“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1
You might be thinking that I’m late on sending out thanksgiving greetings when we are well into the Christmas festivities. It’s unfortunate that only one day is designated for something that truly should me a continuous position of our heart and displayed in our moment to moment lives. As with you, I’m thankful to Our Lord for so many things and seek to lavish Him with gratitude and praise as often as I can fulfilling the very purpose of my existence.
Michael & Eli starts their day off with breakfast in the Staff Apartment.
Before I go any further, I want to express a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who responded to the financial need of my monthly support. I am happy to report that I was able to get a paycheck this past week and God provided through your monthly and one time gift. God’s timing and provisions are always perfect and I appreciate very much your hearts of obedience to Him and the work He’s doing to touch and impact lives in Belize. Apart from taking care of Michael we have taken in Eli, a 19 year old High School senior who was in need of room and boarding. More on that later but know that your generosity helps us to live out the gospel by providing for the fatherless and the needy. Thank you!
Lifting holy hands in prayer for the students of San Pedro High School.
Thankful for Prayers: At one of our ‘Third Monday of the Month Prayer Meeting’, a time when Believers from the churches involved in the Evangelical Alliance of San Pedro gather for prayers, the Lord impressed on my heart the need to pray for those involved at the only High School on the island. I mentioned it to a couple of people and was surprised when I arrived at the high school the following Monday morning at 7:00 AM before school started and found 2 ladies waiting for me to pray. They shared how the Lord had spoken to their hearts awhile ago to do the very same thing and were excited to stand in the gap for the students, teachers, administration and staff of San Pedro High School. It has been a powerful time as we lift up the 660 students by classes and by name. Powerful time indeed and that has been measured by the intensity of warfare that each one of us involved have experienced which confirmed the importance of what we are doing; standing in the gap for our young people. I’ve been blessed and encouraged greatly by these Prayer Warriors/Intercessors and even though most of the prayers are in the Spanish language and my mind is ignorant to what is being prayed, yet my spirit is stirred and in full agreement. Please feel welcome to join us in prayer from where ever in the world you are on Monday mornings from 7:00 – 7:30 Belize time!
Female students of San Pedro High gather to hear ‘Women of Excellence’.
Thankful for Answered Prayers: Years ago the thought came to mind of providing an opportunity for the female students of San Pedro High School to be inspired and challenged by Christian women whom God has brought out of great difficulties and have a story to tell. The title of the Seminar came to mind as well, Women of Excellence, I began to pray about it and how it would become a reality. Not feeling like it was something that the radio ministry should sponsor nor the timing was right, I shared it with the School Counselor and she liked the idea very much. With my active involvement with On Eagles Wings Ministries and the S.H.I.N.E. girl’s group being developed, the idea came back to mind and the timing seems perfect as the OEWM team was coming to San Pedro with a team from the church where the chairman of the Board is pastor. The principal of the High School gave the permission for the girl seminar and allowed a half day schedule to accommodate the event which was called ‘Being a Women of Excellence’. I invited my good friend, Michelle Usher to be one of the speakers; she shared her story of raising her brother from a young age after being abandoned by her alcoholic parents. Today she is a successful businesswoman who adopted 4 children and rose from the seemingly awful beginnings to finding excellence in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Alida Shape, a missionary who works with the Child Development Foundation, a ministry counseling abused young girls and those exploited sexually. She shared her amazing story of deliverance from difficult childhood where she was sexually abused by a relative for many years. Both ladies were well received by the 330 female students, staff, teachers, and administrators. The School Counselor mentioned to me how valuable this time was for the girls and would like to follow up with a similar seminar next semester.
Over 330 SPHS male students challenged to live a fulfilled life!
When working on the plans for the ‘Women of Excellence Seminar’, the principal asked if there was something that I can put together for the guys. I was elated for the invitation and quickly put together, ‘Being a Man of Virtue’ where my good friend Louis Wade, a former Board Member of Lighthouse Christian Radio, who owns and operates Plus TV, the only Christian television station in Belize. Louis has a dynamic gift of communicating with young people and challenged the 335 high school guys about truth, lie, sin nature and living a fulfilled life. Tom Camacho, pastor of Blue Ridge Vineyard Church, North Carolina shared about what being a man means. Both speakers challenged the young men in very relevant and practical ways to make their lives count and being successful. Louis gave a call to action at the end of the time and over half of the young men present rose their hands in respond to hearing the gospel. I was stunned, amazed and couldn’t believe my eyes and immediately my thoughts went to the Monday morning prayer meetings and God’s faithfulness in answering our prayers to impact the San Pedro High School with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The talk around town by both the guys and the girls were about the Seminars, please pray for clarity of direction and wisdom as to how to proceed from here with the high school students!
