Belize 2023 - Monday, July 24 2023

This morning the bus left for Sandhill Baptist at 8:00am so people got up to get ready any time between 6:00am and 7:15am. Once we got to Sandhill Baptist it was time for breakfast. For breakfast we had an amazing meal called fryjacks. Once again, many people went up for seconds and thirds. After breakfast we split into two teams, one team worked on construction, and the other worked on food preparation and distribution. In the middle of our hard work we had fried chicken, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes for lunch. Everyone was craving American comfort food, and this definitely satisfied our cravings! We then kept working until it was time for VBS.

After breakfast the food preparation team went to the store to pick up food to distribute. We picked up flour, sugar, rice, beans, oil, laundry detergent, and canned sausages. We then, created 20 bags of each of those so we could distribute them to 20 people. Whenever we had spare time we would begin to set up for VBS. After everything was packaged we distributed the first few sets of food. While we delivered the food we talked to the families and prayed for them. It was humbling to see how few possessions they owned, but how much faith they still had. Many of the trials they were going through that they told us about were so heartbreaking and brought many of us to tears. On the way back to church we picked up the kids for VBS. Our bus driver would honk the horn and kids would come running on the streets to catch the bus - it was an amazing memory!

Meanwhile, the construction crew worked on building an awning for the church. We worked on digging trenches so we could lay the footings. We also mixed concrete to lay in the trenches and hold cinder blocks together. Some of us also worked on cutting cinder blocks so they were the right size. All of this made for a day of hard work which was completely worth it!

VBS came before we knew it so we quickly had to finish setting up. Once kids arrived the people working check-in split them into three groups based on age using colored bandanas. Our big opening consisted of worship led by Amanda, Elizabeth, and Jacob, a skit led by Bob (Elizabeth), and Larry (Jacob), and a memory verse led by Allie and Gideon. Then the groups rotated between games, story, and crafts. 

Logan did an awesome job leading games. We did not expect people in their late teenage years but he found a way to adapt the games. The kids really enjoyed playing freeze tag and tossing around a beach ball!

Today's story was about Daniel in the Lions' Den, the kids learned about how God saved Daniel from the lions. Allie read the story while Jordan and Zev did the puppet show. The puppets were a huge hit!

The craft was led by Jenna who helped the kids put together a lion puppet. Even though we had some trouble with the glue (it turned to jelly in heat & humidity), everyone adapted to make the craft enjoyable for all!

We had Bob and Larry back up, as well as the music and memory verse team to give us an awesome closing! We then dismissed the kids and gave them a snack. It was a great first day!

After we cleaned up from VBS, a local crafter came so we could shop. We all loved the beautiful bracelets she made along with her other crafts. Once we were done shopping Pastor Viser (the pastor of the church we were serving at) showed up with mangos for us all to enjoy. It was so exciting to be covered in mango juice, this was the highlight of the day for many people! We then had sausage with bread for dinner before packing up and heading back to Sandhill Protestant for devotional and getting ready for bed.

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”
12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”
15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah

Come back tomorrow to read about our adventures from Tuesday, July 25 2023