Wordless

We had great intentions about blogging and sharing our stories on this trip. However, sometimes I am learning words do not do justice to describe our God. People laugh when I say I have no words. I always have words but even our entire team felt the silent respect we had for the spirit filled moments. We also were reminded that so many of these stories are not ours to tell. The children and teachers and pastors and missionaries have their own stories. Out of respect to them we will only share part of ours.
Personally Wednesday is a day that our team will never forget. During our VBS time with the older kids we focused on the gospel presentation. Two teachers from LOV spoke with the students about baptism. This community had not seen an actual baptism in years. Years. Tyler and Marlee from our team wanted to be baptized in Belize. In fact Tyler's reason for a Belize baptism was to "show others the true meaning of baptism and maybe others would follow." There were also some other children at the school who were wanting to be baptized that day. 4 baptisms were planned. One of the teachers told me he felt the soft wind of God moving in that school. As the gospel began to be shared the very loud chapel became still.
Then at around noon, in the heat of the day, we began a quiet walk across the street, down a hill and through the thick jungle to a river in the Valley. One of the teachers brought his guitar. One of the teachers who is also a preacher stood in the river. The bank was full of children. The soft wind of God begin to move. The baptisms of the scheduled children began. Sir Nick began to play, Jesus loves the little children and I have decided to follow Jesus. There were 21 total baptisms in the river that day. 2 teachers from the school also stepped into the water that day. My own husband baptized our two children and another student from his group this week. Todd began by reading scripture: Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. (1 Timothy 4:12, 13, 15 ESV)Sophia from our team was also baptized by her daddy, Jeff that day.
I turned around to soak in the moment and it literally took my breathe away. The living water flowed in the river that day. I watched healing. I watched obedience. I watched faith on display. I watched village and kingdom changers go under the water. I watched individuals become family. I watched Karen and David rejoice in a harvest they have plowed and planted for 5 years. I watched those who relate to the suffering of Christ receive the love of Christ. It was wordless.