So these past 10 days, my team and I have been on the island of San Pedro, in Belize. We are surrounded by beautiful blue waters and this touristy town attracts many to its shores. San Pedro is composed of tourism and immense poverty, the latter of which many people don’t ever see. This is where we are working; working with a local church in the slums of San Mateo, on the north side of the island. But God had a beautiful plan for our eyes to be opened to the hardship He sees everyday. He opened an opportunity for us to truly learn what it means to be broken at heart but seeking Him daily. To empathize with His children and see that ultimately, we can find Him in everything. He loves to deposit HOPE throughout every day, even amidst the heat and sewage or roaches and rats-He is a God of goodness and that doesn’t change depending on our external circumstances.
We are working not within the touristy realms of this place, but like mentioned above, within the poverty stricken area of San Mateo. We began our stay with our host church family in the slums of this town. They are the sweetest of families, and honestly one of my favorite hosts on the Race. They extend kindness, grace, and love to all of us every day. Their stories of hardship stir tears and emotions of all sorts within me.
Their conditions are poor but their hearts are strong.
God has used this month thus far to show me four things:
1) God hears our prayers.
A huge miracle for my team this month has been to move to safer and healthier living conditions. Many of my teammates were recovering from past illness from previous months and with lack of sleep due to heat, rodents, sewage, and safety concerns-we made the choice to pray to move to safer grounds. We didn’t know if this would be within our budget but we had to try…so we began to pray. We prayed for a safer place with some accommodations that would help us stay healthy. The next day we went out and began to look. There are only 3 hostels on this island and 1 was closed, so narrowed down to 2 we looked into the first we passed. Not much to our surprise, it was WAY over budget but we sat down with the lovely owner and began to chat. We told her of our ventures and asked if any deals could have been made. She cut the price over half for us, gave us a private room, a fan, and some nights runs the air. She allowed us free bike rentals and all out of the goodness of her heart. A miracle happened HERE!
Also, the day after we moved the violence threats were made and the rains came and flooded the yard very badly. God knew the timing. We still work with the family and see them daily and multiple times a day, but God heard our prayers and knew what was best-even if it didn’t look typical. And from the walk we have to make to ministry, we have been able to have many other divine appointments and even hear and connect with others who want to do the Race.
Psalm 107:28-30 //Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.//
2) God speaks personally to all of His kiddos.
This month has been hard on each of my teammates and myself, but through it, God has drew us ever near to himself. I personally have not been able to sleep much this past week due to heat and one night being bed-mates with huge bugs and rats. Physically I am worn and tired and rightfully so after 10 months on the Race. I have been giving it my all and its beginning to wear on me in these hard conditions. So…God pulls me away and reminds me that He hears my prayers and He whispers truth over me-truth that I needed to hear so badly.
“My daughter I am proud of you and I love you.”
“We will get through this together.”
“My love in you is ever constant and it is changing environments.”
“I have grace upon grace upon grace for you to give.”
“You are beautiful in radiance and I made you this way from the moment you were thought of in my heart.”
“I am giving you a greater portion of my heart and with it, you will be changed forever.”
“Hope is everywhere because I am everywhere.”
The list goes on and on but He speaks to each of us so personally. I have been so afraid that I won’t sleep well this month because I have always struggled to sleep in immense heat and we do sleep often in sauna like conditions, but He is with me and is helping daily to continue to give me strength that is not my own. He is drawing near and calming me and providing peace.
John 10: 27 //My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.//
3) God is near to the brokenhearted.
This has been a huge thing that God has shown me and all of my team this month. There are so many brokenhearted people here, we have been brokenhearted for them and just the conditions here. But…God draws near to the brokenhearted because He loves His kids and His love reaches out to the brokenhearted. He wants to draw all of us in because He is a God of immense “nearness”. He is the Father who comes alongside of us and provides a way and a plan for all of our lives. He is faithful!
Psalm 34:18 // The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. //
God does not want our spirits to be crushed for He gave us spirits of power, love and self-control, but we ALL need saving and have times of brokenness. I truly believe He has allowed us to step into the shoes of the people on this island and in the slums of San Mateo to see their hearts and feel what they feel and I feel immense brokenheartedness. I feel hopelessness in the their hearts.
He calls us to bring life and hope and continues to whisper Luke 4:18 over me:
““The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
This is the will of God.
4) God wants all good things for us.
We serve a good God.
//”For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.”//-Psalm 100: 5
He wants all good things for us, hope and plans for a future. He desires life, light, rest, hope, love, grace, faithfulness, and joy. He literally offers treasures forevermore for our hearts. Sometimes on this journey we forget that He is proud of us for stepping out in faith. It’s one thing to think He is good but to rather know He is good is so much deeper. Its been hard to always see the goodness while being here, not in Him but around us. He has asked us to look deeper and to ask for more. He reveals goodness and goodness is not always circumstancial, but mostly of heart and of prayer and faith. He wants to bless us with good things. He wants me to sleep and to help me sleep, He will provide for our host family, and He is not one to forget anything. His unfailing love endures forever and His faithfulness to each generation.
The prayers we pray today, He is faithful to answer.
These are just a few snippets of how He is speaking to my heart and wrecking it for His kingdom! It’s not easy and not everyone understands, but my Jesus does and He is the greatest support I have!
Hope is stronger than fear because LOVE, anchored in HOPE, casts out fear.
Much love and whimsy,
Victoria
