Today was a great day for Heal Ministries.  A large group came out to help us bring needed items for Tent City in Nashville, Tn.   This is a designated area under the interstate downtown where homeless families can reside in tents and campers.  We delivered blankets, tents, hand warmers, foot warmers, gloves, scarves, food, jackets, hats and a trailer full of fire wood.  I was humbled by the outpouring love from the community and watching the people interact with each other.  We met several of the residents and found out their biggest needs.  They are:  small propane camping tanks, tarps, tents, A, C and AA batteries, metro bus cards, WalMart gift cards and more hand warmers and foot warmers.  We are taking a second team on December 24th to deliver the needed items to them.

As always, we learned a little more from the residents of Tent City than they learned or received from us.  One resident said when asked if he needed a blanket:  "No, thank you.  I have just about everything I need but some of the other folks need blankets."  They were so humble, kind, and not greedy at all.  They truly took what they needed and left the other supplies for someone else that needed it more.

Tent City is a place where folks live temporarily until they get back on their feet.  Some of them work; some are looking for employment; some have been there a few months; some have been there a year or longer.  It doesn't matter how long they have been there or why but one thing remains constant:  They need Jesus just like every man and woman on earth.  If we can serve and be Jesus in the skin and impact one heart then we have made a difference.  If we can offer hope and a smile and a blanket during difficult times, then we have, perhaps, made Jesus smile.  And, if we can continue to serve the people in need and continue to be humbled and reminded how much we are blessed (rich or poor) we will continue on the right path that Jesus called us to be on.  What an honor to serve and show love for the ONE that gives us the ultimate, eternal love.  To focus on changing one heart at a time.....that is our mission.

 ³⁴"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

 ³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

 ⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'  Matthew 25

Last night on the Oct/Nov Belize mission trip.  I looked through some pictures before calling it a night and posted a few that tell a story for the past two weeks.  The students all laughing and playing at both Unity Presbyterian School in Belize City in the burial grounds........the students all laughing and playing at Concepcion School just outside of Corozal Town, the sweet baby in Calcutta village that represents all the babies that I visited.....some with parents......some not.....the Betsons picture full of laughter, Arturo's sweet smile at church and Esther's love with her children at school........ The entire trip is full of laughter......the joy and laughter that comes from knowing Christ.  The only faces that I recall that did not have this was in the orphanage.....on this rainy, sad last day.  It is such a symbolic story of hopelessness with no smiles........and the Lord shining through His people.  We are called to help the helpless.  For the depth of love that God gives us......how can we ignore His pleas?  

I look forward to bringing teams back to this land that I love to serve God.

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'"  Matthew 25: 35-36

Today was a hard day.  We visited the orphanage in Belize City and met the director.  She was very kind and gave us a tour of the building.   The tour was very limited and we were only allowed to see the kitchen, dining room, playroom and outside grounds.  It is the first time I have visited an orphanage that would not allow us to view the sleeping quarters.  There are approximately 70 children that live there at one time and the number changes daily as children are picked up and brought in or taken back out of the orphanage and given back to their families.  It was disturbing because the children did not appear happy.......the older children were at school when we visited and most of the younger ones were either crying or lifeless.  Have you ever felt that you could not get out of a place fast enough?  That is how I felt........and then ashamed that I wanted to leave.  I did not want to face the trial and sadness and yet......we have to face that when God calls us to care for the orphans and to defend the defenseless.  It is not an easy road.....in the words of Mother Teresa, "I have come to realize more and more that the greatest disease and the greatest suffereing is to be unwanted, unloved, uncared for, to be shunned by everybody, to be just nobody (to no one).

To experience this type of sadness is hard to describe...........

We left the orphanage....planning to have a team to assists them with their needs in the future......furniture covering, baby supplies, school supplies, etc......for now.....we can pray for them.

