Here's what Christy has to say about the day:
The morning started off as usual with the not so faint sound of roosters crowing, dogs barking and an incredibly delicious breakfast made by our wonderful cooks Abby and Amallya. Then came the bumpy ride to church. Paster Reyes was back this week and blessed us with an amazing sermon on Faith from the book of Romans. He gave examples of how our life cannot be complete and there are things that we will not be able to fully understand until we give everything we have to God. We also got to sing the song that Erin taught us in her devotion earlier this week. It was great to be shown fearless love with the open arms and hearts of the church congregation. After church we came back to a warm lunch of spaghetti and chips with homemade queso dip. Not only was this a wonderful reminder of home but the homemade dip is a huge fan favorite.
After checking the website and clarifying that it was open we finished lunch and then were given the choice of going to the Xunantunich Mayan ruins or staying to work on homework for school tomorrow. As you can probably guess the majority of us practiced our fully developed skill of procrastinating and made the walk down to the ferry. When we got there we were sadly disappointed to find the only way to the ruins (the ferry) closed. Because of all the rain that Guatemala had gotten in the past 24 hours it was all running full speed down into the river. Practicing the one skill that we were told not to come without, flexibility, we quickly made new plans and were given a few options on what we could do until dinner. Part of the group when to Benny's to get some refreshing fruit drinks and relax in the beautiful Belizean air, others started the long trek back to camp, other went to the near by market to do some shopping and then a small group of us went to explore the town that we have been living in.
My group went to look around the town. We wandered around the town seeing parts of Belize that we had never seen before. Then we came to a hill that we had all wondered what was on the other side so... Of course we climbed it. After huffing and puffing to the top of Mt. Everest we saw one of the most breath taking views we have encountered on the entire trip. It was amazing just to see God's creation all laid out before me and knowing the pictures that I took could never do it justice. From there we followed the road around passing some of our students from school and meeting a woman named Lilly who had met groups of education students from Mount Vernon in the past. She showed us around the village that she lived in as well as where she lived with her family. She too had an incredible view reaching all the way to Guatemala inviting us to come back again during an evening so we could watch the "wishing stars" as she called them.
Later in the evening as people started to wind down and work on lesson plans or begin to journal, McKenzie, Jenny, Brody, and I went to watch the stars. To our disappointment, however, it began to rain so not only were we wet but the clouds covered all the stars. As a plan B we began walking only to find ourselves avoiding a puddle every two feet. Needless to say we spent the next hour jumping in mud puddles and playing in the rain. This was just the perfect end to a fabulous day and was a great reminder of God's beautiful creation, that I as a person although I am small am incredibly blessed not only in my life but through this trip, as well as how important it is to enjoy the little things in life.
Mommy I love you and cannot wait to see you! I hope to bring back some sunshine for you.
Love,
Christy
Here are devotions from Cassidy:
When planning the devotional, I tried to find a verse that would speak to everyone. Little did I know, from hearing others share, the devotional spoke to me more than I thought. I read Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." I asked the group what this verse means to them and what may hinder them from allowing God to search their hearts.
For me, I explained that this verse means that I'm open and vulnerable to God and I allow Him to work through my life. I told the group that what may hinder me to allow God to search my heart is trust. I explained scenarios in my life, such as my senior missions trip where 3 students passed away and a motorcycle accident my parents went through this past May, that have caused me to question my faith and made it difficult to put my trust in Christ. Others shared that this verse means being vulnerable and walking with Christ through situations together. Dr. Brad used the illustration of our heart as a mansion. He said that the mansion is full of different rooms and each room represents a different area of our life. He assured me that walking through those rooms and searching your heart is a lifetime process. I never expected that I would learn so much and be spoken to from a devotional I planned, but I know I have received a new perspective from my peers insight.
Love,
Cassidy
Despite the fact that we haven't been able to see much of the "tourist-y" scenery of Belize, I know in my heart that even if I don't see another piece of Belize, I've already seen the most beautiful part of the country in the Belizean people. I think my peers would say the same.
Cuán Grande Es Él; How Great He Is!
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