---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kari Bristol <kari@thirstmissions.org>
Date: Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 9:10 AM
Subject: BUILDING REYNA'S HOUSE
To: info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org

Does short-term missions make a difference? You bet it does!

We rode in the bed of a mud-spattered Ford, with pastor Angel Mendez at the wheel. Through the small Belizean village, to the outskirts, then through a cane field until the truck could go no further. We got out and walked another few hundred yards and through a creek with no bridge--to Reyna's house.

A plucky 60-year-old widow, Reyna sold fruit door to door. She imported the fruit illegally from Mexico, praying every time she wouldn't get caught, and logged many miles on foot each day to make a couple dollars. She lives on maybe $60 a month.

Her "house" was a collection of found materials from bush sticks to cardboard to leftover pieces of rusted zinc roofing that Reyna had salvaged over the years. She had no clean water, electricity, or lighting and her house flooded a few times a year when the stream outgrew its banks.

Reyna wasn't a member of the church, but Angel wanted to reach out to her and meet her needs nonetheless. We had a team coming in a couple months and Angel hoped they could build her a new house. The group was already going to be tiling an entire school and putting a new roof on the church, but we decided to try.

Starting the New House Build

Much planning happened in the months before the team from First United Methodist Vero Beach arrived in Belize. Early on they proved to be a great team, super motivated, and hard workers. Throughout the week in 90 degree heat, the "house team" from FUMC installed flooring, built walls, put together windows, and built up the siding one plank after the next.

Shopping with Reyna

Midweek a couple of the ladies asked the next question: What are we going to put in the house? We knew we'd be adding a small cooking table and a propane stove, but had no plans beyond that. There was nothing usable from her old house, so, at the suggestion of one of the Belizeans, we decided to take her shopping.

And so it was that the next morning Pat and Kelly, two proper Southern ladies, hopped in the back of a battered old Toyota pickup in the bright sun, Reyna sitting between them, and we set out on the 15-minute drive to town. Reyna selected some very utilitarian kitchen implements (a huge cast iron pot for rice and beans!) and the ladies worked together to come up with all the things a good Belizean tiny house kitchen would need.

A Sacrificial Gift

Two days later the house was done: beautifully built, fully furnished, and stocked with food. The team had chosen to fully furnish and stock the house and there was a ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for 4:00 when we would pray with Reyna and hand her the keys.

We went out early, taking the truck down the nearly impassable road to her house. The team was walking from the church, so I had a 10-minute head start. When we got there Reyna was nowhere to be found! You can't exactly have a ribbon cutting without the guest of honor.

Aaron, one of the Belizean men working on the house, said "I think I know where she is" and took off running through the cane field--seeing no better option, we took off after him. We ran half a mile through waist-deep sugar cane and came to Reyna's daughter's house. Reyna had spent every last cent she had in the world to cook rice and beans and chicken for the entire team. She had bought two liters of coke and ice. The widow, the one with nothing, had chosen to give all she had to bless us.

She wouldn't go until we could carry everything with us, so Aaron snatched up one massive pot of rice and beans, we grabbed another one right off the fire, and we ran back through the field. The team was there waiting as we crossed the bridge. We told the team that Reyna was intent on serving us, and a roar went up from the crowd. She hugged everyone there. We prayed, cried, cut the ribbons, and gave her the keys. She stepped inside her beautiful new house, and we served rice and beans--at Reyna's house.

God works when we are faithful to His call and go! What ministry adventures await you in Belize, Alaska, and England? There's only one way to find out. Contact us and we'll send you on your way.