Baptism

Last Sabbath we had 2 more baptisms at our church.

One was a lady that came down to Belize from NY because she lost her brother. She wanted to be baptized here in our church. She was Nazarene but felt convicted on the Sabbath truth!

The other was a young man I shared some information about on my blog before. Henry is 20 years old and comes from a family where is mother is a sabbath keeping christian but his father is not. This is the family I shared about the husband not letting the wife go to church and he hassled his son much in the beginning but not so much now. However,  Henry did not tell his father about his baptism for fear that he would make much trouble for Henry.

Praise the Lord how he is able to touch hearts!

One is grieving for a lost loved one and the other lives in a very difficult situation but still the holy spirit is moving & God is conquering!



Simple Things

Today I had the opportunity to actually sit down and try to sew a skirt. I've been wanting to for sooo long.

I started out doing one for Bella just to practice on.

Hers turned out good, just a simple mid calf length A line skirt. Don't ask me about a pattern because there wasn't one.  Her skirt is a little wrinkled because my iron died back a few months ago. Next, I endeavored to make myself a skirt, a much needed skirt.

Laundry is so rough on your clothes here so a lot of the things we brought with us look terrible after just a few months.

I began my skirt having never made one before and I ended up finding a tutorial on the internet that really helped me. I borrowed a zipper from Addy since I lacked one and knew that I didn't want an elastic waste. Well, I think the finished product is nice and I will try to post a picture of that one soon.

Just thought I would share this picture of the giant pineapple I found at market this morning. The one on the left is more the normal size pineapple I get. Check out the size!

I also laid some coconuts and custard apple so you can see the how monstrous this was. Though it looked green it was super sweet!

Mango Update!

I'm so upset!!!

Found out this morning at market that mango season is late!

Not a couple weeks late, but like not til May late!

I'm devastated as I was already looking forward to the wonderful fruit, my favorite!

We had rain so late this year that it wiped out the mango blooms so the trees all had to rebloom.

I've heard that some are being brought across from Guatemala but they are green yet.

Yes, I guess I'm whining about mango's!

3ABN

~Praise the Lord~

Today Chris & Junior got the 3abn dish up and operating......I'm so glad!

I was missing all those good programs.

We turned it on and it was a cooking show and they were using mangos......I started drooling immediately thinking about the mango season coming up in a month.

Greatly appreciate all that Junior has done to help us get that going. 

Sour Sop Encounter!

There are so many different types of tropical fruit....most we've never heard of.

I've had sour sop ice cream before and thought it was good but never the fruit itself.

So my dear friend Addy sent me over a half of sour sop to try. After getting the instructions on the fruit I peeled it and began pulling it apart. The flesh was similar to maybe raw fish texture but smells very fruity!

There are tons of seeds and each one has to be removed by hand.....can't eat them.

I think it tastes good and the texture isn't that bad either. Addy said try blending it up into a smoothy so I did that and added a small amount of soy milk, ice cubes and a couple tablespoons of sugar to help the sour side of things.

I like it but I am drinking it slow......the smoothy texture reminds me of drinking blended bananas and I really like the taste.

I'll try to explain the flavor a bit-

Peaches, green apple, green pineapple, and throw in a little rhubarb. Hard to describe.

The kids all declared "YUCK!"

But really they only smelled it.

I would eat this again or put it in smoothies.....nice taste and much different that anything I've had yet.

Swimming at Pine Ridge

We loaded up in Junior's truck and headed up the mountain. On the way up we were packed in soooo tight that we almost couldn't get everything in. Junior was taking some supplies up to the man staying up at the repeater station.

We all had a lots of fun and some of us have new sunburns! The dogs really had a blast and swam as much as the kids! When the sun started going down the bugs started coming out.....other than that it was a nice day. This was also our families first chance of recreation since coming here. 



Special Music

I played flute with Yoelvis playing piano "I'd Rather Have Jesus".

Hannah played a piano solo "Indescribable"

She did very well......you notice behind her is Yoelvis on the left and 2 guys from the Bullet Tree church and they play guitar and keyboard only by ear. They sure sound nice though!

Cynthia & Genesis sang a duet too, "When 10,000 Angels Cried"  sounded nice.



