The plot has been lived on before, but nothing is there now and the bush had grown back to three or four feet in height. On Thursday we donned the machetes and after a few lessons from the locals on sharpening, went to work clearing. We finished by lunch Friday with the help of Rodrigo and Theodoro. We are scheduled to have a truckload of sand and rocks brought in on Tuesday to begin the foundation of the house. Then we can begin gathering the needed logs and posts from the jungle as soon as possible. Since our knowledge is limited, a friend, Gregorio, is spearheading the project and seems to be quite excited to give us a hand.

Lord willing, the “Bible House” will be complete in one to two months. Although much of the materials can be obtained freely, we are looking at roughly $1500 to pay for the concrete pad and labor. That’s not bad for a Bible study facility and surely God will meet our needs as He has so faithfully brought us this far. We are still awed at this next step God has opened the way for and want to thank those of you who have sent us encouraging e-mails over these past few weeks, and most of all, for all of your prayers.

Our first Sunday School for the children is this Sunday. Please pray for this and the opportunities it represents.

Perhaps it goes without saying that our school is first and foremost a tool for discipleship. I often feel we in our modern western society mindset lose crucial perspective by separating “secular” from Biblical education. The scenario we’re given through the Old Testament example of Israel is one of a nation whose every facet—religious, domestic, and economic—made no distinction between what was considered spiritual and what was not (Deuteronomy 6:7). Life in its entirety was simply assumed to all somehow be an expression of God’s reign. Our tendency to categorize between earthly matters and heavenly ones is more of a historical spill over of rationalistic Greek thought, not Biblical truth.

We cut ourselves short when we limit the Bible to strictly spiritual, sometimes mysterious matters that we feel we can’t solve any other way than by relegating them to a compartment in our brain that’s only accessed during Sunday School. Once upon a time the Bible was considered authoritative as it pertained to every branch of learning. If there is anything true, any provable fact, be it scientific, mathematical, musically theoretical, or even linguistical, it’s only so because the Creator deemed it to be. True, the Bible can’t, and shouldn’t, be used as an answer key for every conceivable question, but it does contain the foundational wisdom from which every answer stems. For example, the specifics of physics aren’t detailed in the Bible’s pages, but the principle of God’s established order in the universe is proclaimed throughout. Discipleship and education are in a sense insoluble. This in part is why we are using the school setting to reach youth in the village.

Please pray for this school year, particularly that the students would each have a life-changing encounter with the Lord and His Gospel. Again, we will be holding chapel services on Tuesdays at 10:30 AM. This would be an opportune time each week to pray for the going forth of the Word into fertile hearts.

Some of you are also aware that the missionaries with whom we pasture our horses are on furlough. Though they had somebody filling in for their church services in Punta Gorda, that is now a responsibility that we are carrying till their return (late September-early October). Patrick will be handling the service Sunday morning as I stay in San Jose for children’s Bible school. Please pray as we minister separately on Sundays for the weeks to come.

We’ve added a few new features to the website. You can now view our mission video straight from the site if you haven’t already seen it. We’re also in the process of mailing out our September newsletter. If you don’t receive our quarterly (or as close as we can get them) newsletters and would like to, e-mail us your address.

Thank you for your continued time and prayers.

In His service,

With a total of 22 of us all together in San Jose this year, the team was spread out in various village homes for sleeping accommodations. Everyone hit the day running at 7 AM with breakfast on the go and devotions at the mission station before a frenzied cleanup and preparation to get ready for the 8:30 VBS. Over 200 hundred children the first day quickly showed us we would have to rework plans from previous years and divide the children up. One group of children headed across the road to the craft station, while the other received the day’s lesson in songs, skits, and puppet shows in the Bible house. This meant all the teaching had to be done twice each day, but we were blessed to have an experienced child-entertainer on the team who earned the title of “Craft Czar”. She not only kept the crafts rolling along smoothly, but also proved to be a treasure trove of activity ideas as the children finishing up their crafts waited their turn to rotate houses.

