Recording starts… tomorrow!!!

I am lying here in my hammock, enjoy a few moments respite before the next six weeks begin, I think it is going to be busy!!

Friday afternoon Carlos and Isidro arrived from Guatemala to set up for the dramatized audio recording of the Maya New Testament. They speak no English, Maya, or Kekchi, and we speak very limited Spanish, so we have a small challenge on our hands! However, one of our recording monitors is fluent in Spanish, so that should help us.

Tomorrow is the big day. We will have a meeting with all the readers, then two of them will begin recording. Please, please pray for all of us during this time, as I am sure the enemy will do his best to oppose the recording of God's Word. One concern is the noisiness of our surroundings. We do not have a completely enclosed building, so all the sounds from the outside come right inside. They were doing some test recording yesterday, and the microphones were picking up all the outside noise. Please pray that God will work mightily in this area, He can calm seas, so is it too hard for Him to block out noises? Also, no one here really reads their own language fluently, they were never taught to, so reading at a level suitable for a recording is challenging! Please pray for blessings on their reading skills. We are still lacking a second monitor. Clifford and I could fill in, but that would really tax our abilities to fulfill other responsibilities like the Bible study work and workshop preparations. Please pray for God's clear direction there. We are excited about what God is going to do.

We had no workshops this Saturday, as it was time for the annual Belize District Church of the Nazarene District Assembly. I had the privilege of attending the Assembly, and hearing the reports of what God has been doing in the churches throughout the country. We serve a mighty God, and it was a blessing to see many people who I usually have the opportunity to see only once a year. Several people from here in Toledo were elected to important boards, so we trust that God will accomplish His purposes through these appointments.

I travelled home on a bus full of the pastors and church members from Toledo. I wish you could have been there for the triumphant service we had on the long drive home. No message was preached, but we lifted our voices in praise to our Lord in four different languages and for at least four hours. It was truly a delight, but it did come to end. I stepped off the bus at home with a chorus of farewells and blessings ringing in my ears. I live among precious people of God, and one day our worship services will never end!

As we travelled that evening, we passed through one of my favorite scenic areas of Belize, a fertile valley along the Hummingbird Highway. The hills rise and fall to the horizon, and are covered with rich green citrus groves on both sides of the road. The drive is delightful at any time of the day, but in the evening, just as the sun is getting ready to set, the beauty exceeds my ability to describe it. Of course, it also makes it very difficult to drive with the sun in your eyes, but if one is allowed to simply ride and soak in the splendor; one is reminded of the greatness of his Creator. There is a certain tree here in Belize which, when barren of leaves, covers itself with flowers of a mixture of buttery, lemony yellow. Saturday evening, besides the rich green of the citrus groves, the hills were dotted with the glow of these trees. As the sun settled low on the horizon, its gentle brightness touched these trees and transformed them to specks of gold across the hills as far as the eye could see.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
       sing to the LORD, all the earth.

 ² Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
       proclaim his salvation day after day.

 ³ Declare his glory among the nations,
       his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

 ⁴ For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
       he is to be feared above all gods.

 ⁵ For all the gods of the nations are idols,
       but the LORD made the heavens.

 ⁶ Splendor and majesty are before him;
       strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

 ⁷ Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations,
       ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

 ⁸ Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
       bring an offering and come into his courts.

 ⁹ Worship the LORD in the splendor of his ^[a] holiness;
       tremble before him, all the earth.

 ¹⁰ Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns."
       The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
       he will judge the peoples with equity.

 ¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
       let the sea resound, and all that is in it;

 ¹² let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
       Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;

 ¹³ they will sing before the LORD, for he comes,
       he comes to judge the earth.
       He will judge the world in righteousness
       and the peoples in his truth.

Psalm 96 (NIV)