Cultures and the Way of Life in Belize

We have so many different cultures and ways of life here, I don't know where to begin. 

Mennonite's Out Shopping

CULTURE: The Belizean culture is made up of influences and people from Kriol, Maya and Kekchi Indians, Garinagu (also known as Garifuna), Mestizo (a mixture of Spanish and Native Americans), Mennonites who are of German descent, with a blend of many other cultures from Chinese to Lebanese and numerous North Americans.

LANGUAGE: The primary language of Belize is, English. We also have Spanish, K'ekchi", Mopan Maya, Creole (Kriol), High and Low German, Garifuna, Chinese and various other languages. They also speak Kitchen Spanish, or what is better known as, Spanglish. It is a mixture of Spanish and English/Kriol. 

HOMES: In our village, Guinea Grass, you will see homes built like a shanty with wood and cement homes that are being built by family, living in the US. These cement homes are only built as the money is sent here. Therefore, you well see rebar sticking out of a second or third story. You may also see homes built out of a material, kind of like bamboo. It's called pimienta, with a thatch or metal roof. Most have outdoor toilets.

In the Mennonite villages, you will see the old order homes built by them out of a cement form that looks like brick, or homes of metal siding. They have no electricity.

The K'ekchi' and Maya villages will have homes like longhouses. These homes will have dirt floors, rough wood walls and thatch roofs. Most of the time, it is only 1 large room, where several families will sleep.

All of these cultures of people build an out door kitchen. They will build a fire, with blocks around it for placing their pots on. This is called a Fire Heart, or in Kriol, "Fiya Haat."

The main towns will have a mixture of these homes, with your well to do people living in nicer homes, most of the time. Their homes would be more than 1 bedroom and include an indoor bathroom.

ENTERTAINMENT: The children in our village love to play marbles, soccer, jacks, jump rope, and a game where they'll take a bouncy ball, throw it against a wall, clap once, catch it, then adding more number of claps until they can't catch it anymore. Not sure what you call it though. :)

The Mennonite children's toys, bikes and games would be built by them.

FOOD: Depending on who's home you are in, the meals will vary. Belizeans eat a wide variety of foods. You will often find homemade flour tortillas, johnny cakes, or fry jacks. These are generally served with beans. Also for breakfast, you will usually see street vendors selling empanades, (fried maize (corn) shells with beans, fish, chicken, or beef) tacos and meat pies, 

For the midday meals, you'll usually find, beans and rice, or rice and beans (cooked together), with or without coconut milk, tamales, escabeche (onion soup), chilmole (black soup made with black recado), stew chicken and various dinners featuring some type of rice and beans, meat and salad or coleslaw. 

On the weekends, at night, you'll usually find a street vendor selling garnaches, (fried corn tortillas with beans, cheese, and cabbage sauce) burritos, or tostadas.

In the rural areas, meals are generally less extravagant; the Maya use recado, chicken soup and corn or maize for most of their meals.)

I have heard that the Garifuna are fond of fish and other seafood, cassava (particularly made into hudut) and vegetables. I wouldn't know, I have yet to try it. 

At 11:30AM, up until 12PM, you will find that the children leave school to go home and eat lunch, then back to school for 1PM. Some businesses close at midday for lunch, reopening later in the afternoon.

INFRASTRUCTURE: There is one main, two lane, paved road through the country. All others are dirt, filled with sand, gravel and maul. Not very nice at all. :( We have sleeping policemen (road bumps) for stop signs.

We live in a village 8 miles from a main town. Those 8 miles feel long though. Our roads are not paved and our vehicles tear up pretty easily.

TRANSPORTATION: Buses are a common means of transport. Each bus would have their fee to transport the person to their destination. Bikes are the most common. Cyclers have the right of way. We also have taxi's and private transportation as well. 

The Mennonite's will hire a truck to bring their handmade wares to the main cities to sell. Their common mode of transportation is horse and buggy.

I believe that is all I can give you about the cultures and way of life here in Belize.

Our daily lives seem normal to us and to me there is nothing "exciting" to share, but if you have questions about it, I would gladly answer them.

Right now, I can't think of anything else, but seriously, if you have ANY questions, please feel free to ask and I will answer them to the best of my ability. God bless you all and thanks so much for the prayers throughout the years.