After an 11:30 AM wrap up, the team headed to different villagers’ homes throughout the week for the local meal of the day. This was followed by the intense midday heat at which point everyone longed for a hammock to take their siesta in. However, since the Mayans here don’t follow that common Latin American custom, the desire had to remain as just that. There was really no time for napping anyhow. Women’s Bible study began at 2 PM, at which point the women from the team had the opportunity to interact in small group settings with San Jose women. We had three returnees this year from previous teams (one returning for the third time). These three informed us that the women opened up more readily than in years past (which is of course relevant to a quiet culture).  A few women also made statements that indicated they understood being a Christian isn’t some vague sentiment of, “Maybe I am…,” but a definite step of receiving Jesus into one’s life—and knowing He has come to abide. This realization in and of itself is a significant step in the direction of the advance of the Gospel in the female sector of San Jose. A couple San Jose women even shared a bit of their own testimonies and experiences with God. He is surely at work among the women here. Please continue to pray that seeds sown this year, and in years before, will be brought to fruition.

As the women ministered, the men sweat. Patrick and I had gotten to the point of needing a new bathroom facility to replace our two-by-four and tarp contraption (booby trap) that was on its last leg. We all set about sinking some freshly cut, heavy rosewood posts (did I mention heavy?) two feet into the mud, which still left a good ten feet of post on the high end. Since everything had to be sawed by hand, and sawing rosewood is no joke, we opted for the tallest bathroom in San Jose. We had a level, but no straight posts. This made plumb an unattainable goal. It being Belize, we did the best we could. After three and a half days we had a new bathroom and shower room that will serve not only our students, but also future interns and teams.

For all of you who prayed for a letting up of the rain, your prayers were heard. It only rained hard the first day or so and then occasionally during the night for the remainder of the week. But as if the prayers stopped when the team left, it poured Monday and has been raining steadily since. We also felt your prayers in a myriad of other areas. It typically seems that when people come on a short-term mission trip they come ready to be uncomfortable, ready to serve, and ready to be used. This willingness tends to produce a beautiful example of the Body of Christ in action. This year was no exception as each member found their niche and dove into areas where they could use their God-given abilities. Some individuals even stretched themselves across many “fields” and continually surprised us. I can’t help but think of how much more of the life of Christ we as Believers could shine forth if we approached life as a “mission” throughout the year and endeavored to lay aside personal preferences and work together towards a common goal all the time. Our ten days as a team in San Jose proves it is possible, though not necessarily comfortable. The week’s ministry did not occur without determined effort and sinewy faith on everyone’s part.

Our theme this year was “There’s Only One Way!” We traced several Old Testament stories to demonstrate how God has always provided a way for man to come to Him. Abel came through the blood of a lamb; Noah through one door on the Ark; and Jacob through a staircase in a dream, etc. Today that Way is Jesus Christ. We tried something new this year by emphasizing a memory verse each day to go along with the lesson. By the end of the week 36 children had recited all five verses.

Michael and Ethan, our two summer interns, left with the team on Monday. We are definitely feeling their absence as we go about cleaning up and getting back into a regular routine. Both had been here since late May. Both had a summer experience that we pray spills over into their lives in Birmingham.

If you would like a glimpse of the VBS, we have pictures posted on our website at www.dayspringmission.org . Just click on “Visit our 2006 VBS” on the homepage. Also, we still seem to be having e-mail problems. If you haven’t received our updates in a few months, it is probably due to that. Hopefully we are soon to have everything worked out.

Please continue to pray for what God is doing within the children and women through last week’s ministry. May Satan be restrained through prayer from being able to snatch the seeds sown in the hearts of many, and may those hearts be found fertile—receptive to God’s Word.

