Belize Missions Trip Journal May 2024

Day 1- 5/14/24

We have been meeting to do our team time, over Zoom, several weeks before the trip and learning more about what to expect. We got to know each other with testimonies and reflections on our weekly devotions that JOY’s Program Director, Alyssa McKinley, sent out to prepare us for our trip. 

I awoke at 3 AM to get ready and catch the plane to Houston and onto Belize for our mission trip to work at the safe homes with the children. When we arrived in Houston, it was exciting to see old friends and meet the new ones in person. Then, off to Belize City! There we were picked up and taken to Camp Camalote of A Better Belize. When we arrived, local women were selling their homemade jewelry, bags, baskets, and other products they made. All of us, wanting to support the locals of Camalote, bought their items to bring back to the US. It was a welcoming experience.

We said our hellos to Heather and Joey, the directors of A Better Belize, where we would be staying for the first part of our trip. Joey and Heather Barrs, work directly with the community to bring people together, love and support them. A Better Belize aims to encourage, disciple, and connect people through the love of Christ. After listening to recent updates on how the camp is serving in the community, I was so excited to be back partnering and serving with them again!

Day 2-5/15/24

Today was our first full day of working in Camalote. We got up early, taking our own quiet devotional time. As our leader, JOY’s Program Director reminds us, our true strength comes from the Lord. After we had breakfast, we were off to Gomer House, a safe house in the area for commercial sexual exploitation of children, human trafficking, and domestic violence in Belize.

While at Gomer House, even though the smokiness of the wildfire burns was high and temperatures kept rising, part of the team worked outdoors on projects, such as building a covering for the plant beds we made last year so the vegetables would not wilt in the direct sunlight and started building a chicken coop…more ways to support the women’s empowerment and sustainability. 

Others on our team worked with the staff inside. Lessons on their relationships with God and others were shared; noticing signs of healthy vs. unhealthy relationships and how to handle them were taught; and there was a lesson on personal growth. The staff were taught to observe, reflect, discuss, ask, and recognize what God is saying and how to respond to it. They learned to plan their response, how to have someone be their accountability partner, and how to act on the change. Small groups and partners got together to work this skill out for themselves.  Being aware of stress and burnout and how to handle it is essential to prevent burnout and staff turnover, so the girls in their care continue to have consistency and trust with these adults. 

Later, this afternoon, we went to Yasha Home, a transitional home within the community that provides young ladies who are in or aging out of government care find a safe place to grow, develop, and be empowered to make a difference in their communities. Our team did yard work, painted, and cleaned the windows that have been affected by the local burns and dryness of the area. It was a special connection for me to be there, as JOY International works with and supports Yasha Home on an ongoing basis.

I was so excited to see one of the girls I met last year and hear how well she is doing. She has been taking biblical studies and working with young children. She is excitedly pursuing this combination as her career path. I couldn’t wait to see the other girls I had met the year prior!

Day 3-5/16/24

Today was another day at Gomer House. Part of our team continued to finish their outdoor projects, while we worked inside with the immigrant women from areas such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico. We learned that immigrant women are vulnerable to trafficking due their immigration status, language barriers, and education. Many times, traffickers use this as leverage to threaten them with deportation and generate fear to prevent them from escaping.

Over the last three months, the staff at Gomer House have been helping the women learn skills to be self-sufficient and teaching them about their worth and hope in God.  Even though there were translators there, most of us did not speak the same language, but as we sat together, we were able to communicate by pointing and using hand gestures. It was rewarding to share some laughs with each other!

We did lessons on healthy vs unhealthy relationships and signs to look for; setting boundaries; and their worth in God; listened to a devotional and prayed over them. We also taught budgeting skills.

While we were working inside the building, with only large fans to keep us cool, the other team members were working outside, determined to finish the chicken coop they were building. Over time, this can be used as another source of income for the women at Gomer.

Later, back at Camalote Camp, a small group of us worked on art with the local children of the village. It was wonderful to see the children I worked with at the camp last year and catch up with them. Their project was creating a watercolor mosaic heart with a lesson on feelings…all the prompting questions and art were tied to Jesus and how Jesus can overcome anything. Two others on our team worked with the youth, teaching them worship dance.

