Sunday, May 6, 2007

They're Back!

They have all safely landed in Houston and are busily getting their luggage and dealing with customs. Other than a few sunburns, everyone is in good health and high spirits.

Friday, May 4, 2007

At the Biltmore

Hi everyone! I hope all is well. We are here at the hotel. I have to make this short because they charge for use of the Internet. Last nights service went really really well. Souls were saved and the students were touched. Please ask them more about the service, you'll want to hear about it.

We went cave tubing today and it was amazing! Crystal clear water and big beautiful caves. Oh, so breathtaking. God continues to amaze me with His handiwork. After a week without TV or hot showers the kids are in their rooms enjoying a program or two and most of them have taken a shower. Although, we still might come home stinky 'cause we're all running out of clothes!

I thank everyone for their comments. They have made the kids laugh and feel very appreciated. Keep them coming! We love you all.

Oh and don't worry... while we are at Caye Caulker tomorrow on the white sand beach with a crystal-clear ocean before us, while waiting to go snorkeling and maybe sipping a cold coke... we'll be thinking about you all, at work or school. See ya soon!

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Burrrrrrr it's cold in here

Hey everyone. One of the things that we have really had to adjust to are the cold showers. So cold you suck in your breath when it hits you. Although they can be refreshing, they can also be shocking.

Today the boys stayed and worked on the missionaries house while the girls went into the village. The girls ministered to the kids at school. We have been working with them on math and on reading. Tonight is our last night at the lodge and tomorrow is the last night in the village.

Please pray for the service tomorrow. It is at 7 PM (9PM your time). We hope that God will break the walls down in the village.

This might be the last time I have to write on the blog. I do not know what the computer situation will be like. I know I will not be able to blog tomorrow but I will try to blog on Friday and Saturday, if the hotel has a computer.

Thanks for ALL your prayers. By the way, I'm feeling much better. We love you all. Until Sunday!

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Notes from us

We had a very nice and relaxing day. It started with a late breakfast (8 am) and then we did some chores round the base. Then the kids got to have a lot of free time. they are out right now fishing. I went with Vera into the village to pray with the women. If you would like to hear more about that experience just ask when i get home. You'll want to hear the story. Here are some notes that we have written to our family members. Enjoy!


Hey we are having a good time over here. I hope ya'll are having fun in school. Hey Josh, Ryan, Courtney, Mom and Dad. Love, Taylor

Mamma and Daddy, Jennifer and Jimmy, and Cody, I miss ya'll so much and I love you. Love, Bridget

Hey Mama, we are having a great time in Belize, everything is going great. I miss you and Pa, I love you! -Veronica

Hey Mom and Dad, I am having the time of my life! It's really cool. I love ya'll.
Love, David Jones

I hope all you guys that are sittin' in a class room are having fun. Hey momma and daddy, I love you. I'm having fun. Tell the rest of the family "hey" for me. -Love, Abbra

Hey mama, daddy, Bradley and Justin. We are having fun and it's beautiful here! I do miss you guys so much. I hope you're not worried. Love, Kristin

Dear Angela and family, We're having a great time. I miss everyone. I can't wait to tell you all about it. -Dale

Hey ya'll!
Mom, Dad, Christian, richie, and Chyanne. I miss ya'll a lot, but it's been fun, and hot! I love and miss you Emily please be there to pick me up. See ya'll when I get home. -John Major

Hey everybody!! Lots of stuff happened down here. In fact, so many things happened that I can't wait to tell everybody!! So I'll tell you lots of Koreans experience when I get home!
-David Hwang

Hey honey! I miss you. I wish you were here but I am having a great time and God is really doing amazing things. I love you do much. -Mel
Class of 2009 I do miss your smiling faces every morning. Know that I am thinking about you as I go throughout my. I love you all very much. See you on Tuesday. -Mamma B

Ok it's Melissa again. Just want to let you know that there is no sign of David Jones rash today. That's a praise. Please pray for me, I had a rough day because my stomach has been giving me problems. Thanks for the comments! Keep them coming and Keep Praying!

Monday, April 30, 2007

Who knew insect repellent could be a perfume?

Hello everyone! Thanks so much for your comments. Please leave one, it is really encouraging to us.

So many bugs and so little time to explain it all. Each morning and evening we have to cover ourselves with insect repellent, and I mean cover! These mosquito and deer flies really bite! Oh, and today I found a very small scorpion in my room. I had someone come and smash it with a shoe.

On to the good stuff. We ministered at the village school today. The kids are so precious and just want to be loved. We taught a bible lesson to the little ones, took a break for lunch (hot dogs and chips but I had hummus), then in the afternoon we helped with math and reading.

One thing we have learned here is that it takes a long time to get anywhere. It's about a 30 minute boat ride to the village and another 15 minute ride to the school. We have to go down this bumpy road filled with potholes and speed bumps (go figure).

Please pray for the village. Vera thinks that they are on the verge of a spiritual break through. They need a lot of prayer as there are many strongholds in thier lives.

Tonight we saw something beautiful, imagine this: Pitch black outside except for the light of the full moon shining on the Caribbean Sea. The palm trees waving in the breeze, it created a beautiful sight. Something that cameras can not capture. How can people say there is no God?

