The Small Things

It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through our week of Bible Adventure Camp and Love Conference. Every year, this week seems to fly by, but this year’s theme, “Don’t Miss This,” has reminded us to slow down and really notice the moments God places in front of us.

This morning was one of those moments. We gathered on the rooftop for breakfast like we do every day, but this morning, we looked up and saw the most beautiful double rainbow stretching across the sky. One of my favorite things about seeing rainbows during breakfast in Belize is that one end always seems to stretch toward the school while the other reaches over the village we love so dearly. It felt like such a beautiful reminder of the places and people God has called us to serve.

Belize has experienced an incredible amount of rain this week. There has been flooding, power outages, thunder, and lightning almost every day. Because of that, every glimpse of sunshine has felt like a gift. This morning’s rainbow was one of those gifts, and it was the perfect way to begin another day of ministry.

For breakfast, we enjoyed hard-boiled eggs, fry jacks, salsa, beans, a fruit platter, and juice. Fry jacks are always a favorite with our team and quickly disappear from everyone’s plates!

One of the things we treasure most about meal times in Belize is the opportunity to slow down and simply be together. Around the breakfast table, conversations happen naturally, stories are shared, laughter fills the room, and we get to enjoy one another’s company in a way that can be hard to do in the busyness of everyday life.

After breakfast, everyone headed to their quiet time spot to spend time in prayer and work through our daily devotional. This year’s devotional is brand new, and it has already spoken to our team in such meaningful ways.

One of the coolest parts is that we’re not the only ones reading it. Back home in Virginia, our Stay and Go team is walking through the very same devotional as they learn what it looks like to live missionally right where God has placed them. While our team is serving in Belize, they’re serving in their homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities. It’s been so encouraging to hear how God is using the same words to shape hearts in two different places, reminding us that living on mission isn’t limited by location. We’re so excited to hear the testimonies that come out of Stay and Go. 

After breakfast, we gathered in the lobby for a quick team meeting before loading onto the bus for day two of Bible Adventure Camp! When we arrived at the school, we opened up the classrooms and began setting up for the day’s lessons and activities. Not long after, the bus full of kids rolled in, and they came running in with huge smiles on their faces. They were so excited to be back at camp!

We welcomed a few new campers today, bringing our total attendance to around 80 kids. We were also so excited to see a few familiar faces from past camps who weren’t able to join us on the first day yesterday.

One little girl has absolutely adored Kelly from the moment they met. When she walked up this morning, I greeted her with a hug and said, “Guess who’s here?” She looked at me with a curious smile and asked, “Who?” I answered, “Kelly.” Her hands immediately flew to her mouth in disbelief. Then she started jumping up and down with the biggest smile on her face. And when she realized she had been placed in the same squad as one of her best friends, her excitement somehow grew even more.

Moments like that remind us that we’re building so much more than a week of camp. Year after year, God continues to grow genuine relationships that point these kids to Him, and we don’t take that privilege for granted.

Today’s Bible Point was, “God is mindful. He cares about the small things.” Our memory verse came from 1 Peter 5:7: “Give all your worries to God, for He cares about you.” Every station was intentionally designed to help the kids understand that truth in a fun and memorable way.

At Activation Station, campers competed in a series of relays that focused on tiny things. They used straws to move small pieces of paper, chopsticks to pick up bottle caps, and even kept balloons in the air while collecting ping pong balls. Every challenge reminded them that if God cares about the smallest details, He certainly cares about every detail of their lives. At Creation Station, the kids got to decorate a shrink dink that got turned into a keychain. They were invited to write a prayer on the plastic before shrinking it. The keychains will help them remember that God hears even our tiniest prayers. At Hydration Station, the kids enjoyed some peanut butter crackers (biscuits, as they call them) and got to share the small things that God cares about. At Investigation Station, the kids got to use a digital microscope to look closely at different items. They had a snake skin, onion shell, piece of tall grass, a bug, and more. They loved getting to look at the small details, and they were reminded that if God cares about those very small details then He cares about us too. At the Bible Exploration Station, the kids got to review the story of manna in the wilderness. They especially loved the activity of eating manna (rice krispy cereal) off of a tablecloth on the floor. Day two of camp was a beautiful success, and we can’t wait to see what day three has in store!

