May 2011 continued:

 Shaleni at the age of two is always curious and likes to keep us all on our toes. Gary and Georgia came to Belize in January and they truly have been grandparents to my children. See, that is just another way how God provides for the needs of the least of these. God cares so much for these foster children that He would send grandparents that love them so much. Asking for prayer for Shaleni as she gets reunited with her grandma this coming week. We will miss her and our hearts desire is that the Lord keeps her safe and well. 

Thank you so much for all your love, support and most of all your prayers for us. I do not have all my contacts in my new computer yet so if you see this and would like to be on the list for update please email me. 

I have had some problems with posting updates on my blog. Once again I will try and see if I can get new posts up. I know it has been a year since my last successful update. So much has happened and our Lord God has truly blessed us in so many ways. Thanks so much to those of you who continue to pray for us. 

May 29,2011

Tonight I had invited our church bible study group to come and have bible study at our new home. (12 of us in all!) For the past five months we have not been able to attend Sunday night Bible study because I found it too difficult taking two babies out at night. This group also came one Sunday night end of December when we first had Tyrell. 

What a blessing it was to be with this small group once again!!

They started going through the book of 1 Samuel and we finished chapter 3 tonight. Brother Duncan is a high school teacher and when he teaches the Bible he likes to teach verse by verse through the Bible. 

After the group left I sat here thanking the Lord for my church family. I was reflecting on the past three and a half years since Brian passed away. I will admit I did pray and tell the Lord this is a group of believers I would have loved to have around for support after Brian passed away. Do not get me wrong I praise God for each one that was there for me at the time. We had Jim and Anna Mensie from Placencia who came out faithfully ever Sunday and stayed till Monday just to be there for Cory and myself. Joel and his youth from Belize city coming out every Wednesday night to minister to us as well. So many others that brought meals and came to visit was a huge blessing. As I was reflecting on this the Lord brought to my mind that even through these trials that Cory and I went through He wanted us to draw closer to HIM not depend on others as we should depend on HIM. The first year after Brian passed away there were many trials and false accusations that came against Cory and I. I know we spent many a night crying and praying for the Lord to intervene. Having Jim and Anna and Joel and Denise as mentors even thou it was from a distance they did help us keep our focus on Jesus instead of circumstances. 

I guess the reason I wanted to share what was on my heart tonight was because no matter what you are going through I know God our Father wants us to rely on HIM and not on others. Yes we are to bare each others burdens and that means we cry and laugh with each other when we are going through trials or blessings in our lives. My security needs to be in HIM not in my children, husband, family, friends or anyone or anything else. It is not easy being the person needing to make the decisions for the household on my own but then again I am not on my own I do have my Lord and Savior. He is so faithful and I know in my weakness He is my strength.

The group from the States came to build our home end of March and it is amazing to see the finish product to the point of being able to have Bible study out on the deck. When Tim Springer worked on the design of this house he said the deck would be big enough to have a table out there for brunch, BBQ’s or bible studies. What we talked about is all coming together and WHAT A BLESSING THIS IS FROM THE LORD!! A big thank you to each one that helped make this happen. Praising the name of the Lord!!! 

March 2011 What is going on in Belize

There is so much for me to share. These past 3 years since Brian died have been a time of transition for me as I went through the process of grieving the loss of my husband and best friend and also my role as his helpmeet. It has been a time of seeking the Lord and waiting on Him to guide and direct our steps. Needless to say it has been a difficult time for Cory too but we have come through this time with a stronger faith and and a deeper desire to be used by the Lord. During this time there were some who suggested it would be best if Cory and I moved back to Canada where we would have the support of family but as I sought the Lord it seemed clear that He had called us to stay and continue to serve the people of Belize albeit with a different focus than when Brian was alive.

