Grab a coffee....it's a long one!

Wow, it's time. Past time. A good time to give a long overdue update! There has been so much that has been transpiring over the past several month and we are just catching our breath. As I laid in bed this morning...wish I could say it was a quiet morning but the parrots and toucans were seemingly having an argument outside my window.

Ok, so since I've left writing so long your gonna get the "coles notes" version because I got me so much to tell you. If my language seem to be changing it's the melting pot redneck Texans and local Creole that are gettin' to me. Hope that's OK with 'yall!

Here we go.

We have recently ended our run of 4 months of visitor. Guess that's what we get when we come from the North and move to the perfect winter get away. Truly, truly, we have been thankful and blessed to have our house full of family all winter long. December my parents and another close couple came. My parents stayed for 3 weeks. At this time our micro green business was just advancing into the start of busy season so we were happy to have a few more hands for two days a week that we harvest. In January, Chad's Uncle Doug came for 3 weeks. We had a great break at the coast for a few days and the kids got their gaming pride put back in balance after gaming with him for 3 weeks. What great fun it was to have him with us. Then, 2 days after we took him to the airport home we picked up Chad's parent. It was great they gave me just enough time to get the sheets washed! Wow, we worked those two to the bones. They were troopers! Helping us through what was our first "busy seasons" for micro greens, helping me keep my head above water with meals and housework. I couldn't have done it without them. Love how God send us help even before we know we need it. Although we didn't do any exciting adventure with them we had so much fun doing our "real life" together. Papa agreed to help Keaton work on a wood working project which was his schooling for 3 weeks. They build us a beautiful mahogany coffee table right from a pile of raw boards. Memories for both those boys they won't forget. Said goodbye to them and 4 days later pick up our good friend Tyler who was coming to torture himself and Chad in a 4 days canoe race. It's an iconic race here in Belize the country prides themselves in this 170 mile river race every year.  Long and gruelling and the boys have confirmed it. Was great, great fun though. They didn't trail a whole lot...nope, nope they didn't. But tough as nails they made it to the finish. The kids and I had a grand time driving to empty place of the country that I never would have discovered before. Felt often like driving to neverland. We love having Tyler here. He is like a big little brother to me and we are so thankful we had the gift of having him with us!

And so the end of March marked the end of our guest. We went through family withdrawl for a few weeks after that!

Day trip to Placencia

Fun times at the beach with Uncle Doug

Keaton and Papa working hard in woodworking class

Hey look....they are IN the boat!

Top of the ruins with "little" bro.

BUT now it was GO time as we said! Not that you guys held us back but we did have some business that we couldn't get done while staying up late just so you could try to beat me in Quirkle! 

I mention our microgreen business. We are almost at our 1 year anniversary coming up the end of May. Wow, looking back what God has turned this into in less than a year is amazing. We currently harvest 2 days a week and run two delivery days a week. One day inland here in our local area and Thursdays Chad delivers a long day to the coast hitting all the large resorts. We grow, harvest, package and sell about 200 containers a week. Once family help in the middle of busy season I was feeling SWAMPED! Couldn't keep up to schooling (that wasn't really happening), business, meals, house work. God knew we needed help and actually we didn't even really ask Him for help because He first gave us a profit word that assured us, "Help was on the way". So, stayed strong. Low and behold we know have wonderful local employee. Ok, for those of you not familiar with Belize culture, having someone who doesn't drink, steal or not show up for work when the weather isn't right is RARE. Leroy, is a young believer, soft spoken, hard working, skilled, and trustworthy young man. We are excited to have him on board with us and pray God will increase our territory so we can provide more work for him.

Word about our business has been slowly funnelling through the resort and we also fly our product to some private islands for special orders. So cool.

The last two weeks we've been seeing somewhat of a slow down in sales and the resorts say they are starting to enter slower season. In the past I'd do worthless worry about what now, how will we make our living. But God has proven to me that he has new things in the works that our eyes can't always see. So we walk in faith. So, freeing! Just this week as we assuming "slower" time is coming Chad come home with reports that several large resorts want to INCREASE their business with us. Tell me God is Good!