Alida Sharp, Louis Wade, and Michelle Usher returning to Belmopan after sharing with students.
Thankful for God’s Timing: I mentioned to you in the last update about a young man that I met through the outreach with the He Intends Victory team back in October and how the Lord directed us to take him in at the Lighthouse. Michael, have been with us for almost 2 months and it has been quite a season of caring for someone who is so appreciative and grateful for help. It has been a breath of fresh air since my recent dealing with several completely and painfully opposite of him. It has also been a challenge having someone to care for 24/7 from meals planning, daily supervision, overseeing his medication, ministering to his broken & grieving heart and the day to day, moment to moment issues of life that accompanied taking someone into your care. He has adjusted well to living on the island and in our Staff Apartment and has been an incredible help around the facilities. More on Michael and the upcoming plans in the next Update.
Clive & Michael eating Thanksgiving Dinner!
After the Seminar for the High School guys, I met a very ambitious senior who was struggling with his studies because he worked in the evening in order to pay his rent as he was living on his own. My heart went out to him and after several conversations he expressed a need for assistance so he can get his grades back up which was affected by him sleeping in class due to working late nights. Eli moved in with Michael to help alleviate his hardship and quickly saw his grades changed. Now I was Mr. Mom or Papa Clive to 2 teenagers who started out doing well with each other but tension developed making it extremely difficult the two to coexist together. Michael being a fairly new believer was challenged to love Eli, who is not a Christian, and it blessed me to see his growth in grace and forgiveness toward him. I never imagined in my wildest dream that I’d be a constant referee between a 16 and a 19 year old along with my daily life and ministry, which was intensifying with the upcoming Christmas season for the radio station. It was determined that I needed to focus on Michael’s health situation and what would be the next best step for him. By the way, health wise he is doing very well from his last check up and viral load results. He is gaining weight and his counselor remarked how pleased she was to see him doing so well. Eli’s situation improved with his studies at the very same time things were not working out with him and Michael so he moved out recently to his own place once again. God’s timing is always the best, hallelujah!
Eli with several other students discussing physics in Staff Apartment .
Thankful for On Eagles Wings Ministries Belize: OEWM brought a team to assist them with fundraiser for the newly purchased property as well as to celebrate the recent graduation another semester of SHINE girls and welcoming the new semester. Michelle Nunez, the former Miss San Pedro, has recently graduated her 3nd group of girls who were chosen by the Guidance Counselor at the San Pedro High School to participate in S.H.I.N.E (Shaping Healthy Identities thru Nurturing and Empowering) which is a ministry of OEWM Belize. These girls were vulnerable or in some way or another have experience sexual exploitation. A banquet was held in their honor and as I glanced around the room, I thanked the Lord for how He has used this group to alter the direction of these young ladies who are now seeing their worth, value and beauty from a totally different perspective. I wondered where they would have been tonight if it wasn’t for His grace rescuing them through this program. I’ve recently become the Treasurer on the Board of Directors for On Eagles Wings Belize and very honored to work alongside folks who really have a heart for the young people of San Pedro Town and Belize!
S.H.I.N.E. Girls during their recent photo shoot before graduating from the program!
Thanking God for Jesus: As we are well into the Christmas celebration, I’m in awe of all that the Lord has done in sending Jesus and providing a way for us to truly know Him and experience the forgiveness of sin. May your time with family and friends be filled with God’s Presence as you celebrate God’s greatest gift to mankind. Have a blessed Christmas and a Spirit filled New Year!
In His love and grace,
Clive Welsh
Contact Information:
He Intends Victory
P.O. Box 399
Irvine, CA 92650
1-800-HIV-HOPE
Please indicate: Welsh/Belize on your checks or online at:
https://heintendsvictory.org/lighthouseradio/
Lighthouse Christian Radio Ministry
P.O. Box 166
San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye
Belize, Central America
Office: 011-501-226-4673
Cell : 011-501-605-6123
Email: clivewelsh@gmail.com
Stream: www.galcom.org/streamer/
For up to date updates and pictures, join me on my Facebook at Clive Welsh or Lighthouse Christian Radio FM 101.3 or Lighthouse Christian Radio Ministry!