Belize update March 2014 

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is my strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?  Psalm 27:1

Once again it is that time of year where students need to be registered for fall. Schools like to know by end of May which students will be returning and which new students will be enrolled. In the past when I home schooled Cory it was just ordering the books and we get started when the books arrive. Now with Cory going to school I can feel the pressure of how the parents feel with needing to save up those extra funds for school fees. God bless those of you that have been led to help out those in need of sponsorship. For this past year we had 15 students sponsored in the primary school and two high school students. It will be exciting to see one of these high school students graduating in June.

Please be in prayer if you are to sponsor these same children and if you do desire to, please let me know. This way we can get the funds to the parents to pay the registration fee on time. 

Two year old Treajone is still with us and doing really well. His stay was extended past the three months he was originally supposed to be with us.

In January we were blessed to have Carmen join us from Susanville, California for four weeks. It was a blessing to see how God used her with our church worship team and she also taught  one of the local ladies to sew a uniform for her daughter. Carmen also loved on my boys and to this day Trea my two year old will still ask, “Where did Ms Carmen go?” When God lays it on your heart to come, it does not matter if you know what you will do. God always opens up the door for you to do what He desires with the skills you have. Thank you Carmen for taking that leap of faith and coming to serve in Belize and blessing us. 

Wally and Kathy Chopee also came to serve in January for three weeks. They have been here yearly now for the past three or four years. They are another example of living in faith in taking that step as the Lord leads. Many times there are a few jobs lined up before they come but God shows them specifically what to do when they get here. One was that Wally built a cage for my baby chicks to keep them protected from the older hens. He did this along side of one of my local friends as this specific person needed the encouragement of a brother in the Lord. Today I was able to give two of the chickens that were raised for eating away to a family in need of food. Wally and Kathy also help sponsor a young girl for high school and minister to several families in this area. Thanks again Wally and Kathy for being obedient to the calling God has placed upon you. 

Mid January the social worker brought a teenage girl into our home for a two night stay and even though I cannot share all the details I thank those of you that prayed for God’s will in her life. I have been asked to take in an 11 year old girl who is suffering from cystic fibrosis. She is not able to go to school due to her anger outbursts and I have agreed to taking care of her for a week and see how she adjusts into our home. I would appreciate your prayers concerning this young girl. I do not know her name and I also do not know what kind of school work I could do with her seeing she will be home with me all day. Many unknowns for me but I know that God already knows what is before us and He will direct as long as we seek His will. I also believe it is in His timing the girl will arrive and if He sees a better place that we accept that as well. 

Family blessings!

What a blessing it was to hear that my sister Helen and her husband Les were coming to visit!! Les spent countless hours with Cory, playing basket ball, watching videos, and answering the many questions. He was also the Mr. fix it for around the house. Helen encouraged not only me and my children but was a blessing to the many ladies we visited during their stay here. The day they left my baby sister came in and we also spent countless hours catching up and showing her around. Martha blessed Cory and I with a trip to San Pedro for a weekend. It was very relaxing and a great get away. 

Now it is time to get ready for our first mission team of the year to come next month. They plan on doing some construction and fixing up things around my place as well as work on the school room. They will also be doing a VBS here in our area and working with Marla’s House of Hope in Belmopan. This team from Virginia were here last year and we are looking forward to reconnecting and getting to know a few more new friends. 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with THANKSGIVING, let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6&7

Thank you once again for listening and for praying for us. We do need God to direct us daily.

With Love,

Margaret, Cory and Treajone

Praise & Prayer requests; 

1. Health and continued safety for our family 

2. For Cory and his studies 

3. Treajone, God’s perfect will in his life. 

4. Thanking God for helping us sell the old truck and the ability to making payments on a newer truck. Another missionary couple here in Belize were looking at selling their truck which is in better shape then ours was. They also understand that we live on support and have given us the grace to make monthly payments. 

5. I was asked to take in an 11 year old girl with Cystic Fibrosis and I do not know when they will bring her nor do I know her name. please pray for God’s will in her life and if it is meant for her to come with us that God would give me wisdom for this next assignment. 

6. Thank you Lord for providing the school funds for Cory. He has an hour bus ride to school each morning and an hour back again. 

Psalm 119:10-11 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against YOU.

Prayer requests;

1. Health and continued safety for our family 
2. For Cory, his studies and his walk with God
3. Treajone as he adjusts and God’s perfect will in his life. 
4. The truck we have had now for 8 years has been giving some problems and has been in and out of the mechanics because it has some starting problems. Praying for God’s will, if this truck can be fixed so it is reliable or if God provides another reliable vehicle that can handle the muddy roads in the rainy season. 

    

October 2013

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with THANKSGIVING, let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  ~ Philippians 4:6&7

The above verses have been one of my key scriptures for the past two months. As I shared in the last update, we began a new believer’s study with those that recently accepted Christ into their lives. It was super exciting at first, but we had to make sure we did not give up when some of them would cancel a study or not show up.

