Monday morning...and 1000 gifts

It is a dreary rainy Monday morning here in Belize.  But, even so we have much to be grateful today.  

On Wednesday:

The memory card on my camera is faulty so I had to use Tom's cell phone to take these pictures.  He is seated next to Rev Canon Flowers, the head of the Council of Churches, and to the far left is Rev Crawford, the head of the Evangelical Association.  They were speaking at another Family Focus Forum this one was held in Belize City at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church.  

On Friday:

We enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner with about 80 people...not all are pictured.  Some are missionaries, some are locals, some are Americans who have retired here in Belize and a few who work at the American Embassy.  It was an evening of great food, great fellowship and great fun!

On Sunday:

We attended a Harvest celebration at Bethel Disciples Church.  It is a multi-ethnic church and I think every ethnic group found here in Belize was represented.  For those Chinese speakers in the audience there was translation provided.  I kept trying to understand the translation and had to remind myself several times that she was speaking Chinese and not Russian!

as I reflect this morning on all that last week held I am grateful for:

415.  health
416.  meeting new people
417.  visiting a new church
418.  trying new foods....there were a few dishes at both celebrations that were new to me!
419.  traditional Thanksgiving food.  Both Tom and I were grateful for dishes that reminded us of our childhood Thanksgivings.  A taste of home away from home.
420.  the opportunity to be involved in the community and the people we have worked with along the way.
421.  those who support us in prayer and with finances...we could not do anything without them!
422.  the pain and joys that the past year here in Belize have brought us.
423.  the counseling clients who trust us.
424.  the people who refer us to those in need.
425.  our dvd player that allows us to watch Christmas movies.
426.  experiencing a slice of heaven with seeing so many different people groups worshiping together.
427.  Chinese print on worship slides along with the English words
428.  children of all shapes, sizes, and colors running around playing together before and after the service.
429.  noticing that siblings treat each other the same no matter what ethnic group they belong to!

Each  moment, each breath, each daily event, be it large or small, 
 yields precious gifts for which we can give thanks.  
May we remember thanksgiving as an action...
and not just as a noun.


joy & blessings,
Alida

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Thanksgiving in Belize

Yesterday we took the day off from the counseling office and had a quiet day at home.  

We ate at The Wing Stop just like last year.

Spencer and Tom had the Spicy Mango wings and I feasted on Lemon Pepper flavored wings.

We also watched Source Code and Red Riding Hood to keep up our movie watching tradition on holidays.  

Today we are sharing a traditional Thanksgiving meal out at the Baptist Training Center in Camolote with other expats and missionaries in the area.  Since Thanksgiving is not a holiday here in Belize many people had to work yesterday and children had to attend school.  A Friday dinner just seemed to be the best time to get everyone together.

Enjoy your holiday weekend...I know we plan to enjoy ours!!

1 Chronicles 16:34

thought for today...

I am grateful to everyone who takes the time to read this blog. 

 My prayer is that you have a blessed holiday... and may every day be an occasion for giving thanks.

joy & blessings to you,

Alida


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Tasty Tuesday

Last night we were discussing what type of salads to make for a Thanksgiving potluck on Friday.

I was thinking of doing something Russian and found a few recipes on line.  This cole slaw sounds yummy. 

 Although I would probably use red cabbage for color.

Creamy Apple Cole Slaw

recipe

Spencer wants a traditional Russian favorite that we had on every holiday...

we may do this one on Thanksgiving day for us.

Olivier Salad

recipe

Tom put in his request for one of his favorites as well....

Crab Salad

recipe

It may come down to what ingredients we find in the market this week.  

Something simple sounds good to me.

Carrot Salad

recipe

It has been at least seven years since our last Thanksgiving in the states.

  So we have gotten away from a traditional menu.  

What about you?  What side dishes are you planning to go with your turkey?

One thousand gifts...

Looking forward to Thanksgiving and continuing to count the gifts from Him...

