... we are located just a few miles north of Big Creek (also known as Independence).It is Wednesday morning about 9:30. Eleven of the team are working on the construction site building a place that thousands of future mission teams from the US will be using to feed their teams. It is a 30' x 50' building with a kitchen and cook's quarters on one end and the eating area on the other end. Mark Baird is the man! He is the point man on the construction project. He has several capable helpers ... and then a few like Jim Lackey and myself (the day I worked construction) that just do what we are told (most of the time). A couple of the local pastors and a handful of lay people have also pitched in. I have always been amazed how much mission construction crews can get done in a short period of time. The building is really taking shape.
Thirteen of us are in the village of San Juan several miles from the construction site. Each morning there are 160+ younger childrean that attend school taught by our team. They are reviewing math and english. Sometimes the leaders from ClearView speak english and sometimes they speak through an interpreter. Fun to watch as we try to communicate.
In the afternoons in San Juan another 80+ older children attend the same school. Crazy thing is, this is the first week of a two week break from regular school for these children. They are voluntarily showing up to learn more during a break!! Imagine that in good old USA. Not gonna happen.
Vacation Bible School and worship services are held by the team each evening. Last night was the last night of VBS. I'm not sure how many children were attending, but well over 100 is a good conservative number. We have had probably as high as 30 adults attend worship. The most encouraging thing is that we have seen an increase of men attending each evening. Not something normal here. Through one on one conversations we have seen several locals pray to receive Christ. I don't know the total, but probably about 10 at this point. The school groups will present the gospel to all those attending today.
Yesterday afternoon I had the opportunity to lead a time of training for some local pastors that are a part of the Belize Baptist Association. Many of the wives also attending. We had about 20 or so total attending. We simply looked at God's Word related to the call, character, and competencies of pastors.
Everyone on the team has really done well. As always on these trips, patience and flexibility are at the top of the list of requirements. There are always little surprises (good and challenging). But the "challenging" have really been very few and only minor. Judy Barnett has done a great job of planning and team preparation. We have only had one get a little sick. Melvin Mitchell (Judy's dad) had picked up a little bug or something. He is doing a little better today.
I hope to have some pictures to upload on a link soon. I don't have my camera and will be relying on others to provide the photography. But there are plenty of cameras among the team. So pictures will be forthcoming.
Can't wait to celebrate Easter with those of you at ClearView this coming Sunday!
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