As we left and visited the villages on the way to Belmopan, the expressions of the children changed drastically.  We were not allowed to take photos of the children at the orphanage, and the pictures would have looked drastically different than the girls smiling on this page.  The school children at the blue school were playing, laughing, waiting for a photo to be taken of them with a huge smile.....and walking home to a family that loved them at lunchtime.....whatever that family looked like.

That is the difference in the mental picture of the children at the orphanage and photos of the village children smiling......family.....to be loved and know that you are loved.......to have hope.  If we can spread the hope of Christ and the love of our heavenly Father to the orphans around the world.........they will have hope and perhaps a smile for a photo.

just re-posting two pictures that have blessed me this week.......the expressions and the beauty are sweet reminders of God's diversity and immeasurable love!

We left Corozal Town today and drove through the villages on the way back to Belize City.  First stop was Cristo Rey.  The Cristo Rey school, church, kids, and outdoor laundry thatch room pictures are posted.

We met with the principal and Helene Lacey, founder of the school and clinic in Patchakan village.  She is from Canada and has served as a missionary for 40 years!  To see the joy in her eyes as she spoke about Belize was an honor to witness.  The children here seem so happy.

It was sad to leave my friends in Corozal Town and Concepcion, yet very heartwarming to see God's love spread throughout the country.  It seems that every corner I turn, I see a glimpse of God's fingerprints all over this place.  He has placed many people here to serve and yet, there is so much more work to be done.  We made it to Belize City in time to visit Unity School and the orphanage.  Unfortunately,  the orphanage director was not there and we were not allowed to tour the facilities.  We did get to see some children and see how crowded it was.  The thick, heavy sadness that I felt leaving there was devastating.  Hundreds of orphans in two small buildings....all ages..........all situations..........all reminders of how we are all called to RUN to the aid of the orphans and widows.  I'm praying tonight that God will give me strength tomorrow to remain strong and ready to go to battle for the kingdom.

It is with mixed feelings that I post today because it is my last day in Corozal.....until I return.  I have bonded with my friends here in Christ and I have grown to love them deeply.  

Pictured here is the cook for the Concepcion  School.  The school has moms to help out by cooking:  it helps that family that cooks get a little money and reduces the cost of their meals for the school children.  Each child pays $1 for a plate of food which is equal to fifty cents in the U.S.  The villages here in Belize really try to help each other in the community.  

The boys in front of the chalk board holding up letters were learning both the English and the Spanish alpahbet.   concepcion is an English speaking school but the village speaks predominantly Spanish.

It was a blessing to be able to assists the Mendez family (the pastor's family of the Presbyterian Church that we partner with) with money to assists them in their bus crisis.  One of the biggest blessings that  I receive in the field is actually giving to those that we encourage to continue God's work.

Today, I shared my testimony and gave a devotion to the staff.  Even as I was talking, I was reminded of how God loves us all so deeply and how we should view every second that we are given the opportunity to serve Him as a golden opportunity.  I also met a lady that is a single mom here and struggling with her children.  Her discouragement reminded me of my past and how each of us have only one difference:  birth place AND one huge similarity....we all need Jesus.  

I do believe that the culture here has an advantage over the U.S.  In the U.S. we have the daily distractions that keep us away from our focus on Christ.  Here, the focus is family and God and reaching out to others.  I think I have learned more from my friends here than I could ever teach them.

As I leave Corozal and head back to Belize City, it is with mixed emotions.......sad to leave my friends here....excited to see my friends and the orphanage there.......anxious to return with teams.......and realizing home is truly where our heart is.  

Deuteronomy 10:18 (New International Version)

¹⁸ "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing."

I wanted to post a few smiling faces that I got to spend the day with......the biggest problem is picking five pictures for each posting!  Please go to the Heal Ministries facebook group or Tina Weir facebook and look at all the pictures for this particular Belize mission trip.  



