Building a home and lives for the Lord!

The team has finally been able to post a couple of pictures and give a brief update, we want to share with you so you too can be kept up with all the wonderful things that God is doing in this remote village of Gales Point.

Day 1.

Pastor Randy putting in the telephone poles for the posts. Dug 18 holes for 9 posts (little off in our measurements)!

 

Pastor Randy helping put up poles for the house

Day 2.

Hot day but good breeze! Floor done and 1 wall up, on 2nd day.  Medical clinic and VBS were also very productive today.

Floor and first wall already up!

Pastor Chad Speller reported this: Day 2 was great. they got a wall up on the house, VBS taught was well attended and we treated almost twice as many patients at the clinic! Overall a great day!

Stay tuned in for more updates from the team.  I didn’t get to talk with Basil today to get more details but hopefully tomorrow I will get a full report to share.  Keep praying as the team has a ways to go on the house and obviously there’s a need for medical help. The Doctors will be visiting the school to give exams to the students there as well!  Praising God for all the work that is being done!

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God’s timing is Perfect!

Where is God in our ministry? Do you ever wonder if God is near by? If He’ll show up on time to work with the ministry? We have a team from the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer from Michigan that arrived yesterday.  I’ve been praying for this team as I do all the teams as they prepare for their time in Belize.  I always pray that God will meet them there in a Big Way, He never fails this request.  Today was the teams first day in the village.

It was a rough start, one of their bags was lost and it contained all their VBS materials. Basil was extremely pleased when he got to the village this morning and found that it had been delivered last night, which for Belize is pretty amazing to have it found so quickly and then delivered to Gales Point directly and it was sent by cab yet.

The Doctors, Nurses and Dentist were concerned that they wouldn’t  have any patients, by the afternoon Basil said they were swamped and the line was very long winding down the stairs. I don’t think they will have any problem meeting the needs and keeping busy while they are there. Again, God’s perfect timing!

Mike Kidder was sharing with Basil that on Friday a little girl around 10 or 11 years or so, had a accident by falling off her bike.  Mike says she took a huge chunk out of her leg near her knee. He immediately picked her up and proceeded to clean it up and bandage it. It was so bad that Mike said he could see the bone. He cleaned it as best he could then told the mother to keep it clean and change the bandage everyday. Then on Monday to be sure to bring her to the clinic so the Doctors/Nurses on the team could take a look at it.  Good thing the mom changed the bandage but didn’t clean it very well. By the time the Doctor’s saw her, it was already turning green, (sorry for being so graphic, but this just shows how Awesome God timing is) and they had to do some major cleaning up and some minor repairs to the knee. They injected antibiotics in her knee and then put her on some very strong antibiotics as well. She is to come and see them every day while they are here, then Mike and Cindy Kidder are to keep following up daily with her after the Dr.’s leave to be sure it continues to heal properly.  Tell me God isn’t there in ministry at just the right time and place?

One of Popsie’s daughter’s was in school today, Basil says he saw Mike Kidder racing past him in his truck towards the clinic from school. It turns out she was writhing in pain and screaming. It turns out she was having a problem with her female organs, she’s 13, I think that says enough right there. Again, was God there in the nick of time?

The Kidder family went in and worked with the Dr’s at the clinic, the girls took information from the patients as they came in and their 10 year old son helped the Dentist by holding the light while the Dentist did extractions. He was really proud that he was able to be of help, however, I think that the extractions may have gotten the best of him, as he fainted near the beginning of this. Good thing the Doctors were there to help him. He did go back in the afternoon and continued helping the Dentist, what a wonderful young boy he is, most of them would have just given that job up and found something fun to do.

These are just a few examples, I’m waiting for the team to be able to post on their blog to share more exciting news of how they are seeing God at work while they are there.  I’ll post pictures when they post them so you can see what is happening!

God is always with us, sometimes we just need to take the time to look around and see what He is doing and join Him, He always comes thru and never leaves us. Take notice Gales Point, God’s timing is working for you and is ALWAYS PERFECT! Praise Him!  Please add this team to your prayers for their week of ministry and seeing God’s perfect timing in all they do!  Stay tuned in!

