I started this journey asking for lots of prayer. My fear hit a fevered pitch when at the last minute I was asked to lead worship. I had already left home, had no music, no words, only what God would do. On the flight over I prayed and thought about what God would have us do. He reminded me of an old Andre Crouch song entitled “Thank You Lord”. The words are
Thank you Lord.
I just want to thank You
I just want to thank You
Thank You Lord.
I just want to thank You Lord.

We started the first evening by having testimonies of thanksgiving for things that had happened to get us here. It ended with thanksgiving for what was to come. We sang our thanks to God, and all week we saw and heard Him answering prayers.

We saw men who were hard of heart turn from rejecting the gospel to acceptance. This nation is in desperate need of men coming to Jesus and being spiritual leaders. God has planted 2 missionary leaders here to fan the flame of men’s ministry. One has started a prayer group that meets weekly and they pray through the night. There are 8 to 10 men praying with him from several denomination and countries. God is about to do some amazing things. Please keep them in your prayers.

We saw many of our team share the gospel for the first time. They did a great job! The gospel seed was planted and there are new brothers and sisters in Christ. Our team will return home bolder and ready to share in their communities and homes.

We have brought medical care to some of the sickest and those in the greatest need. One of my favorite memories will be of Dr. Matt one of our younger doctors. His specialty is GI medicine but this week he caught and diagnosed a young child who had a heart defect. After listening to her heart and observing, He asked the mother about a special behavior a child with this defect would have. The mother took out her phone and showed him a picture of the child in the very position. She said it happened frequently. He was floored! Please pray for this child and her family. Without a major operation the child’s life could be brief.

I could go on and on with stories. If I see you and you ask I will be glad to give you more. ? please know our mission team is so grateful for all of your prayers. We have been blessed to be your hands and feet. I will try to write tomorrow about our worship time today. Please pray for us one more time as we travel home tomorrow. Again thank you for living on mission with us.

Morning:

Generations….our team is made up of members from early youth to retirement age. Each work side by side counting medicines, walking patients, sharing the gospel and shadowing professionals in the field that they would like to pursue. Each giving themselves for one purpose to glorify God. Nationals work beside us daily teaching us and learning. It is the way God intended for the Body to work together.

Many of the relationships we were observing this week started when these young people were the children as parents, adult church leaders and friends who saw something special in these youth. They have poured into the lives of young people over the years. I have heard several of the young people say, ” This is my second mom or dad”. How amazing these students are because adults took time to mentor, coach, teach and love them. My challenge to each of you is to look around. Who has potential around you? You don’t have to be on a mission field to pour into someone. Start now and maybe in the days ahead bring your learner along with you to live abroad a few days on mission. It is life changing for them and you! For those parents who allowed your children to come without you “Well done!” They have been a huge blessing and should make you very proud!

Evening:

For those who prayed for the last day of clinic and the medication supplied, there were many times that those working in the pharmacy would turn around thinking that they were out of the med to find manna from heaven had appeared just in time for the patient’s needs. Thanks for your prayers.

One of the younger missionaries shared a truth that we all need to remember daily: “If you don’t think that you have a God moment in the day, that is not true you just have to watch for it.”

Puritan Prayer for the day: Give me special grace to fit me for special services and keep me calm and resign at all time. Humble, solemn, mortified and conformed to Thy will.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.
Ephesians 2:1-5

Often we forget the state we were in before Christ changed everything. We were as the living dead, having the appearance of life on the outside, but dead inside. We were tombs walking around, trying to satisfy ourselves with wanton pleasure, gratifying the desires of our flesh, hopelessly unaware of the stench of sin invading our lives. Paul describes our state in this way, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh…For to set the mind on the flesh is death…For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:5-8).

You were hostile to God. You could do nothing to please him; instead you continued to incur his wrath. You were following Satan, counted among the sons of disobedience. You were dead.

But God.

These are some of the most beautiful words in all of Scripture. But God. He loved you greatly and lavished his rich mercy upon you, even when you were dead in sin. When you did not deserve it. He made you alive. His Spirit was at work within you, raising you up to be set apart for his mission.

As you serve and do his work, spreading his gospel among the nations and to your neighbors, you must remember your former state. Those you seek to serve are dead in their sin. They are dead men walking and you do not have the power to transform them. No amount of eloquent words or selfless acts can regenerate a heart. Only God can make one alive. He has called you to go to them and share the message of his salvation, but then you must throw them at the foot of the cross and plead for God’s mercy on their behalf. Beg the Spirit to renew their heart and set them free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

• Pray that they would find redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin.
• Pray that he would lavish his grace upon them and make known to them the mystery of his will.
• Pray that they would be made alive.

