His Redeeming Love

There’s no doubt that the Lord went before us in every move we’ve made leading up to this trip. Every decision has been led by the Holy Spirit, and it’s been so beautiful to watch everything unfold just as God intended it. Each day here has been a gift. Each interaction has been a gift. This team has been a gift. God orchestrated every bit of this and, the more we talk, the more we see his fingerprints all over it.

We started our day like every other – on the rooftop for a delicious breakfast. We had French toast, eggs, fruit and juice. Every meal we’ve had has been so yummy. We still have our tables set up like a big family dining room table, and it’s been so great to eat every meal together as one team.

After breakfast, we separated for quiet time and then loaded up the bus for camp. We drove to St. Matthew’s and started setting up the different stations. The kids loved the game station with James and Kelley today. They competed to see who could transition the most jelly beans to a plate with a pair of chopsticks. The kids even got to taste some of the jelly beans and they had NEVER had them before! They loved them so much!

The kids are so joyful to be at camp. Their spirit never dims and it’s so fun to be surrounded by kids who are so eager to learn about Jesus. Today at camp, we learned that God saves us. The kids know every Bible Point and Bible verse we’ve taught them. There were 81 total children at camp today – that’s wild!! We can’t believe tomorrow is the last day of camp! Time flies so fast here!!

After camp, some of our team members went to pick up juice for our women’s conference. After that, we had a little excursion before going to lunch — The Crossings! The Crossings is owned by Kidz Konnect and is a place that God is building so beautifully. We saw David there and he gave us a quick tour of everything so we could see the back-end of their operations. From a multipurpose center to a shopping outlet to the wood shop, it’s sweet to see all that God is doing at The Crossings. His faithfulness abounds. We were able to do some shopping and get a quick soda before going back to the Macaroni for lunch.

Today for lunch we had a Build-Your-Own Chicken Burrito Bar and poke cake for dessert. It was so delicious! After lunch, we headed back to the school for day 3 of the Women’s Conference. Today we focused on I am Redeemed. Madison was our speaker and shared her story so freely. We had 30 women plus our team. Seeing the room full and in deep conversation was so good. Today the women at the conference saw the names of the people who gave money to sponsor them. The women seem to be getting so much out of this conference — even the women on our team. Each of us is learning so much. These women are eager to start small groups and bible studies in their communities. They know how easy it can be now and cannot wait to get moving. It’s so sweet to see the women looking forward to not only showing up but going deeper. 

James and Peyton had a great time with the teen boys today! They were able to sit down and talk about the gospel story. They’re learning exactly what we are — God Made Me, God Loves Me, God Saves Me, and God Calls Me.

After the women’s conference, we came back to the hotel for team time and a few moments of rest before dinner. Dinner was split pea soup, white rice, chicken, cole slaw, salad, and chocolate cake from Shelika (Annamae’s daughter)! Everything was so so yummy! We had so much fun laughing over dinner and have just so enjoyed getting to know everyone on our team. 

After dinner we met downstairs for devotions and worship. We shared God sightings and dove into Colossians 2 a little more than yesterday. Our time as a team is always a highlight on the Mission Experience. It’s where life change happens; when we take a step back to reflect. Once devotion ended, we split up and began working on our tasks for our final day of camp tomorrow. It’s crazy to think that we’re about to finish up camp and the women’s conference, but it makes me so excited to think about what will be carried out of these spaces. Families, women, and teen boys will know — God Made Me, Loves Me, Saves Me, Calls Me.

Seeing the life change within our team and around each circle we’ve been in this week has been so beautiful. It’s no coincidence that God wanted us to talk about our stories this week while sharing the greatest story of all. God has gone before us in preparing hearts and minds to receive and respond to this message. 

Thank you all so much for your obedience in supporting 28:19 Ministries and the team that’s on the ground here. We’re so honored that you’re taking time out of your day to read about how God is moving here in Belize.