Hello friends and family, 

Greetings from Belize! Tropical storms have been passing by, depositing a lot of rain, and we are quite soggy right now. The grass is a foot high, but it is impossible to mow in these conditions. There are other challenges, like getting laundry done, which requires solar power to run the washing machine and the sun to dry it on the line. We find ourselves doing mostly inside jobs.

This week, Andy hired a diesel mechanic to repair one of our buses, which had stopped running. This is the first time we have had Reyner work for us, and we are impressed with his knowledge and work ethic. He is going over everything thoroughly, and it turns out the injector pump is bad. As I write this, he is trying to make one good pump out of two, as a new one is very expensive. Since they have to work outside on the bus, Reyner has been coming late in the morning when the rains usually let up. He brings his wife and 1 1/2 year old son, Giel, along. They hang out on the front porch and join us for meals. It has been fun getting to know them. Reyner has been openly talking with Andy about spiritual truths.  

Our son Peter and his wife, Andrea, traveled to Belize in celebration of their 20th wedding anniversary. We met them at the airport on September 12th and spent four days touring with them to coastal villages and then to the Cayo District of Belize, where we live. A lot was crammed into a short amount of time, and we really enjoyed their visit. After visiting with us, they traveled out to an island resort for the rest of their vacation.

Looking forward, Andy is planning to fly up to CMTS, PA, on October 2nd. He plans to prep and load our box truck and some smaller vehicles for travel to Belize. Andy is looking for help with this project on October 6th-9th. If you are interested, please contact us. Friends from Belize will also be there, loading their own truck with items they have waiting there. We previously had requested prayer for the funding of this project. We are excited to report that $13,000 of the $15,000 goal has been received. We are trusting that the rest will come in by God’s provision. We are planning for this driving team to come sometime before Thanksgiving, and we are looking for volunteer drivers.

Our home church here is hosting its annual Pastors & Ministry Leaders conference on October 4th. This conference is designed to encourage and strengthen God’s servants in ministry. Nancy will be attending, and we are inviting pastors whom we have assisted to participate.

Andy’s health continues to improve slowly. He is gaining more energy and strength. It has been six months since the killer bees attacked him. He still has chronic headaches and issues with dizziness when he bends over or rises from a horizontal position. Now his arthritis pain has returned, which the bee venom had taken away. Even so, he is not ready for another “bee treatment”.

We are praising the Lord for allowing us to continue to minister here in Belize.  We appreciate your encouraging support and vital prayers on our behalf.  

Prayer requests:

• Praise the Lord for His work throughout the world, bringing lost souls into the kingdom of God!
• Pray for the Pastor’s Conference, that the servants of God will be encouraged and equipped to move forward in their ministries.
• Praise the Lord for financial provisions!  
• Pray that the prep and loading will go well.  May the Lord give wisdom in the decision-making regarding this project, and may many be blessed by what is loaded.
• Pray for safety and good health as Andy travels and for Nancy as she stays in Belize

Nancy & Andy Merrick