Called to GO

I can’t believe today was our last day of camp! Time has flown and it’s crazy to think we only have two full days left in Belize. Each day has been jam packed with goodness at every turn — today was no different. We began our day with breakfast on the rooftop. We had banana pancakes, ham, eggs, fruit, and juice. A lot of us have been talking about how we don’t typically eat breakfast in the States, but here we can’t miss it! It’s so yummy! 

After breakfast, we had devotion time and then loaded up the bus for camp. When we got our classrooms set up at the school, we welcomed the kids in. They were so full of joy — eager to see what was in store for the last day of camp! Today’s Bible Point was “I am Called” and we talked about how God calls us to go everywhere and tell everyone the good news! The kids have grasped onto each Bible Point so quickly this week. It really feels like they’ve buried each one into their hearts. Even a two year old was chanting the Bible Points! We had 98 people at camp today — God is SO good! In one station, we came up with a chant for our Bible Verse of the Day — Mark 16:15. The kids loved it! At the end of camp, each family received a beautiful children’s Bible so they can learn more about Jesus. Their faces lit up as they received them, and the kids were reading them before they ever left the school’s property! The last day of camp is always so bittersweet. We love seeing the kids so excited about what they’ve learned, but it’s so hard to say “see you soon”. 

After camp, we had to make a trip to the store to grab more cookies for the women’s conference. While we were there, we each grabbed a little treat to have before lunch. Most of us grabbed a single serve ice cream, but some chose chips and a soda. When we got back to the Macaroni, we packed up the stuff from camp and headed up to the roof for lunch. We had tostadas and mini fish tacos – yum yum yum!! After lunch, we had a few minutes to rest before leaving for the women’s conference. Around 1:45pm we loaded up the van to head to the women’s conference and boys’ small group. 

Like I mentioned in an earlier blog post, everything we’ve done this week has taught the same things — I am Made in His Image, I am Loved, I am Saved, I am Called. We did this on purpose so families would have a common learning point to give more opportunity for discussions at home. Like the kids, the women have latched onto every point and story. We’ve explored the stories of Eve, Hosea and Gomer, The Bleeding Woman, and the Woman at the Well. Amy was our speaker today, and she shared about how God called her to start 28:19 Ministries and gave her a heart for missions in 2012 on our first trip to Belize. It’s incredible to see the life change that has happened since 2012. One of the main goals of Transformed Conference was to empower these women to lead small groups within their community. They’ve been so vulnerable and willing to share this week — so many laughs, tears, and worshipful moments. There’s no doubt that lives were changed this week. We’re so excited to keep in touch with everyone through our Transformed Conference Facebook group!

The boys had their final small group today, and it looked and sounded like a blast! They played soccer, had some devotion time, and ate cold cups. We had something special to give the boys today thanks to World Help. World Help sent us some nice dri-fit shirts that we put the 28:19 Ministries logo on, and the boys loved them! They couldn’t wait to put them on and were smiling from ear to ear! 

Once we got back to the Macaroni, we went out to the village to invite the families to a movie night. While in the village, one of the boys confessed that he took a soccer ball from the small group and had been feeling the weight of the guilt since he took it. He returned it and served as an example for other boys to do the same. When we were finished in the village, we  went upstairs for dinner. We had spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, salad, and chocolate cake sundaes. During dinner, we multitasked to get the movie ready to go. While hopes were high, the poor Belizean wifi won that battle. We weren’t able to show a movie after all but did get to show all of the kids photos of themselves from the past 10 years. They were giggling, jumping up and down, and shouting everyone’s name when their face was on the screen — so much joy filled the space. Most of these kids don’t have an abundance of childhood photos, so seeing themselves on the projector was so cool! We also had nail polish that Madison used to paint everyone’s nails and paper for coloring. We love nights like tonight where we get to come together with the kids and just have fun. One of the boys from the village came up to me and said “this is better than a movie”. Since we’ve known these kids for a decade, being with them feels like a family reunion.

After the “movie night”, most of the team went to bed but a few members stayed up and hosted an imaginary podcast called “Belize After Dark” filled with confessions, advice, and wise counsel. Late night hangouts in Belize are where some of the sweetest memories are made.

Tomorrow we’ll be helping out at the medical clinic that Kidz Konnect hosts every quarter. We’re excited to plug in to what they’re doing and can’t wait to see all God has in store.