September 24, 2009
Its carnival time here in Belize! I am not really sure what all that entails yet, but I do know that part of it is a celebration of Belize gaining it’s independence from England. Belize was formerly known as British Honduras. I plan to post some pictures of some of the events on our next blog. The official date of carnival is actually September 19th.
This month has been the hardest for us thus far. We have been challenged with difficulties at immigration, where we were threatened a $5,000 fine and imprisonment for six months. We went again yesterday to renew our visa and, thanks to a lot of prayers, things couldn’t have gone any more smoothly. Thank you Lord!
As you can see from the photos above, Belize has recently been listed as the #1 murder capitol in the world. We knew things were getting worse, but there is something about actually seeing it in print. I know that there are angels around us, and I thank you all for your constant prayers. The need here is huge, but my God is bigger! He called us here and I pray he continues to use and guide us.
This week we made a new friend named Raymond. He is also a Christian who sells cars here in the city for a living. He asked us yesterday about how we came to Belize and if God called us here. He asked us, “How do you know when God is talking to you?” I have so many different times /ways I feel God speaking to me so I shared them, and I would like to share one with you. It was very personal and was hard to accept , but God knew that I needed to hear it. As many of you know, Heath’s mother battled with cancer for many years. We prayed and had faith that God would heal her. One day just before Heath got home from work I was praying to God and pleading over his mother’s life. It was in that moment God spoke to me in a loud audible voice. He told me His will wasn’t always ours, and that his mother was going to pass away and that I needed to prepare myself and be ready to support my husband. My mother-in-law was a woman of faith and courage and had finished what God had called her to do. We just wanted her to be here with us. I have never been so heartbroken and amazed at the same time! God had just spoken to me out loud, but had told me exactly what I didn’t want to hear. I will never forget that moment as long as I live. I thank God for the heads up on what I needed to do. I tell you all this because God is a person you can and need to talk with out loud sometimes. We can always pray quietly too, but don’t for a minute think He doesn’t want you to call out, cry out to Him! Times may have been hard here lately, but God’s is still in Control. I am trusting Him in all things, big and small. I hope you are too. Acts 2:25-26 David said about him: “I saw the Lord always right before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also live in hope.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR US AND BELIZE!!!!!!
God Bless. I love you all,
Amanda
