“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” John 4: 35b
This verse comes to mind whenever I see large groups of people gathered together, such was the case a week ago when Belizeans took to the streets and parks for the Independence Day celebrations. As people lined the streets to watch the various parades and the gathering of thousands for the beauty pageant, the block party, the official Independence Day ceremony and the fireworks, my heart was grieved by lewdness, drunkenness and behavior of many. My heart ached for the literally thousands of children on the island seeing this horrible example of adults as normal behavior. I prayed for God’s heart of love for the people of San Pedro Town and was quickly reminded of my purpose for being here and challenged again to make every effort daily to love the gospel, preach the gospel, live the gospel, and instruct others of the gospel ‘for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes’.
Personal Update:
I received word at the start of this month of my aunt passing away. She was the last living relative of my mother and was one of my favorite people as a child growing up in Belize. She had suffered from several strokes and went home to be with Jesus while sleeping. I was asked to share at the funeral service and used the opportunity to present the living hope we have in Cross of Christ which opened the door to Heaven for all who believes. It was a rare opportunity to share with distant relatives that I don’t know along with the many friends of my aunt and their families. (Clive sharing at his Aunt’s funeral service)
September 27th marked the sixteenth anniversary since returning to Belize, the land of my first birth. It seems as if I’ve been here for a lifetime and still marvel at the ways that Belize has once again become my home. A place I had basically sought to block out of my mind for many years until God began to do a stirring in me 17 years ago and now Belize has been a place of great healing, ministry and seeing God do many amazing things. I marvel at all of the relationships that I’ve been blessed with here, the lives that I’ve been able to be involved with and the countless ways I’ve seen God worked in many lives. I think of the many lives whose eternity has been drastically affected by the gospel of Jesus Christ that I was privileged to be a part of and the work ahead that He desires to do to alter the destiny of many. Word cannot express how much I appreciate you and the part that you’ve have in this through your friendship and fellowship in the gospel, your sacrificially giving that enables me to be here and for your continual encouragement, prayers and standing with me over the years!
Lives touching Lives:
Thurman- Since I was in the south of Belize for my aunt’s funeral, I decided to continue further south to the Toledo District to visit Thurman at Machaca Outreach Center. He is the young man that I met on my very first trip to Belize in 1994 when he was in an Institution for troubled kids. He’s now 28 years old and has been in and out of prison and living a rough life on the streets of Belize City. Upon his recent release from prison, he came to San Pedro to look for me and asking for help to get his life straightened out. I felt very helpless as I knew he needed to be in an environment where he’d be away from the usual distractions and temptations and San Pedro was not that place. God answered prayers through the folks at Machaca Outreach Center who took him in and providing discipleship. It was good to spend time with Thurman as he shared with me the many ways God has been working in him. He is eager and determined to walk with the Lord and the environment in Punta Gorda is the perfect place for him where he’s given structure, responsibilities and learning the Word. He’s a different man from the one I’d visit in prison or run into on the streets asking for money and help. He is still adjusting to being in the jungle (bush) than Belize City and is enjoying being a part of a body of believers who loves him and working with him. Please continue to pray for Thurman during this time of discipleship and direction for his future!
Juan Carlos reading the Gospel of John.
Juan Carlos, A young man that I’ve seen often as his mother works across the street from us and he would say hello as he’d walk by. Over the years as I’ve watched him growing up I began to sense that I was to pray for him and felt my heart go out to him many times and wondered why. Well just recently it became evident why the Lord had placed him on my heart as we had an opportunity to talk. He opened up and shared his burdens, pain and heartaches with me as tears flowed down his face. After sharing God’s heart for him as His Heavenly Father, I saw this young man transformed before my very eyes, going from hopelessness to hopeful. He asked if I would teach him more about the Lord so we’ve been meeting before school and going through John’s Gospel and after school he would help us with cleaning and various other chores around the radio station. Please pray that Christ would be formed in him as he continues to grow in relationship with Jesus!
Meeting needs: A remarkable door opened recently that came as an answer to prayers in an unexpected way. You might recall me mentioning the need of many of the poor families whose children attended the Summer Sports Camp and the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness in meeting this enormous need. We were able to feed several of the kids who hung around the teams around lunchtimes and also collected the left-over food from the team for them. Well, recently when I in a fairly new bakery on the island and found out that they do not save the baked goods for the next day but donated them and the folks they donated them to stopped coming. So they began giving me several bags of bread, rolls, pastries, sandwiches and other baked good daily at closing time to distribute to the needy families that I know around the neighborhood. My neighbors call me the ‘Bread Man’ as they watched me bring up to 6 bags daily to be sorted and distributed. I contacted my friend, a local pastor of a Spanish Church and it turned out that he knew several in his church who were struggling due to ‘slow season’ on the island. Many have shared that this is the slowest season they’ve seen in a long time and are eagerly waiting for the ‘peak tourist season’ to start in November. It has been a great blessing for me to apart of ‘freely giving’ that which I’ve freely received and to see the faces of gratitude and appreciation has been priceless. Lives touching lives indeed!
Lighthouse Christian Radio Ministry, San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye:
Tina and son Luke looking down on Independence Day Parade.
