Loveland, Colorado … For twelve volunteers, the eight-day adventure to Kings Children’s Home (KCH), an orphanage, near Belmopan, Belize began in the early morning hours of February 2. Eleven of the group came from Campion Church, and other nearby churches and began their journey at the Denver airport while Linda, our 12th volunteer and cook, joined the group during the layover in Houston.
“As our team spent time working and sharing together, we gained great blessings, making many memories and experiencing answered prayers,” said Bill Hay, coordinator of the mission trip, who shared his list of answered prayers, “starting with how the group came together in just the last six weeks before departure; how some passports were received in short order; how boarding passes were obtained even when the airline was missing several names; how Myrna was able to go even after becoming sick a couple days before departure; how the right radiator hose was found for the van used to get around.”
Favorite memories include our morning and evening group worship time, recounting individual answers to prayer, favorite Bible verses, special times with each unique child at the orphanage, the challenges of the electrical circuits, the almost nightly trips to town for ice cream, Sabbath school and church worship with kids and staff, a water taxi ride to Caye Caulker island, seeing the colorful variety of fish while snorkeling, a Sabbath afternoon visit to Xunantunich Mayan Ruins and Sabbath evening dinner at Western Dairy in Spanish Lookout, Belize.
Team members included Bill and Sherry Hay, Linda Reece, Lindsey and Myrna Greene, Patricia Velasquez-Torrez, Vicki and Daphne Kahler, Walt and Pam Sparks, Jerry and Marlene Ellquist, and Bob Aitkin, our van driver to and from the Denver airport.
A common theme in group conversations was the belief that one week was just not long enough. Many expressed the desire to go back,” Bill added. For more information about KCH go to Kings Children’s Home Belize.
—Bill Hay, text and photos
