faithful to hear and answer our prayers! Check the trip journal tonight for before and after pictures of the hurricane shelter.

Before...

After...

It’s been a wonderful and fulfilling week. Great strides were made both in building the hurricane shelter and building relationships with the people of Santa Clara. We’re off to the caye tomorrow to enjoy God’s creation. He is good!