Post-Houston...

Hey, hey to one and all! We survived the monster trip! It was actually great, great people, great ministry, just so tiring! One hundred and twenty one people on this one, staying in the Belmopan Baptist High School, working in 3 different villages running VBS, working at 2 sites doing construction/service projects in the mornings, visiting an orphanage five different times; was just figuring it out, we worked about 17 hour days for five full days, one partial. Up at about 5 or 6 am, usually not crawling to bed until 11 or 12. People have asked if we would do another trip like that, and yeah, I think I would (don't know about Mike), but I'd have lots more PPM staff. If we could spread out the hours and the work a little more, the ministry was well worth it! Amazing what 121 people can accomplish in 5 days! And how much food they can eat! We averaged 400 kids a day between the 3 villages at VBS, in addition to leading/participating in 8 different church services. And went thru countless gallons of paint, built a thrift store for the school, took down a steeple that was rotting, laid a cement slab, and oh, so much more!

A couple of highlights from this past trip. Mike and I worked between the school and Belmopan Baptist Church; you all from the Lakeview trip '05 might remember Pastor Norman at Belmopan Baptist. He's the head pastor there and the principal at the high school. I don't know if any of you remember Sally and Suzan? We met these two missionaries while out walking that one morning in Belmopan? Suzan and her husband Roy are significant people at the baptist church there; Roy ended up being our foreman on our various projects at the church, and Suzan and I had some very meaningful and uplifting conversations about life, missions, family, and life in Belize. They are an amazing couple, following hard after God, seeking in everything that they can do to honor and glorify Him. If you happen to think of them, pray for their family, their twins who just turned 17 and are in the states with their grandparents, and they are in need of a bus for their continued ministry; Suzan has started leading, teaching, and teaching other women how to lead and teach small group Bible studies. It is amazingly blessed, but takes place in Belize City, they live in Belmopan, and they've taken on transporting quite a flock of women in the community there in Belmopan to Belize City twice a week. They are an amazing couple, and both Mike and I look forward to keeping up with them. To the right is a picture of the four of us. Just kidding, blogger isn't letting me put the picture on this post, look in the next one...

Another highlight, ironically when I tell you, is the relationships with several of our cooks for the week. We had to find an entire staff to feed so many people, and right from the start, it looked like their might be issues. We ended up having to do much of the shopping for them, transported them to and from the school three times a day, plus running various other errands for them as needed. A little more effort then we normally would like to put into meals, but so amazing to be able to spend so much time with those women. Granted, they struggle with all the same things we American women do, a little gossip, can be a little catty when under pressure, bring stress from work home with us, but they are beautiful spirits, fabulous women of God. One friend in particular stuck out; Lizbeth, about to be 27 years old, loves the Lord with all her heart, has three beautiful kids (pictured left), and has separated from her husband after he got another woman pregnant. He seems to be at least emotionally abusive to this beautiful and strong young woman. In the meantime, she is working her way thru cosmetology school in order to be able to work and raise her kids. She commutes at least an hour and a half, sometimes upwards of two hours each way to and from San Ignacio from a little village outside of Belmopan called Roaring Creek for school. She is a joy to be around; I hope to continue to see her.

We had about 18 hours off between the last trip and this one; our trip leader, Jason Swartz, treated us to a night of bowling, Subway sandwiches (the only chain restaurant in the entire country), and a movie (Pirates of the Carribean II). Sounds silly, I know, but sometimes we have to remember what it's like to be real people. To shut off our brains, sit back, and veg out. We had a blast; Jason is as talented with a bowling ball as he is on roller skates, for those of you who know what he can do on skates! And with Tatianna and Janell on board, it was a night to remember. I've pasted a couple of pictures from that night too in the next post!

Well, I know this has been a long one, and not terribly detailed, but hopefully gets you all a little up to speed. Missing you all more and more as our departure date approaches; I do love it here, esp. that Mike is here, but I miss home...