401. our special day is fast approaching

402.  attending the Legacy Youth Conference with 200 youth...

402.  that He watches over us (Psalm 121)

403.  the opportunity to teach at a Bible study for expat women.

404.  a reliable vehicle allowing to provide transport for others when needed.

405.  encouraging text messages from a friend.

406.  being asked to record a video message for a friend in Russia to celebrate her 50th birthday.

407.  lemon cake.

408.  time to crochet.

409.  seeing the youth so energized at the Legacy Conference.

410.  the spirit of unity among the youth and the leaders.

411.  feeling relaxed and not harried and weary after a long busy weekend.

412.  learning the back way to the YWAM base instead of  leaving the car outside the campus and having to walk across the bridge.

413.  spending time with Andrea, Dion and their kids this weekend and getting to know them better.

414.  a quiet morning in the office before appointments begin in the afternoon.

May we remind ourselves each day that every breath is a gift from God.

 Every bite of food, every friendship, the laughter of our children,

 all of the beauty around us is a treasure entrusted to us by God. 

When we heighten our sensitivity to God’s love and grace,

 which is constantly all around us, touching us,

 we will begin to recognize gift after gift from Him.

~Alida Sharp

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Counting the days until our 30th...

"Coming together is a beginning,

 staying together is progress, 

and working together is success."

 ~Henry Ford

As our 30th wedding anniversary draws closer we are looking at different ways to commemorate the day.  I even started a board on Pinterest to keep track of some of the craft ideas and places to go that I have found.

We have already booked our hotel:

Maya Beach Hotel

And here is my favorite craft idea:

Love Map Source

  You can find the tutorial for how to make this map here. 

We are thinking of incorporating Wichita,Kansas, Costa Mesa, California, Krasnodar, Russia and Belmopan, Belize into our love map.  I have been looking for different maps online and my favorite for Wichita (which is where we met, married and had our first child) is this one:

Every love story is beautiful...but ours is my favorite!


So, tell me, where have you gone?

 And what special craft projects have you done to celebrate a special occasion?

Artisan Fair...

The American Embassy is hosting an Artisan Fair today...

Hopefully we will get a few minutes to check it out before heading into work...and maybe next year Tom will be entered in it!!

thought for today...

 As we drove down this road in Spanish Lookout, Belize 

I could not help but think of how orderly and well planned out the community is.  

Our journey in life has taken many twists and turns over the past 6 years...

we rest assured that our pathway will be made straight

 as we seek to acknowledge Him in every area of life.

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Tasty Tuesday

On Sunday we reached 29 years and 11 months of married life...and we celebrated with these!

Butterfinger Brownies

So yummy!!  

Ingredients

1 package (16 to 22 oz.) chocolate brownie mix 

2 (2.1 ounces each) NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER Candy Bars, chopped

Directions

PREHEAT oven according to package directions. Grease baking pan according to package directions.

PREPARE brownie batter according to package directions; stir in chopped Butterfinger. Spoon into prepared pan.

BAKE according to package directions. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into pieces using wet knife.  Makes 16 to 20 brownies.

I made two changes:  I bought a package of fudge brownie mix and the instructions said for cake like brownies to add an additional egg.  I chose to do that plus I added a half cup of peanut butter. 

 These Butterfinger Brownies were good to eat right out of the oven but even better the next day!!  

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November Newsletter and more gifts...

I don't think I have done this before but here is a copy of our most recent newsletter for those of you not on our mailing list.  If you would like to be on our list just leave a comment with your email address and I will add you to the list.

