Signing-Off

Hello, everyone ... and goodbye ...

After a three-year run, the time has come for me to retire from this blog. It's a combination of old connections changing, and new directions opening - for me, and for mission work in Belize and elsewhere in the world.

I am grateful to so many of you out there ... my mission partners on the ground in Belize, and those of you back home who followed our work and supported our efforts in so many ways.

I still - VERY STRONGLY - recommend Belize to those on the fence, thinking they would like to try overseas mission, but just not sure.

If you would like to take that step, please get in touch with ...

Walter Thompson
Associate Pastor of Outreach
1st Presbyterian Church, Midland, TX
walter@fpcmid.org
(432) 684-7821, ext 115

Tim Tam
Executive Director
The Word At Work, Amarillo, TX
ContactUs@twaw.org
(806) 342-3600

Good by, good luck, God bless ...

Jeff

WAW Wednesday ... "Christmas is Coming"

"The Word at Work is a ministry that mobilizes churches and individuals to answer God's call to minister to those in need," writes Rev. Tim Tam, Director of the Amarillo, Texas-based ministry. "Through our relationships, God reveals needs and opportunities for service. As we come along side the poor, new friendships develop and doors for ministry open. As we serve, God provides the resources to supply for the needs he reveals."

---

WAW Photo

WAW Wednesday: "Christmas is Coming"

Friends,

When my sons were little, I remember spending a lot of time selecting the perfect gifts for them. To be honest, I over-indulged them. I made sure they had an equal number of presents; I spent a lot of time worrying over each gifts' size and expense ... even counting how many little things were in each of their stockings. I made it all about the joy I felt watching their faces as they opened their gifts on Christmas morning. Am I the only one?

Then one year that changed. The boys and I had taken a few mission trips together to build homes for families in Juarez, Mexico. I'll never forget hearing my youngest say, "Mommy, going to Juarez is better than Christmas presents!" Gifts are his love language. I was stunned. I was convicted.

After that, we started doing ONE present for each of them; to represent the gift that was given to us through Christ. What a difference that made in how we celebrated Christmas!! The boys never fussed about this change, much to my surprise.

For children in Belize, gifts are not the focus of the Christmas celebration--Jesus is! There's joy in receiving an apple and banana; in the simplicity of feasting on turkey and stuffing and acting out the account of Jesus's birth ... for many, if a gift is received, it's through the local church. Families celebrate together with food, games, and JOY. That's what our Christmas Project helps make happen -- a true celebration of the greatest gift of all!

Gifts are making their way to Belize (or have already arrived) because of generous donors in the U.S. like you Thank you! These presents will be sorted and shared with our partners by our Christmas Project Team--helping each child understand how special they are to Jesus.

Our need now is funding to help make those joyful parties happen for our partners ... to purchase phone cards for inmates at Belize Central Prison so that they can hear their loved ones voices on Christmas Day ... to help provide meals for Belize Hospice & Palliative Care patients as they celebrate our Savior's birth ...

Would you help us make Christmas special by making a financial gift? Maybe you'll consider, like we did all those years ago, that too many presents distract from the true meaning of Christmas -- but making a gift in honor of a loved one to The Word at Work's Christmas Project would bring joy to our friends in Belize. We'll send a lovely card to whomever you'd like announcing your gift. Thank you for helping us spread Christmas Joy in Belize!

Please join us in making Christmas 2017 bright, beautiful, and joyful ... Thank you SO much!

---

We are very excited about celebrating 15 years of ministry to God's glory! I'm guessing some of you have photos and stories you might share with us--please send them along to me! Or feel free to share them on our Facebook page @TWAWMinistry

Does anyone recognize these faces?

Blessings,

Mollie
#wearethewordatwork

---

EDITOR'S NOTE: Speaking from my own first-hand experience - working side-by-side with Tim, Kenny and our brothers and sisters in Belize - won't you give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to supporting the efforts of Tim, the Word At Work staff and their partners? Please please fill out this Commitment Card and return it to their office!

