We were glad to arrive back in Belize in mid-May. We had actually forgotten how hot our little country is. The Lord helped us arrive home safely and without too many obstacles. We want to thank the churches that allowed us to visit while on our furlough. Six new churches have added us to their list of supported missionaries. What a blessing it is that God takes care of our financial needs. It was great to see many friends from college along our travels. God graciously brought new friends along our path as well. One sweet part of the trip was the opportunity to visit our parents and siblings. A few weeks with our families was a wonderful treat. We thank the Lord for providing wonderful memories to hold onto as we begin our work anew in Belize.
As you know, our big project at the moment is a children’s library/educational center. As we visited churches to present this project, many churches were moved to donate books and teaching materials. The goal is to have a place to offer reading programs, music lessons, access to good children’s literature, and, of course, Biblical teaching from the Bible. We have been given boxes of books, a few musical instruments, and financial donations for the building itself. We still need just a little more to get to our goal, but we know that the Lord will provide.
I was able to preach and teach in most of the churches we visited. It was inspiring to see so many fellow laborers working where God has placed them. It’s always encouraging to fellowship with like-minded servants of the Lord. We will treasure the many memories and friends made over the past several months.
Thank you to each one who prayed for Tonya’s sick mother. Tonya was able to be by her side when she passed away on April 28. It was an answer to prayer for Tonya to spend those last few days with her mother. Continue to pray for comfort for Tonya.
While we were away, we had two different pastors come and oversee our work in Belize. They were able to hold soul-winning campaigns in several villages. Both pastors did a marvelous job, for which we are very grateful. They were able to share the Gospel with thousands of kids and adults. Many of them received Christ, with 10 believers following the Lord in baptism.
Since arriving home in Belize, we have been taking the teenagers soul winning every Saturday evening after our youth meeting. Last week, we had 16 teens go out. Please pray that they would continue to be faithful and grow in their faith. I have seen 25 people saved since we’ve been back in Belize.
We are back in our routine and now preparing for the summer. Summer is one of the busiest times of the year for us. We are preparing for our Fires of Evangelism Conference in July. In August, we will have our first Youth Camp together with other like-minded churches. The goal of this camp is to help our teenagers grow closer to the Lord. Please pray specifically that God would speak to these teens in a personal way. We also have two different churches bringing people out for a missions trip in August. We always look forward to hosting those who choose to visit. We count it a blessing to be part of the Lord’s work. Please pray that God will answer our prayers so that we can start more churches in this country.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
In Christ,
The Alvarez Family