It is hard to believe Month 1 of the race has already come and gone. Belize was a wonderful start to what I know is going to be a crazy year. God is opening my eyes to His power and love. I am so excited to get to be extra intentional in my relationship with the Lord and become best friends with my creator. Here is a brief overview of my month!
What city did you stay in? What was your living situation?
- We stayed in Independence, Belize. A small village on the southern coast of Belize, it is just one big family here; everybody is related to somebody.
- My team lived behind the church in their Sunday school building. We were incredibly thankful to have mattresses, a shower (only cold water which turned out to be a welcomed escape from the heat), fans, and a full kitchen!
What was your ministry for this month?
- We partnered with Independence Church of The Nazarene. Our ministry changed day to day.
- We spent the majority of our time painting the preschool behind the church.
- We visited the religion classes at the local high school to share our testimonies.
- We provided a bible study for a group of children in a Mayan village about 20 minutes away from Independence
- We participated in the evening activities at the church most nights of the week.
- We spent a lot of time with the teens of the church!
- We shared our testimonies with the church congregation.
What language do most people speak?
- Kriol. This was a lot of fun to learn, it is very similar to English. By the end of the month I could understand most of what people were saying in Kriol. Speaking it was a little more difficult, I gave them a lot of laughs as I attempted to learn.
What foods did you try? What was your favorite?
- Journey Cakes
- Chicken gizzard
- Power buns
- Fried jack
- Pupusa’s
- Seaweed shakes
I loved them all! except for the chicken gizzard…..
What was the hardest thing about this month?
- I think the hardest part of this month was adjusting to this new lifestyle. My main struggle was I loved being around all the people so much that it was hard for me to go and have my Jesus time and introvert time. I had to learn a lot about my personal boundaries of when to take time and refuel so when I was with people I was fully present and not drained.
What was the best thing about this month?
- The people, no doubt about it. I had a blast getting to know each and every one of them. It was amazing how quickly these people became close friends and I missed them if I didn’t see them for a day. They love the Lord with all of their hearts and you can see it in the way they live and love on the people around them.
What was unexpected this month?
- I was not expecting to be poured into by the community and the Lozano’s nearly as much as I was. I almost felt as if they were serving us more than we were serving them. This month was just full of so much joy and love and laughter
- Also I held a tarantula!! It was not nearly as terrifying as I thought it would be. (Thanks LJ for making that happen)
Where did you see Jesus the most?
- I saw Jesus most through the conversations I got to have throughout the month. I got to talk about and hear about how the power of Jesus has transformed so many lives. The circumstances people The Lord has brought people through is inspiring. There is nothing too large or dirty or scary for Him.
Love y’all,
Martha Kuhn
**This post is a bit delayed. I left Independence, Belize on Halloween and spent a week with my whole squad debriefing our first month and getting to build each other up and prepare for our next month. I arrived in Honduras on November 6th and am now settled in here. I am living in a house with 37 other people and sharing a room with 14 girls. Our ministry this month is with a home for special needs adults who have been abandoned and rejected by their families. This month has already stretched me in so many ways. I am expectant and seeking all God has in-store for this month.**
Prayer Warriors:
- This month has a lot more structure and routine than last month. Please pray that my squad and I would not settle into the routine too much but that we would actively seek what the Lord has planned for us each day.
- With so many of us living under one roof patience and flexibility are key. Please pray that we would all live out of a place of grace and understanding.
- Praise that we all traveled safely from Belize to Honduras and that the weather here is nice and cool!!