Also, remember that you can follow The Word At Work on their Facebook page!

WAW Wednesday ... "Two Things"

"The Word at Work is a ministry that mobilizes churches and individuals to answer God's call to minister to those in need," writes Rev. Tim Tam, Director of the Amarillo, Texas-based ministry. "Through our relationships, God reveals needs and opportunities for service. As we come along side the poor, new friendships develop and doors for ministry open. As we serve, God provides the resources to supply for the needs he reveals."

---

WAW Wednesday: "Two Things"

Friends,

Two things to share this week

1. You are invited to help our Partners have a meaningful impact on thousands of children this Christmas. Please pray about making a gift to our 2017 Christmas Project. We have one container of presents headed to Belize from Amarillo this week and one soon after from Mississippi. More specifics on this soon. Thank you in advance for remembering our friends in Belize!

2. Kenny is on a whirlwind tour of the U.S. ... you can follow him and our many friends he's visiting on our Facebook Page.

Today in Austin ...

Yesterday in Dallas ...

Blessings,

Mollie
#wearethewordatwork

---

EDITOR'S NOTE: Speaking from my own first-hand experience - working side-by-side with Tim, Kenny and our brothers and sisters in Belize - won't you give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to supporting the efforts of Tim, the Word At Work staff and their partners? Please please fill out this Commitment Card and return it to their office!

Also, remember that you can follow The Word At Work on their Facebook page!

Come meet Kenny, TONIGHT at Grace Presbyterian

Kenny Logan, Belize Project Director for Amarillo, Texas-based The Word at Work ministry, is in the United States this month, visiting churches and friends, sharing news about TWAW, and encouraging others to support the ministry.

On Thursday, October 12 - TONIGHT - 7:00 p.m., Kenny will be at Grace Presbyterian Church, 2801 N. Garfield Street in Midland, Texas.

The Midland community is invited to join us, meet Kenny, and hear what he has to say about Belize and the mission.

Last month in Belize, while he was unpacking a shipping container from Pennsylvania, Kenny took time out to send you this video message ...


Kenny wants to see you! from The Word at Work on Vimeo.

---

"The Word at Work is a ministry that mobilizes churches and individuals to answer God's call to minister to those in need," writes Rev. Tim Tam, Director of the Amarillo, Texas-based ministry. "Through our relationships, God reveals needs and opportunities for service. As we come along side the poor, new friendships develop and doors for ministry open. As we serve, God provides the resources to supply for the needs he reveals."

WAW Wednesday ... "Kenny's Boots are Moving"

"The Word at Work is a ministry that mobilizes churches and individuals to answer God's call to minister to those in need," writes Rev. Tim Tam, Director of the Amarillo, Texas-based ministry. "Through our relationships, God reveals needs and opportunities for service. As we come along side the poor, new friendships develop and doors for ministry open. As we serve, God provides the resources to supply for the needs he reveals."

---

WAW Wednesday: "Kenny's Boots are Moving"

Friends,

Kenny is in the U.S. and he's made several visits with much more to come! As we've been sharing stories about how God shows us His glory through The Word at Work, I asked him to write down a beautiful example of what happens when we slow down and listen for God's leading ...

---

Dearly beloved in Christ,

A few months or so I got an email from Sheelagh at Paoli Presbyterian asking if we at TWAW could use a [wheelchair] ramp in Belize. Without stopping to think I said, "Yes!", simply because I have seen several places here that special needs persons have difficulty accessing. A few weeks before the container with the said ramp would arrive I happened to run into a young lady that I knew who was soliciting donations for material to build an access ramp so that her child could gain access to her class room. She hoped that TWAW could assist her. We had previously assisted her with a wheel chair - that's when I realized I knew this young woman, and that she was a teacher at one of our partner schools.

