Fountain City Presbyterian Church
Mission Team Helps In Belize
And Changes Lives (Especially Their Own)

by Lauren Rohwer

Another mission trip to Belize completed! This time, Fountain City Presbyterian Church sent more people, more shoes, and more of God’s love!

This year, the mission team from FCPC, in cooperation with Carmen and Faye McBride of In His Will Ministries, were called to help at the Los Tambos Government School; repainting their walls, building a playground, and bringing them school supplies.

Each member of the mission team had touching stories to tell. Many were surprised at how happy the Belizeans are, even though they have so little. Susan Espiritu noted what tightly knit families they had, some even with 12 children, and yet “they have so much love.”

Susan French said that you go there, “expecting to help them,” but Espiritu said that “they met so much more of a need for us.”

Tere McDonough said what amazed her was spending an entire week, “24/7, focusing on God.” She said that the people of Belize showed “pure joy and love,” and that they just welcome you into their lives. McDonough added that since her trip, she has been “trying to bring into my life what they have in theirs.”

Pam Eubanks said that on mission trips, the group becomes a family. “You learn to love people you didn’t think you could love,” she said. “I saw Jesus all week long.”

The people of Belize impressed the mission team. Ben Tarver and Charlie Espiritu told of one man who spent a day helping out with the project. The man makes $10 a day, and gave up a day’s pay to help, because he couldn’t afford to send his children to school, and wanted to be involved.

Many in the group were touched by the children, and how accepting they were. Mike Lamb said that there was one boy in particular who was quite young and did not speak any English, but was so cheerful that he made his day, everyday. Charlie Espiritu was moved by the faces of the children, and French was impressed that the children knew how to use resources to do their homework, such as encyclopedias, because they do not have computers available.

Stan Pozega noted the kid’s dedication to their education, because many of them walk 2 hours a day to go to school.

Last year, FCPC sent over 400 pairs of shoes to the people, mainly children. This year, Maygen Chambers believes that there were many more, possibly 500 pairs. They all spent quality time helping the children find shoes that fit and having fun. The mission team was also able to attend very memorable church services during Holy Week including a march through the village of San Ignacio waving palms on Palm Sunday and a foot washing service at a Maundy Thursday service.

Several times during the week, the group distributed rice and beans and other supplies to families in the local villages.

The trip wasn’t all work and no fun. Kelley McDonough said that they went snorkeling one day. There were not as many sunburned as last year, but several people were more than a little red!

Lamb encourages everyone to go on a trip like this, and Tarver thinks that it is “important to let new people experience it.” Sean White says that the “challenge is coming back home, and opening ourselves here, as we did there, to the Holy Spirit.”

White says that he “looks forward to seeing where God will lead us.” He added, “Belize is just beginning, and Fountain City Presbyterian is a part of it.”

Lauren Rohwer is a journalism student and a junior at Gibbs High School.