Maria's New Kitchen!

Upon our first trip to Belize in 2011, Big Maria told us that she really dreamed to have her porch enclosed and her kitchen to be moved onto the porch so that her teenage daughter could use half of their 12x20 home for her bedroom. She had been sharing a bedroom with her 2 teenage brothers and Maria really wanted more privacy for her. As we were looking to leave Belize, that was one of the projects which we really wanted to complete before going. Our very sweet friends the Fehrs, Koops and Ernestos offered to help us complete the project! The Pope family donated the $300 it required for the project. We were so excited to finally get a chance to fulfill this great need in Maria's life, thanks to so many friends' help.

In order to divide half of the small house into 2 bedrooms, the Fehr's brought some thick canvas fabric that they had used to make a wall in their own home. We ladies spent the first few hours sewing together the panels in order to make a dividing wall and a wall to run the width of the house. We would be screwing the edges to the ceiling and floor and then cutting 2 doors into the wide fabric wall and then securing 2 cloth doors, weighted at the bottom and which could slide back and forth on wire.

When the ladies got to the house they had already framed in the metal louvered windows and much of the framework for the corrugated metal siding which would be used to enclose the porch.

We had brought sandwiches, cokes and watermelon for the hungry crew. We had to coerce Big Maria and her family to come join us.. you can see them in the background, not sure if the lunch was just for us.. amazing how the class pressures are evident here in Belize.

The guys get back to work.. Grady and Peter start on the sturdy door. Due to his upbringing, Peter had only been used to hand tools. He had a blast running Grady's cordless power tools.

 

Reynold attaching the siding..

Inside, we started to secure the canvas wall to separate the 2 bedrooms. With the kitchen relocated to the porch, it would give Big Maria half of her house for living space. She decided she would prefer 2 small bedrooms and more living area..

Ryan and Ernesto secure the wall..

Looking good!

Finishing touches..

mama and little Maria

Since the Marias do not have electricity, we had to finish the canvas walls by cell phone light..

The last corner came together great! We were finally finished with both enclosing the porch for the kitchen and making 2 bedrooms for Big Maria's children..many hands make light the work..

 

After all the work was finished, we returned to our home for a late dinner and a Bible Study. Sweet time with such sweet and hard working friends! Thank you!!

 

As a P.S.. after the work was completed, it was dark and Maria asked if we could get into a circle and pray.. she wept and thanked the Lord for what had been completed that day for her.. there is an entire story behind it all.. but suffice it to say, the Lord fulfilled a promise to Maria and we got to be a part of it. We were the ones deeply blessed that day.

Dinner in Billy White Village

One of our new and sweetest friends are Abe and Betty. We met Abe in the grocery store, FTC.. he overheard a Spiritual conversation that Grady was having with someone and approached Grady with many, many questions as to what we believe, etc. We had such a blessed time getting to know them, both during our Friday night Bible Studies and while sharing meals together outside of the Bible Study time. He had been raised in the church but had not been walking with the Lord for some different reasons.. It has been amazing to see the Lord kindle revival fire in his heart!  He is such a wise and learned young man who absolutely loves the Lord Jesus. We look forward to seeing how the Lord uses him in the future..

We enjoyed visiting their new house that Abe just completed. With his sweet wife due to have a baby soon, they were so excited to get it done before the rainy season started. They wanted to make sure to have us over for dinner before we left to go back to the States..

Abe's new piece of property was so quiet and peaceful.. they hope to build a larger concrete home someday

Ryan sips lemonade, the new house in the background

Gracie pets their little puppy Panda

Betty is such a sweetheart! We plan to keep in close contact, Lord willing

 

Goodbye Sweet Friends! Until we meet again!

 

Heading Home

 The Lord had made it pretty clear that we were going to have to head back to the States. We had committed and hoped to be in Belize for a year this time but....Mandy was up to half her time in bed due to some health problems and with work permits still not in hand after 6 months.. we prayed and felt that the Lord had closed the door for us to stay. We headed out to Belize City to try and find a vehicle that we could drive home to the States. We ended up not finding a van but had a great time stopping off at Cheers for nachos and driving around 'the City'...

  

In Belize, folks not only like to keep guard dogs chained up in their front yard, they also like to put them on their rooftops! Especially in more dangerous areas such as Belize City

A Wagon Ride & Sweet Encouragement

This particular Sunday we headed out to the community which lies about 45 minutes south of Spanish Lookout. The guys always enjoy sitting around the table and studying the Word of God together. We got there particularly early that day so that Peter could take Grady a few miles away to an  Englishman's house who had offered Grady help with immigration/permit questions..

 

Hitchin' up the horse

 

Off they go!

 

Some folks heading home from church

 

Laura and Gracie chase the chickens! No ticks this time please laura!

 

Edwin helps an orphaned parrot

 

The three amigos! They have WAAAYY too much fun, heading out into the jungle and hunting for gibnut and quash, constructing their palm Mayan house among the cohune and coconut trees, harvesting nuts, climbing trees and overall being wild jungle men! :-)

 

Our friend with the new baby..

 

He had grown so much in two weeks since we had taken her to the clinic for the delivery!

 

Precious

 

 

Mandy doing crowd control!

 

This is such a great kitchen! The wood stove is used for all the cooking.. no fridge here or even a kitchen sink. They use a simple handle and water pipe for running water and huge stainless bowls to wash dishes in.

 

Here Ashley is standing in the new concrete cellar where our friends were showing us the 1,000 lbs of pineapple they had just canned!

 

 

Miss D shows Laura her drawer of special things

 

Swinging on the screened-in porch is always a highlight of visiting.. on this particular day I was sharing some of my anxiety about our future in Belize with my sister. Between permit issues, dwindling savings and Amanda going downhill physically.. it seems the Lord is closing the door for our family to be in Belize long term.

 

 

 

My sister rifled through her old Mennonite song books and found this one for me to encourage my heart. The Lord has blessed me so much to have such special friends.. who would think in the middle of the jungles of Belize we could find such kindred friends? There are so many of them here.. if we do leave, our hearts will ache with homesickness for all of them...

 

What though before me all is dark.

Why should I long to see?

If God gives light for one step more

'Tis quite enough for me.

 

I find each onward step I take,

The gloom clears from the next,

And though 'tis very dark beyond,

Why should I be perplexed?

 

If mercy veils my fate from me

Why should I murmuring go?

My present lot might harder be

Did I the future know.

 

With childish faith I'll walk along

My path while here I dwell,

And trust my future lot with him,

Who doeth all things well.

 

Thus step by step I'll travel on,

Not looking far before

trusting that I shall always have

Just light for one step more.