Note to David Jone's parents: He is doing well, no rash to be seen.

Note to ALL parents: The kids are doing great! Dale and I are so proud of them. They are all having a ton of fun. It is 8:19 (10:19 your time) and they are laughing it up playing cards and dominos). They miss you.

We love you all. KEEP PRAYING.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Go!

Well, we're here!!!! It's been a long day but it is finally coming to an end. We just finished a wonderful dinner of pasta, coleslaw (yup, they have it here!) and purple cool-aid.

When we arrived at the airport the group was taking it all in. The sights, sounds and smells were different. We went to the baggage claim area and waited for our luggage to arrive. And waited, and waited. Then the luggage belt stopped and no one had their luggage! The kids faces just fell and Dale and I tried to stay positive. To make a long story short we did end up with our luggage about 30 minutes later. It arrived on another flight. We turned to the kids and said "Our first lesson on being flexible."

Vera (one of the missionaries) picked us up in an old van and took us to lunch at a Chinese food restaurant. Everyone ordered fried chicken and fried rice. It was good.

The most exciting/interesting/tiresome/beautiful part of our day was when we had to take the boat to the village. It was a motor boat that sits 10 people comfortably. We had 12 and ALL of our luggage. Everyone stepped into the boat and shot nervous glances at each other. Even Dale and I. We rode through the canals of Belize for an hour and a half. On either side of the canals were trees it looked like a jungle. It was very fascinating. The canals kept going and going but then, there was a clearing. The canal led us to a beautiful lagoon. We were surrounded by blue green water, mountains, lush green trees and blue sky. Wow! Only a great and mighty God could have created such a sight. Then suddenly, SPLASH! Yup,the boat kicked up water for about another 45 minutes and Kristen, Veronica, Bridgett and I got soaked.

We arrived on the mission base and received our room assignments. The kids got changed right away and took a long swim in the Caribbean sea. Talk about nice. The water was so warm. The mission base and village is in the middle of nowhere like we expected but it is very well equipped. No one needs to worry because we are in great hands! The missionaries are wonderful. Everyone is doing very well. The kids attitudes are great! Please keep praying for us.

There has been a schedule change. We will be in the village tomorrow and on Tuesday we will stay on the mission base. The government decided to change the holiday. WE love you all and are thinking about you.

Safe and Sound

Since noone from the class has posted on the Blog yet, I'll assume that they weren't able to get access to an internet-enabled computer or they don't have power tonight (it can be spotty because it's solar). So, for anyone who's sitting on the edge of their seat, wanting to know if they arrived safely, I can put you out of your misery. I received a phone call from Melissa around noon today and she assured me that they had made it safely and everything was going smoothly so far. We talked for less than a minute because it's $3.25 a minute to make a cell phone call from Belize, but she sounded really upbeat and excited. If they aren't able to update tomorrow, I'll probably call for another minute or two so that I can post another update. :)

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Get set...

Hey everyone! One day and counting down. I hope you have fun packing today. Don't forget anything! Dr. Ankers and I will see you at 4:45 am!

Friday, April 27, 2007

Get Ready....

Well, it's Friday and the countdown begins! In two days we will be in Belize. Make sure you are praying hard for our trip. We need to be prayed-up and ready to go.

It might be a good idea to make a checklist of things you need to bring so you won't forget anything. Since it is a half day, today is a good day to start packing if you have not already.

John and I will be in Charlotte by dinner time. There are tons of places to go out to eat in Charlotte. If you need some last minute clothes I suggest South Park Mall. it's only 10 miles from the airport hotels. There are tons of restaurants to choose from, especially my favorite, The Cheesecake Factory. Yummy Yummy. If you have never been there you should go. Not for the food but for the desert. If you are a cheesecake lover this is your place!

Well, have fun packing!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

WELCOME!

Hello everyone and welcome to the Senior Trip blog. We will be going to serve the Lord in Belize. Check out our schedule if you want to get an idea of what we will be doing and when we'll be going. I'll try to post daily to keep you up to date on how our trip is going. Please pray for us as we travel and serve in Belize.

1. Pray for our safety

2. Pray that we will be able to minister effectively for Christ

3. Pray that this will be a life changing experience for the seniors and for Dale and I.

4. Pray for the missionaries, Basil and Vera de Klerk.

5. Pray for the people in Belize as it is a very poor country.

Hope you enjoy reading our blog!!!! Feel free to comment, we would love your encouragement!

Last Minute Checklist


Last Minute Checklist

Carry with you to the airport:

Passport

Ticket

Money for excursions

Personal Money

Pen

Put labels (name, address, phone number and destination) inside and outside

your suitcases.

Dr. Anker's cell: (843) 959-0397

Mrs. Bjorgen's cell: (843) 861-1961

Be at the Continental Ticket Desk at 4:45 am.