Morning:

People often ask when we go on mission what happens with those who pray to receive Christ. This week we are seeing what happens or at least the journey for many of them. When Kidz Konnect from Jesus first started here in Belize the people were timid about coming to clinics and sharing information. The team we are here with are on their 21st visit here as a medical team and now not only are the people patients but they are friends. As each patient approaches the registration table it is not uncommon for one of the missionaries to call them by name. Smiles abound and conversations of family and friends are common. Many of these are the very ones who made professions of faith at the clinic or as a result of being drawn to the church where their spiritual journey began.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5

In the Greek language the word abide carries the connotation of remaining as one. As Jesus spoke with his disciples he commanded them to remain as one with him. This oneness implies a close and personal relationship. This relationship must be nourished and cherished. It requires daily time and attention. We are to abide. We are not to be separated; we are not to depart.

As we cultivate this abiding relationship with Christ we will begin to notice that our lives start looking more like his. Our desires become more like his desires. Our words become more like his words. Our actions reflect obedience to his commands. We are able to trust him and find delight in him. He is a source of joy. Our heartbeat will sound like that of the apostle Paul, “Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8, New Living Translation).

Not only did Jesus command us to abide in him, but he also commissioned us to bear fruit for his Kingdom. “You did not chose me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit” (John 15:16). We are commanded to abide in him because we are commissioned to bear fruit and the only way we can bear fruit is by remaining one with him. We can do nothing apart from him. The fruit cannot grow without the vine. We will accomplish nothing of eternal significance if we do not have the power and presence of Christ in our lives.

An abiding relationship with Christ produces fruit. Fruit is the proof of our faith. As Jesus said, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:8). Paul prayed that the Colossians would continue in this abiding relationship because it produces a life that is pleasing to the Lord and bears fruit in every good work (see Colossians 1:9-10).

• Pray that you would abide in Christ.
• Pray that you would cultivate such a deep relationship with him that you count all things worthless when compared to knowing him. Abound in spiritual wisdom and understanding so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the King.
• Pray that as you remain in fellowship with him that your life would bear much fruit for the Kingdom.

Totally exhausted ! That describes our team after working clinic from 8:30 this am. As I sit here writing we are still waiting for the last patients to be seen. We have had many opportunities to share the gospel. A young woman came to the clinic today feeling an inner pull to attend the clinic. Her heart was unsettled with fear because she knew she had done things that might compromised her health. Two of our medical team members shared the goodness of Jesus with her. Our patient indicated that she was not good enough. Our team members assured her that Jesus forgives all sins and He could and would forgive her. Our young team member continued to assured her of God’ s love and forgiveness In the end our patient prayed and asked Jesus to forgive her sin. We rejoice because tonight we have a new sister in Christ.

“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” Psalm 96:3

As Christians we frequently refer to the Great Commission where Jesus commands his followers to be his witnesses and make disciples of all nations (see Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:18-20). We have been trained that this is our calling as believers. These New Testament verses are our battle cry as we seek to reach people and make disciples. So often we fail to realize that God’s call for us to be missionaries began in Genesis; it is not a calling that the people received once Jesus came. God’s plan has always been to reach the ends of the earth with his glory.

When God made his covenant with Abraham he promised him, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” This blessing did not just apply to the nation of Israel. Here God is setting apart the descendants of Abraham to reach all the families of the earth. They were to be a kingdom of priests to display the glory of God among the nations (see Exodus 19:5-6). As God worked among the Israelites his power would be communicated throughout the land and people would worship him. Rahab, a Gentile, hid the Israelite spies because she had heard about the one, true God. “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt…And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and the on the earth beneath” (Joshua 2:10-11).

God’s plan to reach all nations with the gospel began with him setting apart the people of Israel and working through them. Through the prophet Isaiah he told the people of Israel, “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). The light of the Israelites reached Rahab, Ruth and the people of Nineveh, among others.

God set Israel apart so that they could be a light to the people and declare his glory among the nations. This is still our calling today. Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). We are now “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession” that we “may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9). God has set you apart to be a light to the people and to declare his glory among every tribe, language, people and nation that they may worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Our God is on a mission to redeem all peoples of the earth. This mission began in Genesis and has been entrusted to his people throughout redemptive history. We must follow his call to reach people and make disciples, declaring his marvelous works among all the peoples. As we go about this difficult task we find hope in a vision of the future that God gave to the apostle John. God’s missional plan will succeed. For we know that in the future the song in heaven will be, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom of priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10).

