Chosen for This

Post for July 11, 2024

It’s hard to believe that our programming has come to a close! Today was emotional and beautiful, and every team member poured every ounce of themselves into it. To see something that we’ve spent months planning for come to life has brought us so much joy that we get to do this. I’ve spent so much time today thanking God for the impact He gave us here. It could have been anywhere, but He chose Pomona, Belize. He chose us. What a gift. I’ve spent the last hour watching videos and looking at photos. I’m smiling from ear to ear thinking about each and every memory made this week. AND it’s not over yet!

Overlooking the beautiful landscape, complete with a rainbow, we enjoyed a laughter filled breakfast. This morning’s breakfast was tortillas, beans, hard boiled eggs, watermelon, sausage links, papaya, and pineapple juice. After breakfast, we transitioned into individual quiet time for our devos. We gathered our supplies for the day, prayed, and boarded the bus. The morning went by so quick!

When we got to the school, we started setting up for our final day of A Marvelous Homecoming (aka Bible Adventure Camp). If you haven’t looked at any of the photos, this camp theme is full of color! We blew up a few more balloons for the “party room” since they’ve been such a hit this week. Before we knew it, kids were pouring in from the bus to join us! We’ve had just under 100 kids at camp this week – it has been a blast! Each one of them walked away learning “God is a Father – He will never leave us”, “God is a friend – He can be trusted”, “God is a miracle worker – He can do impossible things”, and “God is a rescuer – He will never fail”. They have it hidden in their heart. It was reinforced at every station, in every song, and every interaction. These kids walked away with an understanding of the character of God. How cool is that?! Today, when we were waiting for the bus, we had a team huddle. Just behind me, a little boy was sitting on a tire singing one of the songs from camp and reciting every Bible point to himself. These Bible points weren’t just for the kids. They weren’t just to have something for them to memorize. They’re truths about who God is. They’re truths that even we need to remind ourselves of. On multiple occasions this week, we’ve used the Bible points to minister to one another. He’s a Father. He’s a friend. He’s a miracle worker. He’s a rescuer. For the kids. For us. For you, too.

After camp, we rode the bus back to the hotel for lunch. We had the most delicious tacos, garnachas, tostadas, and lime juice. We ate pretty quickly so we could have a little more time to rest before jumping into our afternoon programs. Every day here has been so full – we haven’t wasted a moment. Around 1:45pm, we got on the bus to head to the school one last time. We unloaded our bins of supplies and set everything up. It didn’t even feel like today could be the last day of programming. Women poured into the building, boys stormed the field, and girls giggled as they walked to their space. The kids, still full of energy from camp, sang all of the songs from the morning as joyful and proud as they could. To see the school yard filled with so many people is so beautiful. Every person learning about who God is in a way that is appropriate for them. 

The women read the story of Naomi and learned the Bible point “I am restored”. They opened with worship and reading the devotional. After their discussion time, they were each given a ring to remind them that God calls them royalty. These rings were absolutely stunning and brought the most beautiful glow to the women across the room. Then, they went into a time of worship and response. They ended with sharing testimonies of the goodness of God.

The boys got to have a water balloon and paintball war today. They heard a message from James about the gift of a Heavenly Father. All of their lessons this week were about becoming a man after God’s heart. At the end of the day, they each received a hat and a dog tag to remind them of what they learned this week.

The teen girls read the story of the cross and the resurrection together and had a discussion about it. Afterwards, they had a spa day celebration! From hair tinsel to nail painting, and a candy bar to glittery juice – every detail made the girls feel so special. The decor this week was centered around disco balls, and each girl got to take home a disco ball cup to remember this week.

We ended the afternoon programs with lots of pictures and tight hugs. We even had the report of a MIRACLE!!! One of our very close friends in Belize was HEALED from her knee pain of 2 years following a stroke! God is a miracle worker!! She walked into the Women’s Conference slowly and in lots of pain. By the close, she was RUNNING across the room!! She gives all glory to God for healing her!

What’s happening here matters. Lives are being transformed. Believers are being activated. People are being saved. That’s what it’s all about – sharing the Good News.

When we got back to the hotel, we had about 30 minutes before dinner. Our meal tonight is another favorite amongst team members past and present. We had chicken alfredo, rolls, and Cristy’s famous banana chocolate chip muffins. It was SO delicious.

Afterwards, we went straight into our team worship time. We sang “All Around the World” and “New Wine”. Amy read from Luke 5 and encouraged us to begin thinking about how our experience here will change how we live when we return home. She talked about how you can’t put new wine in old wineskins. We ended our time together in team prayer over one another.

Since then, we’ve been hanging out with a couple friends at the hotel. Now, everyone is in bed getting much needed rest! Tomorrow, we’ll host our second annual Night of Worship. As you think about it, please spend some time in prayer for this event. Last year, the Night of Worship was the beginning of so much life change in Pomona. It was what sparked The Gathering. It’s where people were saved and physically healed. We believe that God has something special in store for tomorrow. Join us in prayer as we re-enter Holy Ground.