Welcome Sabbath

We are looking forward to the crusade again tonight and then closing it out tomorrow. Hannah plays special music tomorrow and I play again too. I wish to leave you with this special thought as we welcome in God's holy day of rest.

The Sabbath is a token between God and His people.

It is a holy day, given by the Creator to us as a day upon which to rest, and reflect upon sacred things. God designed it to be observed through every age as a perpetual covenant. . . .

As we refrain from labor on the seventh day, we testify to the world that we are on God’s side and are striving to live in perfect conformity to His commandments.

Thus we recognize as our Sovereign the God who made the world in six days and rested on the seventh. . . .

The true Sabbath is to be restored to its rightful position as God’s rest day.

Dog Bite Encounter

I was going back to visit the little boy that had been hit by the car.

I had to pass by the same fenced yard as Sunday.

They have 2 really mean and vicious dogs tied up in this barbed wire fenced yard. I remember them but this time there was a rottie mix loose in the yard but they have several strands of barbed wire about 5-6 inches apart and that dog was barking, growling and charging the fence.

He came right through the fence and bit me on the back of my upper leg......thank the Lord that it only scratched my skin. His paws really scratched my ankle though.

Tell you what it scared me and caught me off guard!

Then a flood of anger set in and I was ready to battle that dog with a rock or something.

That sneaky dog shot back through the fence and laid down and acted as if I wasn't there.

The owner came out and I got after the lady and showed her where the dog bit me. I told her to put the dog in the house because I was going to see the little boy and that I would have to come by again.

I also told her the police could come and take her dogs for this. I was given the number for the humane society but when I called no one was in.

I have no problem with a dog protecting its property but to charge through the fence.

I will have to carry a piece of rebar with me next time and he might not think that feels too good.

He was a big dog and really could have hurt me....so I'm thankful for God's protection!

Abscessed Tooth!

Poor Bella!

She had abscessed tooth and had her antibiotics last week and we had a scheduled appointment for this Thursday, but she was having pain this morning so we called and got her in. We drove to Belize City to the dentist that Chris had found and she was very good and very gentle.

Bella was a trooper.....no gas for kids here.....just the injections for numbing.

Ended up having the infected tooth pulled and another baby molar in front of it that had a crown on it. She did very well, held still and didn't make a peep!

She's feeling much better but she will need to go back again for more work sometime in the  near future!

Family Member Passes

Just received news that one of my aunts has passed away! This is terrible news.........

I will be sending prayers out for the rest of the family!

My mind goes to the thought of "the worth of a soul"

Do we truly look at people as souls for God's kingdom or do we just look at them as simply another person?

Do we do our best to share Jesus with others so that they can have a chance for salvation too?

Many opportunities go by and we don't realize OUR responsibility to others to share the gospel.

Invite Jesus into your heart today and everyday and let His light shine through you that others may be drawn to Him. 

This world is not our home.....

Jesus is coming back very soon on the clouds of glory and Every eye shall see and Every ear shall hear.....the dead in Christ shall rise first then Christ's true remnant will be caught up to meet Him in the air.   Amen

Lord Jesus come soon!  

Poor Little Boy

Dennis was sharing with us about a little 5 year old that got hit by a car a couple weeks ago. He actually lives just down the hill from us.....I hadn't heard.

I guess he was crossing where he should have been and a gal on her cell phone hit him.

I understand he has had some surgery and has some feeling to his lower body but I guess can't walk.

I am going to find out more about him.....we took some food down but the mother was not there so I would like to go back and talk to her.



Sunday Morning Papusas

Dennis had invited us to a papusa breakfast this morning. He had invited some of his associates from La Loma Luz hospital and his family. Grandma Borland and their very good family friend (she's like family) Marta made all the papusas.

The food looks simple but it is definitely an art form. You have to prepare the bean filling and the masa dough. Then she uses the masa and puts beans inside and makes in look like a dumpling using some oil on her hands, then presses them flat then cooks them. I have been told that its much harder to do than it looks. Marta also just uses her hands to turn the hot cooking ones over (ouch!)

The papusas are topped with cabbage and a special sauce, then we also had nice fruit salads.

They were delicious and it was so nice!

Thanks Dennis!

The next picture is some of the people from the hospital and then of Pastor Bill showing us that we don't need a utensil to actually eat these.



Baby Azra

In the past I've commented on my blog about baby Azra.

