MSCC at JC!

How fun and special it was to have a team from our home church, Mission Springs Community Church, here at Jaguar Creek. Eleven friends from home came to Jaguar Creek the second week of October. They worked hard on two construction projects, and had an opportunity to experience the wonder and variety of God’s creation.

The first project (2 days) was to put a new roof on and re-wire a school building (2 classrooms) in the nearby village of Teakettle. The group worked on the project side by side with several men from the community.

Paul Qualls spent hours in the heat working on the roof

Daniel Ohlendorf recruits some help with the wood

Darren Katin gets a scare from the snake (or at least he pretended to!).

Kirk Ohlendorf worked hard on the roof and on the ground.

Jon Pattison wires the outlets and lights.

Mary and Sean Campbell take a well-deserved break for lunch.

Mike Egusa takes some time to chat with some boys.

Scott Townsend and Mike McCullogh work on a picnic table with some extra wood.

Done!

Once the roof was finished, Stephanie Chao helped to move the furniture back into the classes.


It was really special to share a little dedication ceremony with the classes and principal of the Teakettle Roman Catholic Public School.
Daniel and Stephanie get a hug from an appreciative student.

A day trip to Xunantunich provided a nice diversion for the group as we prepared the materials and site for the second project.

The second project was to put a roof on the recent addition to the medical clinic in St. Margaret’s Village. This will provide a place for the Dr. to live so that more time can be spent in the village clinic.

Mary looks on while Mike and Stephanie mix cement - by hand of course!
Mary - the cement queen!

Almost ready for the zinc roofing material!

Paul, Jon, and Stephanie worked an extra day to finish the job.


A highlight of the trip for Mark and Adie was seeing their dear friend, Paul Qualls, baptized in Jaguar Creek.



May we always take time to thank God for allowing us to work for Him!

"Vision Trip" to JC

The first week of October, Roy and D’Aun Goble visited Jaguar Creek with seven of their friends. What a joy it was to meet them, fellowship with them, pray with them, and learn with them. We were encouraged, and we believe that God used that week to help define His ministry in Belize.

Above are (from top left) Mark & Melody Rhode, David Sunde, Roy & D’Aun Goble, Vicki Cantley, Judy Rehfeld, Derek McNeil, Adie, Joe Rehfeld, and Mark.

The busy first 4 days included meetings with local leaders as well as some time to appreciate the wonders of God’s creation. Breakfast on day one was followed by a tour of the facility at Jaguar Creek and a chance to meet and chat with the staff. We then went on a hike to (and into!) St. Herman’s Cave in Blue Hole National Park.

After lunch, we jumped in the car and headed into Belmopan to meet with Jack Barnes from Marla’s House of Hope (a children’s home). We were able to tour the home, meet some of the staff, and then discuss some of the goals of the home and the challenges facing children in Belize.

Day two (a VERY busy day) started off with a walking tour of Armenia Village. Job, a recent addition to our staff, was able to arrange for us to visit several homes in the village.


The tour ended at Armenia Government Primary School where we talked with Mr. Carlos Uck, the principal. He shared with us some of the joys and challenges of running a rural school in Belize.


Michael Thoeresz, a local Peace Corps volunteer, shared his experiences of living and working in Armenia Village with us during lunch; and then we headed out to meet with Mr. Norman Willacey, the principal of Belmopan Baptist High School.


Before heading back to Jaguar Creek for dinner, we stopped by to visit and tour King’s Children’s Home. It’s always a joy to share time with Leonie.

Dinner was followed by a meeting with several members of the Armenia Village Council where we were able to hear about the growth of the village and the challenges facing the residents.

Above are Roy & D’Aun (left), Adie & Mark (right) and four members of the council, Armando, Pedro, Job, and Augustine.

After falling into our beds (beneath mosquito nets, of course) and sleeping, we were ready to tackle another day. The Belize Zoo was the first stop. It was a fun visit enjoyed by all – even though Scotty, the tapir, did try to pee on us!