 

 

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BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

Hello Supporters!

January definitely is here and so is 2012! It has been a busy month for Basil and we have some wonderful news to share. We have a new family working alongside the Belize Mission & Basil. Let me introduce the Kidder family to you!

Mike & Cindy are the parents, and the children are LeAnn, Ashley and Nicolas I think their ages range from 10 to 14 (don’t hold me to that, but I’m close). They are an awesome family and Basil is enjoying having them around.  They were very busy getting the base ready for the team that came at the end of January and are a hard working family.

January was a month filled with a very special blessing, Amanda and Shannon Welch gave birth to their first baby. We’re so excited to welcome into the family:

Annaylayah Natalia Welch

Happy Welch Family Pic

Annalayah Natalia Welch born on January 15, 2012 on her Daddy’s birthday! What a precious gift God has given you! May God’s blessings be with you, Annalayah and may His angels watch over you all the days of your life. May your heart’s desire be to serve the Lord each and every day! Amen!

Sue and Nat Dale from Oregon arrived to help out as well.They came to meet Basil and see what our ministry is all about. Basil shared that they will be coming back for the summer to help out with the teams.  That will be a big relief for Basil as he can always use the help.  Sue & Nat helped the staff prepare for the team coming and then they worked with the team while they were there.

Sue and Nat on left, Evan on right w/team

Christmas came a bit late this year to the village, but no complaints from the children. Operation Christmas child gifts showed up in Belize City. Mike Kidder and Kenny went to Belize City to pick them up and get them to the village. 

Operation Christmas Child gifts arrived!

  • They were separated by girls and boys sides

The kids were very excited and it seemed to be very organized. They learned about why we celebrate the real Christmas which most of them know by now, but the younger ones need to learn who Christ is as well. It’s well worth repeating!

Kenny read the Greatest Gift of ALL!

Rain has been a big stumbling block this year. There is more rain than the Belizean’s can remember in a extremely long time, years, or perhaps even decades.  Basil and everyone else is ready for it to be over. The van has gotten stuck several times driving in and out of the base on the Savannah.  Fortunately Mike Kidder drove a BIG truck down that has 4 WD and has been our tow truck!  I know Basil is very happy about this. Basil was stuck one day and ended up having to walk the Savannah and the road to the base in the pouring rain.

The Van stuck on the Savannah

Then he and Mike went back to tow the van back to the base they were covered with mud from head to toe.  It is quite messy these days during the rainy season. Pictures on the website about this.

The end of Jan. our first team of the year came, from Cornerstone, in Chandler, AZ. (You can read the previous blogs to learn about their adventures while serving alongside the Belize Mission)  Although it seemed like a small team they accomplished quite a bit even though they had lots of rain.  The Cornerstone teams project was replacing the ceiling at the Galilee Gospel Chapel and it was a success! With the help of the team, Robert and Kenny it was completed.

Church ceiling almost completed

The team also helped at the mission base organizing and cleaning out the chapel. The women helped Mel in her new home in the village, as they helped her unpack, clean and organize.  They also helped her weed her garden.

The ladies held a Women’s Extravaganza which allowed the team time to evangelize and have some fellowship with our village women. The women brought crafts for the ladies to make, I saw some beautiful necklaces!

What a beautiful Cross necklace

There was a nurse who was to make some home visits, as well. We want to thank Cornerstone for all their help and love they shared with everyone!

I think that about summarizes January. It seems to have been a very busy month and God is present in such a BIG WAY! Praise be to our Lord and Savior!

Blessings to you and yours, Basil and Vera

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ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT

At 1:30 am it began.  Thunder in the distance, then lightening, then pouring rain for hours.  About 5:30 we all realized we were all awake and had been since it began.  We had originally planned to leave at 6:30 but it was decided the 4 wheel drive would go ahead and see if the road was passable.  It was determined likely but no guarantee.  Again, a boat was chosen.  After it was prepped, our luggage was put in and we all piled into the boat with our rain gear on.  Again, we were blessed as it only sprinkled on and off as we headed to Belize City.  We had a fantastic ride through mangrove forests, lagoons with water so clear you could see the fish below, beautiful birds overhead and crocodiles on the shore.

