On Saturaday Sept 10 we unloaded the truck that finally came with all our stuff on it. We had sold the majority of our belongings except for the neccesities that we thought that we would need down here in Belize and maybe a couple of sentimental items. It is amazing what we consider necessary items. Hosea (our worker) whose wife Rosa and two young sons Abraham who is probable 1 1/2 or so and Edwin who isn't much older along with Rosa's nephew Hosea were here visiting when we unloaded the truck. I asked Hosea (the worker) if he had a stove and refridgerator as we unloaded our brand new ones that Dale bought for us and he said no. We also found out that Hosea didn't have a bed . He was going to buy one today as it was payday for him. Dale asked if he could Hosea and family home today just so that we could see what type of house he lived in. What they live in and pay $1.00 a day rent for is just a shack. It has holes in the roof and just some tin metal for the sides. There is no floor just a tarp on the ground. Wow, what an eye opener. Getting back to the unloading of the truck which in 100 degree weather is very hot especially in a large box truck. I was for the first time in my life embaressed by all the material possessions that we own, or should I say that many times own us. Here we are unloading box after box and item after item with Hosea helping and his family watching wondering what they are thinking about. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with material things unless they become our consuming desire to obtain them.. Here we are working our butts off to obtain more stuff that we probably won't use for to long or won't be satisfied with in a few months and here is a family that is happy having nothing and working just for their next meal. We don't hear people down here complaining about not having these things, even the things we consider to be the essentials but in the past I have moaned because I did have this or that which in reality I could have easily lived without. It is amazing how God's Word becomes more of a reality when faced with and seeing people who have to live without things. He says in His Word to be content with what we have and that we can know His peace no matter what our circumstances. I see a huge difference in the stress of the people in the Estado Unitos who strive for the things that they probably don't need as compared to the people down here who are striving for their families existence. I pray that I can let go of things more and hold on to God and helping these people more. I think for the first time in my life I feel like what I am doing is worthwhile. I am no longer working to obtain things, but we are working to make a difference in peoples lives. We are working to provide our basic needs and the needs of others.
Anna has been doing terriffic down here. Despite all the bites from the numerous insects, the ants that have also taken up residency in our house, not having anything to cook on (the stove and fridge are not yet hooked up) except the makeshift fireplace that is very difficult to cook on in the rain she has cooked some great meals for us. And anyone that knows my wife knows that she can whip up a terriffic meal with just a handful of ingredients and that is just about all she has had is a handful of ingredient. She concocted a new creation using some of the avacados from the orchard. She made a spicy lime spread from it and put it on a chicken sandwich with tomato, it was great. She has been washing laundry by hand which we knew she would have to but you must understand that it is not just your typical laundry. When I said before that I have never worked this hard in my life it also meant that I have never gotten this filthy in my life. When I come from planting more orchard or gardening or bushhogging etc, I am covered with mud. Now when I say mudd I know what you are thinking. But the dirt down here, while I am told it is very fertile soil, it is unlike any that we have at home. At home we sometimes find soil that is claylike, well this is like that to the max. When this mudd gets ahold of you it doesn't let go. I wash my hands and it is glued to my fingernail literally. I have to scrape at my nail and still can't get it off. Well that is what it does on my clothes also. I look like a mud monster when I come home and Anna tell me to get into the outdoor shower that I have constructed under the water tower. Ladies appreciate your automatic washers that you have at home or even the laundomat you can go to. I don't think that there are many women that could have taken on what Anna has which makes me love her even more than before. Being a housewife takes on a whole new meaning down here than up in Maine.
We have our work cut out for us down here and will face many challenges, but we are very happy with our new lives. While life may be harder for us we have much less stress and pressures on us. It is a very simple way of life and find that without the TV, phones, radios, stores to jump into the car and go to etc we relax more, we get to know people more, and actually enjoy life more. People, read my lips we all need to simplify our lifes! I pray that we all can do that more and be able to hear Gods voice in the still times. He tells us to be still and know that He is God. We don't know how to be still with our busy lives.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Still Alive!
