Mission trip opportunities this fall at FPC-Midland include Belize

• Last chance to sign up

1st Presbyterian Church-Midland has two mission trip opportunities coming this Fall. Please contact Pastor Walter by July 7 if you are interested in either of these trips.

Uganda: Team will work with Dr. Bartha and the different ministries he is involved in, including clinics, schools, orphanages, and churches. Approximate dates: October 13-24.

Belize: Team will return to the village of El Progresso to continue partnering in ministry with our friends there. Specific projects will be identified once the team is formed. Early-mid November, approximately 1 week.

For more information, please contact:

Walter Thompson
Associate Pastor of Mission and Evangelism
• wthompson@fpcmid.org
(432) 684-7821 ext 115

Belize Mission Trip Informational Meeting - with Tim and Kenny!

Hi Belize folks,

I wanted to make sure you all have heard that we are going back to Belize next March 5-12 for Spring Break. We will be having an informational meeting this coming Sunday, October 4, at 5:00 in Lynn Hall. Tim Tam and Kenny Logan from The Word at Work will be here to share with us at that time as well. So, if you are interested in going in March or if you’d just like to get to see Tim and Kenny, please come! Printed applications are available at the front office (and at the info meeting) and I have attached it [below] as well. Hope to see you all Sunday!

• CLICK HERE for a mission application (Adobe .pdf file)

Peace,

Walter

Walter Thompson
Associate Pastor of Mission and Evangelism
1st Presbyterian Church - Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821

FPC-Midland Belize Mission: How You Can Help

From November 8th through the 15th, 2014, a team from 1st Presbyterian Church-Midland will be traveling to the Central American country of Belize, and working with The Word at Work ministry. This will be an opportunity to reach out and share the gospel with the people of Belize while working side-by-side with the local community and The Word at Work staff on a much-needed construction project ... all of this building upon a foundation of relationships that was laid early this year.

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How You Can Help

While God has opened up a door for us on the team to develop a greater heart of compassion for all his people around the world, he has also opened that door for you to share that compassion in different ways.

First and foremost, we ask for your prayers that God will prepare us for our visit, and bless our efforts as we minister to the people of Belize. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers in the weeks ahead, and add the Belize Mission Team, 1st Presbyterian Church, Midland, Texas to your church’s prayer list.

We also ask for prayers that our financial needs be met. Each member of our team needs to raise $1,900 in support – through our own resources and through the support of friends and family. Would you prayerfully consider supporting our team through a small contribution? If you feel led to contribute financially, please make checks payable to “First Presbyterian Church” and include “Belize Mission Team” in the notation line. The checks may be sent to:

Belize Mission Trip
c/o 1st Presbyterian Church
800 W. Texas Avenue
Midland, TX 79701

Whether you feel led to contribute financially, through prayer or through both ... all of your support is appreciated!

GOT QUESTIONS?
Is there something you'd like to ask any of our mission team members, or our pastor?

• CLICK HERE to e-mail us your question 

FPC-Midland Belize Mission: Commission

From November 8th through the 15th, 2014, a team from 1st Presbyterian Church-Midland will be traveling to the Central American country of Belize, and working with The Word at Work ministry. This will be an opportunity to reach out and share the gospel with the people of Belize while working side-by-side with the local community and The Word at Work staff on a much-needed construction project ... all of this building upon a foundation of relationships that was laid early this year.

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Last weekend's eleven o'clock service 1st Presbyterian Church-Midland included the commissioning of FPC's November 2014 Belize Mission Team. The commissioning includes three questions posed to the individuals on the mission team, regarding their commitment to serve ...

1. Do you accept the responsibility of representing this congregation in doing the work of our Lord in a distant place?

2. Will you work to exemplify Christ's teachings by loving one another and by translating Christ's message with excitement and care, turning strangers to friends and friends to brothers and sisters?

3. Will you serve in this special work with energy, intelligence, imagination and love, treasuring your experiences as opportunities to teach and to grow?

The church family is invited to come forward, lay hands upon the mission team members, and join in prayer ... it's a wonderful and encouraging time, and an important part of our preparations for the mission to Belize.

GOT QUESTIONS?
Is there something you'd like to ask any of our mission team members?