Ross came by yesterday and I went with him to check up on her and to see how she was doing after being back on her medicine for a little over a week.

This little girl had a huge hemangioma on the left side of her face and eye. But thanks to the medicine its almost all gone. Her mom took the meds away when she was sick with bronchitis and the redness and swelling was coming back. So after more than a month of talking to Doctors, pharmacies, and her family......finally back on meds.

She only has a little swelling on her left eye and I don't think you can see any of the redness in the pictures but its still there. She's beautiful!



Bread Fruit

I've never had bread fruit before.....

but yesterday Addy said would you like some?

Okay, so I'm thinking fruity, smoothies, how does it compare to Mango type of thoughts but no thats no even close.

Addy instructed me to either fry it or bake it and it tastes like potatoes!  Well, I did it and sure enough it tasted like dry potatoes. I actually like it.



Coconuts!

We all like coconut juice, especially from the young coconuts.

Sometimes the coconuts have tons of juice and just a little "coconut jelly" forming inside (the beginning of the white flesh forming). Sometimes they are loaded with good flesh and juice.

Chris and Bella went and gathered 4 coconuts on Sunday and they have to be macheted open. Then we had blended coconut and lime slushies! YUM!



Look What Blew In?

Saturday afternoon we noticed a huge swarm of bees near the craboo tree. We knew that they hadn't been there before because the tree is right off the path to pastor Bill's house.

Chris went out a couple hours later and got this picture of them all swarmed together.......he was thinking they were making a new nest.

But in the morning they were all gone......so they just stopped for the night and must have swarmed around the queen. I'm glad they are gone!



Getting Ready for Sabbath

Friday is our day to make sure all chores are done, all errands ran that need to be, house in order, and Sabbath food prepared.

That way we can enjoy the Holy Sabbath rest that God created for us. We are to forget the cares of the world and meet with Him on His special day. For a full 24 hours we refresh our relationship with the Lord by attending church, vespers, fellowshipping together, outreach, and time for study & prayer.

 Hannah helped with the laundry.

Bella helped with dishes

Mat helped mow Junior's property.

Chris & Junior tried to get our 3ABN dish going but no luck yet.

Mindy & Rio just passed the afternoon lounging on the veranda.

I got many things accomplished today thanks to all my helpers!

Music, Music, Music!

God is so good at providing for us!

Yesterday, our new friend, Yoelvis Lunar came over to play flute with me & talk to the kids about their instruments.

He came from Cuba and is like a Master musician!

He sings beautifully, plays guitar excellently, is a flute master, & plays piano by ear and music!

He is also the music teacher at Eden SDA school about 3 blocks down the road from my house.

He always helps Faith FM out for special meetings and I've met him before but never told him that we do music too.

So at the 13th anniversary I talked with him and shared the instruments that we played. He was so glad to know that I played flute because no one here does!

He played Mat's guitar yesterday and Mat just stood there with a look of awe on his face.

So every Monday morning, we will meet at our home and we will play flute for an hour and then he will spend time with Mat on his guitar to help him along. Yoelvis teaches fingerstyle too!

He wants to look at the girls violins too so we will see where that goes.

I guess he was so enthralled with all the music we brought with us because you can't get it here. By the time I dropped him off he said we need to open a music lesson studio together. Well, we shall see where the Lord leads because there is a need here.

Cleanse!

I am currently trying a cleanse.

Blended up Aloe vera stalks-minus the prickles-a big chunk of ginger & honey. I take a tablespoon every evening!

Very BITTER!

During the day I brew jackass bitters (a central american plant) leaves into tea and drink a cup 3 times a day.

This is soooo BITTER, way worse than the aloe mix.

This morning I discovered putting a little lime in makes it more tolerable.

I drink the tea for 3 days and stop, then wait a week and do 3 more days.

The aloe stuff I take for 7 days.

Can't say at this point that I would ever do it again. The stuff is terrible!

Supposed to cleanse your body of parasites & toxins.

I was researching on parasite cleanses and it mentions aloe as the number one, then many herbs that you can get back home. Pumpkin seeds, pineapple, cabbage, garlic, onion, & carrots are all mentioned too. Well, we eat the last 4 items almost everyday raw. Lots of garlic in all our food, helps keep the biting bugs away too.