Hello everyone! There's a pause moment today in the hectic aftermath of the last two weeks, so I'm taking a moment to give you a little taste of how things have been going. God has been very, very good.
We said goodbye on Monday to nearly two weeks of retreats and mission projects revolving around SAMS's visit to Belize. Two weekends ago the board of SAMS began their triannual retreat, and we hosted them at a local resort in San Ignacio. The week following most of the board stayed on and was engaged in a handful of mission projects in our congregation: they installed a church bell at St. Hilda's (Georgeville), put in garden plants at the new property of Church of the Annunciation (Santa Elena) and at St. Andrew's (San Ignacio), led healing services in all three of our congregations, and held devotions for teachers and chapel services for students in all tree of our schools. We were busy! Following their departure by Friday, we commenced with our retreat for new missionaries, coming from far away places like Honduras and Peru. We all had a thoughtful and restful few days together before heading off to our respective homes. Things have been good, but they have really been busy!
There are many other things afoot here on the ground in Belize that I should be able to share in a few weeks, but for right now let's simply say that reintegrating back into parish life has involved a lot of work in just a few days. This Friday we are receiving a team representating the Diocese of St. Alban (U.K.) at St. Hilda's and St. Andrew's schools in preparation for the Feast of the Presentation (Feb 2nd). Our new teaching series on the life of King David continues unabated, and we're trying to gear up for Lent, Holy Week, and Baptisms come April. There is a lot on the plate.
On top of everything, I am still in the process of moving: there have been a few hitches and hang ups, but I think God is behind them all, and I'm patiently waiting for the living situation he wants to provide. The process of raising funds for a vehicle also continues, and at last count I have received $3,600 towards my goal of $5,000 - $10,000 (a necessary amount given the price of vehicles here and the need for a truly tough pickup truck). If you have any questions about the conditions which require this kind of a vehicle, simply ask the guests who have been with us for the last two weeks, and they will explain in detail why having a truck will be strategically essential in the months and years ahead!
Thank you again for all your prayers and emails! I look forward to checking in with you again in about a week!