Coconut Wire Jungle News - Tom & Alida Sharp - November 2011

Belize, Central America

Greetings!  We pray that all is well in your life & you are in good health.  Hopefully you’ve enjoyed Veteran’s Day & are already getting your Thankful Groove on in preparation of the next US holiday.  Our weather is cooler & overcast but still a very pleasant 80 degrees daily!  Our lives & service in Belize are going smoothly.  Here’s the latest:

Tom IS the 1%! - No, certainly not a reference to the ‘Occupy’ movements that are happening in various places, but the 2010 Belize National Census is out.  In this country of 312, 971 people, Tom is part of the 1% of white people living in Belize!  The racial breakdown is 50% Hispanic; 21% Creole; 10% Mayan; 6% Mixed Race; 4.5% Garifuna & 3.6% Mennonite.  Average age is 22, with 56% of the population under the age of 24.  There is a 23% unemployment rate.  31% use an outhouse & 65% have a flush toilet.  33% own a private vehicle & 23% have Internet access. This truly is a very young, developing country with many needs, which covets your on-going prayer & support!  Alida posted additional facts on her blog at:  2010 Census Overview For Belize

Spencer arrived from his stint at YWAM Kona.  He is resting, enjoying Alida’s cooking & praying about the various serving opportunities here in Belize.  He met the YWAM base director in nearby Banana Bank last week & is trying to hear from God if he is to stay here & serve or go somewhere else.  It’s been a great two months having Spencer with us!

Sixteen ‘Intro to Christian Counseling’ students completed the 1st semester of classes!  I (Tom) designed a 2 year college course - the first of it’s kind here in the country - & we are thrilled that 16 students passed the initial semester course.  Counselors are practically non-existent here, & even more rare are Christian counselors.  We’ve had people from various cultures, back grounds & parts of the country in the training!  Please pray for these students to impact their cultures, communities & churches as we wait for the second semester starting in January 2012!

Our serving focus solidifies.  Weekly we are hearing reports of physical & sexual abuse in the Belizean media, as more people are being educated about what abuse is, that it’s vital to report it, & there is help available. Tom appeared on a local tv show discussing child sexual abuse & the following week Alida took her turn on the one hour follow up program to talk about good touches, bad touches and unwanted touches along with how to keep children safe online.

At the Child Development Foundation Alida & I primarily counsel abuse victims.  It is difficult yet rewarding work.  We are seeing young girls make remarkable progress in dealing with their traumas & horrific abuse.  God is at work!   Our clients seem to get younger & younger in age every month.  We are using Play Therapy theory & techniques, plus a Play Therapy kit donated by supporters in New York.  It’s ironic that Tom started in the counseling field learning & doing play therapy twenty three years ago, & is now coming full circle!

Met with the UN High Commission for Human Refugees. Several representatives from NGO’s here in the area were invited to a meeting to discuss the status of refugees here in Belize.  This is connected to those we see who are rescued from trafficking as many victims of trafficking have had their documents taken from them as they are moved from one country to the next and they qualify for refugee status because in some cases it would be dangerous for them to return to their country of origin.  Tom and Alida were able to give input as to what types of training should be made available to the NGO’s to help them be better equipped to work with those seeking refugees status in Belize.  

Tom speaks at University of Belize.  A televised Family Focus Forum was held at the U of Belize recently, for Christians to address the efforts by some to decriminalize the sodomy laws in Belize & throughout the Caribbean.  At this point, the law is being challenged in court by a homosexual advocacy group, but that law is the only legal protection minor males have when they’ve been violated sexually.  I spoke about the need to protect children by closing the many loopholes in Belize law, which don’t even provide basic protection to boys from molestation by adults.  I will speak again at the next Forum in Belize City later this month.  You can see the news coverage of the Forum here in it’s entirety or my part starts after the six minute mark. Clink on the link to check it out:  http://www.youtube.com/embed/Wy2r9Jr-TNI

For a few months we had been helping a young pastor at a small church in Roaring Creek.  Tragically he recently pled guilty to charges of molesting  a young teen in the church.  The church has now been closed but there is so much pain in the community regarding this awful situation & such hideous behavior by a Christian leader.  The court ordered the former pastor to pay a fine within six weeks or face prison.  This was the only punishment required by law.  Now he has relocated to another part of Belize, possibly putting other young people at risk.  There is a sex offenders registry in the country but no money to hire a registrar, so offenders whereabouts are not tracked.  These are other areas that we are advocating changes for in the laws by the Government.

