Spreading the Gospel to All the World - 10 Year Celebration

In January 2001 Bishop Tim Joiner & family left their home in the United States to come to a country they have never been to before.  Knowing no one, with just a single contact name they arrived to start a church and a work for God.    Their labor of love and devotion was evidenced in their recent celebration of 10 years in service here in Belize.  With churches located in Punta Gorda,  San Felipe, San Jose & Guinea Grass the Gospel is being spread to a hungry nation.  I was honored to be able to participate in the celebration as well as meet some sweet and kind people in the process.

Sunday celebration service with the home churches as well as visiting Pastor Ocha & church members.

Bishop Joiner's home pastor - Bro. Taylor.  This man is one of the sweetest men you will ever meet.  Loved staying up late, surfing the web on our Apple computers in the living room while Bro. Joiner & company tried to stay awake.  This man could out last any young person regardless of their age!  ;-) 

Pastor A. Lyle -  this man and his church have been the main source of financial support for the work here in Belize.  

Belize ministers representing churches from all over Belize. 

Bishop Tim Joiner with one of the native Belize ministers.  This man was one of the first men converted when they arrived 10 years before. 

The Belize Youth Choir. 

 Yes, for those of you wondering that is me in the back playing the keyboard. :)

 

Stuff My Students Have Taught Me...

Lesson #1

A child's logic is unique and strangely makes sense somehow.  For example, if a pencil sharper sharpens pencils, then it must sharpen crayons as well.

(I spent over an hour cleaning out the sharper so it would work again. ) 

Lesson #2

Why take a test today when you can take it tomorrow?  This also works well for studying for tests or just general every day seat work. 

Lesson #3

Words often mean different things then they do in the states.  For example, don't freak out if your student says another student is "molesting" them.  Here they use it to mean that someone is annoying them.  Guess I shouldn't have called the police.....

Lesson #4

Keeping a child in their seat is nearly impossible.  Like a determined puppy they will always find a way to escape and wonder the room. 

Lesson #5

Children are VERY creative when it comes to cheating.  If there is a way, they will find it.....trust me.  

Valentine Day's Banquent

     This past friday, we started the Valentine weekend early with a fun, church banquet.   We had a great few hours of food, fellowship and laughter.  

In Belize, when there is food serviced for free...EVERYONE shows!  ;)

Haley Joiner-Hernandez, just a little excited to get the party started. 

One of the many desserts created by one of the talented girls here. 

Me and Ayoni Mena.  

Pastor Joiner with several of them men in the church acting out a skit.  As you can see, even THEY were having a hard time keeping a straight face. 

Prayer Request

Please pray for Bro. Jesus Falcon who has gone missing from his home in Mexico.  There has been no contact with him since he arrived December 14th, 2010 to visit his family for the holidays.  Jesus lives and works with us in Belize and has become like family to the Joiner's.  Official paperwork is being filed with the missing person's department in Mexico by his sister.  However for those of you who are currently following the news you will know that Mexico is currently in a state of upheaval. Jesus's hometown of Monterey, Mexico is now under drug/mafia control so the police won't be much help at this time.  Again, your prayers are much appreciated at this time.   

Bro. Jesus Falcon and his favorite activity....food. 

This is Why I Teach...

I've always wondered how men and women could dedicate 20+ years of their life to the classroom.  Today I found out how.  During their free time one my of older students wrote me a beautiful letter. I also received the cutest drawing from one of my younger students.  These little notes and drawings are what making teaching worth the hard days. 

"Sis. Amber,

I love you you are my best teacher that have teach this school I like your words that you speack [sic] to the class your words lift me more to Christ some say that you ar [sic] mean but I notice that you wont [sic] us to do right thanks you for ALL you have done for me you are soch [sic] a blessing to me

                                       Love You "

*This is how the note came to me...spelling mistakes, missing grammar and all. :) 

Honduras/Guatemala Missions Trip

I was told that Honduras was beautiful but nothing prepared me for the beauty that I found on my resent trip there.  With the cancellation of our planned Mexico trip, Missionary Tim Joiner decided to squeeze in a quick trip to Honduras.  Okay, so maybe my roommate Korena leaving might have had something to do with it.  Regardless it was a week that I will never forget and pray I get the pleasure of going back soon.  While there we were honored to visit several of the local missionaries in the area as well as some of the churches under Bishop Joiner.

It was also my first time having more Americanized food and a hot shower.  I can't tell you how excited I was about the previous mentioned.  I'm sure we look liked crazies POW's fresh out of jail, stuffing our faces like there was no tomorrow. Many of us got sick but the pain was well worth the wonderful tastes such as Wendy's, Popeye's, Baskin Robins and more.

Our first service, the trip will up the mountain will make you pray through if nothing else. Me and God became close friends let me tell you. :)

The church in Subidana, Honduras. You can see the small lantern which is normally the only source of light.  They have church in the dark, walking miles in the rain, located way up in the mountains. We brought in a generator and a string of lights for this service.  I don't think many of the people there had ever had electricity at night. If this doesn't make you thankful for the little things, nothing will. 

