Belize Mission

Dec 29th

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! We pray the Lord Blessed you with good health, Family and friends to be with. We have been very busy here. We carried apples to the schools. Also apples were donated to the churches Thanks for that donation it was a great blessing to them. Don preached at the school and they had a presentation. It was a great blessing. They can still Praise the Lord in the schools. We can’t in most of our schools in the states. We went to Firebun for the pastors meeting. It was the first time all the churches were represented in a while. Meralla represented San Lazaro and Thesa represented Progresso both women are working to keep the churches open. Praise the Lord for the women! Pray the Lord will raise up some Spanish men leaders to hold these positions.
We went o Hattieville for their Christmas program it was a blessing to us. The Lord was truly glorified. Don preached on Christmas Eve at San Lazaro for their special service. It started at 9:30PM we sang until about 11:30PM Don preached then not a soul had left Their were rows of young people especially young men. The church was packed even the overflow and some outside. August Pine Ridge met with us. After Don finished preaching we ate barbeque chicken with potato salad and slaw. We had a lot of cake and cookies. When all was finished they broke the piñata about 1:00AM The children had a great time with this. It was placed on to long poles and the children hit it with a stick until it broke and candy poured out. There were lots of children there. Everyone had a great time. About 2:00AM. Everyone started to go home. We carried the people back to August Pine Ridge. There were people everywhere outside cooking during the night. We arrived home about 3:00AM. And passed out. Things were busy on Christmas Day Don and I decided we would cook for Ernesto’s and Galo’s Family’s . But somewhere along the way it grew. I cooked for two days. But we had a great party. There turned out to be 29 people here!. I cooked American style. I cooked a Huge Ham. Sweet potatoes with marshmallows (the colored ones is all I could find), corn, cauliflower with cheese,. Macaroni salad, fruit salad, chicken and dressing with cranberry sauce, olives, pecan pies, cherry cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake, cookies, and candy, everyone seemed very pleased.
We also had a small party for the Ladies group. The men played dominoes on the porch. We all ate till we couldn’t eat anymore and retired for the night. Greatly Blessed.
On Monday we decided to get a much needed rest. We went to the Beach in Placencia. We have not stopped since we have been here. We have been going 7 days a week. We found a small cabin by the sea and did nothing!!! It was so relaxing. We watched the sail boats and ship come and go . The waves gently crashing against the bank with a cool breeze blowing on our faces. It was a great Blessing to us. We came away rested and ready to start again. We got back on Wednesday evening just in time to go to August Pine Ridge Church. We are proud of the work there. There are about seven of the young men coming in now. The rest stand at the window and listen. I pray the Lord will bless that village and raise up a church of young adults.
We are back to the real world now. I will have the ladies meeting here this afternoon. Don has gone to Orange Walk to get water and there is also a problem with the Rodeo. It is being fixed. We will have another celebration at the church Saturday night. They will cook tamales, Don will preach and there will be another piñata. We are looking forward to a great time. Bro. Victor will go to Progresso for that service..
We are expecting a team of young people here for the school on the 5th of January. So we will need to get ready for them. I know they will be a great blessing for the schools and us
Thank you all that sent us cards and Love offerings they were greatly appreciated. May God bless you.

