God's Blessings

My last post mentioned me coming home on the bus having left the pickup at the mechanic. I am happy to report that fixing the alternator issue only cost $44.44 (22.22 US)! We were very thankful! There are a few more issues... but we will get to them in time!

Also last week one of my very dear friends and her baby were in a taxi going to see the doctor when another car ran through a stop sign and into the taxi! Although it could have been a very bad situation, God mercifully spared their lives and protected them from injury. The taxi driver had told her she could ride in the front, but she opted for the back seat... the impact caused the baby to fly forward, and she caught him by his feet. If she had been in the front, he might have gone through the windshield. People don't often where seat belts in the small town of Punta Gorda, but the driver had asked her to put on hers. God was so good to look out for them!

Last week was a pastor seminar here at the Center. We are thankful that Ray Neu is giving of his time to teach the pastors month after month!

Bible studies continue to go well. Saturday's class in Pueblo Viejo was titled "Blaming and Cursing." It told of Adam and Eve's failure to take responsibility for their own sin, but blaming it on others. It also spoke of the consequences God gave to the serpent, Adam, and Eve for their actions. This lesson is one of Clifford's favorites, and he did an excellent job teaching. He is such a gifted teacher with a passion for what he is teaching. It is always neat to see the people responding to his enthusiasm.

Sunday's Bible study was great as well. It was temporarily disrupted by a rainforest thunderstorm, but we didn't mind... it has been soooo hot and dry!

We have been having heat indexes of 104 - 118 during the day (both inside and out). Maybe having my handy digital thermometer that reads temp and humidity is not such a good thing... there was a heat index of 100.8 by my bed when I went to sleep last night, and it had cooled way down to an index of 92 when I got up at 5:00 this morning!!!! Wow! Have I ever told you that I wanted to be a missionary in Russia... and that I love cold weather???? Ah, God has a sense of humor, and I am so blessed to be where I am, heat and all.

Remember the pastors' pigs? Well, one of our biggest side projects (Bible studies are still number one) is working toward the development of a meat packing facility to provide a market for their pigs. We have been doing some research and talking to people about it lately, and everything has been positive so far. People are definitely excited about the possibility, as there is virtually no industry down in this part of the country. Local government officials are encouraging us to pursue it. It is becoming increasingly difficult for pastors and anyone else to stay at home and live off their farms as the cost of living skyrockets. If pastors have to go out and work for two weeks at a time, where will the church be? Please pray for this project, that the Lord would guide and direct us, as well as make the necessary provision for this undertaking.

Daily Life...

Dear ones,

Thank you all for your prayers. I cannot tell you how much they are appreciated day by day! God is so good to surround us with fellow believers to lift our hands up in prayers!

Bible studies continue to go well... God is so good! We continue to be blessed each time to see the new things people are learning!

We went to the agriculture department today to find out some information about the pigs for the pastors. We ended up making an unexpected visit to the mechanic which resulted in me catching the bus back home... Hopefully the alternator can be fixed not replaced...

New Blessing!

The caretaker's wife, Luisa, had a new little one: Nathan Ramos! Luisa has had some difficulty and still isn't doing real well. Please keep them in your prayers!

More Adventures with Pigs!!!

Wow, it seems that the adventures never cease in the work God has us doing here! We spent Good Friday transferring some pigs to a couple of pastors.

These were big pigs, so a whole different ballgame than the little ones we have have carried before. The boar weighed 240 lbs, and the sow 285. The adventure began at 6:00 Friday morning. Pastor Victor had 3 men to help him load, and we (well, Clifford did all the hard work) had built wood railing for the sides of the truck to keep the pigs in. The boar gave all kinds of trouble in the process of weighing him, but eventually they got both of them weighed and in the truck... two hours later!

We headed down the road toward San Benito Poite... and discovered the sow was prepared to give us a great deal of trouble! I will spare you the details, but suffice it to say that although there were boards in place to keep them a foot away from the cab, the sow ended up ON TOP of the cab, we stopped multiple times to wet the pigs down (basically every creek we came across), and Sandra and I finally forsook the cab, and rode on the side steps of the truck, keeping the pigs in!

When we went through the village, everyone was out and about for Good Friday services. They had a good laugh at the white lady clinging to the side of the truck, minding pigs with a stick!!!!

The boar stayed in San Benito Poite. After we had a good rest, a generous meal, and some fellowship, we headed out again, thinking the sow would have settled down now that the boar was gone. Not so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our battle only got worse! Every little bit we stopped and tried to keep her in as she jumped and kicked, gradually getting the best of our poor rails.

The ever resourceful Clifford cut a tree, stripped its bark, and tied her feet, hoping this would subdue her. No, even though her hind feet were well secured, she still managed to cause a ruckus... eventually leaping completely out of the truck and running into the bush, in the middle of no where with one man, one woman, and one teenage girl to deal with her. Our knife got lost too...

After we managed to tug her backward out of the bush, we hooked the rope over the hitch and sat down. I am sure we all prayed different prayers that day, but two I remember especially were, "Lord, please help us find the knife," and "Lord, please send some men along... we can't get this pig in ourselves."

To fully appreciate this you have to realize that we were on the road to one of the most remote villages. Hardly any vehicles pass that way. There was tall jungle on the sides of the road. Furthermore, it was a major holiday... Good Friday... thus, even fewer vehicles travelling.

Moments after our prayer, a pickup came along and at least eight men jumped out, tied the pig, all four feet together, and laid her in the back of the truck! We were stunned to tears! Soon we were flying down the road (okay... flying is 35 mph... the road is rough!!!!), well over a mile past where the knife had been lost... when lo and behold, there is the knife, right on the edge of the road!!!!

We have an awesome God! We were all overwhelmed at His goodness to us that day, and the pig did arrive safely to its new home in Pueblo Viejo. God cares. He cares about knives, and He cares about three crazy people on the road with one ornery pig!

Thank you God for sending me to Belize and giving me the opportunity to chase pigs in the bush, to hear howler monkeys, and to know that the work I am doing is for your people... You are indeed great!!!!

The new owner trying to manage the pig...