Once we reached Belize City we boarded a boat to Caye Caulker – an island about 45 minutes away.  The weather was perfect!  It had been raining there but had ended for the time being. We checked into our hotel, most of us napped a bit then in the late afternoon walked along the beach enjoyng the stiff breeze, the view and some dinner.

The next morning was clear and breezy.  We spent part of the morning snorkeling and part talking about our week.  Our individual experiences in the village and things we had learned about and from the villagers and what the Lord had shown us about ourselves during the week.  Soon we headed back to Belize City and back to the airport and home.

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RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY….

Other than the rain, which raised the humidity level,  the weather was great during our trip, not too hot or cold.  Another bonus was we didn’t encounter any critters (scorpions, spiders or army ants) in our cabins.  The sand flys were busy though – having  been forewarned, we all were well armed with our cans of Deep Woods Off :)

Tuesday and Wednesday had a similar schedule to Monday.  Wednesday night is usually a night to head back to the village for kid’s church – but the rain was heavy, so we all stayed back at the base and decided to turn in early.

Thursday morning dawned with more rain. Although it’s the rainy season, the amount of rain is unusually high.  It was decided trying to head through the savannah would be out that day.  The van could get stuck and the 4 wheel drive truck which would be able to pull the van out was in Belize City for the day.

We worked around the base helping get it ready for a group scheduled to arrive in a few weeks.  We also packed and cleaned our cabins preparing for our departure from the base on Friday.  The rain let up in the early afternoon so it was decided we would head into the village for dinner at Mel and John’s home and youth night at the church by boat.  Thanks to assistant pastor Shannon and his boat we had a good evening in the village.  As we headed off to bed we wondered if more rain might be on it’s way.

 

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JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL…..

After the team arrived back home on Sunday they were able to post, so the next few postings will be in their words. Enjoy!

Monday 1/30 started with another rainshower prior to us heading into the village.  Each day we have about a 30 minute drive from the base to the village through the jungle and onto the savannah (yes, just like Africa but without the lions, rhinos and giraffe). We made it through the ever deepening mud with Basil’s super driving skills (dubbed Razzle Dazzle Basil from the start due to his expertise!) and onto the main “road” (hard dirt).

About a 1/2 mile down the road we hit a large pothole, heard a “knocking” noise and knew something wasn’t right. Fortunately it wasn’t raining at that point as it had the day before but we were still over a mile from the village.  Basil stopped, Mike jumped out and discovered all 8 lugnuts had come off the back left wheel (see picture below.)

 

Within a minute of this the base handyman, Popsie, happened by on his way to the base on his ATV (gun slung across his back) and one of the villagers, Brandon, on his bicycle.   Popsie combed the road with his ATV searching for the lost lugnuts – finding 5 of the 8.  Brandon jacked up the van, took one lugnut from each of the other tires, and along with the 5 found, put the wheel back on the van.

The rest of us started walking towards the village since we didn’t know how long the van would be hung up there - marveling at, and thanking Jesus that it happened AFTER we were off the squeeshy savannah (try using a jack there), that it wasn’t raining right then AND that Popsie and Brandon just “happened” to come by then. The van caught up to us about 20 minutes later and we proceeded to the church.

Those not working on the church ceiling headed to John and Mel Bjorgen’s home in the village (missionaries sent out from Cornerstone).  They recently moved from the base to the village and we helped with unpacking and getting settled in until lunch.

After lunch we headed to the community center to set up for the bible study.  About 2 we drove up the road to pick up any women wanting to come. Our turnout the first day was about 15 women and half a dozen children.  Each day it grew by a few as word spread.   We brought with us hygiene items and school supplies that usually can’t often be afforded as unemployment in the village  is at about 90 percent. It was such a treat to see the joy these items brought, and being reminded how much we as Americans take things like this for granted.

About 3:30 we headed back to the base with Razzle Dazzle at the wheel.  A quick dip in the Carribean right outside our cabins, a delicious dinner and a rousing game of Phase 10.  We all fell into bed to the pitter patter of rain on our cabin roofs.

