Preparing the Way

Woohoo! Our first full day in Belize is in the books, and it was such a beautiful day of getting to work together as a team. After a long travel day yesterday, a good night’s rest was definitely needed. Getting to sleep for several consecutive hours felt amazing, and the time change really works in our favor! That 6:00 a.m. wake-up knock felt more like 8:00 a.m. Thank you, Doug and Alex, for being our team’s alarm clock this week!

When we arrived in Belize yesterday, all we saw were dark clouds and rain. So waking up to dry skies and a few peeks of sunshine this morning was such a gift. Belize has experienced heavy rainfall this week, and many communities have been affected by flash flooding. As you read today’s update, would you take a moment to pray for the families and communities impacted by the flooding?

This morning, we gathered on the rooftop for our first breakfast together. We enjoyed eggs, beans, johnny cakes, sausage links, juice, and coffee while soaking in the beautiful view. Before jumping into the day’s work, everyone spread out around the hotel for personal devotional time. We love beginning each day this way because it helps center our hearts on Jesus before we begin serving others.

The rest of the morning was dedicated to preparing for the week ahead. We started with a session for our first-time team members where Amy shared more about Belize and the story of 28:19 Ministries. At the same time, others packed tote bags for Love Conference and wrote encouragement cards.

Next, our Bible Adventure Camp teachers gathered to walk through their lesson plans while the rest of the team prepared craft supplies for the week. Once the cutting was finished, a few team members even started practicing balloon animals for our outreach events. There were lots of laughs (and popping balloons) during that part! BUT, we had some success stories – Kelly and Samantha each successfully made dogs!

We wrapped up the morning by gathering on the rooftop to learn more about one of the things we’re most excited about this week: Love Conference.

Love Conference is brand new this year. In the past, our afternoons have included a Women’s Conference, Teen Boys Camp, and Teen Girls Conference. This year, we felt God leading us to create something that would bring everyone together, including men for the very first time. Each afternoon, attendees will gather for a time of worship and teaching centered on serving others. Then we’ll head into a different village to put that message into action by showing God’s undeniable love in practical ways.

Throughout the week, we’ll visit Valley Community, Altavista, Pomona, and Hope Creek. During each outreach, families will find a children’s clothing closet, snacks, games and carnival activities for kids, and a special gift for every family. We’re praying that every person we meet this week leaves knowing they are deeply loved by God. We cannot wait to see what God has in store for this week!

After all of our morning prep, it was finally time for lunch! We enjoyed a build-your-own burger bar complete with homemade buns, french fries, and juice. Our bellies were happy and very full afterward. It was exactly the fuel we needed for the afternoon ahead.

Right after lunch, we loaded up and headed to the school to begin setting up for Bible Adventure Camp. Estellyn, our friend and driver for the week, was ready to take us there. As soon as we arrived, we opened up the space, moved all of the desks and furniture out of the way, and got to work transforming the classrooms.

This year’s Bible Adventure Camp theme is Beyond: God’s Wonders Great and Small, so our main room is decorated to feel like outer space. It came together so beautifully, and the teamwork was incredible. Every person played a part, and it truly took all of us working together to bring the vision to life. We can’t wait to show you what it looks like tomorrow! Until then, we’ll keep it a surprise. 🙂 

Once everything was set up, we headed back to the hotel for a short break before dinner. We ate a little earlier than usual because we’d be attending The Gathering during our normal dinner hour. Since we were already dressed for church, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take some team photos before we ate. It was so much fun!

After dinner, it was time to walk over to the Community Center for The Gathering. This is always one of the most meaningful parts of our week in Belize. If you’re new to following our journey and don’t know the story of The Gathering, you can read more about it here.

There is something so special about worshiping alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ. Every year, we’re reminded that although we come from different places and cultures, we serve the same faithful God.

Zarahlee led us in a beautiful time of praise and worship. We sang “I Thank God,” “Great Are You Lord,” “So Will I,” and “I Speak Jesus.” We had no idea “So Will I” would be part of the worship set, and our team was so touched by how perfectly it connected with this year’s Bible Adventure Camp theme, Beyond: God’s Wonders Great and Small. It was another sweet reminder that God cares about every detail. We always leave encouraged after worshiping together and hearing Pastor Lord share God’s Word.

Pastor Lord shared a powerful message on courage, and one statement really stuck with us: “Fear sits on the human heart and begs for obedience.” He challenged us to remember that throughout Scripture, God often calls His people to take the first step in faith before He performs the miracle. What a timely reminder as we begin serving this week. We’re praying that we would choose courage over comfort and faithfully take each step God places in front of us.

After church, we walked back to the hotel and gathered for a quick team debrief before calling it a night. Afterward, some team members headed to bed while others stayed up a little longer to prepare more supplies for the week ahead. With the size of our programs this week, there are so many details to keep track of. We want to be good stewards of the time, resources, and opportunities God has entrusted to us. We never want to take for granted that He has given us the privilege of serving and sharing His love in Belize.

As we head into our first full day of programs tomorrow, our prayer is simple: that we wouldn’t miss a single opportunity to love people well, point them to Jesus, and witness His faithfulness.

Thank you for following along with our journey and for continuing to pray for our team. We can’t wait to hit the ground running tomorrow as Bible Adventure Camp and Love Conference officially begin. We would love your prayers as we step into this next part of the week, and we can’t wait to share all that God does.