In spite of such tragic news, we are very grateful for your prayers & financial support!  God knew what He was doing when He called us here & we are thrilled about equipping the Christian community to better address abuse issues & provide hope & healing to young victims.  May God continue to bless you as much as your help has blessed others!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

and continuing to count to 1000 and beyond...

After all the busyness it feels good to slow down for a bit to acknowledge the blessings amid the hectic days.

391.  visiting LifeNet Church and seeing all that they are doing with the young people there.

392.  finishing up the first semester of the Christian Counseling course at Belize Bible Center.

393.  Spencer and I both getting A's in the course.

394.  the camaraderie among the students as we feasted together after class was over.

395.  seeing Jonathan and Jehieli.

396.  watching The Amazing Race with Tom and Spencer and getting excited when we see somewhere one of us has been even if it is just an airport.

397.  meeting Santee and Liliana at YWAM

398.  Butterfinger Brownies.

399.  God's faithfulness and the peace He provides.

400.  29 years, 11 months and 1 day of marriage...counting the days until our 30th wedding anniversary!!

joining Ann Voskamp and the gratitude community:

Hiking in Belize

We went for a short hike on Wednesday through Guanacaste Park.  

The trees provide an awesome canopy as you walk along the trails.  This park is listed in Frommers Best Hikes in Belize.  So far we have only done one of the trails...next time we will take the longer route.

After our hike we drove Spencer over to the YWAM Banana Bank base in Roaring Creek to meet the base director, Santee and his wife Liliana. 

To get out to the base you have to cross this hammock style bridge that is suspended over the river...

it was definitely a walk of faith for me as it began to sway with the weight of our steps!

2010 Census Overview for Belize

Here are some of the highlights from the Belize 2010 Census...it is interesting how much the country has grown and changed over the past 10 years.

Population
• Belize's population is 312,971, up 30.2% from the 2000 Belize Census
• Belize's population in contrast to most country's, is in the countryside, 55% rural, 45% urban
• Average Belizean age is now 22
• Average household size 3.9 persons
• Sex ratio is 102 males for every 100 females
• 35.6% of the Belize population is age 14 or younger
• 55.8% of the Belize population is age 24 or younger

Largest Population Centers
Belize Population By Towns & Cities
1. Belize City 53,532
2. Twin towns San Ignacio and Santa Elena in the Cayo District 16,977
3. City Of Belmopan (capital of Belize) 13,654
4. Orange Walk Town 13,400
5. San Pedro, Ambergris Caye 11,510
6. Corozal Town 9,871
7. Dangriga 9,096
8. Benque Viejo Del Carmen (Cayo District) 5,824
9. Punta Gorda (Toledo District) 5,205
Belize Population By District
1. Belize District 89,247
2. Cayo District 73,202
3. Orange Walk District 45,419
4. Corozal District 40,324
5. Stann Creek District 32,166
6. Toledo District 30,538

Notes: The Cayo District was the fastest-growing district, with population increasing 39% since 2000, followed by the Belize District with a 34% increase. San Pedro, Ambergris Caye was the fastest-growing urban area in Belize, with the population increasing 156% since 2000,

Belizean Ethnicity
Belize's population is: 50% Latino / Hispanic, 21% Creole, 10% Maya, 6% Mixed Race, 4.5% Garifuna, 3.6% Mennonite, 2.1% East Indian, 1% White/Caucasian and 0.9% Asian

Marital and Family Relationships
• 33.1% of those 15 and over are married and living with spouse, 23.3% have a common law relationship, 6% are in a visiting partner relationship and 37.3% are not in a union
• 65.8% of children 18 and under are living with both parents
• 22.6% of children 18 and under are living with mother only and 2.5% with father only

