home sweet home

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we made it safely back to Mississippi. All of our travels went very smoothly. Thank all of you so much for all the prayers. Hope to see you soon!

Homeward bound

We are very blessed and excited to be able to come home for a few weeks. Aidan has yet another eye appointment and I've got to pay the tax man. Plus we need a break. This past 3 months have been NON-STOP, which is good in many ways, but also very tiring. We start the trek to good ole Mississippi early in the morning (Monday) and will arrive in Jackson sometime Tuesday evening. We are going to try to see as many family and friends as possible while home. I hope we see you soon! Please pray for us as we travel.

My Saviour's Love

This hymn is such an amazing song! I am teaching our church this song in the morning. Wow, just read the verses or sing them if you know the tune. The verse that really got me was: "He had no tears for His own griefs, but sweat drops of blood for mine". He really did deny everything, including his own feelings to die on the cross for me (us). Today our electricity was out for about 8 hours and today was the hottest day of the year here. Needless to say I was uncomfortable and a bit cranky at times. I am sure you can think of a time when you were physically uncomfortable, and it is no fun. We usually have a pity party and look for the fastest and easiest way to get comfortable. But Jesus had the opposite attitude when faced with incredible discomfort and pain for our sake: "He had no tears for His own griefs, but sweat drops of blood for mine". Praise and thanks be to Jesus, our Saviour for His Marvelous Love for us!!!

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

How marvelous! How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous!
How wonderful is my Savior’s love for me!

For me it was in the garden He prayed:
”Not My will, but Thine.”
He had no tears for His own griefs,
But sweat drops of blood for mine.

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary
and Suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
‘twill be my joy through the ages
to sing of His love for me!

Students, corn tortillas, movie party and first date

This week was busy with nursing students, showing them how healthcare is provided here and all the while integrating how we personally show God's love to those we care for. Below is a pic of the students teaching kids in a local school basic hygiene.

Lily and Hannah took the students to a Mayan village to learn about this wonderful culture. Lily enjoyed learning how to make corn tortillas. She also bought a Mayan woven basket that she had been saving her money to get for a very long time.

Last night the medical students invited Lily and Aidan over for a movie party. They ate pizza, played games, watched Cinderella (Lily's choice) and of course ate popcorn. The students we have here every month are all so wonderful. They all come from all over the US and Europe. We try to show God's love to them by being a good example and by telling them our story.


Hannah and I took advantage of this party and went on our first date here in Belize. We all had a great time!

Things we have learned over the past 6 months

Today marks 6 months since we began our time here in Belize. Things certainly have not been what we imagined, both in good and bad ways. We know God wanted us here, so we are keeping an open attitude of learning. We are learning much about what it truly means to love the least of these, and also just as much about ourselves, both our strengths and weaknesses. Here are some others things we have learned in our time here thus far:

• We are not nearly as tough as we thought we were
• You can reuse a styrofoam plate MULTIPLE times
• Spoiled milk still tastes bad no matter how much chocolate you put in it
• We took for-granted friends and family
• Pot holes in the US are not really that bad after all
• You can actually get some meat off a chicken neck
• Pig skin (with hair) is hard to cut off a piece of pork
• Hot weather is even hotter when you can’t escape it
• Americans (including us) are so spoiled
• Cold showers are not always that bad
• Saying you depend on God is very different than actually doing it
• You can’t escape country music
• Getting 30+ bug bites over night while sleeping SUCKS
• There is a difference between beans and rice and rice and beans
• The things we thought we would miss most, are actually what we miss the least
• We miss fellowship with family and friends more than anything
• God's love for us is so unconditional that we have no excuse to not love others in the very same way

oh yeah, paying $17.95 bz (~$9 bucks) for ranch was worth every penny!