Flash Back Friday~ Our Last Days In WA, First day in BZ

When we first arrived to Belize, we remained without internet for 3 weeks. We were unable to post many photos of our last days in Chehalis and our trip to Belize. Here are a few snapshots of that wonderful adventure!

We lost the goodbye photos with nana but this was taken with nana about 2 days before leaving. She had come up one last time and stayed with us for a few days. She was such a great big help but saying goodbye was heartwrenching! I miss her terribly but thankfully she is coming to visit in March and we are able to keep in touch via Skype. Hugs Mama!


A typical scene at the King's house! We stayed with them for the last two days in Washington. They ferried us around, taking us to do last minute errands as well as helped us pack and clean our rental. We definitely would not have been able to complete the monumental task of moving a family of 8 out of the country without their help!



Sweet little Becca~


Johnna!

Mr. Joshua

Our dear sweet Sister Stephanie. Is it true that we get to see you in 40 days?

I think we could fit ONE more in, don't you?

SeaTac Airport.. it was so hard to say goodbye to those who came to see us off..

Grady and his brothers Sean and Lance. He had not seen Lance for close to 16 years! We were so touched that both of them came.

Grady's mom came to say goodbye as well..

Brothers

Grandma Bonnie

The sweetest friend to me. And her adorable Matthew!

Brother Jim accompanied us to the airport to help us with the luggage and see us off.. he and the Kings as well as Grady's mother and brother walked with us as far as we could until security. And there were so many tears. It was one of the hardest things we have ever done. To say goodbye to our dearest and best friends! It was a comfort to know that the Lord was calling us away.. we knew that although it was hard, he would see us through.

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Once arriving in Cancun, we took a bus to Playa Del Carmen. We tried not to be disappointed at the hotel which had boasted of a pool online but sadly did not have one. We were hoping to spend a few days together in Mexico before arriving in Belize.. swimming and relaxing. However, the hotel ended up being in a run down neighborhood which did not feel very safe. In addition, we realized that truly we had brought too much with us! So if you can believe it, while Grady took the older children down to the azure colored waters of Playa, I stayed behind in the hotel room sorting our things and making a pile of items which we didn't *really* need and which we left behind for the maids in the hotel. I think we pared down our luggage from 21 suitcases and 2 carseats and a stroller to 14 suitcases, stroller and carseats.

On the bus, after the plane ride

We thought this note was funny

Our hotel

The rooms were spacious and cooled with A/C thankfully! Wifi was a contant struggle and our laptop screen had broken en route.. so communicating with folks back at home was pretty iffy for the first 2 days. Then Grady and the children found an internet cafe on day 3

Molly, the world traveller

On one of our walks to a nearby food vendor, we found an adorable children's park. The girls found the bathroom to be one of the cutest parts about the park.

We loved the brightly colored paint.

It was so hot the day we found the park. It must have been close to 100 degrees!


Playa Del Carmen beach

Grady and the children found a nice beach spot by this ferry terminal

The blue is just amazing to me! I wish I could have enjoyed it but I had soo much repacking to do! And really it made it much easier having the hotel room to myself. I did get worried however when they stayed out until after dark.. like I mentioned, the hotel was not in a good part of town.. but they arrived in one piece, with so many stories to tell!

Grant finally got to use his scuba gear!

One of the family's photographers

The boys in an ocean of blue

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We had made reservations for all of to take the bus from Playa Del Carmen to Chetumal where we were to meet John and Judy Banman, our friends from Spanish Lookout. The bus ride was to take 4 hours and cost about $30 per person. Oh and yes, the dog could come also. Now to understand the upcomig story, you must know that dogs are not as appreciated in Mexico as they are in the States.. WELL, once we arrived to the bus station (at 5 am!) and paid the extra fees for our extra baggage.. and once all of that baggage was put into the under belly of the bus.. the attendant said, with the hinged door of the bottom luggage area of the bus opened "put the dog in". Underneath the bus? With all of the luggage? "yes, that is where dogs travel" On a day which reached into the low 100's? We knew that Molly would die for sure! So, not knowing any Spanish, Dad explained how our little dog simply could not ride in the bottom of the bus. A crowd started gathering. Meanwhile, we had all of our bags loaded and we were ready to go.. the only other way we knew of getting to Chetumal was a $400 taxi! This had to work! In the end and with the Mexican bus attendants shaking their heads and laughing at us, they allowed Molly to join us on the bus and ride in style.. Meanwhile other passengers were calling everyone they knew, laughingly telling them 'hay un perro en el autobús!' (there is a DOG on the bus!)