Perhaps one of the best gifts that I have ever received was today before going to dinner.  After working all day with the school children and having my heart full of joy because of the contagious laughter all around, I did not think the day could get any better.  At the hotel where I am staying in Corozal, the local children rang the bell and asked for me.  They presented me with birthday flowers that they picked.   I don't know of anything that has ever touched my heart in such an emotional way.  Knowing where these children live, knowing how intentional they were to please and express their love might be my all time number one lesson learned in living out the word of God.  These children were "Jesus in the skin" for me today.  I am so thrilled to be here and to be able to experience two different churches (one in Belize City and one in Corozal). Here, where I am supposed to be assisting and helping and yet, they do more for me than I could ever do for them......here, where I am supposed to be seeking what God has me here for........here where love is found all around..........here for such a blessed time as this!

November 2, 2009 - best birthday I can remember!

Today was a blessed day!  I'm so thankful to God for giving me another year to live and most appreciative of Him having me serving His desired people on my special day!  I spent the day at the Calcutta village school which is located just outside of the Corozal town.  The school is called Concepcion School and the principal is Esther Mendez.  The pictures show the children at morning devotion where they have prayer, songs, the weekly Bible memory verse and announcements for the day.  Today, the announcement was a surprise to me!  They sang a beautiful birthday song in English and Spanish and then sang a song asking me how old I was!  They are so joyful and just the healing a soul needs!


This is a classroom that wanted me to take their picture.  The children are so proud of their uniforms, teachers, principal and school.  I gave one class a devotion and asked them what they could think of that they could pray to God to be thankful for:  they all said the same, that they had a home, clothes and food.  Many of the children that said this come from very poor families and some are single parent homes.  And, yet......they have learned at a very young age through many trials that their Heavenly Father will never forsake them and loves them very much.   I was very humbled leaving the school today because I felt like the children taught me......not me teaching them!  The school needs several things that the Principal and I are working on for the Spring Break trip.  This mission trip will be one that is sure to bless anyone attending.  I hope that as you read this, you will pray about attending a village that needs help and love.

The following pictures are from the afternoon services held at the Calcutta church.  It is a mission church started by the Mendezes church.  The Calcutta church is being formed to reach people in the villages on the outskirts of town.   This is one of the projects that is needed in the area:  for a team to return and assists in finishing Calcutta church. 

My favorite quote that I have read lately is from Saint Augustine:   "What does love look like?  It has the hands to help others.  It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy.  It has eyes to see misery and want.  It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.  That is what love looks like."   I pray that I will be more like Christ in all that I do and Belize has given me the desire to serve Him more than ever before through sending teams and reaching out to the needy.

Today was a great day in Corozal.  It is still raining alot here, but they have needed it.  The weather is beautiful and as you can tell from the pictures, the area and the people are even more beautiful here.  I have made great friends here with the Mendez family.  They are pictured in this blog:  Arturo is the pastor of the Presbyterian church here with his wife Esther and their children, Johan and Joammi.  They have embraced me and really shown me Jesus in the skin.  We are planning the Spring Break Mission trip that will be scheduled for the week of March 15th and then a women's conference that will be in both the village of Corozal as well as Belize City with the Betsons at Unity church.    

I loved church this morning.  Seeing Pastor Arturo smiling and singing praises was a joyful experience.  Hearing the songs of praise in a different language always makes me think of Heaven:  hearing the world praise God in all languages.  The church needs a new bus.  Heal Ministries will be giving them some money to fix the bus but it is time to figure out ways to help them raise the money for a new bus.  Pastor Arturo drives around the villages and picks up women and children to attend church on Sundays.  If he does not pick them up, they are not able to attend because they have no vehicles.  I am praying with them that God will give us the wisdom to come up with ways to get them a new bus.  The attendance in church is down quite a bit because the bus is in the garage.  I am so thankful that I am here at this time:  it has been rewarding for God to use me in this country to see the needs He is drawing me toward.  It is humbling to serve these Belizeans.  They are full of joy and laughter and most fun to be around!

The Presbyterian church is beautiful!  It blesses my heart to see it larger and painted and beautiful!  It has improved so much since I was here.  Seeing God's work in the same place over several years is not only rewarding but a simple reminder that what God starts, He finishes.