Here we are in Belize on day number 8 and still alive. We arrived on Saturday the 3rd of September and our flight went extremely well. We made it through customs with no problems whatsoever and had a wonderful stay at a hotel in Cancun Mexico. Our shuttle from there to Belize was long but good. Jerrold, a native Belizean picked us up and we stopped somewhere in Mexico to pick up his 4 year daughter Saphire and wife Shyean to go back to Belize with us. Come to find out they are Christians and use there shuttle and site seeing business as a ministry also and Shyean is involved with a Christain School here in Belize.
Well as good as the trip was, things got difficult from there. When we got to the propery we found that it was hotter than we expected. It has been reaching 100 degrees plus some days and I have never swet this much in my life. When I say swet I mean swet. It looks as if I just stepped out of the shower with my clothes on and you never dry all day. Your hair stays soaked, your clothes are all soaked and you never dry all day. To make matters worse, we didn't get our truck with all our basic needs on it from the states. We have been sleeping on a thin foam mattress (Our back are killing us) have no real means of cooking aside from a makeshift outdoor fireplace, no refridgeration, had no shower for the firts 3 days as our water comes from a plastic 1300 gal cistern that is on a tower beside the house that catches rain water from the roof and did not have enough in it to run the shower. So we stank! Thank goodness we did have a toilet that worked. On the third day here I got extremely sick with vomiting and diarrea. I could not eat and could hardly keep water down.
On day 5 my back went out which usually means that I end up in bed for 4 or 5 day until it comes out of it. We prayed and I put on my back brace and went back to work. God is so good, I proceeded to move rocks, plant banana, jack banana and plantain trees, bush hog for several hours etc and my back is still good.
The work is very hard and long days right now as we are trying to get the orchard back into shape. It has been vacant for several years and has grown into a jungle. There are fruits here that I have never heard of that are incredible. We also found out that if you have heat stroke coming on just pick a lime ( or buy one if you are in the states) and squeeze the juice into some water and drink it. It is amazing how it refreshes you and alleviates the heat stroke symtems. It is really nice to be out working and just reach over and grab an orange or grapefruit and just have a snack on the go. Cool.
OK, now one might think that it is horibble down here by what I have so far written but beside that fact that we have nothing so far (oh by the way I forgot to mention that the truck arrived late last night! Praise God a bed and pillows tonight) and I got sick and things have been difficult WE LOVE IT. When we got to our house (which is 9 feet in the air) and saw the view of the mountains from our front porch we fell in love with the place again. We live in a place called Blackman Eddy which is west of Belmopan the capitol of Belize. The three mile road to the place is like a logging road in Maine. You wonder if you will ever make it but it is well worth the trip. There is a menonite community further down our road and they are very friendly people. One of them, Walter Riesen stopped in to meet the new neighbors and invited us to his farm. He and his family where the first Menonites to settle here back in the 50s and most of them have the last name of Reisen around here. They go by constantly on their horse and buggies doing business in Spanish Lookout which is another Menonite community about 15 minutes away by car that is. There is quite a contrast between the two Menonite communities. The one here at Barton Creek is just what you expect of them. Very simple life with not modern convieniences. The one in Spanish Lookout however is ultra modern. They have better homes than many in the states and own all the businesses there. They even have an electronics and cell phone store over there. All are very friendly.
The other people here are a mix. There are blacks, Hispanics, Oriental, Mayans, Guatamalans etc. The man we have hired to work with us, is from Guatamala and speaks very little english. Praise God Anna and I took three years of Spanish in high school and are amazed how much is coming back to us. He is a young man of 25 years old with a wife and two kids. When he got paid this week he did not show up for work the next day and we wondered why. Well we found out that he had no more food for his family and walked as he has and cannot afford a car. He also got some work boots so he could work for us easier. He was so proud of his new simple rubber boots. I noticed he had something on his wrist and couldn't figure out what it was at first. I finally saw that it was a childs watch. It is a cartoon donkeys head and I wanted to laugh at first that a grown man would wear such a watch but he was so proud of it. I lay in bed tonight which it is about 3 am and I am sitting on our deck in my boxers typing this and I started to cry thinking about Hosea (our worker) and how thankful he is for his watch and boots and how much we in the states take the little things in life for granted. These are things we just think that we deserve and even toss them in the trash when we want a better style. Down here we have had to learn (even in just 8 days) the value of clean drinking water and what it means to be without some of the things that we have taken for granted all our lives. Oh that we could be so thankfull for the small things in life as Hosea is. I think God delayed our truck (which at one point we didn't even know if we were going to get it as the man driving it down throught Mexico was robbed at gunpoint and we had't heard wether they took the truck and all the contents or just robbed him of his money) so that we could have more appreciation for what these people face each day.
