People Like Me And You

           What is your usual thought when you hear of someone going to another country? What comes to your mind as you think of the changes they will face? What questions do you ask your friends living in another culture?
            Differences. We focus on differences. I realize nothing is wrong with this thinking. This is what makes life challenging and interesting when moving away and is natural. As I have been in Belize just over a week I know all those feelings! Different languages, different food, different church, different house, different neighbors. Etc. Etc. Your mind whirls a bit and your stomach churns a bit trying to assimulate a new enviroment. My husband was a cabinent maker and now is thrown into the teaching world. My baby was used to a decently ordered schedule and now is learning to eat and sleep in all sorts of circumstances. I was used to my normal household chores and baby care and now am living in someone elses house and eating what they cook, while waiting for the sewer to get finished at our place. The veiw from our window was mostly flat with a few trees, a train track, storage sheds, and the neighbors junk pile. Now our view is palm, orange, and lime trees. Also more that I have no idea yet what their name is! Beautiful mountainous jungle rolls away from my front porch. Flowers of all sorts bloom everywhere. This is my favorite change.
           We went to church the last two Sundays and heard God's word preached in two languages. Fans are the only AC and the majority of the people have sandals on their feet. Little neighbor children run in and out of the service when they are tired  of holding still. The men have Sunday School in the church bus and the women gather in the church. I sing the Spanish songs but have no idea what I am singing.
           Ahh yes, the language... Spanish, Mayan, Kreol, English are the ones we deal with mostly. Austin has a couple students that know all 4!! I had coffee and cookies with the church ladies yesterday and that's what started me thinking. In all these differences we are so alike. We cry, and laugh, and serve God, and raise our families. We deal with people who seem unlovable and take advantage of us. We understand a smile, a hug, a hand outstretched, a gift.
           God is the same God in every culture. He helps us forgive the ones who 'borrow' our things and never return them. He gives us wisdom to know how to witness to our unsaved family members. We can call on him in any language and He hears our prayers and cares about our requests. This is what is so wonderful to me! It doesn't matter if you live in a mansion or a small thatched roof home. In Belize or America or Australia or any other place. God is still God. He reaches out His hand in love to the rich and poor, the lovely and the unlovely. His love is enough for all of us. He will take each of us into His arms as long as we are willing to give Him every part of us. He bridges the gap between cultures and allows us to realize our 'sameness'.

Where He Leads Me

           The biggest reason I created this blog was to let all of you know about our time in Belize. Austin was asked to teach school a few weeks ago and we had to make a rather quick decision to go. We have tickets to fly out on the 15th  of this month. God has been very good to us in helping us make the decision and giving us grace to know what to pack and what to do etc. My Uncle Lee so  kindly let us keep our apartment that we are renting. This has lightened our load considerably as I don't  have to pack all our earthly belongings and find a place to store things! We are so blessed to have supportive family to hold up our hands! We also are blessed to have a bus load going down soon after we leave that we can put a few things on. I don't have lots of news at the moment since we are not completely sure where we will be living. There is a small guest house they are considering right now for us. It is a few miles away so they would like to get us closer.  We will be serving under AMA. The mission is on the outskirts of the Santa Marta village. I think that falls into the Cayo District of Belize. It is absolutely a feast for the eyes! I am looking forward to sharing pictures with you! The best way to describe the area is mountainous jungle... So beautiful. You will have to use your imagination for the humidity and heat! 

I am so grateful to God for being with us and leading us to this point in our lives. We will continue leaning on him for grace to serve in this way and be a blessing to those we will live around. Our desire is to follow Him no matter how rough the pathway. I believe it is better to live in what we consider hardship if we are in God's will than to live an easy life with a guilty conscience and a selfish attitude. God gives us grace to handle what we are given. "I'll go with Him all the way!"