This young woman, a mother and teacher, was incredibly discouraged. Little did she know that by approaching me that day, in God's perfect timing, that we could provide the ramp! So, I looked at her and said, "Little sister, please don’t go soliciting any more. God has provided for you a ramp We have one on its way by sea right now; as soon as it arrives Chepito and I will come and install it."

The day we installed that ramp God was providing even more. You see, a ramp has a ratio for incline for proper installation, and when I measured the ramp it was half the distance that was needed. My heart sank. Then I said to Chepito and my son Glen, "I pray that the land where the school sits is exactly 2 feet higher than where the ramp ends." Guess what? It was -- we had exactly what was needed with the exception of some dirt to even out the approach to the ramp!!

(In the first photo you see the young girl's wheelchair -- and the height needed to cover access to the school via the ramp -- imagine the aching backs!)

(In the next photo -- Kenny and Chepito had plenty of help at the school installing the ramp!)

So, what's so special about this? Well for us believers in Christ there is no coincidences. The body of Christ in the USA was gathering items to send to Belize and as they went about they took the time to hear what God was saying and they were obedient -- even when they didn't quite understand.

In Belize, I have learned to slow down and wait and listen. I must say, I was just reading a book that talk about slowing down. If our partner had not listened and I had not stopped to listen, then this mom would have gone on that day in the blistering heat trying to solicit funding or material for the ramp she so desperately needed.

God is always at work, always speaking. Let us take time to hear, and by doing so you may be an answer to someone prayer. You will be a testimony to the power of God and a channel of his blessing -- a testimony of his great love. May our faith be more than just talk may it also be our action.

Thanks,

Kenny

PS...Chepito went back out to the school and recorded this brief thanks from the young woman in this story ... please take a moment to watch.

God answered prayers for a ramp! from The Word at Work on Vimeo.

---

Kenny and I made the trek from Midland TX, (photos below) through Lubbock (we saw Dallan and the Day's as well as visited Loads of Love at WPC) and back to Amarillo. It was great to see our friends.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook for updates of Kenny's epic road trip -- we expect more pix and videos through mid-November!
Please pray that God will answer our prayers for financial resources along the way!

We're so grateful for your partnership.

Blessings,

Mollie
#wearethewordatwork

---

EDITOR'S NOTE: Speaking from my own first-hand experience - working side-by-side with Tim, Kenny and our brothers and sisters in Belize - won't you give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to supporting the efforts of Tim, the Word At Work staff and their partners? Please please fill out this Commitment Card and return it to their office!

Also, remember that you can follow The Word At Work on their Facebook page!

Come meet Kenny, Wednesday at Grace Presbyterian

Kenny Logan, Belize Project Director for Amarillo, Texas-based The Word at Work ministry, is in the United States this month, visiting churches and friends, sharing news about TWAW, and encouraging others to support the ministry.

On Thursday, October 12, 7:00 p.m., Kenny will be at Grace Presbyterian Church, 2801 N. Garfield Street in Midland, Texas.

The Midland community is invited to join us, meet Kenny, and hear what he has to say about Belize and the mission.

Last month in Belize, while he was unpacking a shipping container from Pennsylvania, Kenny took time out to send you this video message ...


Kenny wants to see you! from The Word at Work on Vimeo.

---

"The Word at Work is a ministry that mobilizes churches and individuals to answer God's call to minister to those in need," writes Rev. Tim Tam, Director of the Amarillo, Texas-based ministry. "Through our relationships, God reveals needs and opportunities for service. As we come along side the poor, new friendships develop and doors for ministry open. As we serve, God provides the resources to supply for the needs he reveals."

WAW Wednesday ... "Blessed to be a Blessing!"

"The Word at Work is a ministry that mobilizes churches and individuals to answer God's call to minister to those in need," writes Rev. Tim Tam, Director of the Amarillo, Texas-based ministry. "Through our relationships, God reveals needs and opportunities for service. As we come along side the poor, new friendships develop and doors for ministry open. As we serve, God provides the resources to supply for the needs he reveals."

---

WAW Wednesday: "Blessed to be a Blessing!"