In His service,

Patrick writing…

Since arriving in Belize, Jeff and I have had a particular interest and prayer burden for two villages that are very different one from another, Aguacate and Barranco. For the first time in two years I headed to Aguacate with Michael two weeks ago. It proved to be a day of “13’s”. It was a 13 mile trip (one way). Along the way, as people asked what we were selling, we sold $13 worth of Christian books and literature. Then upon arriving in the village, we went to the school where we enrolled 13 children into The Mailbox Club Bible correspondence. We continue to feel that ministering to the children in the villages of this area is the key. They are not yet hardened toward God’s Word, and they will represent the next generation of adults in either spiritual weakness or strength. Children also provide a natural inroad into families in the village.

Following our Aguacate trip Michael and I made our way towards Barranco, a village on the coast. The distance was further than we had been led to believe. At the end of a long day and late night, we calculated that it was about a 56 mile round trip. This is the new record for using the same two horses the whole journey. Though it is a Catholic school in Barranco, the principal allowed us to also distribute Mailbox Club materials to the students.

Barranco has a unique history. It is not a Mayan village, but is populated by descendents of an African slave ship. The story is told that the ship began to sink, so the slaves were loosed from their chains. Many made it to shore, never to experience life in Belize as slaves. This same people group, the Garifuna, founded the village of Barranco.  Because of this they are a proud people, but they also have retained many of their animistic beliefs. There is no evangelical church in Barranco, however, it does boast a gigantic thatch roofed “voodoo” temple.

We found the people to be friendly, but curious as to our intentions. Barranco is not a village that has had much exposure to any mission work, not even short term. Jeff and I have long hoped for an opportunity to minister there. Michael and I are now taking the first steps in that direction.

Jeff writing…

On a similar note, Ethan (summer intern) and I have been working in two villages also, though villages closer to home. Tuesday afternoons see us making the trek to Santa Cruz. This is a village we are quite familiar with, having lived there for a time, and bringing a VBS team there in 2003. Then on Wednesdays we take off in the opposite direction to Na Luum Caj (Mother Earth).  In both cases we’re holding children’s Bible school, just on a much smaller scale in Na Luum Caj, as it is a tiny village.

Ethan and I have been sharing about Elijah. He, like the children, was just one person from a small village who chose to take a stand. His stand stirred a king to anger and affected an entire nation. Can the prayers of one man (or woman) be a force that confronts a nation with the question, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him”—absolutely! Belize, like Old Testament Israel, is a land steeped with opportunities to take God seriously, but sadly, like Israel, it seems to often opt for compromised Christianity. “I’ll give God lip-service when it’s convenient or expedient to do so, but if Baal (or whatever one turns to besides God) seems to offer something better, he’s the god I’ll serve. After all, an idol is anything we allow to distract us from loving the Lord God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Anything short of giving God all the glory, is to give the glory due only to Him to something else. This includes our time, our efforts, our friendships, or even the church service itself, which so often becomes the focus here in San Jose. All that is “good” can quickly become bad if God is in any sense dethroned.

Please pray for Santa Cruz and Na Luum Caj as we continue through the life of Elijah, and his protégé, Elisha. Also keep in mind Barranco and Aguacate. The former in particular is a village that Satan will not easily relinquish. Your prayers are imperative.

In His service,

This coming Monday, on the heels of Ricky and April’s departure, we’ll be joined by Michael and Ethan, two young men who will intern with us for the summer. With school winding down we’re looking forward to branching out from San Jose. Michael and Ethan will be crucial in assisting us as we travel to other villages. These visits will include literature distribution and enrolling children in “The Mailbox Club”, a Bible correspondence course. Along the way, as opportunities arise, we’ll show Bible-based films projected onto a screen that rolls down on the side of the buggy. These films offer us a “jumping off” point to teach from. One film, in particular, follows the steps of Abraham. The simple way of life it portrays is one many villagers can relate to. But most importantly, it stresses how one man had ears to hear the Lord speak and was willing to risk everything to follow.

