“The just shall live by faith!”
The month of April can be best described as walking on the plank of faith. If you remember the old pirates movie when the good guy was forced to walk off the plank to a shark infested sea and it never failed just before he was to take that final step something happened and he was rescued. Not that I’m being forced to my demised but walking knowing that my Lord has the next step fully planned out but me not having any idea what that is and seeing Him come through once again at just the right time. It seems easy to step out in faith, like Peter when he stepped out of the boat to walk on the water but the challenge is to stay out there in faith knowing that He who has called us is faithful and will never let us fall. God is truly faithful!
Update News from the Lighthouse:
Jeff returns a few days before Keagan left.
Less than week before Keagan was to leave Lighthouse and return to his home in Minnesota, he was to begin training a Belizean young man with media experience had expressed an eagerness to join our staff. We were excited especially after so many previous disappointments. Well, after one day of training the young man texted me to tell me that he not going to take the job after all. Keagan and I were stunned and speechless, needless to say especially since the person was hinting at wanting more money without actually starting the job for us to see if he was even qualified plus we were offering much more than the minimum wage. The thought came to mind of giving Jeffrin a call and inviting him to come back on staff after 3 months of being away. Without going into too much detail due to the intensity of his situation and encouraging him to walk by faith and to trust the Lord, he said he would pray and consult his parents. On Thursday, two days before Keagan was to leave, Jeffrin arrived back in San Pedro Town ready eager to jump on board and pick up where he left off. It didn’t take him very long before he was settled him and as he put it, ‘just like waking up from sleep and resuming as if nothing ever happened’. But the truth of the matter is that God did a lot in both of us during that period of time. It has been 3 weeks now and I marvel at what God has done in his walk and his zeal and hunger for the Word. Please continue to pray for him; an 18 year old new believer needs a lot of prayers and so does his director (me). Thank you so much for journeying with us through your prayers during this past challenging season!
Not ready to sail:
Shining the Light from the heart of San Pedro Town
The reason behind the naming the radio station Lighthouse Christian Radio was the significance of lighthouses before GPS and other navigational methods were developed. When lost at sea and needed direction, you can count on the lighthouse to guide you to your destination. Imagine the comfort you’d received when in the distant you see the beacon light knowing that you will soon reach the shore. Or when tossed to and fro from the heavy storms and hope that fills your heart knowing you’re soon to be on solid ground because of the light. It gives me great joy when I receive a call or run into a listener who shares with me those very things while listening to Lighthouse Christian Radio; the hope they received from hearing just the right word at just the right time. Or, hearing a song that expressed the very thought or cry of their heart. It fills my heart with excitement that I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. I know very well that feeling of being ministered to by the Spirit of God through Christian Radio during those very dark seasons of my soul personally and now I get to be a part of bring that to others in their time of great need. As we are getting going again with Jeff being on board, operating the station for 5 hours daily; there is a great need for more staff to be able to launch out into deeper waters as we desire to bring the glorious light of the gospel into the dark areas of this portion of Belize. There’s so many to do to fulfill our potentials as a radio ministry and that is where you come on board through your prayers for crew members to join us in launching out into greater ways and avenues to not just make an impact but to aggressively snatch men and women, boys and girls, out of the drowning seas of life. Do you know someone who have been praying for an opportunity to serve the Lord and may or may not have technical/media skills but other gifts; skills in organizational/administration, discipline/mentoring, loving people to Christ; who can come alongside of us and serve for a year? If you do, please contact me or have them contact me and see what the Lord might have in store!
Giving what I never had:
Clive celebrating his birthday!
As I recently celebrated another birthday (not saying this so I can get belated cards of gifts) I reflected back on how good God has been to me over the years and the amazing thrill and honor I’ve been given to be entrusted in the hearts and lives of so many precious people. I was overwhelmed by the outpour of greetings and expressions of love I received through Facebook messages, calls, cards and emails from friends near and far and some I haven’t heard from in many years. The biggest blessings of the day was feeding one of the guys who recently adopted me as his ‘stand-in-dad’ in San Pedro; the list is growing very long. There are several guys who would stop in daily, some more than others, and some days more than other days. The needs ranging from someone to talk to, seeking advice, needing financial assistants or needing to use our internet to do reports or projects for school. With the high cost of internet cafes and printed pages, so many of them cannot afford it so we made our Staff Apartment into a Student Resource Center to assist in that was. There are some who would come hungry and too ashamed to ask for food so I’d open the door by asking what they had for lunch or their most recent meal and the answer would usually indicate that they are hungry. I recalled the many days of my childhood in Belize going to bed with an empty stomach and if there is a slice of bread available in my place I’ll turn it into an enjoyable snack of some kind. The words of my mother would always come to mind when I was a fatherless kid, “When you have kids Clive, give to them what you never had.” She was talking about me being the best possible dad I could be so that is why I pour my life out for the many that considers me or adopted me as their ‘stand-in dad’ which is an honor beyond words!