• CLICK HERE to e-mail us your question 

FPC-Midland Belize Mission: Our Mission Partner

From November 8th through the 15th, 2014, a team from 1st Presbyterian Church-Midland will be traveling to the Central American country of Belize, and working with The Word at Work ministry. This will be an opportunity to reach out and share the gospel with the people of Belize while working side-by-side with the local community and The Word at Work staff on a much-needed construction project ... all of this building upon a foundation of relationships that was laid early this year.

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Our Mission Partner

Some members of the First Prez mission teams are old hands with Belize, having spent years living and working there ... others will be making their first visit to that nation. Others are somewhere in between, with a brief visit of a day or a short span of days that afforded a tantalizing glimpse of what lay just outside our vision, just around that next bend in the road, on the other side of that next hill ... not so much scratching the surface of Belize ... but just scratching the surface of 'scratching the surface.'

Fortunately, we will be partnering with a ministry that has a long, deep acquaintance with the nation, its people and their needs. And not only that, they're a neighbor of sorts, headquartered 'just up the road' from Midland.


"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."

"Simply put, we're a bridge connecting resources with needs, and churches and people with opportunities to serve."

"The birth of our ministry came from the conviction that Christians need to put what they hear into practice in obedience to Jesus and His word. As we put our faith into practice (putting God's Word to work), and give ourselves away in mission, we ourselves are transformed."

Among the valuable insights that The Word at Work provides its visiting partners, is that there is more to their mission than simply bricks-and-mortar.

God has revealed to us an entire host of people and places in Belize that need the regenerative touch of His hand. So, we are obedient to Jesus' call on our lives," Tam explains. "We run short term mission trips for groups of people from churches of all denominations from the USA to Belize, Central America."

"Relationships are central to the Gospel with which we are entrusted. God is at work in Belize and He calls us to join Him in that work, empowering us in a unique way to match needs and resources. We are honored to have hundreds of friends in Belize who teach us about service each time we travel there with a team. Our work complements, adapts, supplements, and encourages Belizean ministries in their work for those in need.

For more information about The Word at Work and its ministry, please visit their website.

FPC-Midland Belize Mission: Where We're Going - The Culture

From November 8th through the 15th, 2014, a team from 1st Presbyterian Church-Midland will be traveling to the Central American country of Belize, and working with The Word at Work ministry. This will be an opportunity to reach out and share the gospel with the people of Belize while working side-by-side with the local community and The Word at Work staff on a much-needed construction project ... all of this building upon a foundation of relationships that was laid early this year.

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WHERE WE'RE GOING - THE CULTURE

An Overview of Belize
(from The Word at Work ministry)

Belize is located in the southern portion of the Yucatán Peninsula, bordering Mexico and Guatemala, with the Caribbean Sea to the east. The coast is at-or-below sea-level with swamps, mangroves, lagoons and sandy beaches. The Maya mountain range lies to the west and south, rising to over 3,000 feet at some peaks. The capitol, Belmopan, is in the center of Belize, near the Maya Mountain foothills.

History

The center of the Mayan empire for almost 1,000 years, the Spanish arrived in the 16th century and used the area primarily for logging. During the next two hundred years, many British and Spanish pirates inhabited the area, battling for naval supremacy. Finally in 1798, the British navy defeated the Spanish and laid official claim to the area. In 1862, Britain formally named the territory “British Honduras,” a title that lasted until 1962 when a peaceful independence was granted and British Honduras became Belize. The country gained full independence by 1982. As of 2012, an estimated 324,000 people lived in Belize.

Language

Belize is the only country in Central America where English is their official language. Creole is often spoken among the locals, along with Spanish in the western region near the Guatemalan border, and in the north near the Mexican border.

Currency

Belize's dollar value is tied to the United States dollar. Two Belizean dollars equal one U.S. dollar, and either currency can be used. Belizean banks are still not connected to the international banking system, so Americans can not use the ATM's. Most hotels and restaurants accept Visa and MasterCard.

Economy

Belize's economy is seeing steady growth due to an increase in international tourism. Its jungles are touted as destinations for eco-lodges. And being located next to the world's second longest barrier reef makes it a great destination for scuba diving, snorkeling and fishing. The per capita income, however, is just over $3,000USD per year.