As you know after Brian's death I was able to complete Cory's adoption. He is an integral part of what God has called me to do and is truly a blessing and help to me in so many ways. The focus of our work here is our Foster Home Outreach. I have always had a special spot in my heart to help needy children. Throughout our marriage, first in Mexico and now in Belize, the Lord has enabled us to serve as foster parents to children with special needs or who have been removed from abusive homes. In the last three years since Brian's death we have had six foster children come into our home. Some returned to their natural family, others found adoptive homes while one, our little Denisha, died and went to her heavenly home. Currently we are ministering to 22 month old Shaleni, who came to us out of a horrendous home situation. During the seven months Shaleni has been with us we have seen great improvements in her behavior and her ability to receive love. Her mom is currently in prison and her grandma has recently mentioned the desire to take Shaleni to live with her. This will depend on the social worker's assessment of the situation. Just before Christmas we also were asked to take in 4 month old Tyrell who had been very ill in hospital for two months with a serious heart condition, pneumonia and other lung problems. His mom visited him two times in hospital and has not been heard from since. After a month of being in our home, and many prayers going up for him, he no longer needed his many medications and in February a Pediatric specialist from the states declared that Tyrell no longer has any heart problems! Needless to say we were excited that our prayers were answered. He is a very content baby who is developing normally. As there has been no attempt by any family members to see him or claim him, he may eventually be placed for adoption.

Although taking care of His little ones is the focus of our work, the Lord has also allowed me to serve Him in other ways here. A year and a half ago we started to attend Santa Elena Baptist church and have been blessed as we get to know the members of this body. I felt the Lord lead me to be a support to our pastor's wife (Sister Yolanda) and am happy to help her out whenever or however I can which has included leading the Thursday night ladies' Bible study while she was away in the States for 2 months last year. As well, last August I was asked to take care of the churches finances- something I was not sure I should be doing but Pastor Manuel and Sister Yolanda assured me that they thought I was the right person to get the job done.

Tuesday mornings I continue to lead a ladies bible study in my home. This is open to anyone and right now we are all from different church fellowships but able to study God's Word together. We have gone through 1,2,3 John, Jude, and right now are studying the book of James. It is exciting to see the doors that God opens for us to minister to others. Our Lord has brought many needy women through these studies. I find He uses me with single or abused moms. He truly blesses me with this outreach. Also in the area of women's ministry, for the last four years I have helped plan and organize our annual ladies retreat which brings ladies together from many different church background from all over Belize.

Another area I have been able to help in is finding sponsors for children whose families are unable to afford to pay for their school tuition. In Belize parents must pay yearly tuition as well as purchase uniforms and various books and school supplies. Many simply can not afford to keep their children in school because of this. It has been a blessing to be able to facilitate the sponsorship of six students and we hope that this program will expand in the future

As you may remember early last year the Lord provided for me to buy a nice sized lot on the outskirts of San Ignacio. After fencing in the property our funds were depleted and we trusted that the Lord would provide for the development of this land in His way and in His timing. Not long after, when I was caring for Denisha who had severe brain damage, we had two visitors from the states who had a desire to somehow help the children of Belize and figured that building a foster home would be one way to do that. After visiting with us they started to pray how they could help with building a home for us. God is so faithful! Next week these same folks plus 12 others from various parts of the US are coming to build us a beautiful new home in which to serve the children of Belize. All the components of the home are right now being shipped in containers by sea and are expected to arrive this Sunday (March 13th). The foundation and septic has already been done and they are hoping to get most of the house built by end of this month. There is a couple with us right now who committed to staying two and a half months so they can help us with fixing up around our current rental home and are also helping with packing and getting ready for the move once our new home is built. Cory and I are in awe of the idea of us getting our own home but I also know God is in control and will always provide and take care of us. He sees our needs before we do and He knows how He will provide.

It is hard to accurately portray our life down here- each day is filled with surprises and new opportunities to serve God in a multitude of ways. I do hope that what I have shared gives you a small glimpse of why we are here and why we believe the Lord has called us to remain. We do not know what the future holds but we know we have a God who we can trust.

Please feel free to come visit us here in Belize.