Princess Molly

Scenes from the bus window

The bus ride was uneventful.. the little girls were pretty good. We *did* resort to Winnie-the Pooh which we had loaded on our I-Pod beforehand. Grace was exhausted but did so well on the plane and bus. Once we got to Chetumal though, it was extremely hot outside.. there wasn't air conditioning in the bus station and John and Judy had been held up at the border, coming into Mexico due to heavy traffic. We ended up waiting for about an hour in the intense heat. Gracie had been awake since 5 am and hadn't taken a nap on the bus.. she lost it and cried and threw fits most of the way through immigration on the Belize/Mexico border and most of the 4 hour trip to Spanish Lookout. John and Judy took us out to lunch and for some quick shopping. I could barely keep Grace under control. I felt badly for her and for the Banmans. But there wasn't much we could do about it..

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First look at the house.. these are the stairs that lead upstairs to the upper bedrooms. This view is taken from the top of the stairs looking into the kitchen

The kitchen

The dining room

Our first grocery list

Abe and Joyce Friesen brought dinner over on the first night home. They had made sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, and brought watermelon and fresh lemonaid. It was such a blessing to meet their family as well as John and Judy and their children. After so long.. it was such a blessing to be home!

We Have a Sending Letter!

One of the things that we have needed to apply for a missionary permit is a letter from a 'sending church'. Our brothers and sisters at Valley Christian Fellowship read about this need on our website and voted to not only write us a sending letter but also to set up a fund through their church where donors can support us and receive a tax deduction for it. We are so grateful for this answered prayer!



Valley Christian Fellowship of Halsey
27027 Irish Bend Loop
Halsey, OR 97348
October 31, 2011
Dear friends of the Grady McDonald family,
We at Valley Christian Fellowship have recently set up a fund for the benefit of the McDonald family in Belize. We would like to make this fund available for anyone who wishes to make cash donations to the McDonalds and their ministry. All of the donations received that are earmarked for this fund will be passed on to the McDonalds in full, or used for their benefit under their direction. We will also issue a tax-deductible receipt to the donor for any donation over $50, as well as for any smaller donations if a receipt is requested.
Of course, there is no need to give through this fund if you prefer to give to the McDonald family directly. As supporters of the vision and ministry of the McDonalds, we simply want to make this fund available to those who would prefer to give through a church. (One difference, for what it’s worth, is that donations to a charitable organization such as a church can be tax deductible, whereas donations directly to an individual are not.)
If any of you would like to donate to this fund, please mail your check to the address at the top of this page. Make the check out to Valley Christian Fellowship and write “McDonald Family” in the memo line. Be sure to give us your address (or an email address), if it is not on the check, so that we can send you a receipt for tax purposes.
If you prefer to give to this fund anonymously, please make a note of that with the donation. (Unless you tell us differently, we will notify the McDonalds periodically about the details of any donations received.)
Thank you for your interest in this family and this work.
For Christ and His kingdom,
Roger Hertzler
Valley Christian Fellowship


