July 3, 2016 - Hammocks & Friends

Some of the team began to wake up around 05:30 A.M. and slowly each person wandered out of his or her bunkrooms.  Some immediately sought out a quiet place to spend time with the Lord, some went across the courtyard and into the kitchen in search of fresh brewed coffee and others made their way to the basketball court area for a morning workout.  Breakfast was ready at 7:00 A.M. and we had eggs, journey cakes, sausage and fruit.  After breakfast, we hung out until 9:00 A.M. and then headed out for service at our sister church at Evangelical Quest Church (EQC).

It was great seeing familiar faces as well as connecting with new people prior to service beginning.  In Belize fashion, things did not go quite as planned and Joseph Nordan was asked to step up and lead worship because Melvin, the worship leader at EQC, was working a 24-hour shift at his job.  Joseph took the stage with a local youth, Samuel on the drums, and together they led us in a great worship experience.  We are lucky to have Joseph and his talent here.

Pastor German preached on why we go through life’s storms and how to overcome them.  He also talked about loving other people.  German did a great job delivering this message to those in attendance this morning.  Following his message, the youth in EQC were brought up on stage where they recited the Bible verse they learned that day and then sang a song.  It was a great way to conclude the service.

We returned to camp after church and made our way back to the dining facility for lunch, which consisted of hamburgers, French fries and fruit.  Following lunch, we headed to the chapel where practiced a few of the games that we would be doing with the campers in just 2 short days away.  It was fun to cut up with the team for a little bit and we are all much closer now. 

We then headed out mid-afternoon to the Mayan village on the other side of Belmopan.  Mayamopan is a small, but growing village out in the bush.  There are no utilities running to the homes out there and many of the homes are made from scrap lumber and have thatched roofs.  There are a few homes that have managed to tie into the power grid and have a single power outlet in their home.

This is the area where Quest was able to put a well a few years ago when the village’s water well ran dry.  We spoke to a couple of people in the village who have talked about the long lines waiting for the well and the fact that it is being used throughout the day.  They expressed that a second well in the village is almost needed to accommodate everyone each day. We also went to several homes along the way and had opportunities to spend time with several children and families in the village.  

Of course, a few needs were discovered while we were there and we will work to resolve those issues tomorrow.  We were even able to see a quash, which is similar to an opossum.  After our time in the village, we headed back to camp for dinner, which consisted of chicken, rice & beans, fried plantains and potato salad.  Ms. Ethel even baked a delicious bread pudding for dessert.  Following dinner, some camp logistics were handled and then we all started winding down for the night.  All in all, we had a great day and are looking forward to tomorrow.

Quash