God has really been helping us to adapt here. I no longer am soaked from swet all day long and do not feel sick from the heat which tells me that I am beginning to adapt to it. I was out all day, which means I am pretty red now, working and my hair and clothes were all dry well pretty much.
I could go on for hours telling of our adventures in our short time here but I do not want to lose your interest. Even with all the hardships we have faced, which really isn't that bad, we love it here and know that we are right where God wants us. Please pray for us for physical, financial and spiritual blessings. We miss you all and hope that some day you all can come down and experience it for yourselves. oh, and by the way, the bugs, spiders, and snakes are not as bad as you think Cyndil and Derek. I have seen one trantuala but otherwise nothing else and I have been roaming through tall grasses, jungle and orchards. They are more afraid of us than we are of them.
More to follow as I can. Love you all. Zach
Well as good as the trip was, things got difficult from there. When we got to the propery we found that it was hotter than we expected. It has been reaching 100 degrees plus some days and I have never swet this much in my life. When I say swet I mean swet. It looks as if I just stepped out of the shower with my clothes on and you never dry all day. Your hair stays soaked, your clothes are all soaked and you never dry all day. To make matters worse, we didn't get our truck with all our basic needs on it from the states. We have been sleeping on a thin foam mattress (Our back are killing us) have no real means of cooking aside from a makeshift outdoor fireplace, no refridgeration, had no shower for the firts 3 days as our water comes from a plastic 1300 gal cistern that is on a tower beside the house that catches rain water from the roof and did not have enough in it to run the shower. So we stank! Thank goodness we did have a toilet that worked. On the third day here I got extremely sick with vomiting and diarrea. I could not eat and could hardly keep water down.
On day 5 my back went out which usually means that I end up in bed for 4 or 5 day until it comes out of it. We prayed and I put on my back brace and went back to work. God is so good, I proceeded to move rocks, plant banana, jack banana and plantain trees, bush hog for several hours etc and my back is still good.
The work is very hard and long days right now as we are trying to get the orchard back into shape. It has been vacant for several years and has grown into a jungle. There are fruits here that I have never heard of that are incredible. We also found out that if you have heat stroke coming on just pick a lime ( or buy one if you are in the states) and squeeze the juice into some water and drink it. It is amazing how it refreshes you and alleviates the heat stroke symtems. It is really nice to be out working and just reach over and grab an orange or grapefruit and just have a snack on the go. Cool.
OK, now one might think that it is horibble down here by what I have so far written but beside that fact that we have nothing so far (oh by the way I forgot to mention that the truck arrived late last night! Praise God a bed and pillows tonight) and I got sick and things have been difficult WE LOVE IT. When we got to our house (which is 9 feet in the air) and saw the view of the mountains from our front porch we fell in love with the place again. We live in a place called Blackman Eddy which is west of Belmopan the capitol of Belize. The three mile road to the place is like a logging road in Maine. You wonder if you will ever make it but it is well worth the trip. There is a menonite community further down our road and they are very friendly people. One of them, Walter Riesen stopped in to meet the new neighbors and invited us to his farm. He and his family where the first Menonites to settle here back in the 50s and most of them have the last name of Reisen around here. They go by constantly on their horse and buggies doing business in Spanish Lookout which is another Menonite community about 15 minutes away by car that is. There is quite a contrast between the two Menonite communities. The one here at Barton Creek is just what you expect of them. Very simple life with not modern convieniences. The one in Spanish Lookout however is ultra modern. They have better homes than many in the states and own all the businesses there. They even have an electronics and cell phone store over there. All are very friendly.