December 2010

Casting all your cares upon HIM, for HE cares for you!! 1 Peter 5:7

I would like to give glory to God for HIS awesome provision and for placing each one of you in my life. Without your love and support I could not be serving Him here in Belize.

First of all, a big thank you for all those who prayed for our fourth annual ladies retreat held this past September. Our theme this year was 'A Heart of Prayer'. What a special time we had drawing closer to our Lord and Savior! It was a special blessing to have my sister Helen from Canada here to help with teaching and answering the ladies'many questions. Cory and I had a lot of fun showing Helen around Belize and the ladies I minister to also enjoyed an evening get together with her.

It is always a blessing for me when friends and family come and meet the people we minister to. In November, our friends Wally and Kathy Chopee, also from Canada, joined us for two and a half weeks. They did a lot of jobs that I did not know how to do or have time to do including some fixing around the house, planting trees at our property and the list goes on. We were blessed with an invitation from missionary friends Jim and Anna Mensie in Seine Bight to join them for their Thanksgiving potluck. Wally and Kathy had not really seen much of Belize and thoroughly enjoyed the incredible beauty of this country as we drove down to the coast. It was an unexpected blessing for them to have time enjoying the sand and the waters of the Caribbean Sea!

For some time now, it had been on my heart to take Cory to meet his birth Mom, Nicole with whom he spent the first three years of his life. I had never met Nicole but understood that she lived in the village of Independence which is in the general area of Seine Bight where we spent Thanksgiving. Leaving Wally and Kathy to enjoy some quiet time by the sea Jim, Anna, Cory and I ventured out to Independence. We had no set plan of action but just prayed trusting that if this was the Lord's will for Cory, we would somehow make the connection- and we did. Coming out of a little store we 'bumped' into Cory’s 14 year old cousin who immediately recognized him! We not only met Nicole but also two of Cory’s brothers whom he had never seen before. We are praying about bringing a food hamper out to them during the holidays. This is a three hour drive for us so need to pray for the Lord's timing in this.

As most of you know in August the Social Worker brought us beautiful Shaleni who is now 19 months old. This past week Friday they called to see if I would consider taking in a young baby who was in the hospital suffering from asthma. Then on Monday they called to say three month old 'Tyrell' was on his way to my house- not asking if I had decided to take him or not! I had already decided that my plate was full and was going to tell them to find someone else however seeing as he was on his way I thought this might be what God wants me to do and He would give me the strength to do it. Tyrell is on several different medications and really needs prayer for healing of multiple health issues. I must say he is a content baby and falls asleep at this last feeding which is 9-10 PM and last night slept till five.

Progress continues out at the property. The foundation (ie the 9 foot piles and beams for the floor) have been poured . We are waiting for the building materials to be shipped from California and are praying for the group as they prepare everything to come down for this house build. We have a bathroom built on top of the septic and a small room off to the side of it. The electricity has been hooked up and now we are waiting for the town to connect us to water. If we do not get the water then we will have to consider building a cistern to collect rain water. It will be interesting to see what the Lord has in store for this property- I believe He has specific plans in mind to somehow use it to minister to the needs of the Belizean people. More on that in a future newsletter!

Life is very busy, but God is faithful. He takes care of our needs in so many different ways. Just the other day we received the news that the Chopee's will be coming back to lend a hand from February 4th to April 4th.

Prayer Requests:

-- God’s will in Shaleni and Tyrell’s lives

-- Healing for both of these children, Shaleni still seems to be bothered with a yeast problem even after a few rounds of treatment. Tyrell with his breathing multiple health issues.

-- For the team that is planning to come down after the New Year to build our home- timing/ provision etc.

-- Help with the children as it is very difficult to get much else done with active toddler, a sick baby, homeschooling Cory etc.

-- God’s guidance concerning our role in Nicole’s life (Cory’s birth mom)

-- For good health for Cory and myself; for wisdom and discernment to clearly hear the Lord in every area of our lives

Update 2010

We are coming up to the end of the year once again. As I reflect on how God has carried us through this past year, I find it is so AMAZING!!! My heart is filled with praises and joy to Him, Who is the giver of life.