Check out our church website: www.apcbelize.com


“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.”  ― Maya Angelou

"Don't Worry, Be Happy"

Worship (Adoración)

I was pondering this tonight.

A few years ago, dad went to Honduras, where there was a man who's 1 arm and 1 leg on one side of his body had been severed. He had been outside working and was electrocuted, causing the amputations. Dad came home and begin telling us about this man. Dad was able to be in service with a group of believers there and  everyone worshipped The Lord, including this man. He couldn't clap like people that has 2 hands, nevertheless, he clapped. He couldn't dance like someone with 2 legs and feet could, yet he managed to dance, in a way, I'm sure was pleasing to The Lord. You see, he could be dead from that high voltage of electricity, but he's not. He could've chose to give up on God, yet he didn't. He chose to trust in the One who made him and to worship Him for what he does have.

As I was thinking about this, I got to wondering, what if we, with all of our limbs intact, begin to worship The Lord wholeheartedly? Would it stir the flame? Wouldn't it please The Lord? Then, in turn, spiritual satisfaction could be gained, because we worshipped Him with complete abandonment.

I have been guilty of going to church and just going with the same ole ritual. Not completely giving myself away. What can I do to better myself in the church, I ask? Begin to worship Him, as the gentlemen mentioned above did. Those of you that have both arms/hands and legs/feet, think on these things. How can you do better? Go into the house of Worship with only the thought of worshipping The Lord. Forget about yesterday, what happened today and what will happen tomorrow. Focus on Him, watch what He does. Begin to completely give yourself away in to worship Him. Then, you'll see a difference.

I'm ready to start worshipping Him the way He deserves to be worshipped! Are you? I'm ready to see what the difference in me will be!

Who will join me in 2014, worshipping Him in complete abandonment?

“What is the use of praying if at the very moment of prayer, we have so little confidence in God that we are busy planning our own kind of answer to our prayer?” Written by Thomas Mertin

"Don't Worry, Be Happy"

URGENT Need in Belize for Passenger Buses and Vans!!!

URGENT NEED IN BELIZE!

In the last service of the old year a vision of revival was cast for the Apostolic Pentecostal Church of Belize for 2014. It is a vision of revival and nationwide church growth and development with a push toward evangelism to be implemented like never before. With many previously closed doors suddenly opening wide in the last few months, it would appear that the field is most certainly white unto harvest! In villages and communities where there has previously been no openness to the Gospel, opportunities are presenting themselves and converts are being made.

However, revival is not without hindrances. In Belize, one of the greatest of these is transportation problems. Because of the horrible road conditions a short journey of only 10 or 15 miles may take 45 minutes or longer. Along with the excessive travel times, the wear and tear on vehicles is extreme. Imagine driving your vehicle for 20 miles in stop and go traffic and you have some understanding of the amount of damage caused by only 1 mile of travel in Belize.

Repairs are made weekly and, sometimes, almost daily on any one of the handful of vehicles available for transporting souls from their homes to Church services. And although the burden of spending thousands of dollars a month in repairs on rapidly decaying vehicles is taxing it does not weigh as heavily on the heart as the fact that often people cannot be brought to service because of frequent, sudden vehicle failures. As a result, people are left on the side of the road waiting for a ride to Church that never arrives. With the overwhelming amount of time, effort and resources that goes in to trying to win each convert, it is heartbreaking to know that a lack of transportation hinders them from being able to come to the House of God.

WE ARE IN URGENT NEED of passenger vans and buses that would meet a few small specifications:

- Age is not important but millage is.

- Diesel buses are needed while either diesel or gasoline vans would be useful.

- Small and large buses are needed but not the “shuttle bus” style because of durability issues.

It is our earnest desire to see Belizeans well represented in the Kingdom of God when our Saviour comes again to gather His Church. Can you help us bring them through the Door of the Kingdom by helping us bring them through the door of the local Church?

Please contact us today if you are able to help meet this most urgent need.

You can send monetary support through Paypal: timjoiner@juno.com

Checks can be sent to address below and earmarked for Bus or Van for Belize:
TAPCB
P.O. Box 745
Ball, LA 71405

www.apcbelize.com

Prayer Changes Things

My dad sang the song that is my title for this blog post the other night at church. The lyrics really spoke to me. I will post them below, but please take the time to read through this first.

