Thank you for volunteering to stay

When Selah used this phrase last week, I told her she'd written a blog post for me. How blessed I am to have inspiration come from multiple venues!

Walking in Orange walk

Koinonia, the Spanish church we attend Sunday afternoons (after having Deaf church) has a missions team. The team was sent out this past Wednesday and Thursday. Koinonia was a church started from humble beginnings.  They began as a ministry exclusively for children. If we are honest they are pretty unique in that realm here in Orange Walk.  This was one of the huge draws for us.  As more children came, their parents wanted to come to church there.  The church began to meet.

The playground outside of the library

Pastor Ed's passion is to see children change the world.  They do children's ministry. Another part of their calling is to train others to reach children. They do several trainings a year at the church. 

Praying for the children happens every Sunday at Koinonia

The mission trip involves them going to countries in Central America and training the churches to do children's ministry.

I was asked to pray for the Pastoral family at Koinonia one Sunday

Selah's comment was about the people in Koinonia who stayed.  She thought they should be thanked. Staying is a difficult job.  There was a blog post I once read which talked about the friends and family left behind. They are the ones who must continue, who must love from afar, who get the "unexciting" parts of the ministry. 

A rousing game of bellz after stomachs full of fry jack

We want to thank you for being the ones who volunteer to stay. We could not do what we do without you. 

our welcome home in 2016 thanks to our MST

Staying is a difficult job!  Thank you for the support you give. Thank you for your prayers.

Zion's job was hanging out the wash yesterday

Relationships are key

About a month ago we noticed something cool. A woman who had suddenly stopped coming to church showed up.

the most recent movie night for "fun Friday"

Nathanael texts all of the Deaf people in the area each Friday/Sunday and asks if they will be coming. ( He has to plan his pick up route). Each time he would text, there would be an excuse about why she would not be there.

the youth wednesday

When she came, we really were not sure what prompted her to arrive.

If you only knew how full this van was.. and how HOT it was in the back!! 

During sharing time, we heard the story. Apparently there was a rift between two women in the church. One had decided not to attend. Both had gone to Carmelita (a local town) to the Deaf outreach that happens every 6 weeks.  The women had a chance to reconcile. I am so thankful for what God did in this situation.

A drama day at church, talking about the life of Ahab and Elijah

We have also seen this in the lives of two of the teens. They refused to both be at church at the same time. We saw the conflict but were unsure of how to be involved. Nathanael took time to pray for them and the situation.

Welcome to Jesus Deaf Church! 

The next week they were talking and sitting next to each other.

A wednesday Men's night, as they prep food for themselves

Gossip is a big issue in our church. It has damaged many relationships. It keeps some people away from church.

The ladies enjoy a rousing game of Apples to Apples Pictures on a wednesday night

It is awesome when I can report things of the opposite nature have occured!

Friday night Bible Study with the Orbans 

Please keep relationships in your prayers as you think about us. We are so thankful for your prayers!

You should be receiving a paper copy of our newsletter in your mailboxes within the next week. If  you haven't, and would like a copy feel free to contact us.

Spring

more visitors

We arrived to the airport early this time. Two times in a row, we arrived on time and the flights were early. Unfortunately for us, the plane was delayed, exiting delayed (a medical emergency) and there were issues with needing our exact address. Por fin, Joel and Annette entered Belize!

Joel and Annette on the plane here

Of course they (accidentally) taunted us with stories of eating Chick A Fila in the airport in Miami. Our only fast(ish) food around here would be Orange Walk Tacos.

we stopped to eat before seeing the waterfalls

It was a nice break to have both Joel and Annette here.  Nathanael and I were able to have some time with Joel as well as a date far away from the kids.

Joel preaches at Koinonia, Pastor Ed interprets

We really enjoyed visiting old places, showing them new ones, and exploring a waterfall we hadn't ever been to before.

Joel at Laminai

We are so thankful for the adventure we had with them

The very full van after church on Sunday 

It is always nice to experience our world through someone else's eyes.

Church on Sunday

When the tears fall, and when they don't

After what felt like the fastest 10 days ever, we drove Summer and Isaac to the airport. Kids ran through the hall, we delayed the inevitable. Hugs, thank you's and tears later, we piled into van(which now felt vacant).

This is actually Abigail getting into the van for her youth camp

Listlessly, we visited the grocery store. We don't often end up in Belize City and the grocery store offers more variety than we find in Orange Walk. Me? I ended up weeping in the flour isle. The trip to the Lebanese restaurant afterwards didn't go much better. Thankfully there is grace for our messy middle.

Our first experience with Lebonese food! So yummy! 

What is our messy middle?  We have entered a period of newness in Belize.  This is the first summer we've spent in Belize. Although we are approaching 2 years in country, we had gone back to Pa two years ago in June (2016). Summer's family cemented that fact for us. We weren't only saying goodbye to them, we were saying goodbye to Pa, for a while yet.

Taking the "littles" to children's ministry on a Saturday Afternoon

At the EMM Central American retreat, we had some sessions about grief. It was good to talk about.  It was good to label. For me I could look at my life and see the places where I hadn't grieved, or give myself the place to grieve.

A game some of the TCK's played with a tire while on our Central American retreat

As a family there are traditions we've held to. We do certain things during the summer that we are unable to do this year. (Hopewell camp, I work more and enjoy it ;) , Day Camp Live, CEF Good News camp, extra time with friends, Swimming in Mamaw's pool, and Family reunions)Grieving looks like feeling sad that we can't participate.  It looks like: summer like weather all year. It means I've been struggling with what I feel like my kids are missing out on.

but...
God has been faithful to us

I am thankful to be living in Belize, with my family, with "less to do"; allowing us to focus more on "us".  I am thankful for the "organic" way my kids are learning language. (How else does that happen when you are learning 2 languages at the same time and not being immersed in either) Honestly I am often surprised at the words they've learned or signs they produce. It's an amazing process. I am grateful for the fact that my kids are third culture kids. They appreciate culture, differences, and culture in a way I couldn't fathom at their ages.

Being third culture kids also means they are saying goodbye...often.  Just this week we had a VBS/youth camp at the Spanish Church we attend. Abigail was crying about saying goodbye. I struggled in my mind (it was 4 days). 

I was reminded of my word of the year" engage"  I really am attempting to engage with those around me. Wherever I am, whatever I am doing. I am choosing to both engage in the messiness, the missing Pennsylvania, the heat, and the peace we have in walking into the calling our family currently has.

Thank you for walking with us on this journey

Spring

PS I am not sure if the term "messy middle" is copy-written, but I got it from this blog. It is a great read, and this summer she has an excellent reading challenge!