After our first day of team projects, Tuesday morning saw our missionaries moving at a slightly slower pace. Once breakfast ended, however, everyone kicked it into high gear once again. The women's group took another approach to their blanket production, as ladies used smaller squares of fabric to produce patchwork-type designs.
This allowed groups of women to spend more time together at the table, talking and bonding with each other.
It truly is great to see multiple generations working together.
These women come from a variety of villages, and it is obvious that if it were not for activities such as this,
they may never get the chance to expand their sense of community.
The ladies also enjoyed a lunch and lesson hour, talking about issues they might be dealing with in their current lives and inspiring them to give these problems over to the Lord.
Outside Camalote Chapel, our men stepped up their production of beds. Asa and Mac, pictured above, are clearly the two hardest working and most efficient team among our group.
Another two-man team, comprised of Ray Brown and Ron Harsthorn, began production on one of the outhouses. They have done an excellent job and we all can't wait to deliver these to some deserving families.
Of course, as with any project of this nature, a bit of comic relief always works it's way into the day's story.
During the men's lunch hour, Ron and his team of skit characters re-enacted the scene when David slew Goliath. As he told of the sins of king David, Ron used this pole to illustrate the sins of modern man.
After a long day of fabrication, the men loaded 20 beds on a trailer that will be hauled to a village called Red Bank - a more traditional Mayan village in the southern part of the country. By the way, in the last two days, our men have built 63 beds!
Once again, Nina Reynolds and her team gave an outstanding effort in providing care for the children of families attending our camp.
Although babies were crying for most of the day, older children seemed to behave well and enjoyed snacks and crafts in our make-shift nursery.
Above, Donna Sarsfield takes time to care for one of the smallest babies in our group.
I must admit, nap time is the most adorable part of serving in this children's ministry.
These little ones are simply beautiful.
Erwin Canti, son of Jennifer, has been in several blog photos already. But here is a photo that shows how we sometimes care for him. Heather correctly and bravely (yet awkwardly) utilizes a "Mayan Sling". This is nothing more than a sheet tied and hung over the forehead. Mayan women then have their hands free to go about the activities of their day.
I was walking through the courtyard at the end of the day and found several of our missionaries taking advantage of "hammock time". Everyone worked so diligently today and some R and R was very much in need.
Our day ended with Tuesday night worship with our sister church - and as always, it was a crowded house. I will update the blog with some photos of that time shortly.
Blessings from Belize!
Sorry I have not gotten to this earlier but it has been quite a week for me personally as I am in the process of making a major change in my life within the next few months. Finally able to see the cool things God has been doing in Belize. I am especially proud of my daughter, Nina Reynolds who is truly an amazing person and one that I love very much. I was blessed to see the picture of her holding the child. It is so typically my daughter as she is one of the most compassionate people I know. As I think about your trip to Belize, often an emotion we often battle with in ministry is the battle with fear. Recently I heard a most profound statement at a conference I attended. The statement said, "What you fear the most is what you worship." If you think about it, how true that statement is. What we are consumed by is what we worship and fear is that which we are consumed by. In a healthy way, we fear God which means we are consumed by God which means we truly worship Him. But if we fear how others may react to us, or how we will make ends meet or about our health, this means we are consumed by these things and we really are worshiping other people, material things or even our well being. Fear really does reflect what we worship. As you work in Belize my prayer is that whatever fear you might be experiencing may be centered in God. It looks like God is doing a great work there and my prayer is that you will be filled with His grace.
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