The Men
The men focused efforts on building a house for a mother of four boys. During construction many of the team members were able to connect with various villagers who volunteered their time on the project. It is amazing to see how people from two very different cultures can quickly find commonalities. To paraphrase one of the team members, “We are not here to build a house, but to build relationships.” It was encouraging to see village men interacting and sharing with mature Christian men. The men also helped to replace rotten siding on the back of the lodge at the mission base. The heat was not fun, as the building blocked all the Caribbean breeze, but the men never complained. They kept at it with determination that is admirable. I (Mark) was blown away by the work ethic of the men on this team.
The Women
The women on the team spent each afternoon with students at Gales Point Government School. Three of them are in education and put their skills to work developing a reading assessment. Approximately 100 children were tested to pinpoint their reading levels. The ladies on this team also did some deep cleaning of mission facilities, painted village girls’ toenails, and learned a little about Belizean cooking and basket weaving. The team leader is an RN and did house calls to some of the village shut-ins. Needless to say these ladies were very busy and every bit effective in serving with a Christlike attitude.
An Afternoon With the Kids
Following church on Sunday we invited a group of kids who are being discipled by Shannon and Amanda (a couple in leadership at the local church) to the base to spend the afternoon with the team. After playing around everyone gathered up for a time of sharing and testimonies from a few of the young members of the Soma team. The team youth shared about their commitment to the Lord, and talked about personal choices towards purity. Jeep Update
As you probably know our Jeep is our only transportation option available, except for walking. The Jeep has continued to serve us well, despite several recent issues. The motor mount I replaced a couple of months ago broke again, a common problem with Jeep Cherokees under these conditions. With the help of Alan, a member of the Soma team, we were able to replace both mounts with aftermarket mounts they brought down from the states. With the name “Bulletproof” they better last.
The team also brought a couple other parts I needed, a bushing for my upper control arm and a new hood latch cable. The bushing broke because of the rough roads and the latch because the hood latch rusted stuck. The exhaust broke, again, and now has a nice hole in it. Hope to get that welded this week.
With the recent rains the roads are quickly deteriorating, with wash boarded sections and potholes opening everywhere. As the roads worsen the longer it will take to get anywhere we need to go. But on the bright side, it is a lot of fun driving through the big mud holes!
Prayer Requests
- Unity among church and mission leadership
- Continued prayer for Basil de Klerk’s health
- For depth in our relationships with villagers