Heather had been concerned that there weren’t as many men signed up for the soccer tournament as hoped for. So, Joey and the men on our team went through the local community to meet the men and invite them to the soccer tournament. The objective of the soccer tournament is to bring the men in the community that may not know Jesus or been to church together, and share testimonies and the love of Jesus with them. Our men wanted to help inspire them to be leaders in their community and to treat the people around them with respect and care.

During team time, which happens at the end of each day, we were asked to give our highs and lows of the day and compliment each other on how we saw Jesus in a team member that day.  We were all so motivated and moved by the experiences our men shared as they came back from knocking on the doors of the local households to invite the men to the soccer tournament. They were welcomed with open arms and happiness. The people in Camalote had so little, based on our standards, but had so much joy! 

Day 4-5/17/24
We walked into Gomer House today to work with the immigrant women again. We helped decorate the room, as it was a celebration for the women who completed their three-month training. There were games and prizes of household goods; lots of laughter and joy. The women got to share the sewing projects they made. Three had never known how to sew. With the translator by their side, as they shared their testimonies of how their lives were changed and how God is their hope, joyful tears formed in their eyes. I was moved by the woman who had her bible by her side and diligently worked on reading to the others in English. When a new group arrives in September, this group will also return to learn how to use those skills to develop their own businesses.

After the team from the outdoor tasks finished the chicken coop and the landscaping, they came in from their yard work, and we had a celebration lunch with the women and the men served the meals, giving each woman a rose. They felt celebrated and empowered. Empowering women is a powerful tool that helps prevent women from being trafficked or exploited later on. 

Day 5-5/18/24

Today was another day back at the Gomer House. There were 17 teen girls we worked with who had experienced trauma, sexual or domestic abuse. We broke the ice by playing games and making them feel at ease with us. 

We did education on trafficking specifically geared towards teens. We explained to them how a trafficker doesn’t always look bad–just like a “normal” person who can be male or female. Sometimes a trafficker can be someone they know…or a family member. We explained that if force, fraud, or coercion occurs, that is trafficking…and only one of these needs to be present for trafficking to occur. We taught them about the “Romeo” who pretends to be a boyfriend and uses manipulation to get what he wants. We also talked about Sextortion and how to be extremely cautious when using apps, the internet, or social media; that there are people out there pretending to be their age, but that they could be thinking they are talking to a 15-year-old, while they are actually talking to a 46-year-old. Making sure the girls could identify a trusted person they could go to if something happens or doesn't feel right is extremely important. We encouraged them to never, ever share an inappropriate photo of themselves. Once it is on the internet, it will always be there and can be used for manipulation purposes. It is so important for all teens to be aware of this and what to do if it occurs. 

We worked with them, teaching them about their worth in God, how they are unique and purposeful, and that God loves them.

The men stayed back at Camp Camalote today and got the soccer tournament started, with fellowship, testimonies, and community!

Day 6-5/19/24

Today was the big day for the soccer tournament. We helped set up and do registration. That was my first encounter with many of the adults in Camelote and surrounding areas. It was uplifting to talk with everyone as they registered. They were all excited to be there and didn’t realize what Camp Camelote had to offer.

In the afternoon, a few of us went to help with some work at another house. Many items from there were donated to children’s organizations. When we dropped off the items, we had the opportunity to travel through the backroads near Belmopan. Just inside the small houses,  people were trying to keep cool by their front doors in the 100-degree weather.

Talking with another missionary we were working with, we explained that we were leaving to do some work in San Pedro the next day. She told us how bad trafficking is in San Pedro and she just heard how two men were bragging about how cheap they could “get a girl” there. Devastating…!

Later, that evening, we had the opportunity to get together with the girls and staff from Yasha Home. It was wonderful to connect with those we knew and those we got to know. I mentioned earlier about the girl I had met last year and how she was expanding her knowledge in biblical studies and also working with children. I was able to hear more about what she was doing in this field and witness her light up with passion.