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God’s at Work Everywhere

The Cornerstone team hasn’t be able to post anymore blogs as of yet. However, I’ve been chatting with Basil every night and I do know of one exciting event if you want to call it that to show just how AWESOME our God is!

Basil was taking the team into the village on Monday with the Mission Van. Our road is very muddy right now and so is the Savannah due to a high volume of rain, shall we say, LOL! Actually that’s an understatement, my understanding is it’s been rather torrential rain.

As they drove onto the road that leads to the village, Basil felt like he had a flat tire. He got out of the van only to find:

This is the rim that is missing all 8 bolts

The tire was almost, but not quite, all the way off the shaft.  Basil is thinking this is not good, when out of the Jungle comes Brandon:

Brandon Meyers, God's helper on this day!

Brandon goes right to work to get the tire back on the shaft, and along comes Popsie our caretaker on his way out to the base.  He travels a bit further down the road and is able to find 6 of the 8 bolts.  He returns with the bolts only to find that they are bent quite a bit.  Between Brandon and Popsie, they find a board to bend the bolts straight again and got the tire back on.  Mike on the team said he saw God at work during this time. He was amazed how both Brandon and Popsie  showed up just at the right moment and dropped everything to help out and make sure that the van was working safely.  Now that is God showing up just at the right time and using the least likely to take care of the situation.  PRAISE BE TO GOD ALL THE TIME! He is AWESOME!

The team spent the first part of the week, helping put a new ceiling up at Galilee Gospel Chapel as it was in desperate need of replacement.  The ceiling was so rotten and made out of materials that attracts the termites. For anyone who has visited the mission base you will note that after there has been a fresh  coat of paint put on the inside of the building, within a week or so there are new termite trails all over the walls.  The new ceiling is made out of Plysum which is similar to cement, we are praying that this will resolve the problem.

Preparing to put the new ceiling in.

The ladies have been doing a “Ladies Extravaganza with the Women’s Bible study group that Mel Bjorgen leads, and numerous other ladies joined in on the festivities. These types of events are always welcomed by the ladies as it is a fun time to fellowship, worship, share God and do some fun creative activities.

The village woman enjoying making a craft.

The team has also been helping Mel with her new home in the village by cleaning, organizing and working in their garden pulling weeds.  Some of the ladies have also been at the mission base helping organize the chapel as well. One of the team members is a nurse and I believe was going to do some house to house visits as well.

Let’s see what else God has in store for the team. Prayers have been awesome and felt in a powerful way!

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Cornerstone arrived

Our first team for the year has arrived they are from Cornerstone Church in Chandler, Az. We will post their updates as they come in. I know they are having a great time serving the Lord and sharing Christ’s love. Thank you Cornerstone for your support and your love to serve the nations!

January 31, 2012

From the get go the team has jumped some interesting hurdles.  Who knew you could lose bag BEFORE you even check in.  It was found so we were on our way.  Our flight to Houston and then onto Belize City went without a hitch.

2012 Winter Cornerstone Team

We were met at the airport by Basil DeKlerk, he and his wife Vera founded Turtles Shores Retreat, and had a beautiful drive back to “The Base.”  We had dinner, got settled in with our mosquito netting and off to sleep with the sound of rain on the roof.

Sunday was church where we had fun with Sunday School and a great message from Pastor Kenny.  We had lunch at Miss Alice’s and had a relaxing “day of rest” – a few more rain storms, time getting to know one another, doing some exploring on the beach and visiting with the base staff.

Monday started off with a lot of excitement….more to come!!

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Back peddling – December Update

This was our December update that I forgot to post.  It’s never too late to bring you up to speed with what is happening with the ministry.  Be looking forward to the next post, you never know what we’ll share!

Basil shared that his December was somewhat lonely; he wished he could have been with family & friends, but realizes he is called to a higher calling and must be obedient.  Basil wasn’t bored though as he had 4 vehicles under repair and the one working is barely operating.  This has been a real frustration for him; to not have any vehicles working it makes it hard to get around the country.   We’re so desperate for mechanics to come down as a team to fix the vehicles, as the mechanics in Belize are not reliable enough to do the work correctly.