Independence Day Celebrations;
Each year I vow never to be on the island on Independence Day unless I was involved in an outreach as it is a very difficult time for me watching the debauchery and depravity of men in full swing. The all school parade where all of the ages and grade levels participated and the official patriotic ceremony were an exception. This year however I was blessed to have Ronald and Tina with their two children visiting for a few days during the celebrations. This was a first for both of them to see such a celebration as nothing like this takes place in the peaceful and tranquil Mennonite Community of Spanish Lookout. Ronald and I walked in the midst of the Block Party on Front Street and made ourselves available to the Lord to be a light and a witness. I had many opportunities to talk with many that I knew already while Ronald passed out gospel tracts to as many as would receive them. He was surprised that only one person refused while over 50 people received them with and even responded with ‘thank you’. He was blessed by the openness of people to hear the gospel. I recently met with my friend who is the pastor of a nearby Spanish Church and talked about organizing a Christian Parade next year for all of the churches to come together to truly celebrate true independence and gratitude to God for our beautiful country Belize!
Tropical Storm Matthew, the second tropical storm that was headed directly towards us this season, made a shift and barely skimmed Belize’s southern border and bringing very big waves, beach erosions, and strong winds. We were giving up-to-the-minute Tropical Storm and weather reports and comforting our listeners as many tend to panic at the very thought of a storm or hurricane heading our direction. We are in the peak of the hurricane season which ends November 30, so please pray for an uneventful remainder of the hurricane season!
Ruel Cruz, the young man that spent several months of discipleship/interning ended his time with us and went back to his Village on the mainland. He went home for a brief visit and saw the needs of his family and his home church and felt he could be useful there. It blessed both of us to see how God had worked in his life and prepared him to go back home, something he never thought he’s do several months ago when he first came to us. Please pray for Ruel as he’s looking for a job and planning to work with the young men group beginning soon at his home church!
Shelly surprised by our token of appreciation for a job well done.
Shelly Burgan
, our longest standing part-time volunteer/missionary, and her husband Brian came back from their vacation to find out that Brian’s job on the island had come to a sudden end so they felt directed back to the US for a season to spend time with family and friends and see what direction the Lord would lead them. It was a surprise to them yet sensed the Lord’s peace and I likewise felt it was the Lord even though there would be a huge void here at the Lighthouse. Shelly has been a great blessing to us and we miss her already, they flew out of the country yesterday. Please pray for them as they seek to follow the Lord’s led, for direction, employment and provision!
Elmer Montero is being trained and looking to coming on board on a very limited part-time bases because he already has a full time job and teaches several nights a week at the local Night School. Please pray for him as he learns our operations and procedures. With only Barry Fraser on board, the only full time worker/missionary we are praying and trusting that the Lord will provide especially with the busy Christmas season ahead. Please pray for full-time missionaries with a servant’s heart and a desire to see San Pedro Town affected radically by the love and power of God!
Edler Blas is soon approaching the end of the first year at the Calvary Chapel El Salvador Bible School. I continue receiving good reports from those who oversee him and he shares with me his increasing love for the Word of God as he studies. He has been given several opportunities to teach the Word which excites him greatly as well as working alongside of US mission teams and continues to help out at the church’s radio station. I look forward to spending time with Edler at the upcoming Central America Pastors/Leaders Conference and seek the Lord for his future plans as he desires greatly to return next year for his final year. Please pray for confirmation and provision for him to continue his study and the will of the Lord for his life!
Upcoming Events & Schedule:
October 16 Horizon Radio FM 97.3 signs on and begins broadcasting. Spanish Lookout, Cayo District, Belize
October 17, Seminar/Meeting of Radio Stations Leaders in Belmopan, “Networking together to proclaim Christ to Belize” with Northwestern College/KTIS Radio & Sharing Ministries.
Oct. 29-31 Central America Pastors/Leaders Conference, San Salvador, El Salvador
Prayer Request:
Please pray for the country of Belize with its increasing crime and murder rates; 96 murders so far this year, highest on record!
Please pray for the young people of San Pedro Town and surrounding areas, a work of God that many will come to Jesus.
Please pray for our Thursday Night Fellowship at Lighthouse Christian Radio for new and struggling believers!
Please pray for Barry Fraser; strength, wisdom, and good health as he is the only full time person in operations at Lighthouse Christian Radio.
Please pray for laborers, missionaries, media missionaries, local and international.
Please pray for protection for staff, building, and equipment during the final months of peak hurricane season!
Please pray for Dennis, 17 year old that just became a father, needs Jesus!
Contact information in Belize:
Clive Welsh
PO Box 653
Belmopan, Belize
Central America
Phone: 011-501-605-6123
Lighthouse Christian Radio FM 101.3
PO Box 166
San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye
Belize, Central America
Phone: 011-501-226-4673
Facebook: Lighthouse Caribbean Christian Ministry
Email: Lighthouseradio@aol.com
Website: http://www.lighthouseradio.org/ (updating shortly)
Contact information in US:
Saving Grace World Mission
17451 Bastanchury Rd. #203
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
714) 993-4801
In Memo: Welsh/Belize or Belize General.
http://www.sgwm.com/welsh
I’d love to hear from you so please drop me an email, letter, or message on Facebook.
In His Harvest field,
Clive Welsh