September Update

Greetings,

God continues to pour out His blessings upon the ministry here in Belize. In recent weeks we were able to complete the doors, windows, plaster and front porch of our new church building in More Tomorrow. There were over 100 people (and over 10,000 mosquitoes) from the village in attendance for the celebration service where we had a great time with singing, preaching and sharing a fellowship meal. We continue to have a children’s service on Sunday mornings, and with the power of a generator we are able to hold evening services each Sunday night. Currently we are using borrowed chairs from the community center, but we believe that God will provide benches, electric wiring, and even a sound system in the near future.

The people of More Tomorrow have been so excited about what God is doing in their village as they have longed for a church and are seeing God answer their prayers. One precious lady was so thrilled that she donated to the ministry a parcel of property adjacent to the church property that includes a partial building which can be used for a preschool once we are able to complete the floor, windows, doors, and roof. In addition, the village chairman met with the people of the village and they voted to sign over another parcel of property adjacent to the church on the opposite side to be used for a playground area and/or expansion.

With the start of a new school year, our preschool in Valley of Peace opened on August 31st. We currently have over 25 students enrolled, full of energy, and ready to learn. The preschool uses a Christian curriculum to teach the children English and school readiness skills to enable them to enable them to be successful once they reach primary school. There is no charge for the children to attend preschool as it is funded 100% through ministry contributions.

Speaking of the start of a new school year, we are very grateful for all of the generous contributions from many of you for school sponsorship. Through your donations, we were able to assist 35 students who would not have been able to attend school otherwise. Many families who often times cannot afford to buy food are unable to pay the costs required for their children to receive and education. The parents of 35 children are now seeing that dream come true.

Regarding the Gaither four, we are doing well. Brandon is surviving another year of home school. Micah is crawling now and saying “mama” and “dada”. We have been working with him on saying “Brandon” but so far his brother’s name sounds like “blah” (we’ll keep working…and maybe we need a different speech pathologist…ha).
Many of you know that as this newsletter is being written we have made an emergency trip back to the states due to Randy’s dad being recently diagnosed with cancer and the unfortunate rapid progression. The entire family would like to express our appreciation for your thoughts, prayers, phone calls and emails. It is the love and prayers of our Christian family that helps us through the more difficult times. We love you all!

Blessings,
Randy, Sheila, Brandon, and Micah Gaither