Belize

My first mission trip was to Belize in March 2013. It's funny how God drops things in your lap when you least expect it. And that's exactly what He did in 2013.  I have always wanted to go on a mission trip, but just never had an opportunity, working full time and never having enough vacation time.  Well, in April of 2011, I walked away from my job, and since that time, God's blessings have been immeasurable in my life.  Granted, I'm not rich for doing so, but somehow God makes a way for me to pay my bills every month and allows me to have the freedom to do HIS work.  It's been pretty incredible being free of the "American Dream" for the past almost 4 years, even though I have friends and family who don't understand what in the world I'm doing. I am looking for work, but I am trying to get something flexible that will allow me to still travel with Durant and do HIS work because that's all I long to do.  I joined Durant in the summer of 2012.  That August, we sang in the little town of Denver City, TX. If you've never been there, well, if you blink, you might miss it.  Considering I'd never been to Texas until that time, I was excited to be there. It was another state I could mark off my bucket list. I know, many of you are thinking how did I ever make it to age 39 without going there?  And the answer is, I don't know.  But it finally worked out, and at this large youth rally where we sang was where my dreams started coming true.  Durant opened for Acappella that night, and it was such a fun concert.  It was hotter than all get out in Texas, and we sang out on a football field because apparently, football is a BIG DEAL in Texas. ;)  This town had nothing, but they sure had a nice, big high school football stadium. :)  Anyway, this youth rally had A LOT of kids there.  It was just a great time, and it was my first "official" concert with Durant, so I was on cloud 9.  Well, after that concert, some guy had come up to one of the girls in our group and said he wanted to take us on a mission trip to Belize in March of 2013.  She laughed because she thought he surely meant Acappella, not Durant.  No one really asked Durant to do such things.  When she told him he must have meant Acappella, he said, "No. I mean you guys...Durant."  I remember her telling all of  us this story, and I just couldn't believe it.  Here I was about to be 40 years old and I might just FINALLY get to go on a mission trip. I wasn't working other than my own business, and I could schedule my OWN time off and not worry about about a boss or if I had enough time built up to take off... I finally wasn't tied to a desk and I could do this.  I think that night in my life was the most excited I have ever been to do anything.  Even better than attending the St. Louis Cardinals World Series game in 1987.  This FAR exceeded any sporting event, any vacation, or anything I had ever done in my life.  We had all of our expenses paid for the trip, and I seriously still can't believe it.  The main reason I always wanted to do mission work was not to only spread the good news of God, but to have my eyes opened to how spoiled rotten we are in this country and all the things we took for granted.  The first thing I noticed was when we were picked up from the airport.  The roads were HORRIBLE.  I mean HORRIBLE.  Pot holed roads with no concrete. Just dirt roads. You would hit your head on the top of the van if the driver didn't slow down going over some of those holes, and there's so many of them, it was impossible to dodge them all.  I thought to myself I would never complain about the rough roads again in America.  After that, we got to our hotel and I found you were lucky if you ever had a hot shower.  This is a nice "resort" where we stayed, but you still don't have the luxuries that you have in the States. So you learned to take very fast showers. :)  Even though I missed a hot shower, I could not get over the peace I felt being out of the States. It was quiet in Belize, it was peaceful in Belize, it was an atmosphere of no description. When I looked up at the sky during the day, all I saw were palm trees and tropical birds flying around and singing. There were no noises of "busy-ness". At night, I could go outside and look up at the sky and actually see stars because there were no signs of city lights. I felt I was truly in God's presence the entire time I was there. It was just different than living here. I don't really know how to describe it, but I felt a peace, a happiness that I'd not felt in a long time. I really didn't want to leave. I think I was the only one in Durant who didn't want to come home because I knew what coming home meant....busy-ness. I don't like busy-ness. To me that is the devil's handiwork to keep us so busy that we forget to do the Lord's work. And we are in such a hurry here. It makes me nuts. We live by a watch or a time clock, are we really living?  Since that time in March 2013, I have longed to do full time mission work, but how? How does a single person, especially a female, do that? I actually don't want to go alone, but I would love to work with a team.  I feel God calling me to do more than live in the States, work a job, retire, and die.  I want to do more. I want to make a difference.  So as I write this blog today, I don't know what my future may hold, but I know I'm going back to Belize in less than 2 months. My flight was booked last night, and March 14-18, I will be in this beloved place again.  Having traveled to the UK, Africa, and Belize, my heart longs for Belize out of all of those places.  I don't know why. Maybe it's because it was my first mission trip, but I know my heart is there. I'm just sad that our trip has to be cut short this year because we have a trip to take to Wisconsin as soon as we get back.  I hear the others in Durant saying "Can't wait to get home", and I think to myself, "I'm already home and I don't want to leave."  One day, some way, somehow, I would love to live in Belize.  How or when that may happen, I don't know, but I do know all things are possible with God, and if He wants me there, it will happen.  Things don't seem to work out for me here in the States like they do for other folks, and I don't think that's coincidence.  So, I sit here now counting down to the days I get to go to Belize. I am excited. If anyone had told me 10 years ago I would be doing what I'm doing right now, I would have never believed them. God has surely been patient with me, I'm not sure why, but I am thankful for His grace. Bring on Belize 2015!!