Blessed to be a blessing!
That's what you are.
In last week's letter we asked for your story on how God has impacted you through our ministry -- we received some awesome stories and we can't wait to get more!

So we are inviting you again ... Please take a moment and share the blessing. This invitation for stories is meant for both our Belize and U.S. partners. We are confident you've got a story to tell and we can't wait to hear it. (Hey, if writing isn't your thing, that's OK - you could always share a quick video on Facebook!)

---

And here's another reminder ...

Kenny is coming to the states for more than a month starting October 5! We're putting him on the road to visit churches and friends.

Today while he was unpacking a shipping container from Pennsylvania, he took time out to send you this video message ...


Kenny wants to see you! from The Word at Work on Vimeo.

---

Exodus Church Starts Feeding Program

Pastor Phillipa opened the program on September 4 in Belize City. She's getting by with what she has BUT she could do so much more with your help.

I asked her how we could help and she sent me this list ...

Whirlpool Stove or Commercial Stove
Hamilton Beach Juicer
Whirlpool Refrigerator
Hamilton Beach Blender
Cuisinart Bread Mixer
Funding for cabinet for kitchen sink

If you can get your hands on any of these, whether used or new, we have shipping containers leaving from Amarillo Texas and Gulfport, Mississippi, next month.

If you want to purchase any of these items just send us the funds and we can purchase locally from Sears….. Where we have inside connections.

Mollie's husband happens to work there ... "Mike, the appliance guy”!

Thanks, friends,
Tim Tam
#wearethewordatwork

---

EDITOR'S NOTE: Speaking from my own first-hand experience - working side-by-side with Tim, Kenny and our brothers and sisters in Belize - won't you give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to supporting the efforts of Tim, the Word At Work staff and their partners? Please please fill out this Commitment Card and return it to their office!

Also, remember that you can follow The Word At Work on their Facebook page!

WAW Wednesday ... "Celebrate!"

"The Word at Work is a ministry that mobilizes churches and individuals to answer God's call to minister to those in need," writes Rev. Tim Tam, Director of the Amarillo, Texas-based ministry. "Through our relationships, God reveals needs and opportunities for service. As we come along side the poor, new friendships develop and doors for ministry open. As we serve, God provides the resources to supply for the needs he reveals."

---

WAW Wednesday: "Celebrate"

Connecting the people of God
     with causes that matter to God
          in ways that honor God

When I mention our name, “The Word at Work”, to someone new I can immediately read it on their face -- whether they are puzzled, or whether they get it. Often I have to break it down for them:

THE WORD ... The one and only ... The Word of God ... The Bible.

AT WORK ... Faith in motion ... Walking the walk, not just talking the talk.

Or as the Bible puts it:

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
James 1:22

The impact of this ministry in the short span of its existence is evidence of God’s favor. He has given us three things to focus on represented by three interlocking rings what you see in our newly redesigned logo. (Shout out to Jonathan Rollins for his great work!)

I think this is the first time for this to be published or publicly explained. There is a definite connection between our logo and our freshly crafted mission statement.

1. Connecting the people of God:

A big part of what we do is create partnerships between churches and organizations in the U.S. with churches and organizations in Belize. We emphasize partnership in Kingdom work; mutuality in ministry. I often say that mission is not a one-way stream that flows downhill from me to bless someone less fortunate. Mission does not originate with me. It comes from God and it is a stream that flows both ways. In God’s eyes we are all poor and needy -- we just suffer with different kinds of poverty be it material, spiritual, emotional, social. So whether from the U.S. or Belize, when we walk together in mission, God heals us both and He gets all the credit!

2. Causes that matter to God:

We work where God works, in places where God’s heart compels him to be most active. Those places aren’t hard-to-find. The word of God gives us the map. In Isaiah 57:15, God tells us that the main place he dwells is with the downtrodden, with the broken, with the needy. So he calls us to join him by serving in these segments of society; with the materially poor, orphans, hospitals and clinics, hospice; with those who are most vulnerable especially children, elderly, women and girls who are sexually abused or trafficked; with those who are listed in Matthew 25 as naked or hungry or those in prison.