The other people here are a mix. There are blacks, Hispanics, Oriental, Mayans, Guatamalans etc. The man we have hired to work with us, is from Guatamala and speaks very little english. Praise God Anna and I took three years of Spanish in high school and are amazed how much is coming back to us. He is a young man of 25 years old with a wife and two kids. When he got paid this week he did not show up for work the next day and we wondered why. Well we found out that he had no more food for his family and walked as he has and cannot afford a car. He also got some work boots so he could work for us easier. He was so proud of his new simple rubber boots. I noticed he had something on his wrist and couldn't figure out what it was at first. I finally saw that it was a childs watch. It is a cartoon donkeys head and I wanted to laugh at first that a grown man would wear such a watch but he was so proud of it. I lay in bed tonight which it is about 3 am and I am sitting on our deck in my boxers typing this and I started to cry thinking about Hosea (our worker) and how thankful he is for his watch and boots and how much we in the states take the little things in life for granted. These are things we just think that we deserve and even toss them in the trash when we want a better style. Down here we have had to learn (even in just 8 days) the value of clean drinking water and what it means to be without some of the things that we have taken for granted all our lives. Oh that we could be so thankfull for the small things in life as Hosea is. I think God delayed our truck (which at one point we didn't even know if we were going to get it as the man driving it down throught Mexico was robbed at gunpoint and we had't heard wether they took the truck and all the contents or just robbed him of his money) so that we could have more appreciation for what these people face each day.
God has really been helping us to adapt here. I no longer am soaked from swet all day long and do not feel sick from the heat which tells me that I am beginning to adapt to it. I was out all day, which means I am pretty red now, working and my hair and clothes were all dry well pretty much.
I could go on for hours telling of our adventures in our short time here but I do not want to lose your interest. Even with all the hardships we have faced, which really isn't that bad, we love it here and know that we are right where God wants us. Please pray for us for physical, financial and spiritual blessings. We miss you all and hope that some day you all can come down and experience it for yourselves. oh, and by the way, the bugs, spiders, and snakes are not as bad as you think Cyndil and Derek. I have seen one trantuala but otherwise nothing else and I have been roaming through tall grasses, jungle and orchards. They are more afraid of us than we are of them.
More to follow as I can. Love you all. Zach
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Almost There.
I have been so busy that I haven't even blogged for 2 months. We have been trying to get everything in order for our move to Belize. We finally had the yard sale which was a tremendous success. We raised $6000.00 off the yard sale which is three times what I thought we would make. It has amazed me that in six months since we went down to Belize on our first mission trip, we are going to be ready to move down there. We thought that it would take at least a year to raise the funds and be ready but God had other plans. We leave in two weeks and one day from today and it seems surreal. It won't hit me until we are actually there. For those of you reading this there will be a going away party on Sunday August 28th from 1pm - 4pm down in the Lighthouse Christian Cafe here at the motel. It will be a pot luck gathering and you can bring anything that you want to bring. It will be hard to say goodbye to family and friends but yet exciting for us as well. Thanks for all your support in getting us there and remember to pray for us.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Awesome God
Is anyone else ever blown away by God? It amazes me how clearly at times He directs our path. This whole Belize ministry is just moving ahead so fast that it makes my head spin. It is only 2 1/2 months until we move down there! If it weren't for God giving us clear direction, I would probably doubt that He was the one leading. We had planned on this move taking until sometime into next year but twice before we were approached about going down at the end of this summer two different people who do not know each other said that He may have us down there by the end of summer. I believe He was giving confirmation before the fact so that we would know it was from Him.
I asked Anna this morning "what if all the funds we need don't come in? Does that mean that we aren't supposed to go or was it just us who thought that we needed that amount?" We have had so many people tell us that we need to make sure that we have all the support that we need before hand. The human part of me agrees, but is that what God really wants? or does He want us to trust Him for it after we are down there? I think that we have become to trusting in "security" that we have lost what it means to trust on Him for everything. We watched a movie called "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" with Ingrid Bergman that was very inspirational to us. I would recommend that we all watch it. I think this is true trust in the Lord. If we could only have that much faith just think of what could be done for Him. Pray for us!!!
