How it all began
How it all
began
Belize Outreach began with a vision in 1982. My husband, Dennis, myself,Dot
Dorothy, and our two children
Jay and Robin were living in Eliot, Maine. I was looking out through a back
window of our house, one day, and had a very unusual vision.I saw these little huts
grouped close together.Soon
a bell rang and all these people of different nationalities came out and went
into this open area building, that had a roof over it.I asked the Lord if that
meant that we were to build huts out back.He impressed on me no, and it was left
for me to wonder about. Soon after,while we were at church, in Wells, Maine,a
man, who often came to our service,told me about a church group from Kennebec,
Maine.They were going on a two week mission trip to Belize and that he was
part of the group.He suggested to that I should check with the team leader and
ask about being part of the group.Immediately, the Holy Spirit impressed upon me that
this was meant to be.I talked with the team leader.She told me that
all the tickets previously bought were taken and that I would not be able to go
on this mission trip. Again the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said be bold.I than asked
her if she would recheck all her paper work on this mission trip just to be
sure.She did and said, to her surprise, that there was one ticket left.But, in order for
me to go,I would have to raise a fair sum of money in just two
weeks.
The Lord was faithful and the money was raised and I went with
the group.The mission trip was to a YWAM Youth With A Mission base in Roaring Creek
Village in the Cayo District of Belize.When the group arrived, they had to cross
the Belize River by a small boat and up a bank to a community building an
open area building.As she got close to the building a bell rang and all these people
of various nationalities came out of all these little huts on the other side of
the open area building and were heading there for supper.This was my
visi
Since then, I have made a number of short term mission trips to Belize
at the YWAM base for anywhere from two weeks to three months.Dennis went with me on
one of the two week mission trips.These mission trips were not only meant to serve
the Lord in Belize, but it was also a lesson on ministering to the people of
Belize. As with any people you minister to, one needs to know about them, their
culture and their ways.As a result I have become to love the people of Belize as well
as the country of Belize.
I believe,
ever since my first mission trip to Belize, I knew, that the Lord was calling me
there to minister and help the Belize people. In late 1997, Dennis also felt
called to Belize and in June of 1998 took
an early retirement from his job.The two of us took a
Crossroads Discipleship Training Course with YWAM Twin Oaks Ranch in Garden
Valley, Texas.The intent of this course was to build a deeper relationship with the Lord and to ready
ones self for missions. After we graduated, we went back to Maine in order to
sell our home and tie up lose ends and head to Belize as we were accepted as
staff at the YWAM base there.
Dennis
and I served two years at YWAM in Belize in various duties. He worked with
short term teams and later in accounting.I served in various rolls including the
Christian pre-school YWAM
has off base for children of Roaring Creek.This experience ties into our goals
for Belize Outreach. After two years, we were impressed to leave YWAM.We
established a new home in Lindale, Texas, near where we did our discipleship
schooling.
Although,
we loved East Texas, I soon felt restless and the need to go back to Belize.
YWAM was not the answer for us. It
is a wonderful mission organization and the experience and blessings we
received there, we would not trade for anything.However
The
type of ministering , we were called to do required something else. Thus, in
July of 2002, Belize Outreach was born with the express purpose of bringing
people to Christ and meeting there needs. It was established as a tax exempt
501(C) (3) non-prophet organization by the IRS in July
2002.
For more on Belize Outreach, go to What is
Belize Outreach all about.