I was able to talk with another girl I met last year. She is in her last year of nursing school and has decided on her field of care. She wants to stay in Belize, working in the rural areas, since there is so much need there. She is excited about her future and truly wants to make a difference in the lives of others. She is confident and knows what she wants out of life.

Sharing time together with the girls and hearing their hope and future plans, made an impact on me, and everyone else, I am sure. Yasha Home is doing great things for the girls; giving them a brighter future; and we at JOY International are honored to be walking alongside them.

During team time that evening, our men were moved to tell our group many of the stories that the local men and boys shared with them. They were touched and we were, too. One on our team explained how he talked with someone who, as a boy, didn’t sleep, but was out picking up garbage at 2:30 or 3 in the morning to make money for his household. Another group of men were unaware that you could have both Jesus and church and soccer (futball) in your life. That was a revelation to them and opened the door to more conversation. One 12-year-old boy exclaimed that he was worried the whole way there that they wouldn’t let him in, and was so happy when we did. 

Each of the men on our team complimented each other on their testimonies, all saying that there was so much attention given and heartful listening had taken place. Many of the men of the village and surrounding areas were moved and we pray they will be back to Camp Camelote.

Day 7-5/20/24

Today was a travel day to San Pedro. We said our goodbyes to our friends at Camp Camelote and made our way to Belize City onto a ferry for the one and half hour trip. Upon arriving in San Pedro, we immediately made a visit to Hope Haven, a safehouse for 17 children from 2 to 14 years old, who all have their own stories of sexual or physical abuse, neglect, or abandonment. The children that stay there were at school and we got a tour of the house and heard about its plans for the future. 

We were reminded that there are still no government public schools on the island and there are private and Catholic schools that require tuition. So, if their families cannot afford it, the children don’t go to school. Hope Haven acts as the only learning center on the island for some who can’t afford school, to give some children an education. Children come at different scheduled times throughout the day. I remember from last year that the kids who don’t go to school often go to the beaches to try to sell jewelry to the tourists to make money. 

It is so upsetting to me to learn that some children still do not have the opportunity to go to school. It is so important in the prevention of trafficking, as education reduces vulnerability to exploitation and trafficking, which is a key form of prevention for JOY International.

Day 8-5/21/24

We began our day at Hope Haven. There my teaching partner and I taught a lesson for the kids on Happiness vs Joy and taught them that real joy comes from Jesus. It was exciting to see students from last year and they were happy to see us. We talked about bible verses that express joy and had them do activities to help them relate and remember the verses. They made their own tambourines and got to play them as they danced and sang bible songs.

The afternoon at Hope Haven was heartbreaking as we worked with some of the teen girls who live there. One stood out to me with such a forlorn look on her face. The lesson was about worth in God and your value. As the lesson went on, some of the girls opened up more and participated in the activities.

Another incident that happened today that I will carry close to my heart is, as we were on the streets of San Pedro, my teammate’s water bottle fell off the cart and rolled down the street. He jumped off the cart to get it and walked up with a worn-looking man. He asked if we were on a mission and Christians and said he needed help. We listened to his story and prayed with him. He was more than appreciative.  He will stay in my prayers. God works in divine ways and reinforced that we need to look and act on the opportunities around us.

Day 9-5/22/24

Today was our last day teaching at Hope Haven. My teammate and I taught a lesson on boundaries to the 8-year-olds who reside at the safehouse. We taught them what a boundary is and if someone violates your boundary, how to say “no”. We had them identify trusted adults that they can talk to if something doesn’t “feel” right or if someone is violating their boundaries. 

As we were leaving and stopped to pray with the staff, one of the teen girls from earlier was there, and now smiling. We asked if she wanted to pray with us and she said yes. Seeing her smile left a special place in my heart. That’s why we came to Belize…to serve.

Today was our last day of ministry… It was sad… I will miss the kids and my teammates dearly. 

Days 10-11-5/23-24

We had our rest day before a long day of travel. I look forward to another mission trip. Since it’s been two years for me, I value those moments when I can really see the relationships being made and the progress of the children and teens. There is so much hope for them and a bright future. I am honored to be part of their journey.