I wanted to share this part of my life with you that some may not know about. As most of you know, May 2012, I had a miscarriage when I was 4 months along, but what you might not know is, that in December 2012, I lost another one due to an ectopic pregnancy. This is a very dangerous pregnancy and can be fatal to the mother. My Doctor from the US told me to not even risk flying to the US for the procedure. The chance of it rupturing was very high, which in turn, causes hemorrhaging, leading to death if I could not be seen immediately. A very scary thought! I had 2 choices, stay here, have the procedure done and maybe never having a child again. (Here, if you are under and they wanted to remove something to "practice" on you, they would. This was in the papers from a woman this happened to.) Or, take the risk of flying and seeing someone who could properly take care of me, I chose the latter. ***

I'm not saying all of this because I want sympathy, but rather to send encouragement to someone else who may be going through something similar. Since I have gone through this, I have read where several friends and acquaintances have lost a baby as well.

I'm not saying it's always easy, because yes, I still have my emotional ups and downs. BUT what I am wanting to say is, when you are going through that emotional roller coaster and thinking, what am I going to do, then pray and think on these lyrics posted below, because PRAYER REALLY CHANGES THINGS!!! (ORACIAN EN REALIDAD CAMBIA LAS COSAS)

I know what sadness is; I’ve had my share.

I know what gladness is; cause I’ve been there.

I know the peace and joy my God can bring.

Down on my knees I’ve learned what really changes things.

The only way to God is earnest prayer.

Just breath that Holy Name and He’ll be there.

He knows the grief we bear and knows our every need in prayer.

Just take it to the Lord, prayer changes things.

I know just how it feels to really believe I’m alone

when sorrow has no end and all hope seems gone.

I turned my eyes to Him, and new strength I gained,

and it’s then again I learned what really changes things.

The only way to God is earnest prayer.

Just breath that Holy Name and He’ll be there.

He knows the grief we bear and knows our every need in prayer.

Just take it to the Lord, prayer changes things.

Just take it to the Lord, prayer changes things.

"Don't Worry, Be Happy"

***The clinic I go to here has very professional doctors. I go to the US under their recommendation. Due to the more up to date technology, I go in for any major medical visits.***

In My Shoes

Last night while at church, I went to the platform to sing praises to the Lord. I worship Him, the Giver of life. I pray and I read my Bible. I do all of this in hopes of being a better saint, a better wife and mother, a better friend and leader.

Once finished with my duties, I went to my seat and I took my shoes off, my feet were killing me, I had to have some relief! I had my 3 year old daughter come and sit with my husband and I. All throughout the service, I'd keep an eye on Josey, making sure she was behaving. During one of my glimpses of her, I noticed she had my shoes on. She was out in the aisle, listening intently to the preacher. Even thought they are too big for her, she still likes to put Mommy's shoes on, whether at church, home, or out visiting.

I say all of this, because I got to thinking about this  more seriously. I pray as Josey gets older, that I will always be a good, Godly example for her. That she can say, "My Mommy prays for me and I want to sing like Mommy when I get big!" She is already learning the ways of The Lord, but I want her to be able to have a closer walk with Him as she grows older. When she's sick, she asks for prayer. She'll lift her sweet, little voice in song to our Mighty God, singing about His love and His Awesomeness!

I pray that I fill my shoes so full of doing His will, that she'll always want to walk "In My Shoes" (En Mi Zapatos) and do His will.

Trust

I was just thinking about something. This morning as my 3-year-old daughter and I were walking out of the house, I put my hand down as if to hold her hand. I never told her to hold my hand, but blindly and trustingly, she lifted her hand to hold mine. Trusting that I will lead her correctly, trusting that by holding her hand, that I wouldn’t lead her dangerously, that I wouldn’t lead her just to let her fall somewhere along the path.

While I was thinking about her innocent trust (confianza), it also made me think of my Father. Not my earthly one, but my Celestial Father. We, as humans, somewhere in life have to learn to trust. Trust in others; trust in ourselves and to trust in a faith and to trust in a God.

Just as the scripture says, Psalm 71:5 “For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.”