Food

Most of the food in Belize is traditional Latin American (chicken, rice and beans, and enchiladas), with some Caribbean, Creole and Chinese. Most restaurants serve a good variety of foods, from chicken to steak to shrimp and a variety of fish, and even pizza. Local fruits, such as mangoes, bananas and pineapples are widely available and taste great.

Religion

The majority of Belizeans declare some sort of faith. Many are Roman Catholic, while Christian Protestantism continues to grow. Jehovah's Witnesses, Hindu and Voodoo are also practiced.

GOT QUESTIONS?
Is there something you'd like to ask any of our mission team members, or our pastor?

CLICK HERE to e-mail us your question 

FPC-Midland Belize Mission: Where We're Going - The Country

From November 8th through the 15th, 2014, a team from 1st Presbyterian Church-Midland will be traveling to the Central American country of Belize, and working with The Word at Work ministry. This will be an opportunity to reach out and share the gospel with the people of Belize while working side-by-side with the local community and The Word at Work staff on a much-needed construction project ... all of this building upon a foundation of relationships that was laid early this year.

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WHERE WE'RE GOING - THE COUNTRY

An Overview of Belize
(from The Word at Work ministry)

Belize is located in the southern portion of the Yucatán Peninsula, bordering Mexico and Guatemala, with the Caribbean Sea to the east. The coast is at-or-below sea-level with swamps, mangroves, lagoons and sandy beaches. The Maya mountain range lies to the west and south, rising to over 3,000 feet at some peaks. The capitol, Belmopan, is in the center of Belize, near the Maya Mountain foothills, with Banana Bank and the El Salvadorian refugee settlement (called The Valley of Peace) right nearby.

Belize City, over 300 years old and the country's main commercial area and seaport, is the largest city with over 80,000 residents. The Burial Grounds is on the northern outskirts of the city where TWAW does a significant amount of ministry. This is also where St. Andrews Presbyterian Church is located (one of our ministry partners). Other areas of TWAW activity include Orange Walk and Corozal to the north.

Many come to vacation in Belize for its beautiful beaches, casinos, scuba diving off the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world, and its smattering of quaint islands. We spend 1 of the 8 days on TWAW mission trips recuperating and reflecting on the past week on a private island right near the barrier reef.

Climate

Belize has what's called a subtropical climate the entire year. The rainy season lasts from late-August through November, followed by a dry season from December through March. Normal highs all year are 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit, while temperatures never drop below the mid-60's. However, your comfort has something to do with where you'll be serving... Belize City is on the Caribbean, so the sea breeze keeps things feeling a bit cooler. If you're in the jungle regions of central Belize there is no breeze to speak of, so it does feel a bit warmer.

GOT QUESTIONS?
Is there something you'd like to ask any of our mission team members, or our pastor?

• CLICK HERE to e-mail us your question 

At the start of it all, once more

Over the last nine-or-so months, I have talked about "WHEN I return to Belize" ... as opposed to "IF I return to Belize" ... and that has proven to be the case. Once again, I will be part of a team heading south on Christian mission ... once again, I will be seeking "adventure, discovery and illumination" in Belize ... once again, I will be giving and, in return, receiving so much more.

It was more than six years ago, in January of 2008, that I launched my West Texas Missioner blog with this post, the first of many over the ensuing months that would document our preparations for a mission trip to Thailand, and then the trip itself.

When all was said and done - once we were home, with the mission trip was behind us - I thought of retiring the blog ... but after some thought and some prayer, and some encouraging feedback from fellow bloggers here in the Tall City, I decided instead to continue the blog, but with a broader focus ... daily minutes for mission, news stories, efforts by my own church and by our brothers and sisters in Christ around the region, local opportunities for mission, and reports from our friends-in-mission around the world.

And now, here I am ... at the start of it all, once more.

From November 8th through the 15th, I shall be part of a team from 1st Presbyterian Church-Midland traveling to the Central American country of Belize, and working with The Word at Work ministry. This will be an opportunity to reach out and share the gospel with the people of Belize while working side-by-side with the local community and The Word at Work staff doing a much-needed construction project ... there may also be opportunities for mission through education, medicine, fellowship, prayer and testimony.

While my West Texas Missioner blog will continue to have a broader focus and will be managed by myself, this new FPC-Midland Belize Blog will focus particularly upon First Prez-Midland's missions to the Central American country of Belize, and will feature contributions by others in the times ahead as other teams from our church head south on mission.