Basil shared that Kenny our Pastor at Galilee Gospel, did an in your face message on Christmas day about revelry – sharing that it is not Christ like and it is a sin to participate in revelry, specifically talking about celebrating by being drunk and rebel rising which is what most of the village does from Christmas Eve thru Boxing day on December 26th.  There were approx. 60 villagers, that attended Christmas service and the children sang Christmas carols.  We’re praying that those who attended received the message and acted in the appropriate way by celebrating Christ’s birth and not the revelry.

Basil had a nice Christmas dinner at the church where Kenny and Una’s family invited him to join them and Una’s mom cooked the meal.  This was different since we usually invite the church leadership out to the mission base for Christmas dinner, so it was a nice surprise for Basil to be invited to share in the celebrating as a family.

On a sad note, Mel Bjorgen lost her Grandfather just before Christmas; they went back to the states for his service.  Please lift Mel and her family up in prayer as they mourn the loss of her Grandfather. However, upon their return they have found out she’s expecting a boy sometime in May.

We have some exciting news to share and that’s that our oldest son, Ryan and his wife Betty are expecting their first baby, as well as, it’s a girl and she’s due near the end of May.  We are very excited to have another grandchild to love on.

Our prayers are with you for 2012, that you will be blessed and always in anticipation of our Lord’s return. It’s always good to be prepared.

Thank you for you support and prayers as always, we are honored that you stand in the gap for us and the ministry God has placed on our hearts.

Standing Firm in Him, Basil and Vera

 

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Are You Ready?

It’s 2012!

The question is ARE YOU READY?  Here it is another New Year! Some of us reflect on the past year, which for the most part for our family was uneventful! Except for the fact that we received the news that our oldest son Ryan and his wife Betty are expecting a baby girl towards the end of May, she will be their first! Now that’s the kind of reflection I like to look upon, the beginning of a new life, makes everything look different to some extent.

I think I for one am ready to put the latter part of this past year away and look forward to 2012 with anticipation! We lost a dear friend and loved one to our family, so I’d like to make this a tribute to Matthew Lightner, 1983 – 2011.  He made a huge contribution to society and a big impact in all our lives. He was loved by many and helped so many. You know the most important part of the dates that I listed, are not the years that represent his life on this earth, but the hyphen that goes between the those years.  If we all could make as much of a contribution to the lives we come into contact with as Matt did in his short hyphened life, then we all will be doing good. We love you Matt and you will be missed! I’m praying that his family realizes what an inspiration this young man was to so many in his life.

In reflecting on the loss of a loved one, it makes me think about what’s ahead. How can I make my hyphen matter to others and how can I make the most of it.  What if . . . . . this was the last year you had to live, how would you make that hyphen better? What would you do? Have you touched anyone’s life? Have you made a significant contribution to life as it is? Is there someone you feel you need to connect with?  Are you ready to meet your maker? Whether He comes because the world is ending according to the Mayan Calendar or because it’s time for you to go home and be with our Heavenly Father, the question still remains ARE YOU READY?

You know all of our lives you constantly hear are you ready? It has happened all my life, are you ready for dinner, are you ready to go out and play,   am I ready to go to school, then when I was old enough to date, are you ready your date is here? Of course there are those big questions – marriage, are you ready for the big step? Having children, do you think you’re ready for this big life changing event?  Go on the mission field, I can’t tell you how many people over the course of several years would ask: ARE YOU READY?  Of course my response would be, would you say no to God if you knew He was asking you to go and do something? I’m sure if you were so sure that it was God calling you to go, you would go, you would be obedient. We were ready, however, were we prepared for what life had for us, NO, although we had trust in our Lord and Savior to guide and protect us each step of the way and He has been faithful.

I’m suggesting that we take this New Year seriously and be prepared to be ready, for a new life, a new challenge, a new path in your life, and to be ready for Jesus return as we know not the hour or the day, He will come like a thief in the night, ARE YOU READY?

We are praying for all of you and wishing you the best hyphen part of your life to come!!!

Blessings and prayers, Basil and Vera

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