• Pray that God’s heartbeat for reaching the nations with the gospel would be your heartbeat as well.
• Pray that God would use you to declare his marvelous works among all peoples.
• Pray that many would see the light in you and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Morning:
This morning we started off with the most important beginning of a day with a conversation with our Father. Then some of the team went to work preparing the camp for the rest of the team arrival. Shirley and Cindy went to do a wound check and change on a man who had experienced a hand injury from a machine. Then we gathered some supplies and another team member. We went to the nursing school to prepare those who will assist us this week. We will shortly pick up part of the team and go to a children’s home to do well child checks. Then we will return to camp for orientation and pill counting.

Evening:
We made beds for 20 ladies and 11 men. We swept every dorm and cabin. We counted thousands of pills. Every pill that will be dispensed will have to be counted, bagged and labeled. Thank you to each of you who gave. I wish you could see the faces of the sweet people who will receive them. We worshiped as a team this evening and had our first meal together. We are 38 strong and are praying to be a mighty force for the Kingdom this week. We will divide into 2 teams and will provide medical care in 2 different parts of the area. Please pray for divine encounters along the way.

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2

Our lives should be marked by constant communication with our heavenly Father. There is to be an attitude of continual transparency and vulnerability before the Lord. We are to be ever mindful of his presence and sovereignty.

Throughout the New Testament we see commands such as: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18) and “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

Luke records of Jesus, “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (18:1). Prayer is vital in the life of a Christian.

So often we come before the Lord with a set of demands for ourselves and those we love. God does tell us to be persistent in our requests and to pray about everything, but there is so much more to prayer than checking off a list of our desires and hoping God will come through. Prayer is also about thanksgiving. It is about taking the time to thank God for what he has done for us, in us and through us. It is about being thankful that he will answer every prayer in a way that he sees fit, in a way that brings us the most good and the most glory to himself. We can rest in his sovereignty and trust that he will give us wisdom for every situation if we ask (see James 1:5).

God always answers our prayers. The prayer of the believer does not fall on deaf ears. He is attentive when we call upon his name and approach the throne of grace. However, often we are so busy looking for the answer we want that we are not watching for his answer. It then appears that he is not listening. The problem is not with God—it is that we are not being watchful. God might say yes, he could say no, and sometimes he says wait. Whatever the answer, we can be thankful because we know God wants the best for us (see Matthew 7:11). We are to continue to be steadfast in prayer and then watch to see what God will do.

The prophet Habakkuk cried to the Lord, “O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?” (1:1). He felt as though God was tolerating sin instead of punishing it. God heard Habakkuk but had greater plans than Habakkuk could see. He answered him, “Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” (1:5, NIV). Pray. Then watch.

Pray that God would use you as you are on mission for him. Pray for those you will minister to and alongside. Present your requests before him with thanksgiving and then ask the Spirit to open your eyes to behold the wonderful things he will do.

Thank you for praying for our team. We have seen God’s hand all over our trip. We started our morning with Pleasant, a beautiful Delta agent. She lived up to her name!

We proceeded to the security where the woman processing documents asked the couple in front of me if they were… They said yes they were and she said “I was praying for you yesterday.”. They looked as shocked as I was but thanked the sweet lady. I asked if she went to church with the them and she said no. I just thought about them yesterday and prayed for them. I quickly told her we were a mission team and would love for her to pray for us. Immediately she began praying out loud for us and for the people of Belize that their hearts would be open to the gospel and that we would be as blessed as those we would see. As she said amen she handed us our documents, then said “Have a great trip.” We were blown away.

God was blessing us in crazy ways. One woman walked past us just out of the blue and said she had overheard what we were doing and she was praying for us. One of my favorite stories was Glenda, another wonderful flight attendant who asked one of our team members if she wanted cookies, pretzels, or peanuts. Our team member said yes and a Coke. Again the attendant asked cookies, pretzels, peanuts? To which again the team member said yes and a Coke. Laughing I said no she is asking which one. The team member laughed and said “oh cookies and a Coke.” She served our other team members then turned with a grin and with two hands full of snacks she gifted us snacks galore.

What a great picture of the bounty God has given us all day long. Thank you for your prayers. Please keep them coming. The rest of the team comes tomorrow.