April Update

Greetings from Belize,

Things continue to progress very well as the new churches are growing and reaching others for Christ. The excitement and joy of seeing people saved and lives being changed far outweigh any struggles we sometimes encounter. God is so great and glorious! There have been some wonderful things that have happened just in the past few weeks.

Last month we hosted our third medical team this year. The team was from Bethel University in McKenzie, TN and they did a fantastic job ministering to folks in the southern part of Belize specifically in the villages of Santa Cruz, Santa Elena, San Vincente, Conejo, and Dump. This team of six (including one medical doctor, two physician assistants, and three PA students) was able to see a total of 578 people throughout the week they were here.

Thanks to the Bethel team and two other medical teams from TN that were here in February, the people working with the Ministry of Health in Belize have been very pleased with the medical care provided through GEM to the remote villages in southern Belize. We were also asked to have a booth in the health fair held on March 24th in San Pedro Columbia in coordination with the World Tuberculosis Day events. The health fair was a great success as we saw students from three different schools as well as many local villagers.

Another team that was here in March worked in the northern part of Belize. This team from Grace Community Church in Fort Smith, AR built rafters and put the roof on the preschool building in More Tomorrow in just three days. While some of the team members were busy on the construction site, others were working with the children in the village after school each day teaching Bible songs, playing games, and working on various crafts. In addition to the construction work and ministering to the children, the team went house to house distributing food to families in both More Tomorrow and Valley of Peace.

The new church building in More Tomorrow has become quite the center of activity in the village...and what a blessing! Besides our usual Sunday morning and Sunday evening services, we have recently begun a midweek Spanish service for the adults that do not speak English. The building has also provided a place for teams from other ministries to hold outreach activities. The week preceding Easter a youth group from North Carolina was working with the Baptist Training Center here in Belize and wanted to have a three day VBS for the children during Easter Break. It was wonderful to have our church building for the team to use to teach the children about Jesus.

As schools have once again resumed class following Spring Break/Easter Vacation, we are already looking ahead to the 2010-2011 school year. Believe it or not it is already time to start working on school supplies, uniforms, shoes, books, etc. for the upcoming year. School registration fees are due by the first part of June for many schools. Therefore, if you would like to sponsor a child for school please let us know as soon as possible. You may notify us via email at gem3737@gmail.com. The cost to sponsor a child for one school year is $250.00 US dollars. That amount covers the school registration/tuition fees, two uniforms, a pair of shoes, books, and school supplies for the entire year.

We as the Gaither family are doing our best to stay cool during this hot, dry season. For Sheila, Brandon, and Micah that often times means taking turns in Micah's baby pool. Randy, on the other hand, seems to find many errands that require him to drive around in an air conditioned vehicle...hmm... Captain Jack, our Australian blue heeler, is a little less than thrilled about us spending so much time outdoors trying to cool off because Micah likes to steal his favorite rubber bone and play Keep Away from "Puppy". There is certainly never a dull moment around our house. All in all we are doing great.

We would like to thank everyone for your love, support, and prayers. In recent days we have received several emails and phone calls from people just letting us know they are praying daily for us and the ministry here. Those emails and phone calls are very encouraging and are a great reminder of our extended family all across the U.S.

Blessings,
Randy, Sheila, Brandon, and Micah

March Update

Greetings from Belize,

There is a lot of excitement here in Belize among our churches as we are seeing many wonderful things happening. Several teams have been involved in ministry, evangelism, and construction making a huge impact in the villages. God continues to do amazing things that make the impossible become a reality!

Last month we hosted two medical teams who provided care in a number of remote villages in the southern part of Belize. Between these two teams over 1200 people received treatment for various conditions. In addition to providing medical care, the team distributed Bibles and set up an outdoor "theater" to show the Jesus movie. The theater consisted of a flat screen TV with a built-in DVD player powered by an inverter and the vehicle battery. Although they did not serve hot buttery popcorn, many people heard about the Bread of Life in their native language.

Two teams from different parts of the United States joined together to work in the northern part of Belize in the village of More Tomorrow. These men painted the new church building both inside and out, and it looks fantastic! The interior of the church was further accented by scriptures stenciled on the walls between the windows and a beautiful mural painted on the front wall by artist Ralph Irwin. Not only did this team bless us by painting the church, they decided to paint the government school building as well which thrilled everyone in the village.











