Happy Sabbath

Several of the kids took a canoe ride on the river this morning while others took a hike along a well traveled trail in the jungle. We saw toucans flying over head as we enjoyed our morning swim in the river. The beautiful Belizian sunrise is amazing and the echoing voices of the Howler monkeys and tropical birds ring in our ears! God is so good! We pray that you are well and happy on this blessed Sabbath day!

We are finished with a wonderful breakfast and headed in the bus to the San Antonio Seventh-day Adventist church. Brian will be preaching the sermon. We will be meeting many of the young children from VBS there. We gave them an invitation yesterday at our last VBS meeting.

The Kids singing a choir song from MLAJA - Shut de Door

Their choir master would be so proud!

Bonding

Yihang reading the morning 

scripture and offering prayer for the church service in San Antonio

Power In the Blood in Maya

Mike leading the song service in English

Brian preaching as Brother Bolon interprets into Mayan

After church we printed out the last of the children's VBS certificates. We also took pictures of families and printed them out to those who wanted one. It took us almost two hours to finish the task. Everyone felt good about leaving a treasured family picture for the Mayan people. Most of them do not ever have an opportunity to have any photo of themselves or their family. We are all blessed to be a part of that.

Brian and Yihang got the job done in the heat of the day inside the church building. Thanks guys for your patience and diligence.

Graciano Bolon (second from left) the Bible worker that the Sonora SDA church 

sponsored to attend  Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism 

standing with several baptismal candidates. Still diligently doing God's work.

We spent the afternoon in God's amazing creation. We rode the bus to the Mayan village of Blue Creek. There we hiked along the river and through a cave that has a waterfall at the end of it. There are beautiful birds and butterflies all around and we even found the insect called a "Walking Stick"

The entrance to the swimming cave.

Alan standing at the entrance of the cave 

waiting for those who went inside.

Caleb and Zach went fishing...

Update

We have had several of our WIRED family come down with the flu. It came with us from Sonora and has been passed around to several of our dear ones. We are praising God that EVERYONE is now well. We intentionally slept in several mornings and slowed the pace down so everyone had plenty of sleep just to keep our immune systems up to par. Thankfully it is a short lived virus (only 3 days) and our wonderful nurse Chantelle has taken such good care of us! Everyone was together at breakfast yesterday!

INVITATION TO VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Sydney and Mike inviting kids who just got out of school

Alijah extending an invitation to some boys just out of school for the day

Vacation Bible School is going GREAT! 

The theme this year is Jesus Is My Friend! We have four group leaders Matt, Mike, Sydney and Alijah with co-leaders at their sides. We divide the children into smaller groups and each of our kids present the day's Bible study to their group of Mayan children. Our first day we had 86 children attending. We start off singing some songs and then break up into our groups. Then we come together again for a Mission story from Uncle Alan and end with a corporate game out side! Justin and Sherry are taking pictures of every child attending so that we can present to them a certificate at the end of the week with their very own picture on it. The children are very excited to receive their picture.

Gabby and Amariah - Jesus' Jewels

Karl guiding a VBS attendee through the scriptures

Alijah leading her group

Mike with his group studying creation

Brendan interacting with one of the teens.

Yehang enjoying leading by example

Mike sharing Jesus' creation

Matt Leading

Click on the fifth picture from the top and look closely to see Alijah, Drew and Zach F. leading their group in the foreground. In the middle group you can see Brandi and Jamie and Mike G leading their group and the furthest group back in the picture you will find Matt and Karl leading. All our kids are involved in a group. Yesterday we studied the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. Sonora did a skit with Brian narrating the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. It was wonderful to hear the kids respond with answers to questions after listening to the details of Jesus life.

Jesus dying on the Cross played by Drew

Roberto receives his certificate! So many happy kids :)

Those who went to the job site worked on the backside of the original classrooms to correct a drainage problem. We moved a LOT of dirt using picks, shovels, hoes and of course the wheel barrows. The two new classroom slabs for foundations are complete! We have accomplished our service task with time to spare.

Brandi working that Wheel barrow

Jamie Hauling dirt

The whole team working hard

Matt and Brendan 'getting er done'

Almost done with the 6" slope!

Because we finished our task at the Providence SDA High School. 

We were commissioned by the principle to repair a basket ball court in a non-adventist school called the Institute of Technical Vocational Education and Training, for a large sporting assembly of SDA schools from all over Belize.  We pulled weeds out of the cracks on the basketball court and then filled the cracks with cement and re-painted the boundary lines. We accomplished that task in record time.

Weed picking

Cleaning out the cracks for fill

Paint for the Key and 3 point lines

Work Site Pictures....and more.

The upload process is tedious but I will persevere. The two classrooms that we will be working on are at ground level, literally. The Grass Valley group arrived in Belize a day before we did and began the process of defining the perimeter of each building. we came in on the scene and began to fill the area within the blocks with gravel. Those wheel barrows were racing around as the kids filled them and hauled them. All the while others were raking and shifting the gravel to create a level pad for the rebar and cement. Every one worked so hard! The weather is very warm but God provided a few clouds throughout the afternoon for a bit of a reprieve.

Karl. Caleb and Jared are working 

hard to keep up with the leveling board. 

Zach keeping things level.

Brendan and Mat working a new pile of gravel.

Drew racing for another load of gravel

Brandi, Karl and Gabby

The shovelers putting their backs into it!

Jamie getting the job done!

Gabby going for more gravel!

The kids moving the tied rebar to the leveled gravel...almost ready to pour cement!

Cement is being poured for the bordering bricks

Mike and Mike hauling the cement for the bordering bricks.

Zach, Nicol and Alan brought our lunch today!

It was amazing!!! Everyone loves the lunch crew.

Yihang satisfied!

After lunch we got to go and play. We got ahead of the game!

Rio Blanco

Gabby and Alice (Applesauce face) jumping!

Jamie and Chantelle

Contemplating the jump