I trust in Him. I trust that He’ll see me through each day. I reach up to His reaching down hand and He is there. He sees the path before me. He knows what will happen before I do; yet He still lets His hand down for me to hold. Trustingly, innocently, I hold it, knowing that if I stumble or fall, that ever-present hand is there to pick me up. Trusting that He'll lead me down the right path.

I may veer off course, but He never leaves me and is gently nudging me to get back on the right path, to not follow the dangerous, unknown path.

I am so thankful for a God that will never leave me, nor forsake me. He’s ever present and His hands are always there to hold mine and lead me correctly.

"Don't Worry, Be Happy"

Ministry and Me

Sitting here reminiscing.

I remember as a child, growing up in a preacher's home, the numerous preachers we had come through. 

From way back then, I was taught to love and respect the ministry. It was instilled in me at a very early age. 

I use to love sitting there listening to the stories they would tell from their years in the ministry! It was always so exciting to have them come over!

Then, I got to an age where I got to go to camp. At camp, there were lots of ministers there. My favorite thing to do at camp was to get to wait on their tables, making sure they had plenty to eat and drink! It never got old.

Now, I am older and don't get to go to many camps or meetings anymore, but we get to have preachers and their wives to come here. I still get to serve them in some small way. 

While, I may not get to serve the ministry as much as I use to, I want to instill that same love and respect for the ministry into my daughter. That way, when she gets older and gets to go to camps and meetings of the same, she will want to  serve the ministry in the same way. 

I am thankful for Men of God in my life!

Being raised is an Apostolic minister's home was and will always be very special to me. The ministry will point mine and my family's souls toward Calvary. Helping me and them to be saved. 

Thank you, Men of God, for preaching, teaching and pointing me in the right direction!

I do apologize for my inadequate way of describing my love of the Apostolic Ministry.

"Anointing"

Completing my second CD project, "Anointing!"

"Anointing" is my second CD project that I am now working on. This CD has 9 songs on it, with 4 being Bilingual (Spanish/English).

1. Problem Solver
2. Cristo Yo Te Amo
3. Lift Your Praises
4. Other Side Of Broken
5. The Call
6. El Me Levantara
7. Servant In Your Eyes
8. Anointing
9. Under The Blood

I am raising the funds to complete this CD project.

I have already produced the vocals and the music, I am now trying to get it mass produced. This includes, dubbing 1,000 CD's, printing on the CD's, printing and packaging the insert, and finally, having them wrapped and ready to send out.

Raising these funds will help me acquire the goal to have this mass production done. Once completed, I will be able to sell these CD's all over the world, in turn, helping me and others like me. Missionaries to the world!

Because this project is being pulled off in several different States and this is the final step, my plan is to correspond with the Final Producer in New Mexico and have this COMPLETED by the middle of July. With mail-outs being done by the ending of July, with the latest being September. 

Your help makes it possible for me and my family to do more on the mission field in Belize, where I have lived since I was 15 years old!

For over 12 years now, we have dedicated our lives to spreading the Gospel in this wonderful country!  

Thank you for your support!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2068683905/anointing

Kickstarter is a new way to fund creative projects.

Together, creators and backers make projects happen.

Project creators set a funding goal and deadline. If people like a project, they can pledge money to make it happen. Funding on Kickstarter is all-or-nothing — projects must reach their funding goals to receive any money. All-or-nothing funding might seem scary, but it’s amazingly effective in creating momentum and rallying people around an idea

"Don't Worry, Be Happy"

Be Thankful In ALL Things!

You know how the Bible says, "be thankful for all things?" I Thessalonians 5:18

Well, for weeks now, we have been having problems with our water well (bomba para agua). Each day, a trickle of water will come through our pipes. You might be lucky if you get 5 gallons to come through. So bathing is diminished to bird baths/sponge bathing. Washing hair is a nightmare!

While this may be nothing to you, it is a LOT to me. I am still a spoiled American. I try not to be, but there are those days when it all comes back to hit me.

This morning I wake up, lo and behold, there's a steady downpour of water, enough to wash my hair the way I like to. Now that I'm sitting here being thankful for it, I'm teary eyed thinking about how I haven't really been thankful in ALL things. Just another one of those LITTLE things in life to be thankful for.