The new church developments are really on fire for the Lord and continuing to grow. On February 28th, three men from More Tomorrow who were recently saved were baptized in the river following the morning service. The people were so excited about the baptisms that they organized an impromptu village celebration that Sunday evening.

Speaking of church growth, we had been praying for a sound system for the church in Jalacte'. That prayer was recetnly answered as we received a grant from the Kingdom Mission Fund toward the purchase of a sound system. The equipment has been purchased and is already making a tremendous difference as the Gospel is now being heard throughout the village.

The most recent church plant was started in January in the village of Bella Vista. The people are currently meeting under a tarp on a cement slab that was originally intended to be a home as the owner of the "would be" home said he would rather have a church than a house. Already the village chairman has agreed to set aside up to an acre of land for the church where a new building can be constructed.

In the Gaither household we recently celebrated Micah's first birthday with a trip to the zoo and a lot of chocolate cake...his mother trained him well, ha. Nana and Uncle Craig (Sheila's mom and brother) made it down to Belize for the birthday party, which was a treat for all of us. Brandon enjoyed showing them the sites from the top of some Maya ruins to the deepest part of St. Herman's Cave. Randy and Sheila enjoyed having someone else to chase Micah around the house (and everywhere else). One thing is certain, our house is filled with a lot of joy as we serve the Lord here in Belize!

Blessings,
Randy, Sheila, Brandon, and Micah

February Update

Greetings from Belize,

2010 has started off to be a fantastic year! January was very busy with teams and a lot of activity. The construction teams completed the ceiling in the church at More Tomorrow as well as wiring the building for electricity and installing lights and ceiling fans. How wonderful it is to be able to walk into the building at night and just flip a switch to have lights and fans to help stir the mosquitoes and the air. The team also installed windows and doors in the internet café in Valley of Peace so now it is ready for paint, furnishings, and computer equipment. Last but certainly not least, the construction crew built a new front porch on our dorm at the northern campus and took care of several maintenance projects around the facility to get us started off right for the New Year.

While the men were busy working on all of the building and maintenance projects, the ladies from the team were ministering to the women in More Tomorrow. They held a Women’s Bible study during the week while the children were in school, and the response was amazing. These ladies really made a huge impact on that village. After the team had to go back to the states, the ladies in the village decided to have a Bible study on their own in each other’s homes.

Besides all the building projects that have been taking place, God is continuing to build His Kingdom in villages throughout Belize. We now have a new church in the village of Bella Vista. With the addition of an eighth church we are in awe at how God is growing His ministry here in Belize.

As people are coming to know the Lord, they are recognizing that God’s plan is for them to be united in marriage versus the common practice of just living together. Therefore, Randy has been very busy with weddings since the first of the year. On January 31^st he even conducted his first triple wedding as three different couples all requested to be married at the same time. A triple wedding means triple cake…just keep that white shirt clean!

Regarding family news, the Gaithers are enjoying nice warm temperatures while our family and friends are enduring a lot of ice and snow back in the states (we are so glad God called us to a warm climate). We did have to dig out some long sleeve shirts when the temperatures dipped into the 60’s in January, but everyone has to suffer a little from time to time…ha. Otherwise, we are learning that “backup” refers to something other than moving in the reverse direction when a computer is involved and how not doing so can bring everything to a screeching halt when the computer becomes fatally ill…and dies. Some of us have to learn everything the hard way which is why it has been a little while since many of you have heard from us.

As far as other family news, Brandon completed his first semester of 9^th grade with straight A’s (he must have a brilliant teacher). He also passed his driving test and is now armed with a driver’s permit. Micah celebrates his first birthday this month and is walking everywhere as well as dancing and climbing on anything he sees. The only thing that slows him down is putting shoes on his feet, but he has learned to take them off with little difficulty. Hmmm…what can we think of next…

Blessings,

Randy, Sheila, Brandon, and Micah Gaither

December Update

Greetings,

It is amazing how quickly the year has passed. 2009 has truly been a tremendous time as God has done so much in our lives and ministry. There were so many things that seemed impossible yet God made it possible, and opportunities provided by God that without Him would have never been available. Most of all lives have been forever changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His love and salvation.