After camp, we cleaned up our classrooms and waited for the bus to pick us up. While we waited, we gathered under the big tree outside the school, talking, laughing, and enjoying a few more moments together before heading back to the hotel. Lunch was waiting for us when we arrived, and it did not disappoint! We enjoyed a taco bar complete with the most delicious pico de gallo and juice. It was exactly the meal we needed before another full afternoon at Love Conference.

After a short break, it was time to load up the bus once again. Just as we were about to head outside, the rain started pouring. We all made a run for the bus, hoping to avoid getting completely soaked!

This afternoon, we had the opportunity to serve in Alta Vista, a village just a few minutes from Pomona. Although we’ve known many people from Alta Vista through Bible Adventure Camp over the years, this was our first time serving in their community. It made the afternoon feel especially meaningful.

The rain was still coming down when we arrived, so everyone jumped into action, unloading supplies and setting up as quickly as possible before our attendees arrived. God brought even more people today than yesterday! We welcomed 33 adults to Love Conference, along with a whole bunch of kids who wanted to be part of the afternoon. We love seeing children drawn to these spaces, even when they’re too young to fully participate. Together, we worshiped through “Perfect Love of Jesus” and “Lord Send Revival.” Hearing everyone sing those songs in unison was such a beautiful reminder that worship has a way of bringing people together. Amy then shared a message centered on the theme “Rescued by Love.”

After the conference, our team partnered with the attendees to serve their neighbors in Alta Vista through the Love Center. One of the coolest things to watch was how much smoother everything felt today. Yesterday helped us learn what worked well and where we needed to make a few adjustments. By this afternoon, everyone knew exactly where to be and what to do, allowing us to serve people with even greater confidence and care. 

We had 30 families experience the Love Center in Alta Vista today. Thirty! Can you believe it? God is so good! We’re especially grateful for our community partner, Annie, who intentionally invited families from throughout her village to join us.

One of the most beautiful parts of the afternoon was watching our conference attendees step up and serve their own neighbors. Side by side, our team and the Belizean volunteers welcomed families, helped children find clothes, served snacks, prayed with people, and shared the love of Jesus in tangible ways. This is exactly what Love Conference was designed for, and seeing it come to life was so encouraging.

There were so many “Don’t Miss This” moments throughout the afternoon, but one stands out in particular. A little girl was trying on a pair of sandals from the Children’s Clothes Closet to see if they fit. When she slipped them on, they fit perfectly. It felt like a real-life Cinderella moment. The biggest smile spread across her face when her mom told her she could take them home. It’s such a simple moment, but moments like these remind us that love is often expressed in the smallest acts of kindness. A pair of sandals may not seem like much, but to that little girl, they meant everything.

The carnival for the kids was packed! It was a special kind of organized chaos, but Doug, Alli, Kelly and Samantha had everything under control. Between the face painting, balloon animals, and games, there were smiles everywhere you looked. I’d say they have officially earned the title of professional face painters and balloon animal makers!

Just as it was time to wrap up for the afternoon, the rain started pouring. We were so thankful that so many families had the opportunity to experience Love Conference and be served before the storm rolled in. While we waited for the rain to let up enough to start packing everything away, Alli and Samantha couldn’t resist running outside to dance in the rain. It was such a fun little moment and the perfect reminder to find joy, even in the unexpected.

When the rain finally let up, we packed everything onto the bus and headed back to the hotel for dinner. After a quick chance to freshen up, we gathered around the table for split pea soup, white rice, barbecue chicken, salad, fried plantains, cinnamon rolls, and juice. The cinnamon rolls are always a team favorite, and we look forward to them every year! Our dinner table was full of laughter tonight. We’ve reached that point in the week where everyone feels completely at home with one another, and our authentic, slightly crazy personalities start coming out. Those moments of joy and laughter are gifts.

After dinner, we gathered downstairs for team worship. We sang together, reflected on the day, and shared our “Don’t Miss This” moments. It’s one of our favorite parts of each day because everyone has a different story to share. As we listened to each other’s stories, we were reminded once again that God is constantly at work. Sometimes He shows up in the big moments, and sometimes He reveals Himself in the quiet, ordinary moments we might have otherwise overlooked.

Thank you for continuing to pray for our team. Tomorrow we have Day Three of Bible Adventure Camp and Love Conference, and we can’t wait to see all that God has in store. Thank you for following along!

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