The church in El Progresso.  Got to spend Sunday morning with them; great move of God in that place. 

Pastor Jimmy and his beautiful family.  They are located in the city of El Progresso and pastor the revival church there.  

The church in San Pedro Sula pastored by Bro. Rudy Lopez.  We baptized 7 people in the wonderful Name of Jesus the night we visited. 

Having an outside service on the site of the future church in Siquatepeque.  

Looking down into the city of Siguatepeque.  I'm standing on the site of the church that is being built by Pastor Marc & Lori Schreckhise. 

My roommates posing with Pastor Mac & Lori Schreckhise. 

Outside of the church in La Celba, Honduras. 

Inside of the church in La Celba, had to be one of the hottest services I have ever been in. There was only one working fan in the middle of the church, but with about 50+ people dancing around it got kind of hot.  

Missionary Brent Schrechise & Family.  These people are so very sweet and doing a great work for God in the city of La Celba. 

Pastor Jimmy cutting up oranges for Korena and I.  We teased him all week that he looked like Obama, that was until he showed up that morning looking like Tiger Woods. To be honest, I'm not sure what image is worse right now. :)

He was a great sport with it all, even let us American girls take pictures with him like he was a celebrity.

Breakfast at our hotel.  Eggs, black beans, slice of ham, cheese and tortillas.

It took me a while to actually get the guts to eat this but I'm glad I did.  Kind of looks like a sea urchin with an eyeball inside.  Not sure of the name but it tasted real good as long as I didn't look at it before I popped it into my mouth.  Hey! When in Rome right? 

It's pronounced different so now I'm permanently confused.  But the biscuit was WAY better then they make it in the U.S.   This was the first American food we eat upon arriving in Honduras. 

Haven't been to Baskin Robbins in so long and here I am eating it in Honduras.  It was good let me tell you. But again, anything tastes good after a long time. :)

This is not a  dwarf banana, it's called an Apple Banana. The texture is slightly drier inside and it's a mixture of sweet with a little bit of a nut flavor to it.   They are very common here in Central America and can easy be bought from fruit stands on the side of the road. 

Eating Pizza Hut after service. I don't care what Haley says, THIS was the cause of ALL our sickness. It had nothing to do with the sweets we eat at the mall....nothing at all.  

The first thing to greet me when we entered the mall in San Pedro Sula.  When you haven't had something for a very long time, it tastes better somehow.  Not sure how that works but it does, trust me. 

Yes, I'm enjoying it.  Wish they had this size (they call it junior) in the US as you can actually finish it without felling sick.   

Like any youth group we don't pack light.  I was just happy not to have to pack my own bedding and towels.  However, I discovered that hotels in Honduras and Guatemala don't give the standard 3 towels per a room.  Thankfully someone packed extra towels....can you say local? LOL

Finale night on the road was thankfully NOT spent here. Gross and dirty doesn't even cover this sad excuse for a "hotel." Korena's face really does say it all and the pictures doesn't even show how dirty and small the room was.  We ended up sleeping in the bus parked at the Guatemala/Belize border...all 20 of us.  It was actually kind of fun - what a way to end the trip let me tell you.  

First Aid Training

Contrary to popular belief, Belize is not as civilized as the media has many people thinking. It's not full of luscious jungle, beautiful beaches and romantic island get aways.  The government here is very primitive and very little here is "nationalized."  This is the case with the emergency system here in Guinea Grass.  Our church has and operates the only ambulance in the village.  We serve about 4,000 people, all free of charge.  Currently there is only one registered EMT living here in the village.

We were blessed last week to have four registered EMT's from Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, Canada with us.  Among them was a certified Red Cross/EMT who has been teaching First Aid for about 10 years. Over a 100 kids and teachers from the local schools were trained in First Aid/CPR in a week long class.  The evenings were opened up to working adults and teenagers interested in helping with the ambulance service. Working with the Orange Walk Red Cross office, we were able to certify over 36 people in First Aid/CPR.  Future First Responders classes are in the works to help further the medical response teams now created.

My roommates holding the Ambulance service banner for the local independence parade.  

Bought and maintained 100% by donations. 

Practicing on placing a victim in the recovery position.  

Demonstrating and practicing placing victims on a stretcher.

  

A little after class antics -- this group decided to try a group heimlich. 

Practicing CPR on dummies brought in by the Canadian EMT's. 

Three of the four EMT instructors demonstrating proper techniques for splinting broken legs or other lower body injuries.    

Some of our village teens practicing proper splinting using some pre-prepared splints brought in for the training.

Some of the students having a little fun with EMT instructor Donny Taylor. 

"Um, excuse me Sir, but I think this person is missing the rest of his body."

Bishop Tim Joiner practicing CPR. 

My roommates Korena and Chelsea being put through some simulated scenarios.  Here Korena demonstrates First Aid for an impaled object to the eye.   

~~~

Thank you so much to the Canada group for the time, money and effort you put into helping make our community a safer and better one! We are forever indebted to you!!