Throughout this year it has been such a blessing to work with a number of different teams, ministries, and individuals who came to share the love of Christ in Belize. So many great and mighty things have been accomplished through the dedicated “hands-on” work of those who came to Belize and used their talents and abilities for the ministry of the Lord. We are not only grateful for the laborers, but also for those of you who so faithfully pray for the work and ministry in Belize. It is in the prayer closet that you are affecting both time and eternity. We especially thank the Lord for your gifts and offerings to the ministry enabling the work to not only continue but to expand and grow. Currently there are several needs that we would like you to pray with us about. Some of the specific needs are: 1) Thompson Chain reference Bibles for our pastors; 2) sound systems and generators for 3 new churches; 3) a van to transport people to and from church services, transport teams, and to be used for food distribution; 4) finances to purchase a house for our family; and 5) ten villages who are asking for us to establish a church in their location.

One young lady in particular came to Belize with her family this past summer to help with several aspects of the ministry. After returning to the states she was so burdened for the people of Belize that she began to think of what she could do to continue to help the people. Bethany Kirkland, 12, of Van Buren, AR put her creative talent to work and has been making beautiful (and very professional looking) greeting cards for all occasions. Bethany sells these cards at craft shows, church events, etc. with the proceeds going to support the ministry in Belize. Thank you Bethany for your service to the Lord and your heart for the people of Belize!

We would also like to thank the people of Crestline Church in Birmingham, AL for their wonderful generosity during this holiday season. The pastor and members of Crestline have purchased Christmas gifts for all of the children at our church in More Tomorrow and shipped them to Belize. We are looking forward to a wonderful celebration of
Jesus’ Birthday with these children, and we hope to have some great photos to share with you next month.

The Lord continues to move in the villages of San Isidro and San Pablo. In addition to the 6 people that were baptized and 8 children that were dedicated last month, there are several other new Christians who will be baptized in the next few weeks. Also, this Sunday there will be another child dedication service as more parents who are coming to the Lord want to commit their children to God and teach them to love and follow Him.

As far as Gaither family news, the Gaithers are busy decorating the Christmas tree...again…and again…and again. It is a daily event with a curious 10 month old in the house. Micah is certain he must taste each ornament and no one can convince him otherwise. Brandon is working on getting his driver’s permit. We thought Micah in a walker was bad, now we have Brandon in a car! Randy and Sheila? Well, we are just hanging in there enjoying the ride and thanking God every day that He is in control.

Thank you for being a part of making this year such a success through your prayers, love, encouragement, and giving! We would also like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

Blessings,
Randy, Sheila, Brandon, and Micah Gaither

November Update

Greetings,

It is truly amazing to see all the awesome things that the Lord is doing. God continues to make the impossible not only possible, but a reality! He demonstrates His greatness each and every day as we are seeing growth in the churches and in the ministry as a whole.

There is no greater joy than seeing people saved and lives changed through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just last week six more new Christians from the church in San Isidro were baptized in the nearby river (pictured at left). There were also eight children dedicated to the Lord as whole families are coming to Christ. Praise the Lord that the churches are not only growing but they are fulfilling the Great Commission!

As we have mentioned in previous newsletters, God is expanding the ministry in Belize faster than we ever imagined. Many of you know that in addition to operating Gaither Evangelistic Ministries, we have been utilizing the facilities of River of Life Ministries (ROL) as well as directing their ministry in Belize. Approximately one year ago the founders of ROL told us that they had been praying for someone to take over the ministry they have operated for the past 30 years. Two weeks ago meetings were held with the Boards of Directors for both ROL and GEM. At the conclusion of these meetings everything was finalized as ROL has turned over their facilities, churches, and ministry to GEM. There was no doubt that the Holy Spirit has moved in this direction so that we might continue to reach many more people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have a strong base to facilitate the ministry to which He has called us.

Although we have acquired the ministry facilities during this transition, the house that we have been renting has now been made available for us to purchase. The house is located adjacent to the northern facility which is an excellent situation for being right there at the campus for teams, employees, and oversight of the ministry in general. We are blessed to have been given the first option to buy the house. Please pray with us that God will provide the finances for a down payment to make this purchase.

