Hello from Belize continued…
Today is March 2nd and it is hot and dry, with a strong breeze blowing. The sun is intense but if you can find shade it is not too bad. The sea container is now completely unloaded. We still are unpacking boxes, sorting items, and putting things away. There are other projects going on at the same time. The main one for this year is the new concrete water cistern that is being constructed behind the house. It will hold 4500 gals of rainwater, which will be collected from the roof of the house. A pump and captive air tank were both donated in Pennsylvania and came down in the sea container. These will be used to bring the water into the house. Currently, we are hooked up to the nearby town water supply, but it is unreliable and the water pressure is very low. For example, our water went off late Saturday night and it did not come back on until the middle of the afternoon on Monday at a trickle until dinner time. It is very frustrating not having access to water all the time especially in the hot weather. I should clarify that this water is for daily household use and not for drinking. We use purified water for drinking and keep a good supply in store.
Another never-ending job is keeping the vehicles in good repair. Many of the roads are dirt and with the heavy rains, they become full of potholes. Now that the dry season is here the road-graders will be out trying to smooth the way! The main roads are paved and the Belize government has done some major upgrades over the past couple of years. Even so, every town has large speed bumps to slow the traffic down and allow the pedestrians to cross. Needless to say, the vehicles really take a beating.
It is now March 7th. I was interrupted the last time I sat down to write and now five busy days have gone by. Today is Sunday. Isaiah was baptized in the Belize River by Pastor Rudy Pletts. The baptism service was held after our regular service at Amazing Grace Church. There were about 12 young people participating and many of their fathers went into the river to help the Pastor. It was beautiful to see.
Yesterday I baked two cakes to take for the picnic lunch that was held after the service. I tried an experiment with the chocolate one and it turned out great. I enjoy baking different kinds of desserts to share with others. The only downside is not wanting to run the oven in the heat of the day. The flours and sugars are very different here and that can make the baking very challenging.
Over the past week, we had numerous visitors stop by. Some were old friends and some new. People are always curious about what we are doing here. I enjoy meeting new people and finding out about them too. One of our visitors turned out to be an appliance repairman and he was able to get a washing machine that came in the container working for us. With the low water pressure, I am able to get one load of wash done a day. That is progress and a big help for me.
Praise the Lord, Estella Saravia is slowly recovering. She went back to the doctor on Saturday and he was very pleased with how much her speech has improved. She can get up out of her hammock for short periods of time now. Please continue to pray for her healing.
Please keep us in your prayers too. We seek the Lord’s guidance as we serve here in Belize. We rely daily on the Lord to supply our needs and to see us through any challenges we face. Thank and may the Lord Bless you. Nancy Merrick