I asked Anna this morning "what if all the funds we need don't come in? Does that mean that we aren't supposed to go or was it just us who thought that we needed that amount?" We have had so many people tell us that we need to make sure that we have all the support that we need before hand. The human part of me agrees, but is that what God really wants? or does He want us to trust Him for it after we are down there? I think that we have become to trusting in "security" that we have lost what it means to trust on Him for everything. We watched a movie called "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" with Ingrid Bergman that was very inspirational to us. I would recommend that we all watch it. I think this is true trust in the Lord. If we could only have that much faith just think of what could be done for Him. Pray for us!!!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Walking on water
Obviously I have never walked on water unless you count lakes in winter in maine. The only one I know of that walked on water was Jesus. Peter began to go to Him but he began to listen to the wind and the waves around him and lost faith. Which voice will we listen to? Will we listen to the world around us or to the voice of the one who made us and calls us? We have been called by God to the mission field in Belize and it looks as it the time frame has been pushed up drastically. It appears that we will be moving down in August of this year! Wow, our minds are racing with all the things that need to get done before that time.
We have recieved much flack from some of our family that think we should not be doing this. I know that it is out of concern for our well being but again, do we listen to what we know God is calling us to or to the voice of fear and concern? Sure there are always risks doing this sort of thing, but we trust in our God. How many others have faced danger and adversity to do what God was calling them to? Why should we be any different than they? I hope that some day they realize that we are just trying to serve our Lord and master! To any of you who are reading this blog, please do not tell our family yet that we are leaving in August as we have not had a chance to tell all of them yet and please pray for us that we raise all the funds in that time that we need.
We have recieved much flack from some of our family that think we should not be doing this. I know that it is out of concern for our well being but again, do we listen to what we know God is calling us to or to the voice of fear and concern? Sure there are always risks doing this sort of thing, but we trust in our God. How many others have faced danger and adversity to do what God was calling them to? Why should we be any different than they? I hope that some day they realize that we are just trying to serve our Lord and master! To any of you who are reading this blog, please do not tell our family yet that we are leaving in August as we have not had a chance to tell all of them yet and please pray for us that we raise all the funds in that time that we need.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Grandpas little princess
We had our little granddaughter Kira stay overnight with us. She is 5 months old and I have found that I am no longer a spring chicken. I can work a 60 hour week and not get as exhausted as I do when I have her just overnight! Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy having her here and will miss having her close by when we move to Belize. I don't know how we did it when the kids were young. I guess that's why old people, like myself, aren't able to have kids. God knew what He was doing . I loved bringing her to bed with us in the morning when she awoke. But I did not sleep much with her here. Not because she was crying, but because grampa was worried about her all night. But alas, she survived the night and all is well. Silly me.
It is so nice being grandparents because we can give them back. We love it.
It is so nice being grandparents because we can give them back. We love it.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Life in Christ is never boring!
Isaiah 43:19
"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."
We have found that life is always an adventure. When the cafe closed back in September, I told Anna that I was looking forward to just punching a time card, putting in my 40 hours (which was cutting back for us) and then just going home. Well that lasted for about 2 months then I realized that was not what God had in store for us. I found that I was not satisfied living a life of settling for the status quo. I really had no idea what God had in mind but as always He has kept our lives interesting. We have been told more times that we need to write a book because we are interesting people. I really think that what they mean is that we are nuts and/or ignorant and they want to read what not to do in life. lol
Anyway I guess that ignorance is bliss and we are thrilled to be on the path He has chosen for us. Bring it on!!! Pray for us.
"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."
We have found that life is always an adventure. When the cafe closed back in September, I told Anna that I was looking forward to just punching a time card, putting in my 40 hours (which was cutting back for us) and then just going home. Well that lasted for about 2 months then I realized that was not what God had in store for us. I found that I was not satisfied living a life of settling for the status quo. I really had no idea what God had in mind but as always He has kept our lives interesting. We have been told more times that we need to write a book because we are interesting people. I really think that what they mean is that we are nuts and/or ignorant and they want to read what not to do in life. lol
Anyway I guess that ignorance is bliss and we are thrilled to be on the path He has chosen for us. Bring it on!!! Pray for us.
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