Another exciting facet of this transition involves the expansion of GEM into Thailand. A young man from Belize and his wife are operating an orphanage in Thailand as part of ROL. This has now become a ministry of GEM and we are believing God to mightily bless and expand our outreach into that country.

On a more personal note, Brandon has successfully survived the first nine weeks of the 9th grade and almost survived the first nine months of having a little brother. It didn’t take Brandon long to figure out that solving algebraic equations and balancing chemical
formulas is far easier than keeping a mobile (and quick) little brother out of his room and away from his “stuff”. Besides exploring everything he sees, Micah has developed quite a taste for shoe soles, paper, plastic, rubber, wood, metal, and virtually any other substance known to man while trying to get his first teeth to break through. Since he is now cruising along the furniture and trying to walk, the task of keeping things out of his reach is even greater. And by the way, who told Micah that “No, no!” means turn around and give Mommy or Daddy a huge grin that completely wipes away the stern look of a disciplinarian? Randy and Sheila, on the other hand, have begun a new personal Bible study about Abraham and Sarah and how they survived Isaac in their old age. Maybe kids were different back then and that is why people lived so much longer….hmmm. Seriously, we are all enjoying the new challenges and excitement that each day brings.

We would also like to express our gratitude for all of the prayers, cards, and memorials as Randy’s dad went home to be with the Lord. Your encouragement and love has meant so much to us especially during this time.

Blessings,
Randy, Sheila, Brandon, and Micah Gaither

October Update

Greetings,

It has been a wonderful year so far as we have seen many great and mighty things. To date we have hosted 12 different teams in 2009 who have worked on a variety of projects including mechanical work, construction work, medical/dental services, VBS, evangelism, food distribution, etc. Each and every team has been a tremendous blessing to the people of Belize as they shared the love of Jesus Christ through their various avenues. What a privilege and joy it is to be a part of seeing souls saved, lives changed, and churches being established! You are such a vital part of what is happening and we are so grateful for your love, prayers, and support.

The planning has already begun on the 2010 calendar and scheduling teams for next year in Belize. If you are interested in bringing a group down for hands on ministry of any type, please contact us by email at gem3737@gmail.com. We would love to introduce you to the people of Belize so that you can experience firsthand the amazing things God is doing.

One thing in particular that brings us great joy is working with the children in various villages. We are very proud of the preschool children in Valley of Peace. Spanish and Ketchi are the primary languages of many of the children. Our two teachers, Ms. Elba and Ms. Mabel, are doing a great job teaching English and preparing the students for primary school. We are using a Christian curriculum that is not only making an impact with the children themselves but also in their homes. Plans are under way to open two additional preschools in other villages.

As we have mentioned before, we now have seven churches throughout the country of Belize. One of the churches is located in the Ketchi Indian village of Jalacte´. Recently we were approached by the leadership of two other churches in that village requesting to bring their congregations to join ours. They are so excited about what God is doing and want to be a part of it. There is now a need for a sound system and instruments to facilitate the ministry of the growing church. There are a number of good musicians and singers who have joined the church family in Jalacte´.

The Lord moved on the hearts of two young men from Arkansas to come on board temporarily to help us in Belize. Ben Smith and Andrew Brock are in Belize for 2 to 3 months assisting with the day to day operations of the ministry. This has helped make it possible for us to come back to the states in lieu of Randy’s dad’s current medical condition.

As far as family news, Randy has been hopping back and forth across the “big pond” between Belize and the US trying to take care of business as well as spending as much time with his dad as possible. Sheila’s main job has been to keep the laundry clean and suitcases packed along with keeping Micah corralled (especially in all the new places). Brandon has been a good sport about keeping up with his school work on the go…his new motto is “have books, will travel.” He is also learning that “my little brother ate my homework” is not such a ridiculous statement after all. Micah is…well…into everything! Nothing is safe from his hands (or his mouth), and he loudly proclaims full ownership of anything in his sight. Woe to anyone who tries to convince him otherwise. There is never a dull moment with the Gaither clan, but we are enjoying every minute.


Blessings,
Randy, Sheila, Brandon, and Micah Gaither

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