Wishing Everyone a Blessed Holiday,
I don’t know where the year has gone. We have been so busy working seven days a week. It seems like we are in another world sometimes. The days pass so quickly. There are people here when we wake and when we go to bed. It is like one big family. I will give you a little update of what is going on here.
We started in January when Don got a team together to build another room on the school building. There was a team of sixteen .The foundation was poured before hand. Ernesto and Galo donated their Saturdays and worked for the Mission during the week to get it ready for the team. The team laid the blocks and got the roof ready to put the tin on it in two weeks. Mr. Hellie , Ernesto, Galo and some others helped. It was amazing how fast it went up. Tony Russell brought a team later and put the tin on and the doors and windows.
We stayed in Belize for a month then went home to start visiting the churches. We thank all of you for all your prayers and support. Without that we could not be here doing the Lords work.
We arrived here the first part of June part of the projects we wanted to do are almost complete. The pre-school room was redone and the roof fixed, new shelves, and rugs. It looks good. We need some new furniture there. If someone would donate some children’s books for the teacher to read to them it would be greatly appreciated.
Don, Ernesto and Galo roofed the old part of the school. It looks great. There is still a need to fix the computer room with tile. Dennis Murphree came in January and also in August to work on computers. He fixed 19. We appreciate all of the workers that the Lord has sent us. The yard looks great. Carolyn Jackson painted a new sign and her team painted on the school with the help of Galo and Ernesto it looks great and was ready in time for the school to start. . Charlie Joe came back and dedicated the new part of the school the last of August. There was patched roofs, fixing of the sewer lines, times of working on the Sand Hill school mowing and painting, redoing the downstairs putting a sink and cabinet, getting beds, painting getting ready for the teams to come. It has been a very busy summer and fall.
Everyone should be very proud of there schools here. Don, Mrs. Gloria and myself carried the Sand Hill teachers for their Christmas present to a nice restaurant. We will carry San Lazaro this next Thursday. We have attended all the school functions. Both schools have a very talented group to work with. We love to watch the children here. Ever Monday they stand outside and sing their National anthem and have devotions. It is a special thing to see. All in uniform looking just alike. It is wonderful at there assemblies. Everything is about God they pray and sing Christian songs and give presentations about Christ.. Something we can’t do in the states.
The Leadership classes are doing good Charlie Joe was here in August and helped get them started. Sandiago and Candace have been working and keeping them going. They have done a great job. We had Thanksgiving with them. Turkey, dressing and everything it was a great blessing. The leadership classes are a great help. We are carrying some from San Lazaro on Saturdays to the classes. The classes will be a great help in raising up leaders.
The pastors meetings have been a great help for the pastors and a time of Fellowship. They will meet at Firebun next Saturday. Firebun has painted their church green and redid the floors. The conference is helping with the new glass windows! The church looks great. We were there for Harvest and had a great time. The church is doing well and has some new people coming.
August Pine Ridge church is doing well. The new pastor Bro. Victor will do great. I feel sure of this. Don is getting some doors for the church. The conference is buying two windows. That little church is so poor. I brought some Red flowers and tried to help decorate for Christmas a little. The church needs so much. It looks so pitiful. I know God will bless this church .The Sunday school is looking good. They are having about 30 attending. Children, teens and a few ladies. I know the Lord will bless. The village has a lot of young men. A good many dressed in black. They say there are three gangs there.. They listen to the preaching on the outside. I feel one day they will come in and take part. There are about 15 or 20 outside at the windows and doors.
We are still going to Progresso. We are excited about what the Lord is doing. . We are having church on Saturday nights. for now. We are still looking for a pastor. There are about 35 going. . The church is in good shape they only need a pastor. The church needs a little paint and that is all. We are excited about what the Lord is doing.
Guinea Grass church is doing good. They have about 70 people coming on Sunday night. . We were there on Sunday morning and they had about 30 and a lot of young men. They were praying and fasting. They have 27 families going. They have started a street ministry. There are about 5000 people in the village . It is one of the worst villages in this area. The church is doing great there. We are excited about their ministry. They have a band that attracts young people.
San Lazaro is in the middle of changing pastors so pray for them there pastor resigned this Sunday.. They need a Spanish-speaking pastor. Their pastor is from Sand Hill and can come only once a month. Now he has a brand new baby that has only made it harder. They are a hard working group of people. They have started working on there church. I am sure soon the work will start again. They are looking forward to Christmas and all the activities. They have invited August Pine Ridge to be a part of the Christmas Program.
Sand Hill is doing well. They have had Fundraisers to start a brand new church. We are very excited about that. It is exciting to see all the changes that the Lord is doing. Claudio is doing a great job as conf. President. And the conference is doing great.
Hattieville is doing good Donovan is doing well on his orphanage. We are a part of his ministry. The building is almost complete.
We are still having the ladies meeting at the Mission House. I have enjoyed teaching the book a Purpose Driven Life and feel that it has been a great blessing. We do end up spending the day together. Thanks Martha for sending the books. They are such a blessing.
The Vacation Bible School was a great success. I did the workshop and the nationals did a great job in teaching. Everyone loved the craft. It was great to have so many workers and pastors. Everyone loved having the Rally. It was a great kick-off. They want it again next year and they want to change churches each time.
Don, Galo, Ernesto and Mr. Hellie have put a new roof on the Mission House. It is green like the school. It looks great. The bats have been swept away and it smells clean. They have also fixed the front porch so we wont lose any children off it. It was too dangerous. It really helps the looks of the Mission House. They have also plastered the shed. It will be painted this week.
Well it is almost time for Christmas. We do not plan on coming in this year. It is always hard to visit on the Holidays. Everyone is so busy. We will have a Belize Christmas. We have had the tree up since before Thanksgiving.. I found some decorations and several ladies were here. They wanted to put up the tree the children from the neighborhood came to help too. . Everyone had a great time putting up the tree. I bought lights and the Mission House is lit up. Many don’t have Christmas Trees in there home. We have ended up putting it out on the front porch and it is now the Mission Christmas Tree.. I must say it looks beautiful. The children come and sit and just look at its beauty. Some want me to take pictures of there children by the tree. Santa doesn’t come to Belize like it does in the US. If they get something to ware they are lucky. They desire apples and grapes. The apples are a dollar apiece and the grapes are very expensive. I put only a few candy canes on the tree everyday. I plan to make tons of candy and cookies. The idea Christmas meal is a black soup with chicken stuffed with sausage also a black fruitcake. There will be an all night singing and food at the church. on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day will be for families.
I hope everyone has enjoyed the website. I have tried to keep everyone up to date with what is going on. The website is http;//donpatsmithbz1.blogspot.com. I try to update it about once a week.
We didn’t finish the letter on Friday. People came in so I will finish it today. Saturday night we carried a van full to Progresso it was a house full of people. We also carried Bro. Victor with us and his family. It was a good service the alter was full of people. We are excited. About what the Lord will do in that church. Sunday we went to August Pine Ridge last night was a good service. Bro. Victor has changed the music and the order of service to include the youth more. When the praise group started about six of the young men came in to watch. The others crowded around the windows and doors. They were respectful. except for one .He threw a stone and hit the roof during prayer for them but that was all. After the service Bro. Victors wife had cooked rice and beans with chicken and cold slaw. Then he turned the tape player up and let them enjoy themselves. His daughters carried some plates outside. The young men stayed outside and we went out to shake their hand. It is good to put a face on these people that stand in the dark. One of the young men that has been coming helped with the presentation. That is a big step in that village.
We want to thank everyone that has been a part of our ministry. We appreciate all the support and the prayers. you have given us during the year. We pray that God will bless each of you beyond anything you could imagine.
In Gods Service,
Rev. Don & Pat Smith