"His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step." Job 34:21

His eyes truly are on the ways of men and He has had his eye on every step that the Mission Belize Construction team has taken. From the smooth flight to the accomodating weather, from the material arrival to the "fire from heaven" concrete truck, God has had His hand on the workers and the work being done on the training facility in Belize.

A team of four men from Texas, (l-r) Ken Franz, John Paget, John Grimes, and David Nelson, arrived in Belize to meet Bob Farley and start the Phase I work that would get the project started.

 The first day primarily consisted of measuring and laying out the lines for the building. A lazer level was used to plan the wall layout and the arrangement of rooms and then the tractor was brought in to dig the trenches for the placement of  forms. Forms for the walls were laid and concrete poured to secure them while concrete blocks were hauled in by hand to stack. Once concrete was dried, the blocks were stacked and more concrete was poured into them for stabilization.

But the hand of God wasn't just on the construction. The Spirit was truly moving across Punta Gorda while the team was there. The Sunday service was an emotional time for the team as village leaders shared life changes and the entire congregation encircled them to offer forgiveness and friendship.

The small group of men  - older men by their own admission - had set out to do a monumental task, but the Spirit not only gave them physical strength, emotional and mental strength to meet the daily needs of their efforts was the Spirit'sblessing. About Thursday of the first week, they realized that they were setting a torrid pace when three of the locals shared that they were not able to keep up with the pace being set! The team claimed Isaiah 40:31 and continued on knowing that they would be tired, but not weary. Each day was filled with new challenges and God stayed one step ahead of them.

From bare dirt to wooden forms, from the cement pour to the last two courses of block stacking, the men forged ahead coming in not only under date deadline, but under budget.

The building is not the only success in Punta Gorda. The comradery that was built between the team, the villagers, and the staff will last a lifetime. Days started around 5:30 with devotion time and each evening was spent in personal reflection of work accomplished and hurdles overcome. The Spirit moved in more than physical accomplishments in the lives of the the Texas team. It was obvious to them that God's work was being done in this place and they just felt priviledged to be along for the ride.

While in Belize, only days away from finishing, team member John Grimes recevied word that his sister was losing her valiant fight with cancer. As God was preparing to move her to her heavenly home, John struggled being torn between his duty and love for family and his commitment to the project. John wrestled with God and his commrades surrounded him, praying as they laid hands on him for his decisions and choices. John stayed to see the finish line and although had to leave early, was able to be with his sister before she moved to heaven. Once again, God cared for every detail of the trip.  

The Holy Spirit and the plan of God is truly being brought to life in the building and the development of the training facililty in Belize. God's work is not only eveident on site as the building takes shape, but in the lives of the villagers and the Farley and Ezelle families. The team was able to bring a sermon message, worship with the villagers, and be a part of baptisms in the river. They visited in the homes of the villagers, shared stories and gospel messages with their fellow workers, and left their hearts there, with plans to return in a few weeks to begin Phase II.

Praise be to God for the work He has done and the work He still has planned as the team and their new workers are planning to return in early May.