Valley Christian Fellowship of Halsey 10/31/11
27027 Irish Bend Loop
Halsey, OR 97348
Dear Grady McDonald and family,
As your brothers in Christ and co-laborers in the gospel, we at Valley Christian Fellowship would like to express our support for the witness and the work you are doing in the country of Belize. We have also decided as a church fellowship to open a designated fund to which money can be donated from private donors for your ministry or for your personal needs while in Belize. Any donations we receive that are earmarked for this fund will be used exclusively for your needs and related expenses.
At this point we at Valley Christian Fellowship do not envision planting or supporting a new congregation in the country of Belize. However, we do see a number of positive ways that you as a family could work to further the kingdom of God in that country, ways which would be very much in line with our vision here in Halsey. These methods may include, but are not limited to:
1. Attending or even joining an existing fellowship of believers and working together to grow more and more into the likeness of Christ.
2. Sharing your faith in Jesus with unbelievers around you and pointing them to the full Salvation that He alone can give. This could be done through door to door witnessing, tract distribution, gospel signs, or open-air evangelism. (We would be open to providing you with the tools necessary for these projects as funds become available and as you become interested in them.)
3. Developing relationships with pastors and other members of existing churches and challenging them to a more fervent love for Christ, obedience to His commands, and the life of holiness that He demands of His followers.
4. Distributing material (CDs, books, etc.) from organizations that promote the kingdom teachings of Jesus and call professing believers to repentance, revival, and full obedience to His commands.
The above points are merely suggestions that reflect the vision that we have as a church, and you can feel free to pick and choose among them as God leads you. It is not our desire at this point to start a new fellowship or take any kind of authority over the work you are doing there, but rather to simply walk beside you and support you, as we are able, in the work that you are already doing.
We feel blessed to be able to enter into this relationship with you, since we have come to know you and felt the unity in vision between us and you. Even so, we think it would be a good idea to evaluate the situation annually to determine whether it is a relationship that both of us continue to be comfortable with, and whether or not it continues to meet a need and be a blessing to the kingdom of God.
May God give you strength, wisdom, and an anointing by His Spirit for the work He has called you to.
Yours in Christ,
The brothers and sisters at Valley Christian Fellowship

Hopkins Village, Belize

This past Sunday afternoon we headed southeast to the coast of this beautiul country the Lord has brought us to. We enjoyed the beautiful Hummingbird highway and then headed south onto the Southern Highway to a small Garfuna village called Hopkins Bay.


We spotted this beauty along the roadside.. Grady thinks we should inquire on it! Talk about the ultimate family mover!

The red road heading out to Hopkins Village

We drove all over Hopkins and of course after the long drive, Miss Gracie had to use the restroom. We found ourselves at a new resort which had just opened a few months earlier. We asked the front desk if they had a restroom our daughter could use.. oh and could we visit their beach and look around? :) It being Central America and oh, so laid back.. he told us to make ourselves at home at the deserted luxury resort. OK!

Looks like a perfect place for a family picture!

Not a perfect shot but if you saw what we used to balance Ashley's camera on.. you would be impressed it turned out this well! (smiles)

Rooms at this lovely resort range in price.. to rent a cottage on the beach is $500 US per night!

Peek-A-Boo!

Look who caught the first (and only) fish of the day! Ryan was literally just telling her.. "Ash, I don't think you are going to catch anything with that bait.." Then she yelled, "Ryan, I caught something!" Everyone ran over to see the great catch of the day! Great job Ashley!

Ryan had his line in the water and caught this huge crab!

As we left the resort we took in some of the sights of Hopkins Village. Most everyone was very friendly. Tourism definitely seems to be the main bread and butter for the village. It did seem that a few tourists were there but if Hopkins is anything like the rest of the country they have probably seen an immense drop in tourism business. It was apparent that many people in this small ocean village suffer from extreme poverty.

As we wound our way back north up the Hummingbird Highway to home we just drank in the lovely jungle scenery. In addition to the jungle we also enjoyed the endless miles of citrus farms. We intend on heading back that way soon in order to visit a few of the spectacular tourist stops including some waterfalls, a deep cave and the (interior) blue hole.

Living Together

Some days here in Belize are harder than others.. Trying to be respectful of the new people around us while also keeping our own family identity and convictions can be a struggle. It is on the hard days that we really appreciate the fact that while we all have weaknesses and needs within our family, we have been and remain very close. It seems that when one of us is down, there is always someone else nearby who can lift up and encourage the one who is discouraged. How pleasant is is to dwell in unity! ♥ Please pray that the Lord would continue to help us learn how to be more and more like him in this area and that he would deepen and strenghthen our relationships even further!