Break Time

Well, we've had a good stretch...DTS left (it was emotional) and a team from South Carolina arrived. It was a crazy schedule but the people were great!!! God knows what you need and He blessed us so much with this group of 22.

I have a few stories: I had the privilege to hang with Ms. Abby (her husband is our pastor down here) and two of the team members that are special education teachers. We visited schools where there is the beginning of special ed classes for students with special needs. Then the difficult part came when we saw some of the children that weren't in the classroom. My heart just broke and the way Lisa and Beth (the teachers) cared for each one was amazing. It was a small picture of God's unconditional love and His passion for His children. I was so blessed to hang out with these wonderful women, learn from them and see the serious state Belize is in; some of these students with special needs get no attention. Ms. Abby describes it as going back in time, its like the civil rights movement in the U.S. The government doesn't really show interest in these children and so you have to fight for every forward motion.

Another quick God moment- with this team we visited the Belmopan hospital, had the opportunity to visit the "just mothers" and "waiting to be mothers." Taylor and I (a young woman from the team) met a young mother, Penny. Penny is pregnant with her second child and in the hospital because of her diabetes. She had been there for several days and seemed kind of hesitant to talk but after asking questions, she really opened up, began crying and just confessing how loneliness was plaguing her. It was a beautiful moment of just seeing God's divine appointment and His perfect timing in sending us. Penny thanked us for being there and talking, Taylor gave a Bible to her and we were able to pray for her. Penny recounted how she was telling God she was so lonely and had no one- but the time was perfect. She was an encouragement to me and a reminder of how God knows us to the depths.

I loved this week and all its unexpected moments- thanks East Lake Church, South Carolina, for being an encouragement and light to us all!!
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Omar and I head home on Thursday- we begin the trip tomorrow by riding the bus to Cancun and then fly out Thursday morning to Chicago...can't wait to see my family!!! (not so excited for the weather- I like seeing my painted toenails here, not in Wisconsin, that's for sure!) Pray for safe travels...

Blessings!