I believe the reason we get a front row seat to so many miracles is because we are active where the Spirit of God is actively healing, restoring, setting things right.

3. Ways that honor God:

This has not always been the truth for us ... for me. My motivations were more selfish at first (doing things for my self esteem or the affirmation of others) and operating out of ignorance; trying to reinvent missions on my own. Perhaps we’ve made every mistake there is to make. Though regrettable, it now gives us a place from which we can instruct others in how to go about missions in a manner that is more helpful than hurtful.

(Pause here for a plug…..Go buy the book When Helping Hurts. How I wish I had read this in our early years.)

By and by, we learned that charitable efforts, when misapplied, can cause more harm than good; they create dependency, lower self-esteem, an internal poverty of being.

We stay mindful of the Iron Rule “Never do for others with the can do for themselves.” We concentrate on empowering rather than replacing or displacing. We’ve learned that in the absence of transparency and accountability, corruption can flourish. By and by, God is graciously making lemonade out of our lemons.

Last minute update from Belize ...

Tomorrow, September 21, our friends will celebrate Belize Independence Day! Chepito has been in Valley of Peace keeping up with all of today's festivities ...

Blessings,
Tim Tam
#wearethewordatwork

---

EDITOR'S NOTE: Speaking from my own first-hand experience - working side-by-side with Tim, Kenny and our brothers and sisters in Belize - won't you give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to supporting the efforts of Tim, the Word At Work staff and their partners? Please please fill out this Commitment Card and return it to their office!

Also, remember that you can follow The Word At Work on their Facebook page!

WAW Wednesday ... "Fun Fotos"

"The Word at Work is a ministry that mobilizes churches and individuals to answer God's call to minister to those in need," writes Rev. Tim Tam, Director of the Amarillo, Texas-based ministry. "Through our relationships, God reveals needs and opportunities for service. As we come along side the poor, new friendships develop and doors for ministry open. As we serve, God provides the resources to supply for the needs he reveals."

---

WAW Wednesday:
"Fun Fotos"

Hey, Friends,

Mollie and Dyann are pictured here with a canister we received containing hundreds of dollars. from Brad and Abby Whittenburg of Austin, Texas ...

How awesome are these kids???

This year Brad and Abby celebrated their birthdays together and instead of receiving gifts they requested money to be donated to the TWAW Scholarship Fund to help children in Belize go to school.

What a great idea for Christmas!

Would this work for your family?

Meaningful and hassle free.

---

These next photos are of work that happened Monday.

Belize City church members from First Stone and Exodus working together with funds they raised ... turns out Pastor Phillipa can really swing a hammer!

Kenny was there too if you can spot him in overalls...and Chepito, too!

---

Bonus pic

I'm sure you're wondering how my dogs are doing.

Here they are with my wife, daughter, and grandchildren.

Blessings,
Tim Tam
#wearethewordatwork

---

EDITOR'S NOTE: Speaking from my own first-hand experience - working side-by-side with Tim, Kenny and our brothers and sisters in Belize - won't you give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to supporting the efforts of Tim, the Word At Work staff and their partners? Please please fill out this Commitment Card and return it to their office!

Also, remember that you can follow The Word At Work on their Facebook page!

WAW Wednesday ... "A stitch in time ..."

"The Word at Work is a ministry that mobilizes churches and individuals to answer God's call to minister to those in need," writes Rev. Tim Tam, Director of the Amarillo, Texas-based ministry. "Through our relationships, God reveals needs and opportunities for service. As we come along side the poor, new friendships develop and doors for ministry open. As we serve, God provides the resources to supply for the needs he reveals."

---

WAW Wednesday: "A stitch in time ..."

Dear Friends,

We've been talking a lot about "back to school" around our offices these past couple of weeks ...

