Hello Everyone,
We have been very busy with lots of cleanup going on since Hurricane Lisa passed over us. Once again, we have been reminded of the Lord’s blessings in our lives. On the first Tuesday morning after the storm, Andy joined a group of 10 men who had volunteered to help a sister church in one of the poorest sections of Belize City (two hours away). They demolished and cleaned up the house of one church member that had collapsed on itself, and over 10 truckloads of debris were hauled away. He came home very dirty and smelly as there was a lot of mud and foul water at the site. We are so thankful for a good sturdy home here in the country where we see the beauty of God’s creation every day.
In my last message, I asked for prayer for Elizabeth who is dying from cancer that has spread through her body. Her husband has not been working because he needs to take care of her and their four young children. Her mother and cousin help too. They are poor, and her medical bills have them in debt for $4,000 (US). The medical system is quite different here. If you cannot pay your bill, you will get no more treatment. She was in so much pain that the family took her to another hospital. They kept her one night and put her on IV, pain management, and oxygen. Someone loaned the family a hospital bed and she was sent home. That cost another $1,200. Now a doctor must come every day and monitor her condition. I went to visit her on Thursday, and she was resting quietly. We have helped the family with some food and material needs, along with some money for her medication, but the need is great. Over the weekend, the village held a chicken BBQ fundraiser to help the family. It is so good to see them helping as best they can. Please keep on praying for Elizabeth
Sunday, we picked up Jason Emery from the airport. Jason is from Pine Grove, PA. He has come to help us for two weeks, and it is so good to have him here. Andy was hoping to get some dirt moved around and road grading done, but the weather has become very rainy. They may need to find an indoor shop project. Our JCB backhoe needs repair. It is a key piece of equipment that we use all the time here at CMTS Belize and also to help our community. It will not move forward, and we do not know what the problem is or how to fix it. We are praying to find someone who can help us with this.
I have been connecting with more women and my list for visitation continues to grow. I must confess, I do not like driving through the deep mud when it is rainy like this. It is almost as bad as driving on ice. I thank the Lord for the 4×4 pickup truck Andy was able to purchase at an auction in August.
It is hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that Thanksgiving is being celebrated this week in the USA. Thanksgiving was one of my favorite holidays as a child, but it is not celebrated here. The Lord tells me to be thankful in all things, and so I try to keep my mind focused on Him. It is a good time to think about everything we have to be thankful for!
May the Lord Bless your celebration of His goodness!
Nancy & Andy Merrick