Lunch was followed by a meeting at the University of Belize. The Univ. President and the Dir. of Development met with us and shared the goals of the university as well as a discussion about education in Belize. This is where we learned that roughly 70% of children in Belize will complete primary school, around 35% will complete high school, and only 7% will go on to any kind of tertiary education.

For many, dinner on Day 3 was the highlight of the trip. There are currently 14 teenagers from Armenia Village who are attending Belmopan Baptist High School through the Jaguar Creek Scholarship Program. Those 14 students and their parents joined us for dinner and a time of fellowship. How sweet it was!





The next morning, it was time for the group to say goodbye to Jaguar Creek. We loaded up the van and drove west to Xunantunich. There’s nothing like a tour of Mayan ruins to give you a new perspective on “old.”

After lunch in San Ignacio, the group settled in at Chaa Creek for a short time of relaxation, hiking, and reflection. Saturday afternoon we all gathered to try to discern some direction from the last several days of sharing and learning. We were encouraged to receive affirmation about the work we are doing in Belize, and appreciated the feedback and advice that was offered. One major result of the discussion was the new name for our U.S. based ministry – PathLight.

Hmmmm…….. was that our idea - - - - or God’s?

Lisa & Anthony Rodin are married!

God is so good!

On July 7, 2007 our 'baby' got married. It was a beautiful day. We have prayed for years that God would bring Lisa together with a Christian man who would love her and adore her. What a blessing to know that Anthony's family had been praying with a similar request for him.

They were married at 4:30pm in the outdoor pavillion of Colbert Presbyterian Church, and the reception was at the Service Station in Spokane. These pictures probably tell the story better than words could . . . . . . .

Ryan, Linda, Anthony, Scott and Lindsay Rodin

Ryan, Calvin, Sandra, Bill, Bobbie, Lisa, Adrienne, Mark, Ingrid and Adam Parcher

Our baby - all grown up

A touching ceremony
Mr. & Mrs. Rodin

Scholarships Awarded in Armenia

We are happy to say that on the morning of June 19, 2007, we were able to award scholarships to 17 students! Fourteen students received full scholarships to Belmopan Baptist High School, and 3 students received scholarships to the 4-H program which will provide training for improving their PSE scores as well as training in some valuable life skills. (Now we need to get busy with our fundraising!)

High School Scholarships for Armenia

Jaguar Creek is proud to be starting a new high school scholarship program for students in Armenia Village. Our goal is to serve these children by providing educational opportunities that integrate faith and learning.

We currently have applications from about 18 students who would like to go to high school, but wouldn't be able to without financial assistance. (Even the public schools in Belize are not free.)


The students have filled out applications, written essays about their desire to attend high school, and this week they are sitting through an interview with us (Mark and Adie), Miss Rivas (their Standard 6 teacher) and Mr. Uck (the principal of the Armenia Gov't Primary School). We hope to be able to offer full scholarships to a large percentage of those who have applied.

We plan to offer more than just financial help to our scholarship recipients. They will be required to attend a variety of events at Jaguar Creek including workshops and fun times. They will also be involved in community service projects. Our desire is to offer them hope – both spiritually and academically.

If you would like more information, or if you feel like God is calling you to help with this scholarship program, please contact us. We would love to have you partner with us!

BRH in Belize

The Baylor Religious Hour Choir spent a week here at Jaguar Creek in May. It was such a blessing to have them here. We were encouraged by their positive attitutes and their desire to serve God and His children here in Belize. And,,, their music was amazing. We enjoyed each and every one of the concerts that they did. They shared their gift of singing at several schools and churches in the area.

In addition to the concerts, they worked their tails off in some pretty oppressive heat. A roof was put on the new cafeteria at the Armenia Government Primary School,

and a foundation was poured for the expansion to the medical clinic in St. Margaret's Village. We never heard one complaint!

We hope to see ya'll again sometime soon!