The next thing we wanted to get moving on was our property. Don't remember if I reported that we have drilled a well....just a shallow 400ft deep well! But we have water! Next was a road. The road just got dozed about 3 weeks ago and wow it looks like we could actually live there now. We celebrated the day we could drive up the hill and say goodbye to hiking that hill! We are anxious to move up there and if I think about how long it could take to get a house finished I get defeated so I have to choose to trust in God's timing. We have been blessed with some help to get the first step of a house put in and contrary also to Belize culture where things always move slower than you want and expect we have a huge praise that today our cement pad for the house is getting started! You and many others ask us, "When will it be done? When do you think you'll be up there?" On our own finance and will.....could be along time but we are always open to miracles and provision that God provides so to answer the question, "When the Lord wills it".

Interest in the property continues. My parents have purchased a lot and we have another purchasing couple from the States coming in this weekend and several other local people interested in being neighbours too so we will be sharing our breathtaking view.

Do you believe the desire in your heart are created by God? Those things that get us giddy, bring us joy and yet benefit other. Those desires. They are God given. My improvement to better health over the last number of years has turned into a passion. For me it's a lifestyle and I love to share with those are interested in hearing but I long to share it with those who need health improvements. Well, God is birthing a new thing in our path. Long, amazing, non coincidental story of how our path has been aligned with a couple from Texas who we in the early stages of setting up an alternative health clinic here in Belize. We all know North America has very tight regulation with what kinds of alternative treatments can be performed, however, here in Belize we ain't got them rules! (that's the redneck)

So, we are working with this friend to achieve the vision of international headquarters for his already existing clinics in the State and Africa. This puts Chad and I at the very front line of helping people to seek better person health and treatment for all kinds of illness and disease. So, so overwhelmingly exciting! Stay tuned.

Kiddo's. They are doing awesome. The word thriving come to mind. I recently had someone give their definition of prospering and thriving.

Prosper - succeed in material terms; be financially successful

Thriving - (of a child, animal, or plant) grow or develop well or vigorously.

Now, I can confidently say our kids are THRIVING! I look at them and even I who sees them every day can see how they have grown like the weeds the last 6 months. We have a year long growing season here so they grow more, right! Truly they are so wonderful these kids. They have entered the business world. Along with 2 other young ladies the kids have a not for profit business called Kids 2 Kids. Check out their facebook page if you want to see their handy work. They sew and sell and use the funds to support local kids.

I see the kids growing spiritual which is my biggest joy! They pray over people, they sing all day long and we are really seeing their gifting come forth in each one. The kids are eager and diligent school worker. I will agree the sitting and teaching is not a strength of mine but I the kids just sit down and as we Dietrich's say, "Getter done!

You all would be amazed at little Grady...she is blossoming into a grown up little girl! Loving all thing pretty and fancy (Corrie you would be so proud of her!) Grady dances and sings all day, loves crafting and is still dreadfully afraid of all animals. To give you a little glimpse of her fears still she freaked out some time ago because two butterflies where fluttering around her! Seriously.

 

Keaton. I remember when he was 4 I would tell him to stop working so I could have a break.....I think I now say that every day. He has God given gift of work. Truly a servants heart he has. He is joyful and enthusiastic in everything he does. We are just trying to slow him down a bit so he can avoid the possible carelessness incidents! He sings, he sews, he prays, and works like a horse. Amazing.

 

 

Paige. She is no longer a kids. I just noted this week that she is now starting to turn down play time for hanging out with the adults. Grady still drags her to the play yard and because of her soft heart Paige gracefully obliges but she rather would be on my lap listening intently to the adult talk. This girl is my right hand helper. In the case that I need her to she can whip up a healthy, hardy meal for the family on the fly. She's becoming a kitchen master. Still she can be found at the crack of dawn with her nose in a book but I love that about her. She has ready every book we have at least 5 times and tells me they are so good I should read them. She is an aspiring author and has 3 books on the go that she one day hopes to publish.

 

 

So, that's them in a nutshell. They are treasures. They rarely fight, they mostly choose to sleep all in the same bed, they work hard, they never complain.....just the average kids you see!

 

Ok, time to stop. Took me two days to write this so it's ok if it took you two days to read it.

I will end with a word that I told someone yesterday that sums up how we feel here in Belize. This was very articulate and profound for me to say by the way.

" To say that I love Belize is not really the truth, I don't dislike Belize but my love for Belize is not why we stay here. We are staying here because we are confident beyond a shadow of a doubt that this place, not a location place, but a place in God is exactly where we are to be and choose to remain. Because we are abiding in God he has shown us that this is the place, Belize where we are to remain and continue in the work he sets before us. So, my contentment is not found in the tropical beauty but rather in the peaceful presence of God. And in Him I find my rest.

 

 

Love you all. Drop us a line, we love to hear from ya'll!