Asher Started Preschool

He's been coming to work with his mom, Jo (our amazing Team Coordinator), since he was just a few months old. We celebrated the milestone, and also realized once again how quickly time slips by ...

Meanwhile in Belize, Kenny & Chepito have been helping teachers get their libraries set up with donated text books and reading materials that many of you have shared with us -- thank you!

OH -- and they've helped put the classrooms together in the new Preschool in Valley of Peace! That's right - the school passed inspection and is open for business! We hear Chepito's son Matteo started preschool also - I think he might be in one of these photos!

Our Belize Scholarship Committee is reviewing our Scholarship Program. Students across Belize are attending primary, secondary, and trade schools because of our friends in the U.S. who are dedicated to improving lives through education!

We've read letters from program recipients - their thrill of having a chance to go to school is inspiring. One student shared, "...even though I don't know your name, I thank you and send you my love because yo have shown your special love to each one of us. Thank you, thank you, and I hope to do the same when I grow up, to help people in need; because God's Word says we can do everything through Christ who strengthens us!"

We've been conspiring about scooping up clearance back-to-school items to ship to Belize -- maybe you've found a great deal? We're lining out shipping container schedules soon - please let Tim Hagen know if you've got school supplies that might be included in our next shipment.

Many Are Learning New Skills

Pedro and Maria Perez, our business development partners in Belize and directors of Christian Sewing Partners of Belize (CSPB), sent us an encouraging report recently about expansion into Southern Belize:

"We were able to start the sewing program in Santa Cruz and Santa Elena with the Rio Blanco Women's group (a beautiful water fall is there) where they have electricity from solar. The program has around 15 ladies and they are right into it.

Maria is pictured (above) with women in the Rio Blanco village (Toledo District) - - 25 women from 2 villages meet together; pray together; and encourage one another. Maria and Pedro delivered machines and material that TWAW donors provided! Students learned about machine maintenance and more.

The building at Santa Rosa (shown below) should be completed next week and in the first instance we will run electricity from the church to the sewing center. As we move we will get our own meter. Since this training center is central to all the programs we now have in the South we will embark on training initiatives; we want to use this as a sewing center and craft training for the area. Team members from the U.S. trained in pottery, leather, lathe, may want to come for short periods to train there. I am also exploring to piggy back with a new program that is planning to work in the area to develop women in crafts and arts."

In Santa Rosa the group hasn't met this summer because they were busy making school uniforms in their homes. Imagine using treadle machines--if you've got one in your attic it could easily be put to good use in these remote areas of Belize where electricity can be scarce!

Maria shares, "We thank God for the opportunity of working with all ethnic groups of Belize!"

The Perez's are looking forward to a visit from Erin & Brad Willcutt from Pascagoula, MS -- the Willcutt's are feeling led to use their gifts to help with bringing the items that are created through CSPB to market where they can benefit the participants even further. Would you please pray with us that doors would open for their efforts?

Prayers for Hurricane Relief

We are praying with so many families from Belize who have loved ones in the areas devastated by hurricane Harvey - - and now here comes Irma, to another area where many Belize friends live. We are really encouraged by the stories of God's Church on the move to help -- and we look forward to connecting resources in the long rebuild ahead.

Pray for those in desperate need.
Pray for thoughtful and effective responses.
Pray for us as we try to coordinate with our friends and partners already on site.

Blessings,
Tim Tam
#wearethewordatwork

---

EDITOR'S NOTE: Speaking from my own first-hand experience - working side-by-side with Tim, Kenny and our brothers and sisters in Belize - won't you give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to supporting the efforts of Tim, the Word At Work staff and their partners? Please please fill out this Commitment Card and return it to their office!

Also, remember that you can follow The Word At Work on their Facebook page!

WAW Wednesday ... "Belize Team in the U.S."

