United Missions for Belize

Yesterday Tom, Spencer and I went to a meeting out at Jaguar Creek Ministries for a gathering of missionaries in our area.  United Missions for Belize is a newly formed network of missionaries who are seeking to partner with one another to pray for, support and keep each other up to date on what work is being done here in the Cayo District.

A few of those in the group initially came together to share tools and resources after Hurricane Richard last year.  Out of those relationships the impetus to unite missionaries in the area was born.  Our first meeting was back in January of this year.  Yesterday was our third meeting and those of us in attendance are just a small representation of the many foreign aid workers and missionaries in Belize.

 

We took time out to tour the Jaguar Creek facility

The gardens at Jaguar Creek are a butterfly haven

The dining area was beautiful and the food was great!

The room for our meeting was large enough to accommodate 

everyone very comfortably around the tables.

We heard some great things from everyone as they shared about what they are doing and we made contacts with others who have similar interests as we do with our work at the Child Development Foundation.  

In attendance was a couple who work to make sure people in the villages have access to clean water and good latrines.  Several people described their work with children from health and hygiene to finding scholarships for them to attend school. There were church planters, carpenters, nurses, teachers, and a hospital administrator...all here to use their gifts and share His love with everyone who crosses their path. 

Please keep us all in your prayers as this network grows in numbers and in ministry efforts...thank you!

thought for today

this photo was taken in our front yard just outside the gate...

In the midst of the rainy season here in Belize this passage from Deuteronomy has come to mind from time to time.   Sitting outside on the porch when the rain is lightly falling...I think of His teachings and His words. 

May His lessons gently fall upon us

providing nourishment that brings about growth where needed.

May His words descend into each of our lives

 showering us with the abundance of His spirit in the dry places of our hearts. 

Tasty Tuesday

I didn't get a chance on Sunday to take a picture of the Texas Sheet Cake that I made...it disappeared too fast!  I did find a photo on line to use as a guide:

Texas Sheet Cake
1 cup water
1 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour cream (I use sour cream when I have it)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp vinegar

Bring to boil in a large saucepan the water, butter and cocoa.  Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.  Mix well and pour into greased 11x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

While cake is baking, make frosting in saucepan.  Combine:
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp cocoa
1/4 cup milk
Heat to boiling.  Mix in 3 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.  Pour warm frosting over cake when you take it from oven.

***I was out of butter on Sunday after making the cake so all I could do for the frosting was make a glaze.  I used:

1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
milk
Mix cocoa and powdered sugar together and add milk until it's the consistency you prefer.  I made mine a just thin enough to drizzle over the cake.  And it is so good when the icing soaks into the cake.


I have seen several variations of the cake recipe some use vinegar and some don't.  Some recipes add in a little cinnamon and I have done that too and liked it.  Pioneer Woman has a slightly different recipe which I heard is great too.  She calls hers The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever.  The first time I heard of this cake it was called Brownie Sheet Cake...my grandmother made it but she never used a recipe.  So whether it is called Texas Sheet Cake, Brownie Sheet Cake or Chocolate Sheet Cake it really is all the same thing...just don't tell that to your friends from Texas!

Linking up today with Tempt My Tummy

and with

Counting to 1000

Reading Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts, is life changing if you allow it to be.  I found Ann's blog A Holy Experience and I began my counting to 1000 on my other blog that I created while we were stuck in Istanbul waiting to find out about what would be our final Russian visa.

I started counting here on this blog because I want to be intentional about proclaiming the gifts that God so graciously gives us each and everyday.  I have a private list that I keep on paper...this is list I chose to share in public.  May you be inspired to count your gifts in your own way.

327.  a new dining room table and chairs...

328.  enjoying family meals and games around the new table
329.  laughter and talks sitting on the chairs made of various Belizean woods.
330.  rays of sunlight that trickle in through open windows that carry cool breezes into the house.

331. seeing turkeys in the yard next to our office.

332. caretakers who live on the property and are available to open locked doors early on a Saturday morning so that we could pick up the projector to use for Tom's class at Belize Bible Center.

333.  flowers from our yard given to me by Tom just because...

334.  the smile and the sense of wonder at seeing mushrooms growing on a log.

335.  4 new students (bringing the total to 18)

336.  seeing Tom filled with joy as he teaches
337.  learning new things
338.  feeling more relaxed as we settle in to having three of us in the house instead of two.
339.  seeing answers to prayer
340.  Texas Sheet Cake for dessert after Sunday's dinner

341.  the doctor here in Belize confirming that Spencer has no sign of malaria in his body

joining Ann Voskamp and the gratitude community:

It's a matter of time...

Are you a polychron or a monochron? With six years of living outside of the United States you would think that I would have heard these terms before.  But I haven't.  Maybe you haven't either and have no idea what I am talking about.  Let's take a look at a definition I found on these terms:

Source

Do you see yourself in these terms?  Do you like to be on time or does all time flow together and is not a big deal for you?  Some of us get uptight when our schedules are disrupted and, after all, those of us from the US have often heard the phrase "time is money".  However, our US culture also sends out the message "just go with the flow" to those of us who are stressed and need to learn to slow down.