Belize's Foreign Born Population
• Almost 15% of the population is foreign born, of which about 4 in 10 are from Guatemala and 3 in 10 are from El Salvador or Honduras
• 3,279 Belize residents or about 1% of the total Belize population were born in the U.S. (almost double the number in 2000) and 1,567 or 0.5% in China and 667 in Canada

Education
• 87,991 Belizeans are enrolled in formal education of which 70% are in primary school and 19% in high school, and over 8% are in some type of tertiary program
• 2,364 Belizeans are in university

Religious Affiliation
• 40% Catholic; 8.5% Pentecostal; 5.5% Seventh Day Adventist; 4.6% Anglican; 3.8% Mennonite; 3.6% Baptist; 2.9% Methodist; 2.8% Nazarene; 1.7% Jehovah's Witness; 10.2% Other; 15.6% None

Belize Labour Force
• 131,000 Belizeans are in the labour force;
• 23% of the Belize labour force, or about 30,000 Belizeans are are unemployed.
• Of those employed, 57% work for a private company, 25% are self-employed and 15% work for the government or a para-statal organization
• Women in the labour force are twice as likely as men to be out of work – 33.1% for women versus 16.7% for men

Housing
• Belize has 75,848 housing units, an increase of 46% since 2000
• 82% of homes are houses, as opposed to apartments or condos
• 64.1% of Belizeans own their own home, while 33% rent
• Of those who own, almost 79% do not have a mortgage
• 50% of homes have concrete floors and walls and 80% have sheet metal roofs
• 11% of housing units do not have kitchens in the building
• About 83% of households cook with Liquid Petroleum Gas LPG), while 15% cook with wood or charcoal and about 1% with electricity
• 48% of Belizean households have municipal garbage collection, while 27% burn garbage and 11% take it to a dump
• 85% of households have potable water
• 51% of households use commercially purified water as their main source of drinking water
• About 65% of Belizean dwellings have flush toilets, while 31% use an outhouse and 3% have no toilet facilities
• Of those with flush toilets, 80% have septic tanks while 20% are connected to public sewerage systems
• 62% of households have tubs or showers
• 83% of households have electricity from Belize Electricity Limited, while 9% use candles or kerosene lamps, 4% have a connection from a neighbor, 2% have generators and 1% use solar
• 83% of Belizean homes have stoves, 66% have refrigerators, 65% have washing machines, 42% have microwaves and 8% have air-conditioning

Telecommunications
76% have a cell phone; 75% have TV; 75% have radio; 50% have DVD player; 26% have computer

INTERNET Usage
• About 23% of Belizeans  have Internet access

Motor Vehicles
• 33.7% of Belizeans have a private motor vehicle

Read more: http://www.belize.com/belize-2010-census.html#ixzz1dLKXVsXm

thought for today...

My counsel for you is simple and straightforward:

 Just go ahead with what you've been given.

 You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him.

 You're deeply rooted in him. 

You're well constructed upon him. 

You know your way around the faith. 

Now do what you've been taught.

 School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! 

And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7

The Message

This photo was taken in Springfield, a Mennonite community, here in Belize.  As we drove through there last Sunday afternoon we came upon these flowers growing wild near the side of the road.  I knew they would make a beautiful background for a scripture.  Especially for this time of year.  As we get closer to Thanksgiving let us remember that giving thanks can be a way of life and not just a day on the calendar. Count your blessings throughout the day...the big and the small...and you will be surprised by the joys you will experience as you pay attention to the gifts from Him that are present all around you.

 May we truly let our living spill over into thanksgiving!

Tasty Tuesday

Oh my word I have to try this!!!

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Yesterday as I was browsing on Pinterest I saw that someone had posted this recipe and now I cannot stop thinking about how yummy it must be.  Gotta check the pantry to see if I have all the ingredients.

You can find the recipe here or here  and if you try it before I do let me know how it turned  out!!

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