"The Word at Work is a ministry that mobilizes churches and individuals to answer God's call to minister to those in need," writes Rev. Tim Tam, Director of the Amarillo, Texas-based ministry. "Through our relationships, God reveals needs and opportunities for service. As we come along side the poor, new friendships develop and doors for ministry open. As we serve, God provides the resources to supply for the needs he reveals."

---

WAW Wednesday: "Belize Team in the U.S."

Hey, Friends,

Earlier this month, our friends from Exodus / First Stone Churches took their VBS Mission to a whole new level...Our partners at Discovery Church in Hickory, NC invited the group, under Pastor Phillipa's leadership, to bring VBS to their community.

You might wonder...wait a minute, folks from Belize came to the States on a mission? Yes! They answered God's call, trusted and believed that God would make a way for them to answer the call - and stepped out in obedience.

The team first arrived in Pascagoula, MS for a couple of days to reconnect with friends from First Presbyterian. "The time with the Belize team was awesome! Our church loved them ... the kids loved it and really connected with our families. It was great all around!" said Pastor Matt Mitchell.

The group then hit the road and were met halfway by leaders from Discovery who brought them back to NC. International Mission Coordinator Susan Hefner tells the story:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19

Like so many other teams before in post-Belize-trip conversations, we asked ourselves, "How do you get the entire congregation excited about what God is doing here?" Prayerfully and faithfully, God answers in His own time. Fast forward a few months and He plants a seed, "Let Me show them what I am doing here in Belize by letting My children worship with one another."

Discovery Church had never held a vacation Bible school before, and Exodus church delivers VBS to hundreds of children in Belize each summer. So, God sent Exodus to deliver VBS at Discovery. But just labeling it "VBS" is inadequate to describe what happened over the week. Worship happened, relationships deepened, future plans developed, perceptions about both cultures changed, and we served people in need together.

What is the result? 500 people, many of whom would never go to Belize, were able to love God through unbridled worship; find freedom by hearing His word; see God through prayer and answered prayers; experience healing by serving together; and discover the joy of following and living in God's will.

Going forward, there are 500+ people in Catawba County, NC excited about what is happening at Exodus & First Stone Churches in Belize City. 500+ people who want to invest in the lives and futures of the youth leaders whom God will use to make a difference in their country. God is on the move!

Here's what the trip meant to a few of the team from Belize:

"I felt God's spirit overflowing within us, not only through worship, but through our conversations and interactions with each other. I can honestly say I experienced joy, love, and a bond I can't even describe. I know in my heart that I didn't leave the same way I came and I know that was only through God."

"This was my first time traveling to the States and I enjoyed every single moment at Discovery Church. I saw God at work by bringing the children to VBS with us; in the love and the encouragement that we shared with each other; seeing that the children were ready to learn what we had planned for them. God was working with us, His presence guided us through each day."

"While I was on the trip I saw God in many areas -- doing what He is capable of doing. I saw God working in us while we sat together many days, talking and encouraging one another."

Pastor Phillipa was heard saying, "You showed up and God showed off!" That's what happens when we listen for God to lead us and we follow.

Is He calling you to serve in Belize? In the U.S.? Will you put His word into action?

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey ...

"When the enemy comes in like a flood the Lord will raise up a standard. " Isa. 59:19

Presently the enemy is a flood of incomprehensible proportions.
And still ... the Lord raises up a standard.
The Body of Christ is mobilizing and the stories of it are coming in from everywhere.
A great mission network is putting God's word into action.
Churches, organizations, and individuals that serve with us in Belize are praying, planning, and heading toward the southern coast.

Pray for those in desperate need.
Pray for thoughtful and effective responses.
Pray for us as we try to coordinate with our friends and partners already on site.

Thanks,
Tim Tam
#wearethewordatwork

---

EDITOR'S NOTE: Speaking from my own first-hand experience - working side-by-side with Tim, Kenny and our brothers and sisters in Belize - won't you give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to supporting the efforts of Tim, the Word At Work staff and their partners? Please please fill out this Commitment Card and return it to their office!

Also, remember that you can follow The Word At Work on their Facebook page!