Anthropologist Harley Han said  "Culture reinforces biology".

Tom and I lived for five years in a polychronic culture while we were in Russia.  While there were some people who kept schedules and liked to plan out their time...many did not.  It was not uncommon for people to be 15-30 minutes late and still see themselves as on time.  The same is true here in Belize.   

When you travel or live in a different culture it is helpful to understand this concept. Pay attention to the guidebooks about the country you are visiting.  In Germany I have heard that public transport runs with precision but in other countries there may be long gaps between buses or trains.

If you don't come to terms with cultural differences regarding time you may find yourself feeling disrespected when people are late, or perhaps you may become judgmental and condemn a whole people group as lazy.  When what is actually true is that polychrons are relational beings who value people over appointments.  If they are on their way to meet with you and come across a friend or relative who needs to chat they will stop and visit with that person and then come to see you.  All the while believing that you will understand the importance of what they HAD to do.  It is simply a difference in cultural values not a lack of pride in self or disrespect for you.  Each of us tend to believe that the way we do things where we come from is the way that makes the most sense.

So for you monochrons when you have to face a situation like this outside of your monochronic culture give yourself and others the gift of letting go.  Schedule your meetings and then plan for the lateness of the polychrons you have invited.  There is much we polychrons and monochrons can learn from one another but to start we need to bless each other with the grace needed to find a common ground.

thought for today

May we allow these words to penetrate into our hearts and not just bounce off the surface of our souls.    

Tasty Tuesday

Breakfast Quesadillas

We had these for dinner last night and they are VERY filling and oh so tasty!  I make my own tortillas and mine come out a lot smaller than the store bought kind so I used a small pan and didn't have to do the plate trick...I could flip mine over with a spatula.  

source

breakfast quesadillas

Yield: 3 servings (2 wedges each)

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 8 min

A delicious, family-friendly breakfast!

ingredients:

1 Tablespoon butter
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese (or desired cheese)
2 large flour tortillas (not burrito-sized, just large)
tomato, avocado, sour cream, salsa (as desired)

directions:

1. Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet (one that will fit your flour tortilla nicely- and that isn't too much larger than your tortilla), and bring it to medium heat.

2. Add egg to the heated skillet. Use a rubber spatula to loosen the sides a bit and allow raw egg to move around underneath to get cooked. Top with 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Place a flour tortilla on top. Use your rubber spatula to loosen the sides again around the edges. Then place a dinner plate on top of your skillet and carefully flip it over so that the egg/tortilla is now on the plate. Slide it back into the pan tortilla-side down and top it with remaining cheese. Let it sit for a minute or two, then place the plate on top of the skillet and flip it again. Slide it back into the pan, allowing the 2nd tortilla to heat up and get lightly browned.

3. Slide your breakfast quesadilla onto a cutting board and use a pizza cutter to cut it into wedges. Make the wedges as big as you'd like- 6 is suggested, but if you have little ones then you can make them smaller. Serve on their own or with tomato, avocado, sour cream, or salsa- as desired.

tips:

*You can make these will smaller flour tortillas too- just use less egg/cheese and a smaller skillet.

Source: RecipeGirl.com (adapted from Weelicious)

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This delicious recipe brought to you by RecipeGirl.com

http://www.recipegirl.com/2011/08/22/breakfast-quesadillas/

Linking up today at Tempt My Tummy

and at 

Counting to 1000 Gifts

There is always much to be thankful for...here are just a few things on my gratitude list from the past week:

313. We had 14 students on Saturday from the all over the country for Tom's first class at Belize Bible Center...four of them came from the Mennonite community of Spanish Lookout and one student rode his motorcycle down from Belize City over an hour away.

314. Tom, Spencer and I getting a chance to chat with Nathan on Skype.
315. Skype no longer being blocked by Belize Telemedia.
316. Being able to teach at church on Sunday about Jesus being the gate for the sheep.
317. A free eye exam and low cost glasses for Spencer.

318. Dethroning Tom (for now) and taking the Monopoly Deal crown!

319. Enjoying a quiet Pan American Day here at home.
320. So grateful for the comments and emails of much needed prayer support for us after Tuesday's post.
321. New people showing up who are interested in volunteering at CDF.
322. New dining room table and chairs and a bed for Spencer.

323. Cinnamon roll pancakes 

324.  Shy youth coming forward to lead worship at church.

325.  A friend in the states who sent me the latest copy of Essence magazine.

326.  God accepting broken hearts:

May your week be filled with gifts and may you stop and take notice of them no matter how small.

joy & blessings!

Alida

joining Ann Voskamp and the gratitude community:

something new...

If you are in the area come and join us and bring a friend!

We have been told that this is the only course of this kind being offered here in Belize.  Many of the volunteers with CDF will be taking the course (including me) and we hear that there are eight others from the community who have registered.  We are hoping for a great turn out and for many to stick it out for the full two years.  Please keep Tom and all of the students in your prayers!