Then, the last week of July, we’ll host our annual VBS team. The team members have already begun meeting together and preparing for this year’s theme, “There’s Only One Way!” Please pray for this time. The past six months have seen the dwindling of the numbers of children attending Bible School each Sunday. We do have a faithful core group of attendees. At times it is even advantageous to work with a smaller group. But hopefully, the summer VBS can act as a catalyst to revive the interest of those children who have dropped off for whatever reasons.

Jumping back to the present, we have our website, www.dayspringmission.org, back up and running. After a long spell of dormancy, we now have the capability to operate it from Belize (no, we still don’t have internet access in the village, but we can upload the site from our laptop in town). So feel free to check it out. We will be expanding it, adding more as time allows. Of special note is the “prayer request” page. It has an ongoing list of prayer needs that will be regularly updated. The site also contains information about Horse & Buggy Publications, with some of the booklets available to view.

We are entering our final month of school. This means, in anticipation of the 2006-2007 year, we’ll soon begin ordering textbooks so that they arrive on time. We’ve had a number of you ask us how you can be involved in our work, specifically the school. Curricula are our biggest need—in most cases either new or used. If you would like more information, e-mail us and we can send you details.

In our chapel service at school a couple weeks ago we were teaching the students the song that follows Psalm 139^23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked ways…[harbored inside my heart].” This coincided with something I had just been reading: “We do not need to worry about getting more of the Holy Spirit, but see to it that He gets more of us. We can have all of Him if He can have all of us.” As I encouraged the students to allow God to search their hearts as we sang, I was challenged to really ponder what Psalm 139 was speaking to me. Am I willing to relinquish any “wicked ways” that God might put His finger on in my life? If so, His Spirit is available in full to me. If not, then any praying or crying out for more of God’s presence is futile. We must guard against getting side tracked from the primary issue—sin versus holiness. Everything can be simplified in that.

Please keep in touch! As we ask for your prayers, we also ask that we might know how we can be in prayer for you.

In the service of Messiah,

We often get the question, “Why do you use horses and a buggy instead of a car?” Primarily we do so because in our particular village setting, a car is still a rarity. Though we have only one of two buggies in San Jose, the majority of people own horses. In our effort to identify ourselves with the people we minister among, this includes doing so in the area of transportation.  A car would actually set us more apart, almost on a different “economic” footing than a buggy. Of course in PG, there are a number of cars, but it’s been neat to see how many heads we turn in the buggy even among a population that is use to seeing local Mennonites selling watermelons out of their wagons. So the next most oft asked question is, “Are you selling watermelons?” No. But the question does give us an inroad to further conversation and the opportunity to share why we are in Belize. And, let’s not forget, it’s cheaper here to feed horses than to feed a gas tank—gas is currently over $5 a gallon.

Coincidingly, the publishing wing of the mission, Horse and Buggy Publications, is expanding. Over the last two years we’ve put together over 80 booklets. Some are simply stories about missionaries, while others are accounts of Christians who have endured persecution and suffering for the Lord. One series of booklets walks a person step by step through the Old Testament, highlighting blood atonement and culminating with Messiah’s final sacrifice. Another focuses on the basics of Christian living. We have devotional material and through-the-Bible in a year reading plans. Many booklets are set up to be worked through via correspondence. As we’ve met more people outside of San Jose in our travels, having booklets on hand has allowed us to offer them something spiritually beneficial to read. Overall, there are not many available reading materials in our area and a bigger sized book is often intimidating to villagers. We try to keep the booklets user friendly and easy to digest.

While in town today, we approached a local shop owner about the possibility of displaying some of our booklets on her counter. We were surprised at her instant willingness and excitement. Though we often simply give the booklets away, she will sell them for us at a low cost. We’ve observed through our experiences here that sometimes giving things away creates what seems like a mindset or worthlessness towards what’s been given. For example, many a free Bible lie neglected in houses (and sometimes scattered across yards!). But if a person actually has to pay at least a little (relevant to their income) for something, they won’t be so quick to cast it aside. Our prices on booklets don’t even offset our printing costs, but we feel are important in encouraging appreciation towards them. We have given many more booklets away than actually sold, and of course we’d never turn someone away who genuinely wanted one but didn’t have 25 cents.