Note to Parents

Mrs. Ankers will call all parents when we arrive. She will also call all parents if the
need arises. If you would like to speak with her during the week, her number is:
(843) 383-5554. Please understand that there is a possibility of not hearing from
your child during this trip. If there is an emergency or problem we will contact
you immediately. I will try to put information on the blog every day if there is
enough power to do so. The blog site is: http://ecsclassof2007.blogspot.com

Belize: Schedule of Events

Belize Mission trip Schedule
"The key for the students and the parents to know is that FLEXIBILITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WORD OF THEIR VOCABULARY WHILE HERE." - Vera de Clerk

Sunday, April 29th
4:45 - 5:00 am - Meet at airport5:00 am - Go through airport security6:10 am - Leave CLT airport8:00 am - Switch planes in Houston, TX10:30 am- Arrive in Belize11:30 am- Lunch at Subway2:30 pm - Unload boat3:30 pm - Settle into room assignments4:30 pm - Orientation6pm- Dinner6:30 pm - Clean up7:00 pm - Debrief8:00 pm - Free Time (Games available)10:00 pm - Lights out11:00 pm - Noise off (Time to rest for the next day)Monday,

April 30th
7:00 am- Breakfast7:30 am - Clean up7:45 am- Devotions8:30-12:00 pm- Work on missions site, prepare for villagers12:00 pm- Lunch1:30 pm - 4:00 pm- Work on missions site, prepare for villagers4:00 pm - 6:00 pm- free time6:00 pm - Dinner6:30 pm - Clean up7:00 pm- Debriefing8:00 pm - Free Time10:00 pm - Lights Out11:00 pm - Noise off!

Tuesday, May 1st
7:00 am- Breakfast7:45 am- Devotions8:30-12:00 pm- Teach in School12:00 pm- Lunch1:00 pm - 3:00 pm - Work in School3:30 pm - Head back to Mission Base4:00 pm - Free time6:00 pm- Dinner6:30 pm - Clean Up7:00 pm- Debriefing8:00 pm - Fellowship10:00 pm - Lights Out11:00 pm - Noise off

Wednesday, May 2nd
7:00 am- Breakfast7:45 am- Devotions8:30-12:00 pm- Girls: Work in school, Guys: work on house12:00 pm- Lunch1:00 pm - 3:00 pm -Girls: *Work in school, *Guys*: work on house3:30 pm - Head back to Mission Base4:00 pm - Free time6:00 pm- Dinner6:30 pm - Clean Up7:00 pm- Debriefing8:00 pm - First Pack up and Clean rooms9:00 pm - If time permits fellowship10:00 pm - Lights Out11:00 pm - Noise off

Thursday, May 3rd
7:00 am- Breakfast7:30 am - Clean up7:45 am- Devotions8:30 am - Load Boat with luggage9:00 am - Leave for village10:00 am - Room Assignments at Manatee Lodge10:30 am - Village School12:00 pm- Lunch1:00 pm - 3:00 pm- Work at School3:30 pm - Prepare church for Thurs. Service5:30 pm- Dinner at Gentle's Cool Spot7:00 pm- Evening Service at Galilee Chapel ( A great time for parents andfaculty to be praying for the village to come and receive God's word!)8:30 pm - Back to Manatee Lodge9:00 pm - Debrief in Great Room at Manatee Lodge

Friday, May 4th
7:00 am- Breakfast8:00 am- Leave for Cave Tubing9:30 am - Arrive at Cave Tubing - Jaguar Paw Reserve1:00 pm - Lunch at Cheers2:00 pm - Head to Belize City3:00 pm - Check into Biltmore - Best Western in Belize City3:30 to 6:00 pm Free Swim time or resting6:30 pm - Dinner at Friendships8:00 pm - Last DebriefEveryone needs to remain at the hotel, no going off on your own.

Saturday, May 5th
7:00 am- Basil and Vera Pick up Team for Breakfast at Subway8:30 - 9:00 am- Leave for Water Taxi9:00 am - 9:45 am - Water Taxi to Caye Caulker10:30 am - Excursion - Snorkeling1:30 pm - Lunch at Rainbow Grill3:00 pm - Shop for sourvenir's5:00 pm - Water Taxi back to Belize City7:00 pm - Dinner at Princess Hotel9:00 pm - Back at Best Western

Sunday, May 6th
7:00 am- Breakfast at Subway8:30- 9:00 am- Leave for airport9:30- Arrive at airport11:20 am - Leave Belize2:33 pm - Lay over in Houston, TX5:29 pm- Depart Houston, TX9:07 pm- Arrive at CLT airport

WE'LL MISS YOU GUYS!!! HAVE A SAFE TRIP HOME!!! GOD'S BLESSINGS ON EACH ANDEVERY STUDENT AS THEY EMBARK ON THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFE TIME!In His

Service, Basil and Vera

Emergency Contact information

Belize Mission & RetreatFounders Basil and Vera de KlerkP.O. Box 2640Belize City, BelizeCentral America

Please call only if an emergencyBasil's Cell - 011-501-670-1699Vera's Cell - 011-501-662-1699

Mission Base - 011-501-209-8023email: turtleshores@lincsat.comorturtleshores@belizemission.orgCheck out our websiteUPDATED REGULARLYwww.belizemission.org"Most people use duct tape to fix things, God used 3 nails!"

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