Sex Tourism and Belize

This article comes from 7 News Belize:

Sex Tourism and Belize

Wed, October 5, 2011

We all like to talk about tourism - and right that we should - it's the country's leading foreign exchange earner - but the ugly underside of that is sex tourism - which in many cases, involves the exploitation of male and female minors and children.Today, building on the success of the national symposium on the commercial sexual exploitation of children in August of 2010, the office of the special envoy for women and children turned its attention to the tourist industry.At opening ceremonies for a one day workshop they discussed the demand in certain areas of the tourist sector for children: Hon. Eden Martinez - Minister of Human Development "We need to focus our attention in curbing the demand, in deterring the demand, in making it difficult and downright perilous for those who want to buy our children. In the fight to curb demand, the tourism sector is key, hence the reason for this meeting, today." Kim Simplis - Barrow - Special Envoy for Women and Children "Sexual abuse and exploitation exists because there is a demand for sex with a child. We must never blame the victim. There is an adult out there who wants to pay, and will pay, in cash or in kind for sexual gratification with a child. And yes, it is a fight, a fight against something that has become so widespread and common, that we cannot allow ourselves to become de-sensitized to its occurrence. We implore of you to trust your judgment when you sense that a situation between an adult and a child just doesn't seem right. Take action by reporting such instances to your supervisors and the authorities. We ask that you turn down financial offers for you to acquire children for sexual predators. And we beg that you go even further, and report that person to the authorities. Report, as well, those locals who you know are involved as brokers, or rather simply 'pimping out' our children." Jim Scott - President, BTIA "Within tourism, it's pretty common knowledge that through some taxies and some tour guides, they will facilitate young girls - young boys, for you if you come to Belize. And knowing the internet, and the market out there, the information is there. So, people know how to access that, and we really need to tighten up in that regard." Hon. Eden Martinez "I know that we are all interested in the growth of tourism in our country. It is one of our major revenue earners, but we must pause and think of the quality of tourism product that we are selling. Are we prepared to have the trading in the flesh of our children to be part of the package that we are selling? Are we prepared to have the exploitation of our children to be part of the appeal of what draws people to our shores?" The office of the special envoy has launched a PR Campaign and is pushing legislation for the protection of children against such exploitation.

Thought for Today

I took this photo of Tom's tattoo when he was baptizing seven people in the river back in June.  

May we all take heart in the hope that we have in God.

stress and strain and prayer concerns...

I don't talk about our counseling load much on the blog because of the importance of confidentiality.  But the past 12 days have been a very stressful time for us.  A very serious issue came up in counseling and it has meant a lot of extra meetings, and loss of sleep.  I cannot really say much about it other than to just ask for prayer.  Please pray for all of the individuals involved in this crisis and for healing to begin in the lives of all affected.  

There is also a family in need that we were able to deliver food to and have been praying with and for.  There is a small church that is closing its doors and we helped with the transition for the congregation.  In the midst of all of this Tom is preparing the curriculum for the first course in a two year Christian Counseling Certificate program that he will teach at Belize Bible Center...so many things in such a short span of time.  We truly covet your prayers.

overflowing with gratitude...

As we waited for Spencer's plane to arrive I noticed this monument and decided to take a look at the plaque that is on it...

307.  seeing a Christian monument on public property.

308.  waiting for Spencer to arrive.

  

309.  hugging on Spencer after him being gone for  15 months.

310.  Spencer teaching us to play Monopoly Deal.

311.  Spencer and Tom being silly together.

312.  remembering to photograph the fun.

joining Ann Voskamp and the gratitude community:

Number 11

Tom's latest painting for the church.

Let there be Light...

Last night Tom was scheduled to speak at a little church in a village not far from where we live.  When we got there the place was completely dark.  After a few phone calls and text messages with the pastor who was out of town we had almost decided to cancel the service...but there were 3 mothers and 9 children who decided they wanted to have church.

One of the mothers sent her little one to get the key to the building and while he was gone another woman came by and said that the reason there was no church was that there was no electricity.  Well, that didn't seem to bother the ones who wanted a service.  They were positive that there were candles in the building.

After retrieving the key, getting inside and making an exhaustive search for candles with no luck...we ended up having a very short service in the dark.  Tom opened up with prayer and then asked the kids if they knew any songs we could sing.  The kids were pretty excited to be included in the service and sang Jesus Loves the Little Children and If You're Happy and You Know It loudly and with lots of gusto.

Following the songs Tom read a passage of scripture and then did a short devotional on the passage.  He asked people for feedback and several of the children chimed in with great answers.  We sang one more song, closed with prayer and promised to come again next week.

It was our first time being in a service completely in the dark.  And on the drive home I realized how beautiful and impactful that simple time of fellowship was.  Not having electricity didn't seem to phase anyone.  There are families here who live without it.  Electricity is expensive and from time to time it goes out for a whole section of town for a few hours.

But last night The Light showed up and filled the church with love...and isn't that how it's supposed to be?!