Hello, and welcome to the Habit Missions Blog site! We are glad you decided to drop by and check on us! We will try to update it at least every week or so depending upon our circumstances and access to the internet. You are in our prayers and very important to us and our aim is to keep you up on our ministry and happenings. Here you will hear the praises, the goodness of God, the victories, the challenges, the lives that are touched, the joys, the heartaches, the pains, and rewards of serving among the poor and working with youth.
Heath & Amanda Burchett were born in and grew up in North Carolina. For the past 4 years, they lived in Crestview, FL where they ministered to youth and served at First United Methodist Church. Amanda attended Forsyth Technical Community College and has worked at Target, Chautauqua Airlines, Comfort Keepers, and the Wild Olive Restaurant. Amanda has also served with the Fort Walton Beach Rescue Mission and with youth at various churches. Heath received his Master of Ministry degree from Vintage Bible College and Seminary, worked with Black Box Network Services, and served as youth pastor and associate/youth pastor at Old Richmond Evangelical Methodist Church prior to becoming associate/youth pastor in Crestview.
Some of the best times Amanda and Heath have spent together have been when they were serving as a team in missions. They have served in and started their own inner city street ministry in Winston-Salem, NC, done missions projects in the foothills of NC, and served and ministered to the homeless in Panama City Beach, FL. They have made mission trips to Lima, Peru to help with street kids, and to Belize where they worked with Victory Church in Ladyville. Missions has always given them a sense of fulfillment and great joy as they knew they were doing the will of God and following His great calling.
OUR STORY: Our hearts were bent for Belize six years ago when we first visited the country. As we traveled the dusty roads, through our bus window we saw school children running to the fence to smile and wave as we passed. The school and yard were dirty and barren and sad. The picture remains in our minds. We knew then, we must go back and MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of the children of Belize. In 2008, we were privileged to take a group of youth from FUMC to minister in Ladyville, which "just happened" to be the same town we saw from the bus. As we served in Ladyville, we were greatly disturbed by the lack of youth involvement in the local church and yet hundreds of teens were only blocks away hanging out, playing sports, and using drugs. We began to research youth involvement in the life of the local churches in various towns and villages and what we found was a great need! Many of the churches struggle with the necessary time, resources, programs, volunteers, and vision to show that God is very alive and relevant to their lives. Around half of the population of Belize is 18 years and younger. The average age is about 20 years old. We knew something must be done!
(The following blog posts are in order of newest posts first)