As the New Year began I prayed and told God I wanted to see what He desired for me this year. I had this excitement that as I made Him my number one He was going to show me His best for us. When the social worker called in January that they had a two month old baby boy for me to care for I thought, “YES! This is a wonderful thing I can do for the Lord.” A few days later they told me he would go up for adoption. I asked if I could make a suggestion where he goes and they said yes. I was so blessed that in two weeks I was able to pass our little bundle of joy over to our good friends Joel and Denise. Yes we did miss him and Cory was upset that I did not ask for permission to adopt him but I did feel peace about how it all went.

Then in June we got our next bundle of joy. This little one was born premature and weighed 3 lbs. 9oz. I have never taken care of such a little one before. It was a blessing to have her in our home for the 48 hours; then she went to a foster to adopt home. When the social worker came to pick up this one (we never did get a name for her) Cory suggested he let our dog lose so the social worker would be too scared to take the baby. He was hoping we could take her on our trip north. I must admit it would have been fun to do that.

In March we secured legal title of the three lots that God provided for us to buy. We had four Cahoon trees removed which is no easy task. By end of June we had a fence built surrounding our new property. Then we were to the point of not being able to do anything more seeing the finances were not there to build. We were at a standstill. God surprised us by placing the desire on someone’s heart in California to come down and build us a home. They are working out the details of wanting to have Lowe’s hardware store in the states put all the supplies into a container for the house (kind of like a house in a box!) then ship it down here. After it gets here they want to come down and build our three bedroom home. If it all works according to their plans, we will be in our new home by the end of this year. Praise God! He keeps His promises ALL the time!!! He has provided for me and my children and been the Father to the fatherless.

Our trip north was a blessing to both Cory and me. The first three weeks we spent in Manitoba with family and friends. We had a huge family reunion of around 300 people. It was a blessing to hear all the stories of my grandparents who passed away some years ago. Another blessing was to get to know each other better during that weekend. This reunion caused many of us to really look forward to the day we all are in heaven and have this huge family reunion with all believers together. Our three week trip went by fast visiting family and friends.

Next we had two weeks in California where we spent a few days in Chico, Alta and finally Sacramento with Brian’s family. We have so many friends in all the different towns that it is hard to know where to begin to account for all the blessings that were bestowed upon us. Cory was able to go fishing, house boating, camping, partake in VBS, and one of his high lights were to see Pastor Sam Allen teaching. Cory made many new friends on this trip and also reconnected with his cousin Connor, who is one day younger.

We arrived back in Belize the beginning of August. A week later the social services department brought us a beautiful one year old girl, Shaleni. The first month was a real challenge; she would be happy enough during the day but crying, kicking and screaming in her sleep at night. When I held her she would continue this behavior. Whenever Cory and I sat down to pray, she would scream. I decided to give her something to eat when we prayed at the table. This helped. We continued prayer at meal times, and now she folds her hands to pray before she eats anything. God is doing His work in her. It has been almost three months since she came to us. She is now a part of our family. With God’s help her transition has occurred quickly. It amazes me! We love her dearly and pray for God’s will in her life.

Hurricane Richard came to Belize the 24th of October. It did a lot of damage on the coast as well as some inland. I heard two different reports as to how fast the wind blew. One reported the wind at its strongest was 75 mph and the other 90 mph but both are strong enough to do damage. I praise God for His protection upon us. There was no damage done to our home. Only three trees came down in our yard. Many homes were destroyed while some others had their roofs’ blown off.

We always look forward to getting mail and I know I have not been very good at getting letters in the mail myself. That is why I decided this year to do a year end up date. God bless you. We look forward to hearing how it is going in your end of the world.

Thank you for your prayers, love and support.

Love, Margaret, Cory and Shaleni

June 2010 our little premature baby girl.