There are many unanswered questions when sharing Jesus with those that have made a profession of faith: Are they serious? Have they truly accepted Jesus into their hearts? Fortunately these are not for me to judge. I just need to be faithful in what God has called me to do—share His love and the gift of salvation He offers. One of the ladies we have been ministering to told us that she desires to be baptized based upon her new faith in Christ. It’s very exciting to see new believers reach this point of personal conviction and decision. 

                                  Seventh annual ladies retreat

In 2006 Denise Meyer and I first thought about a retreat for the ladies we were ministering with. We had never planned or organized anything like this before. We did not realize how many ladies would come from different areas in Belize. I know that God brought Anna Mensie to us at just the right time. She has been a great help in organizing this event through the years after our first retreat. Her past experience of retreat planning in the States provided the direction and support that we needed. To God be the Glory!

We praise God for the provision to have the ladies retreat this year in a camp where all the rooms had AC and the setting was very relaxing. We thank Debbie Douglas from California and Sarah Vincent, missionary in Mexico, for coming and blessing us with God’s Word. Many times speakers from the States worry about making sure the message they are about to give will be culturally friendly. One thing I see over and over again is that we all experience the same problems—maybe at different times—but we all need to hear what God’s Word has to say to us. We all need to forgive and love one another no matter how different God has created us. 

Many have asked if I have had any little ones in my care since we came home from our trip north at the end of July. Truthfully, I did pray and ask God, if it were His will, to please not let the social worker call until the 7th of October. I desired the first month to get Cory back to school and to plan our 7th annual ladies retreat without little ones to care for. I had no intentions of turning down a little one in need. So, I had to chuckle when the social worker ended up calling on the 8th of October. The little one, however,  was not ready with his supplies to come to us until the October 11th.

Treajone will be two years old at the beginning of November. Yes, he is a little small for his age. I do not know his family background so I do not know if his family is of small stature or if he has suffered malnutrition. He has adjusted well and is a joy to have around. 

September 2013

                                             

Many of the people that we visited door-to-door accepted Jesus as their Savior. We are now spending time teaching and following up with these new believers.

It is exciting to be doing a new believers’ study with this family. Please pray that they will continue to be excited about walking with Jesus as their Lord.

There is always something for everyone to do. All we need to do is listen and see how God wants to use us.

August 2013

Belize update August 2013

Cory and I had such a wonderful time on our trip north last month. First, we had two wonderful weeks in Manitoba with friends and family. Cory’s highlight was going to Tinkertown where he went on many rides with his cousins, aunts and uncle. I’m thankful that Martha came up with the clever idea of taking Cory to Tinkertown. Cory had the time of his life and I was able to get the rest I needed!

Second, we went to California and reconnected friends and family. This was also a time of meeting new friends. Cory was stretched many times and also was able to do some growing up along the way. Cory had so many wonderful experiences that it is hard to select a single highlight. He spent quality time with his uncles, reconnected with cousins and friends, rode shotgun with a CHP officer who answered his many questions, learned about California history, rode horses, and made new friends along the way. Both of us had a super-blessed time with everyone. Thank you so much!

We came home all excited to see what God had for us. This is also a time of getting ready for a new school year. For the last three years a social worker would bring a child to us within two weeks of our return home. Although we’ve now been home for three weeks, we haven’t received a call. I am okay with it for right now.

The week we came back, our church had a mission team of three that came to encourage us. They went door-to-door with members of our church to share the gospel. I was really blessed to see how they went the extra mile to help with the teachings. I could see the leaders of our church were truly blessed and encouraged. Before this team had left, Jim Parkinson from Virginia came with another team to help with some projects at my place as well as spend time with the girls at Marlaʼs House of Hope in Belmopan. It is a blessing when teams come to share the love of Christ and to help out with projects that need to be done. There are many different areas where help is needed. I am always amazed at how God provides for our needs.  All we need to do is ask and He always provides according to His will.

In July we were blessed with a mission team from Susanville, California. We made new friends and were fed God’s Word as they ministered to us and all our friends in the area. It was a true blessing to have some work projects finished in our home as well as landscaping done. They put in many hard working hours. Thanks again for spiritually refreshing us!

Fostering Updates

Since my last update in May, Saleni left June 1st, 2011 and is now living with her grandma. We have seen her several times and her grandmother has been enjoying having her around, despite the work of dealing with a very active two year old. She did mention that she is a hand full and willing for Shaleni to come and visit us some time.

Tyrell turned one end of August. He came to us when he was four months and was going to stay for two months. At the age of 15 months is when it was official that Tyrell is up for adoption. We were blessed to meet a couple from Spanish Lookout that are excited about adopting Tyrell and making him apart of their family. Tyrell was placed with the Reimer family May 11, 2012. He is doing very well and it has been a blessing to see how he adjusting to his new parents. 

Two days before Tyrell left Nathan at seven months came to us. The social worker asked me if I could care for him for one month and that will give the mom a chance to prove herself that she will be responsible to get her baby back. Nathan’s mom did get him back on the 11th of June and so far I believe she is taking good care of him. 

Four days after Tyrell leaves Marcos came to us. He is about 18 months old but we are not quite sure of his exact age. I was asked to care for Marcos for three months, praying for God’s will in  his life.