A Father to the fatherless:
Henry is one of the men who calls me ‘Pops’!
“When I was 17 years old my father told me to have sex with as much as I can with as many girls as possible, and as soon as possible. I tried it and it messed me up.”
“My father was a pastor, he left the church, my mom and all of us for another woman and started another family who he takes care of while my mother struggles and we starve.
“Some of my friends tell me that I’m lucky not having a father and wish they didn’t have one because he treats them so badly.”
“A man bumped into me on a busy street, it was my father who I haven’t seen in a long time; thinking he was doing that as a joke, I waited for him to turn around and laughed. He kept going because he didn’t recognized me or forgot what I looked like.”
“I’ve never heard my father tell me that he loved me, ever.”
These are real quotes from some of the guys that I know; keeping in mind that these are the ones who have fathers. Over 73% of the children in Belize are born out of wedlock and a large percent of them will never know who their biological fathers are. Please pray that God would break this cycle in Belize by drawing these young men and women to Himself now so they can know Him as their Father and one day be able to give to their children what they never had. I’m so blessed to be able to give to these fatherless guys what I never had from an earthly father but what I’ve received from my Heavenly Father!
Lives touching Lives:
Jason receiving the donated laptop!
A brother who works at KTIS Radio, Minnesota read about Florencio receiving a donated laptop in previous Update and contacted me to let me know that he has one that he will be sending down laptop that has been fully restored and in good shape and if I knew of someone in need. Jason came to mind immediately, he is one of the guys who frequent our Student Resource Center/Staff Apartment to use our computer/internet and printer. Within 2 weeks the laptop was here, brought down by a short-term missionary from Minnesota. Jason had asked me recently if I would be able to purchase a laptop for him on my next trip to the US and that his mother, a single mom, was working extra hours for the funds for it. Keagan was here at the time and we thought of ways to surprise Jason with it and when we did, both of us were near to tears. Jason said, “I’m not showing it on the outside because I’m a shy person but inside I’m very, very excited!” Moments like those are priceless and it gives me such joy to be involved in blessing a family who wouldn’t be able to afford something that many of us take for granted!
Daniel, my new friend from Switzerland playing his African Harp.
We are told to go into all the world and preach the gospel but something very interesting is that most of the world is coming to Ambergris Caye as it was voted the #1 Island in the world for the second year and visited yearly by thousands for all over the globe. I enjoy asking folks where they are from once I detect an accent in their speech and how they found out about Belize. Recently, as I stood on ‘my spot’ located at the landing at the foot of the stairs, I met Daniel from Switzerland who was traveling through Central America. As we talked he told me that he was a musician and looking for a place to play that evening. Just then a manager of one of the finest restaurant was walking toward us so I introduced her to Daniel and shared that he was looking for an opportunity to play tonight. She asked him what instrument he played and as it turned out they were needing a musician for the night at their restaurant and they made the arrangements right there on ‘my spot’. After she walked away, I told him that I love to see how the Lord works and that this is what I call a ‘divine appointment’. Needless to say, a door was open to share with him and I later visited him that evening and heard him play his music. Don’t you just love being exactly where God wants you to be at that specific moment!
Prayers & Praise:
- Thanking God for His unwavering faithfulness to me and counting me faithful putting me in the ministry!
- Please pray for Jeffrin that he would continue to mature in the Lord; become a healthy disciple of Christ; heal his relationship with father.
- Thanking God for daily opportunities to represent Him to neighbors and friends in San Pedro Town!
- Please pray for Irvin for a renewed hunger for the things of the Lord and to become born again; he is our new part time helper/worker.
- Thanking the Lord for a safe and uneventful Easter, heavy party time in San Pedro as many from the mainland & Belize City comes over.
- Please pray for Manager/Supervisor and Newscaster for Lighthouse Christian Radio; prefer a missionary apt to teach/disciple and train.
- Thanking God for the opportunity to teach and spend time with the Body at Amazing Grace Christian Fellowship recently, a blessing!
- Please pray for wisdom regarding the new sanctuary project for Amazing Grace and all that it entails; for construction to start soon before rain starts.
- So thankful for all of the many who supporters of the ministry in vital and unnoticed ways, I’m so grateful for what they do daily so that I’m able to serve the Lord in Belize!
- Please pray for provisions regarding health insurance!
Thanking God for you all!
Sincerely grateful,
Clive Welsh