November 2005

REPORT OF THE WORK IN BELIZE (I)

We have al way s been concerned about improving and motivating the work in Belize, our neighbouring country. Even though Belize occupies a small geographical area, it represents a great challenge for the saving of souls since its population is mostly rooted in idolatry and ritualism. Nevertheless, we have always wanted to erect a bastion of the truth inthispartofCentralAmerica. Such a plan has meant much suffering, hardship and money both for the General Conference and some altruistic and good-heartedbrethren from the Western Central American Union, who have preferred to invest in the bank of heaven. After many efforts, we are very happy that we have fi nally managed to build our fi rst church in the district of Toledo, in the province of Punta Gorda. Although it is a modest chapel we are very glad to have it, mainly because it has been built on a plot that belongs to the mission. This is a step forward in the work, that was made possible only through perseverance and God's help. May the Lord be praised for what He has done for us! Furthermore, we are very glad to have many souls who are being prepared to make a covenant through baptism. According to our plan, we started our tour on 1 February this year, and after having overcome a few diffi culties on the way, two days later we arrived in Santa Elena, El Cayo, near the border with Guatemala. There we stopped for a while and managed to encourage a family who was getting weak in the faith due to the fact that, for different circumstances, they had not been visited in a long time. We organized a small cycle of lectures in the evening and visits during the day and finally spent a blessed Sabbath with a few visitors and the family of sister Yolanda Chavarria. In the afternoon, we went to a nearby field called "7 miles", where we visited some people and organized a youth program, which was well attended. There, we sang different hymns accompanied with the guitar by brother Esaú López, the missionary of the region. Later on, we packed our things in a old van that a generous brother from Guatemala lent us and we drove to Belmopan, where we visited a rich business lady, a friend of the truth, (sister Albita) who manifested her wish to be firm in the faith and to have a meeting place. In the afternoon, we left in direction to Punta Gorda, and on the way we visited some families on the mile 28, a place where there are citric fruits in abundance: oranges, tangerines, and delicious pineapples that quenched our thirst and hunger in that very hot region. The people we met were extremely nice and offered to lodge us but we did not accept because we wanted to reach our destination. We just invited them to attend a family worship and at 8 p.m. we continued our trip trusting in God's power. Since the trip was very long and we were very tired, we took turns to drive our old Vandura, GMC 1975, which had a powerful Diesel engine with 8 cilinders. We reached our destination, Punta Gorda, at midnight, where the young worker and his wife were waiting for us. The next day we started our activities repairing and conditioning our mission house. We had to buy many dozens of boards to make partitions for the church, bedrooms, and a kitchen for the young missionary who works in that region. In the afternoon we installed our audio equipment and started inviting people who spoke Quetkchi, Mayan and English. For the translations from Spanish into English we took our co-worker and sister Esther Elington from El Salvador, who was a great help in the trip and the campaigns we held. For the translations into Quetkchi we had the cooperation of brother Vinicio Tiul.

We spent a week there and on Friday we cooked for all the guests. On Sabbath, many people who had attended the lectures during the week came; it was a real feast! In the morning, we started with our Sabbath School, which was directed by sisters Esperanza Zepeda, a lay missionary and faithful co-worked from Belize, and Esther Elington, the translator at the lectures and during our tour of Belize. The day's lesson was held by brother EliseoMorales,agreatlay worker in the Good Samaritan department of the Union.The missionaryhourwasheldby brother Vinicio Tiul, our Bible worked in Belize. The sermon was held by brother Oscar Archila, president of the Union and it was translated by sister Elington. The topic was: "The sun of grace is setting". At the end of the sermon a call was made and many souls came forward and accepted to follow Christ and expressed their interest to be baptized.About 8 persons, as well as children and young people came forward and they will be officially visited. After listening to the sermon, the pastoral blessing was given and we were invited for lunch that was prepared by sister Esperanza Zepeda,whomadeexquisite Guatemalan style "tamales".In the afternoon, a group of people went onmissionary visits toa place called Medina Bank, where some interested souls who spoke Quetkshiwerevisited.Inthe evening, we gathered to close the Sabbath and get ready for the last lecture in that place.

After closing the Sabbath, we prepared ourselves to close that short cycle of conferences, and brother Esaú López, spoke about the need to receive the seal of God and not the mark of the beast. Afterwards, there was a call and about 12 persons decided to continue studying the lessons "Message of Friendship". Later on, sister Elington sang a hymn to praise the Lord, the conference was closed and we distributed gifts among the people who had attended the lectures every evening.

After brother Achila said the last prayer, we greeted the congregation and the neighbours, who will keep on gathering in the new chapel that with God's help was finished during this trip.

After a short interval, we continued with our plan and quickly left for San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where the brethren were expecting us to organize the new ChristianSchool of the Reform in that northern city. Therefore, we dismantled the sound equipment and video and some brothers put up the last boards to serve as partitions between the living room and bedroom. After that, we ate a deliciousdinnerpreparedby

sister Esperanza Zepeda and got ready to depart about 2 a.m. Thanks God, our friend, the Vandura (GMC van) was ready to take us back. We picked up a sister from our little church in Punta Gorda, who should be operated at the hospital in Guatemala, thanks to the cooperation of our untiring sister and missionary Esperanza, a faithful co-worker of the Good Samaritan department in Belize. The sister who travelled with us half way to continue to the hospital in Guatemala, is sister Anselma Edwards, born in Belize, who has a tumour in the oesophagus that makes it diffi cult for her to swallow since her oesophagus and pilorous are swollen. Therefore, besides doing missionary work, we did some medical missionary work with this sister who is now in the hospital hoping to be healed and serve God in Belize. We reached the border Belize/Guatemala at about 7 a. m. and after going through customs we continued our trip to Honduras, where we arrived about 11 p.m., exhausted but happy for the good work done in Belize. May the Lord bless you richly, your co-worker in the Central American Union,

Br. O. Archila Unión president