December 10, 2010

December Update

Greetings,

As another year comes to a close, we are reminded that the ministry was registered in Belize to begin the work here a little over three years ago. It seems like such a brief time, and yet we have seen so many incredible things that God has done. We never imagined all that God had in store for us. The opportunities for ministry are ever increasing as we are continuing to grow and looking forward to another great year ahead!



Pictured
Left: Chen home shown here missing roof after hurricane Richard.
Pictured Right: Mr. & Mrs. Chen standing in front of their home with repaired rafters and a new roof.

We would like to give everyone a quick update on the situation in Belize following hurricane Richard that hit the northern part of the country on October 24th. God miraculously provided funds designated for hurricane relief to rebuild homes damaged by the storm. We have begun that process of putting new roofs on homes as shown here. Special thanks to the ones who followed the prompting of the Holy Spirit and very lovingly and generously contributed to this cause without even being asked.

During this Christmas season, one of the greatest ways to celebrate the birth of Jesus is seeing people continue to accept the gift of salvation. More and more people are putting their faith in Jesus and following Him in baptism. Shown here are pictures of baptism services that took place on November 6th and 7th in two different villages. We are working very hard to see that these new believers are discipled and taught the Word of God. All in all this is the reason we moved to Belize…to see others come to Christ. As these new Christians are being discipled, the churches are already becoming very evangelistic about reaching others with the gospel.

There are still many villages waiting for us to come and begin a church, not only in Belize but in neighboring countries in Central America as well. In many of the villages there is little or no transportation which prohibits people from being able to attend church in villages other than where they live. Please continue to pray for us that God will provide everything that we need to establish new churches as people come to Christ.

In the Gaither household, Brandon is suffering through his semester exams as this newsletter is being written. Though he is less than thrilled at this opportunity to display his knowledge, I am sure he will do fine. Micah, on the other hand, enjoys practicing his academic skills. He loves to name all the circles and triangles that he can find and recently has decided to draw circles on everything he sees….the walls, the table, Brandon’s school books, etc. Look out Picasso!

Otherwise, the Gaithers are busy getting ready for Christmas. We have been decorating, and redecorating, and redecorating the Christmas tree. Apparently Micah is never quite pleased with how it looks and taking the ornaments off the tree is a daily (or hourly) event. Randy and Sheila are having to learn all over again how to drive in city traffic where there are actually street signs and traffic lights (what do you mean you have to stay in one lane and aren’t stop signs really just a suggestion?). Regardless of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the Gaither crew is enjoying time with family and friends as we all celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We will be back to the much warmer temperatures (thank you Lord) in Belize right after Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

from Randy, Sheila, Brandon, and Micah