When people ask me "why did you choose Belize of all places?", I usually say "Belize chose me".

What I really mean to say is that I didn't choose, God chose; He called and anointed this ministry to happen in Belize.

I really do believe there is something special and different about TWAW.

But I don't think it's because of me, my associates, or the way we operate.

I think the difference is, for whatever reason, God has chosen to use us there. At least that’s been true up to this point.

It is very humbling to be a part of this work and I pray God will use us again tomorrow.

Read on and see for yourself.

We tested an idea and a door opened to an opportunity far beyond what we dreamed.

We walked through the door into something glorious which brought us to tears and prayers of thanks.

Having passed through one door, an even bigger door appears, a greater opportunity, one that may impact an entire nation.

Please pray with us for the opening of this next door.

An Idea -The Story Cloth

Derek Osburn, a pastor in New Mexico, had an idea he wanted to test out. His church focuses their foreign mission program in two countries, Belize and Kenya. In Kenya they are involved in an evangelism program using the "Story Cloth". This is a piece of fabric approximately 3 feet square with 40 pictures printed on it. The pictures each depict a major Bible story or theme, and the stories on the cloth take you from Genesis through Revelation. This was a tool developed for doing evangelism among the Masai  tribe in Kenya. It is particularly effective there because they are a story-telling culture, and because of the level of literacy.

In January of this year Derek's idea was to test out the cloth in a village in Belize on his church’s  mission trip. I suggested that while the bulk of his team was working in the Valley of Peace in Central Belize, we break off a smaller group and take the cloth to one of the most remote Mayan villages in the southern mountains. So we headed down south to the village of San Benito Poite. We spent the better part of a day touring the village, learning about the community and its needs with village elders and teachers from the local school.

Toward the end of our time one of the team members spread out the story cloth on the ground to share with the teachers how it can be used for teaching the Scriptures. As they squatted around the cloth listening to the team member’s presentation passersby began to stop and gather around the cloth. First it was a few men carrying wood; then some children began to squeeze in. As the small crowd began to grow another idea was born. Traveling with our team was the district school manager, Telesforo Paquiul. “Teles” was responsible for 45 schools in 45 villages in this most southern district. He explained that every summer in August all 250 teachers from the Southern District gathered together for two weeks of training. He asked if we might be willing to come back in August with the story cloth and take charge of the religion section. He envisioned the story cloth being used to share the major themes of Scripture and the good news of the Gospel to all the children in the district. In the next few weeks Teles conferred with the government's education officer for approval and then a formal invitation was extended to us. Our minds were totally blown. We had merely been thinking about testing out the story cloth in one small mountain village. I said to Teles, “let me get this straight, you are asking us if we would be willing to come back and use the story cloth to teach the main themes of Scripture and share the gospel with the 250 teachers in the district…….and to equip them to do the same with all 5000 children in the district?" Together we conferred, "Hmmmmm, I think we can find time for that." And with a smile so big it hurt my face I said to Derek, "Do you think God knows about this?"

Through the Door

Last August Derek's team came to work in the northern Corozal district on a surprise home for the family of Moises, a young Belizean miracle boy recovering in the states from an injury. (click to read the miracle of moises)

The rest of the team traveled to Punta Gorda in the far south to conduct their part of the teacher training. They had raised the funds to purchase 250 Bibles plus 250 story cloths and associated curriculum materials to present to the teachers. The training session went off without a hitch and as I mentioned above can only be described as glorious! All the schools in the southern Toledo  district, Christian schools and government schools alike, were represented. They were divided into six groups and each of our six story cloth trainers took a classroom. (Approximately 90% of Belizean schools are Christian, a church-government partnership. But even in government schools faith and religious education is encouraged.)Toward the end of the training I discovered a startling fact. The government mandates this two-week training event for all teachers in the country of Belize. We learned that it always pertains to standard academic subjects and this was the first time teachers have ever been given training to teach Bible. I took my video camera and moved to the front of the classrooms I was observing to ask the teachers if this were true. They confirmed that it was the first time their annual training has included any biblical or spiritual component. I then asked if they felt like it was a good idea and if it ought to be repeated. Their enthusiastic response was almost a roar.

Bigger Door Appears

The response to the story cloth and the enthusiasm of the teachers did not go unnoticed by the government education officer responsible for the two-week event. She pulled Derek and I aside to thank us and to present a request. The training we provided was so well received and had filled a need that has long gone unmet. She asked if we would pay a visit to the capitol and meet with persons in the Ministry of Education to see about providing the same training for the entire country!

Derek and I then bid our friend Teles goodbye and joined the rest of the team in the van to make our departure. Before we could put the van in gear tears began to flow and spontaneous offerings of thanks to God for allowing us witness and participate in the unfolding of his marvelous plan. Then only as we shared the request of the government education officer with the rest of the team did the gravity of it all begin to hit us. At the beginning of the year we were merely testing an idea with one small remote Mayan village. Are they now asking us if we would be willing to come back and use the story cloth to teach the main themes of Scripture and share the gospel with the 5000 teachers of the country of Belize, and equip them to do the same with every child in the nation? And in my own annoying way I once again said, "Do you think God knows about this?"

The meeting is set for the first week of January. I've already spoken to my good friend at the Ministry of Education already and they are excited and eager to discuss. Training for the 250 teachers in the Toledo District had instantly become an annual event. Story cloths now hang in all the classrooms there.  But whether this next door for the entire nation opens up, God only knows.

Pray with us

We invite you to pray with us that this door in January swings open wide.

If it does we'll be asking again for your prayers as we recruit and prepare an army of trainers, for support to purchase Bibles for every teacher, and story cloths for every classroom in the country of Belize.