Please pray for our water situation, that it will get better or that someone with more knowledge than we have can help us to fix the problem. Thank you for taking your time to read this.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks:

"Don't Worry, Be Happy"

Sorry for quality of pictures below. They were taken at night and a few weeks ago on one of the other well break down occasions. :)

Take A Trip With Me To P.G.

View from the hotel.

Hi! Welcome back to my blog from Belize.

Punta Gorda is in the Southern most part of Belize. It is in the Toledo District.

PG, as Punta Gorda is most commonly known as, is made up of close to 6,000 inhabitants. The people that we go to visit are the  Q'eqchi' (pronounced Kekchi) and Mayen Indians. Each speaking their own native tongue and English.

We take a trip to Punta Gorda (Fat Point) often to visit the other churches there. This trip is about a 6 hour drive from where we are, with some of the most beautiful scenery along the way.

Along the way, you will see Banana Farms, Plantain Farms, Pineapple Farms and Orange Orchards. I'm not really sure if they call them farms or orchards here. That's just what I call them. :)

Once you get more than half way there, you'll start seeing the houses of the Indians. Do you remember the Long Houses they taught about in History? That's what they remind me of. Most of the homes will have dirt floors and beds made of wooden pallets. You may also see their chickens living, laying and roosting inside their home. 

Jippy Joppa

We stay in a hotel that's about a block away from the ocean. This hotel is within walking distance of the markets and the town park. At these little market shops, you'll find the Indian people selling their cultural wares. Little baskets made of Jippy Joppa, hammocks, shoulder bags, headbands and other things like that.

This is Josey beside Joycelynn's Snack Shack.
I forgot to get a picture of her place.

They don't have many restaurants, but the ones you do find are pretty good. Grace's Restaurant had very good Shrimp Burritos and Joycelynn's Snack Shack has pretty amazing Conch Soup.

Thatch Ceiling of the Indianville Church.

While we were in the Toledo District, we were in service with Pastor Esteven Chun in Indianville Village. We are in the process of purchasing the land that the church is being built on. The brothers of this church came together and built the structure that is there now.






















The good people of this church prepared supper for us. They call it "Caldo" (Soup). This is a meal common to these natives. This soup is made with home grown chicken, leaves and a root similar to potatoes. They will also make corn tortillas, by hand, over their indoor stove, to be served with this soup.

A neat site that you will see while visiting their homes or churches is when a baby has fallen asleep, they will put it in a home made sling and hang it from the rafters or on a nail.

While in PG, you can go and visit the Cottontree Chocolate Factory. It has some pretty AMAZING chocolate made there, from fresh grown cacao, that is grown there in the Toledo District. My absolute favorite chocolate they sell there is the Dark Milk Chocolate with coffee.

Notice the drill?
This is the way they grind the beans.

While driving down their dirt roads, you may come across some REALLY narrow, wooden bridges. It may be scary to you if riding in a large vehicle.

While we were there, we baptized 4 people in the lovely Name of Jesus. We drove what seems like forever to find a river that had not dried up from the heat they were having. We walked down a well beaten path to the river.

Once we got there, the people had some home made canoes. These canoes were whittled from very large trees. Pretty amazing to see. Would you ride in one? I would, I actually asked them if they would sell it. :)

On the way home, we stopped to have church in a village 50 miles away from PG. This village is called Bella Vista. Bro. Chun also pastors this church. He found a group of people that wanted a church there. One man willingly let his property be used for a church, another oversees the church when Bro. Chun can not be there. Help us pray for revival in this village! These people are hungry for God. Their music consists of a keyboard and a child that plays a turtle shell for a drum.

Pastor & Sis. Chun

They were amazed at this new church that I "spoke" their language. Sadly, I don't. They asked me to repeat what I said. I know how to say "God Bless You" and sing "I'm So Glad Jesus Set Me Free" in their language. I wanted to see their drum more closely, so they let me play it. As they scooted in closer to listen to me sing and play the drum, the drum player told me I could have his drum. I asked him if he had another one, he said no. So politely, I told him no, that I would wait until he got another one and I handed it back to him. As it was time to leave, I was going to get in the vehicle, when this boy ran up to me and said, "Here sister, this is for you!" I did not want to be offensive, so I took it and will treasure it always.

I hope you have enjoyed my trip to PG, as I did. Enjoy the pictures and please come back and visit my blog as I update it.

"Don't Worry, Be Happy"