Belize Update - Day 3 - April 4, 2012

The Quest Belize Team is in full swing. We've been here just over 2 days, but it really feels like we've been here much longer. It seems things just happen quicker here for some reason - relationships are formed and solidified quickly, the team bonds together because of a common mission, etc.

All teams were engaged in ministry today.

The Medical Team spent the day in Maya Mopan, a village on the other side of Belmopan. The team saw over 60 people, treating them and praying with them when requested. One of the difficult, but very real stories from their day, was when a 15 year old girl showed up and told us her mother had kidney failure and was dying. Without a father, and as the only child, this young girl wants to donate a kidney to her mother - but was turned down. A couple folks from the team prayed with her, asking God for healing and strength. Stories like this abound here. Our reaction is usually uniquely "American" --- just go to the hospital and get it "fixed." But it's just not that simple here. There is limited care and extremely limited financial resources for much of the population.

A Village Outreach team headed out to Maya Mopan this morning as well. They took the bags of rice, beans, and flour that had been packaged yesterday to families in need. It was an incredible time as the team would visit from home to home, learning about each family and spending time praying for them and their needs. Families are always extremely friendly and welcome the care and prayer provided.

The Construction Team continued work on the 2 homes they are building. It was an extremely hot day, but they marched on and are just hours away from completing the entire project. More pics from their work coming tomorrow....

The Kids Team ministry grew as about 20% more kids showed up today than were here the first day of camp. They sang songs, did more crafts, played games, and learned more about Jesus. Kids were really bonding with our team and relationships with them have gone deep quickly. Bonds have been made that will never fade away.

The church we work with here, Evangelical Quest Church, had a friend of the church pass away late Monday night. So though it was unplanned, many of our team participated in a Wake (Tuesday night) and a second funeral service and graveside service today. We gathered at the deceased's home, had a short service there, then walked about 1.5 miles behind a small truck carrying the casket. About 50 people followed the truck singing songs about life and resurrection. Once at the graveside, John Kenney shared some words and then the casket was buried, while everyone watched. Though very different than most American funerals, it was a truly beautiful experience of love and community gathering together to mourn the loss of a loved one.

Tomorrow we're spending the morning at the river with kids from Evangelical Quest Church, then the afternoon will be spent relaxing or shopping.

Thanks for letting us continue to share our experiences with you. Though we came to give of ourselves in Belize, we are finding that Belize is truly giving more to us...