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Morning came quickly, and we met for our final devotion on the patio. Barbara reminded us that we are all members of the body of Christ with unique and special gifts. She challenged us to name the part of the body or one word that represented our role during our week in Belize. Our last breakfast with the Rios Family was emotional. They have welcomed us into their home each day, shared their life stories with us, assisted us at the clinic, and prayed with us and for us.

Birds singing and dogs barking signaled that it was time to wake up for our exploration day in Belize. It was a beautiful morning on the patio to hear Gretchen's devotion about "The People that in Darkness Sat." We wondered if the message in our morning hymn is heard by the people passing on the street, the close neighbors, or others at the hotel. Will the message take root and grow? We pray that the message Pastor Rios shared at the clinic will root and take hold in the p

To begin our day, Arik shared a devotion based on the parable “The Sower and the Seed.” Our patio devotions and songs have each been so impactful to set our hearts and minds on the real purpose of our time in Belize. We are here to help spread God’s love and share the gospel. Pancakes, plantains, and papayas were on the menu for breakfast. A special treat was fresh soursop juice from trees on Pastor’s farm. Soursop fruit has many health benefits, and several of us thought

Today we were all up bright and early to meet on the patio to have devotions. Betty shared with us about how God is always with us in all situations. After devotions we packed 15 of us into the van and headed to Pastor Rios’ house for eggs and biscuits with homemade pineapple jam. We arrived at the clinic and set up for the day. Many of us had new jobs today so we all pitched in to train everyone in their new positions. It was a national holiday in Belize, so we expecte

The day started with devotion about using our God given gifts to serve others. Each of us have been given unique gifts to serve the people in the clinic. Breakfast at Pastor's home fortified us for the day. It included oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam and bananas. Of course, we also had Tang, coffee and iced tea for breakfast! Off to the clinic by 8:30 to start a new day. Each day we gather together for a prayer before we open the clinic. We ask for God's guidance to

This is the day we all had been training for, opening day at the clinic! Helen, who was unable to join us in Belize, provided us with a morning devotion centered around the hymn, Take My Life and Let It Be. All we are and have are gifts from the Lord to be used in service and praise to God and our neighbors. Breakfast at the Rios’ home was their traditional scrambled eggs with chorizo and corn tortillas. Fresh cantaloupe, Tang, and coffee topped it off! Off to the clinic!!!

Our first full day in Orange Walk began with Michelle leading us in a morning devotion on the hotel patio. We need to follow Jesus’ example of showing mercy to others. The blue sky reminded us that God’s mercies are new each morning. Next, all 15 of us piled into a van and were off to the home of Pastor Rios for an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast prepared by Pastor’s wife, Ruth, and his sister Yolanda. There was a bit of competition between Christian and Reece to see wh

What a long, blessing filled day! Our early morning flights left on time from Iowa and Michigan, our flight from Dallas to Belize was on time, and we all arrived safely in Belize. Even going through customs was uneventful! Thank you, Lord! Pastor Rios met us at the airport in Belize City and had arranged two vans to take us to Orange Walk, two hours away. They were signs C of recent heavy rains, which is common in November. The landscape was green but rugged, but few si

For many on our team, Sunday, November 9th, was Commissioning Day. Members of our team come from various L.C.M.S. churches in Eastern Iowa and Michigan, so individual Commissioning Services were held in members’ home churches. What a wonderful feeling, knowing we are supported in prayer by so many church members in Iowa and Michigan! Our final virtual pre-field training for our team was held on Sunday afternoon, November 9th. We all voiced our biggest concerns for the com

Sunday evening, October 19th, we joined together for our third virtual pre-field training meeting led by our MOST team leader, Barbara. What a blessing she is to our group, preparing our hearts and minds for the mission field, educating us on how to set up and run an eyeglass clinic, preparing us for our interactions with the people of Bellize, and helping us bond together as a mission team! Our team has completed the six chapter Bible study, "God's Missionary Kingdom," prov

Fifteen participants, mostly LWML Iowa East District, with a few others from Michigan, are partnering with MOST Ministries for an eyeglass clinic in Orange Walk, Belize. Using a very simple testing system created specifically for MOST Ministries, we as members of this team will distribute eyeglasses to those in need.  During the daily clinics, we will test vision, and we will fit eyeglasses, all while sharing the Gospel through words and actions. Depending on the daily circum