Please pray that the Lord would use our publications as He sees fit. We are constantly seeking for how to best share truth with people here. Right now it seems like the school, the booklets, and our town trips are productive methods. However, we don’t want to be blind to other methods God might be trying to reveal to us. We also don’t want to stubbornly persist down a path that will bear no lasting fruit. There is always a danger of allowing our own methods of ministry to overshadow the message of ministry. Though God’s Word never changes, the means by which He chooses to make His Word known do. It’s so easy to cling tenaciously to the way we’ve always done things just because “It’s always worked before.” As creatures who don’t generally like change, we have to guard against insisting on settling down in the places we’ve grown comfortable in, when in fact the Holy Spirit has long since moved on. Pray that we will have wisdom in discerning those areas of our ministry that need to take priority—those areas where God is at work and not simply our good-intentions.

We pray this finds each of you well. Feel free to drop us an email—we would love to hear from you.

In the service of Messiah,

Upon arrival I found the mission house and bus in great shape. Our student, who had been sleeping nights in the house and feeding the animals, reported that he’d had no problems during our absence. Thank you for all of you prayers. We had never left the mission station for that long without at least an intern minding it. On Sunday afternoon I resumed children’s Bible school. After two Sundays off and a village- wide soccer game happening simultaneously, I wasn’t sure how many children would show up. But close to 30 did.

We’ll both be heading back to the village this afternoon. We have about three months left before the end of our second year of teaching school. Please continue to pray for our seven students, particularly that the Lord will speak to each of their hearts in such a way that they would desire intensely His salvation, receiving a foretaste of the abundant life offered to them in Christ. We’ve noticed a number of small things this year among the five returning students that indicate more openness towards us and the Gospel than was evident last year. Please pray that we will present truth through our “academic” time with them in a way relevant to where each is spiritually.

As many of you have heard us share before, we haven’t found over these past five years many hungry, fertile hearts. Instead there has been quite a bit of fallow ground that’s needed breaking up, nurturing, and time; time for God to work in His way, and time for prayer—yours and ours—to do its effectual work. It’s certainly not only Belize where this scenario is encountered. Fallow ground in a heart, or a people at large, occurs in places where the Gospel, or parts of it, have been presented and to a degree implemented. But neglect and unwatchfulness leaves the ground hardened and unproductive—spiritually dead. I guess living in a farming community is causing the farming metaphors to abound, but the point is the remedy is still Romans 1:16: “the Gospel of Christ…is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” A new heart, a changed life, is God’s work—by His power. No matter where we are, Belize, the U.S., or Timbuktu, we simply bear the message, by word and in action. But God causes the growth.

The common denominator among all cultures is that man is separated from God because of sin. The Gospel, trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus, is the power to restore the relationship. We must not lose sight of the simplicity of the message or doubt its power. I’ve found that the Lord has been reminding me of that lately. We live in a day of increasing coldness towards the Gospel (Matthew 24:12), but the Gospel has not lost its power. Schools or programs, events or ministries can all be used of God, but only as a vehicle to spread His Word. If they lose sight of that and become something more, something that distracts from God’s message, they stand in the way of His purpose—working in people through His Gospel in His time.

It was great seeing many of you while back in the States. Patrick and I were much encouraged through the mission conference we were a part of in Birmingham. It not only gave us an opportunity to interact with those attending, but also to hear from other missionaries what God is doing in other parts of the world. We are in the process of sending out our quarterly (well, as close as we can get it) newsletter. It contains our annual financial report for those interested. If you are not on our mailing list and would like to receive these newsletters, please send us an email with your address.

Talk to you soon!

Though our time back will be busy and go by quickly, we would like to take advantage of the opportunity to get together with any of you who will be in the Birmingham area and be available to do so. Drop us an email and we’ll see what we can do.