Category Archives: Travel

Culture, Travel

Day Trip to Cerros Mayan Ruins

Cerros Mayan Ruins, Corozal District, Belize

Since our son is visiting from the U.S., we decided to take my day off to travel to a historical site in Belize. Cerros is an ancient Mayan site inhabited for a few hundred years before and after the birth of Christ. We drove about 40 minutes from home on mostly dirt roads and had to cross a river on a ferry to reach the site. As far as I know, it is the only Mayan ruins site located along the seashore. This must have been a beautiful place for the Mayans to work and live.

For much of history the Yucatec Mayans living in and near Belize were an unreached people group. Thankfully today there are believers and churches among Mayans and their descendants. In our village the older generations still speak Mayan in the home though most of their children and grandchildren speak Spanish and English. We can thank God for the salvation of many among the Mayans and continue to pray for many more Mayans as well as other Belizeans to come to know Christ.

Cerros Mayan Ruins. Only a small percentage of the compound has been excavated.
Home Ministry Assignment, Hospitality, Missions, Travel

Missions house

A house in Missouri

The life of a missionary can often be somewhat nomadic. First, there is the initial move out of one’s home country to the place where the missionary will minister. Typically, missionaries have gone for a term at a time, punctuated by furloughs – also known as “home ministry assignment or HMA”. This can be a lot of moving around! Additionally it is not uncommon for God to move missionaries from one ministry assignment to another – whether in the same nation or in a completely different nation or even language group!

One question people might have is: Where do missionaries live while on home assignment? This is a good question because traditionally the missionary home assignment or furlough can be anywhere from weeks to a whole year! Most missionaries are by no means idle during their home assignment. They are expected to visit their financial supporters and sponsoring churches to give updates on the work on the field, giving glory to our Triune God for bringing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the nations!

Thankfully God provides for His servants, but it is not always easy for the missionary. Sometimes a missionary owns a home back in his or her passport country. But most often not. Some have generous relatives who may offer a place to stay. Others have financial supporters who share their home or open their vacation home for a season. A few churches have what is akin to the traditional parsonage or manse: the missionary house.

Continue reading Missions house →
Culture, large family, Travel

Buses, Taxis and Automobiles

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TaxiWhat is it like to live without a car? What challenges does that present to the large family? Growing up in suburban America, it always seemed somewhat romantic to think of city living, where care ownership is optional and everywhere you need to go can be reached on foot or by bus. We have been living this city life now for 15 months, and I wanted to share our experiences.

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Beach, Travel

Pocitos Shoreline

Pocitos ShorelineSummer is over in Montevideo. This is a picture of one of the beaches we enjoyed going to this summer. It is called Pocitos. The beach is across the water near the building skyline in the background. There are many people from Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil on the beaches of Uruguay each summer.

Culture, large family, Travel

A Day in Our Life

Montevideo
Montevideo

“I’m sorry, you can only register one of your documents today,” the woman behind the counter told Ray. He stood there with all 10 of the documents (9 birth certificates and a marriage certificate) that need to be registered before we can begin the process of getting our visa to live in Uruguay. Although he wasn’t clear why only one document, he dutifully filled out the form and paid the fee and then returned home. Continue reading A Day in Our Life →

Culture, large family, Travel

Our First Few Days in Uruguay

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One week ago we had just returned to Florida from the Dominican Republic, aIMG_2485113022997nd we were working hard at packing and cleaning to get ready to fly to Uruguay. Not surprisingly, our youngest had come down with a respiratory illness, and all of us suffered from an upset tummy from the food/water. But nonetheless, on Thursday, some friends drove 3 vans to the airport with us and all of our luggage (19 check-in, 8 carry-on, 9 personal bags, a stroller and a carseat) to see us off. With all the help, it didn’t seem like too much stuff. So we got in line and our friends said goodbye. We expected just a routine, if slow, check in. Continue reading Our First Few Days in Uruguay →

Attributes of God, Culture, Travel

God’s Self-Existence and Flying to Uruguay

Airplane“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8).

Can you remember that time in your childhood where you really started to ponder the great questions of existence? Was there ever a time when you thought something like, “What if I were never born?” or the unsettling thought, “What if there were nothing instead of something?” It was about the fourth grade when I suddenly came to grips with my finiteness. The questions for me were, “What if I never existed?” and “What if God never existed?” Continue reading God’s Self-Existence and Flying to Uruguay →

Home Ministry Assignment, Hospitality, Sanctification, Travel

Simple Christian Hospitality

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Breaking down in a strange city and being cared for by a local church. Being invited on Sunday morning to come share a meal with a family we have just met. Being hosted by a couple for a long weekend, complete with meals and beds for our large family. Being allowed to stay at an apartment or unoccupied house for a matter of weeks or months by friends or even strangers. Hospitality. This is something as missionaries that we are honored to both give and receive. And as we are on the brink of leaving for the field and I look back on our 8 months on the road visiting churches in the US, I can say that the one of the biggest (maybe the biggest?) spiritual blessing is the blessing of seeing God’s people practice hospitality towards us. Continue reading Simple Christian Hospitality →