Side note: Molly the Service Dog!

Molly at the K's house before we left

Now here I must stop our story and back up just a little bit in order to tell you about Molly, our service dog.

 Sweet Miss Molly the Cocker Spaniel was added to our family a couple months before we left. She fit in so well with our family that when it came time to find our other beloved doggies new homes, we just couldn't part with Molly. Molly was so good with our little girls. One of my sisters has some sensory issues from being a premature baby, and we trained and certified Molly as her service dog. Molly is really my dog, but she loves all of us!

Molly sleeping in the car on my lap. We had to go about 40 mintues away (on the day we were leaving!) to get some paperwork from the State saying she could leave the country.

Molly on Grant's lap at the SeaTac airport

We worried what it would be like to take a dog on the plane, first of all, then through Mexico and then through Belize? Would they accept she was a service dog? How could we figure out all the paper work? So many times, it looked like she couldn't come, but then somehow it worked out perfectly to bring her before we left. Yes, we will admit it was a hassle to have her along. But even in Mexico when we got off the plane and Molly's paperwork had to be checked out by a lady who couldn't speak English, the Lord worked it all out. He even had an English speaking person interrperet for us in the room right when we had a little confusion over something. So even though it wasn't easy to have Molly along, I am so grateful she came!

Being a service animal, she was allowed on the airplane with us free of charge. She was perfect on the plane and never caused any serious problem... biting someone or pottying all over the floor. :) She was a quite a comfort to me... a little bit of home!
We all are so happy to have Molly here with us. And you won't believe what happened to her on our trip through Mexico!
When we got off the plane in Cancun, we took a 15 passenger van taxi to Playa Del Carmen, about 1 1/2 hours away. They allowed Molly in the van; what a blessing! We stayed in Playa for a few days, and then took the ADO bus to Chetumal where our friends were going to pick us up. When we bought the bus tickets the day before our departure, we asked if our dog could come on the bus. "Oh, yes, yes, she can come!" That was a relief because we had heard of other people not being allowed to take their dog on the bus.
The next day, bright and early, another taxi took us to the ADO bus station. They loaded all of our way-too-many bags onto the bus, and then it was time for us to board. Somehow Molly was left with Ashley, and I got on before her. I heard a commotion going on outside. "No un perro on autobus! Put un perro down with luggage, please!" My heart skipped a beat. Put her in the luggage compartment?! Not only would she die of heat exhaustion, but she would get slammed by all the luggage! I heard my dad telling them she was for medical reasons, and she wouldn't potty in the bus. They talked over it for some time, and when they saw that Dad wouldn't put her under there, and seemed to have a reason, they let her on... But not without a BIG laugh! You see, Mexico and Belize look at dogs much differently than we do. They think of them as the annoying, half-starved mangy creatures that are always scuttling around the streets. Quite different from the States! On the bus, everyone was laughing about the "Americano un perro on autobus! HAHAHAH!" Someone even called someone on his cell phone and told them! It was quite hysterical, well to them. We were just grateful we still had her!
When we got to Belize, after our kind friends picked us up, the Belizeans were upset about her too. "You are supposed to have a permit," they told me. Thankfully, after giving them a fee for looking her over, and a fee for not filing the paperwork, she was allowed into Belize without being quarantined.

Now, if you would ask my opinion about bringing a dog into Belize or Mexico, I don't think I would advise you to do so! It was just such a hassle. Of course, I am very happy she is here. :)

Miss Molly and I at the Belize River... Yep, she made it!

On Our Way to Belize

We had stayed at our friends house for a day or two before leaving so the new family could move into our old rental house and so we could spend some special time with the K family before we left. They were going to take us to the airport in their 15 passenger van. We had such mixed feelings spending time with them before we left. There is simply nothing you can replace about a 4 year old friendship, and we had spent nearly one day a week with them in those four years, so they were much more like family. :-) There's not many people you can stay up with until 12:30 at night, talking about the Early Church and eating granola... These are very special friends!

         One of the last times we had around the K's counter, joking ♥

Mama, Ashley, Brother Jeremy and Dad

Well, it was finally time to go. All of our way-too-many bags were packed into our friend's van, and we all loaded up ourselves...OH NO! Our only problem was that we couldn't find my sister Gracie's (age 3) little backpack for the airplane! We figured it was at our old house's garage that we had just locked up that day...All of Gracie's toys were in her backpack, so we decided to stop by the old house and see if we could get inside the garage somehow... 

We said last goodbyes to those at the K's house and then started down the road for the SeaTac Airport. We shared many memories together, joking and crying about all the wonderful years we had shared together so far. How how heart wrenching this was, for us to leave after all these years!

     

We reached our old house, in hopes of finding Grace's backpack. Of course, we figured that we had locked the garage from earlier when we had brought all the luggage over to our friend's house. But, when we got to our house, the garage door was wide open! The light was on, and there was little Gracie's backpack! Although there had been 5 of us there earlier that day, not ONE of us had noticed the door open! We started to joke, "Now you really know the door is open for you to go!" :P
         
                                              ~♥~

                                          Sister Lesa and Mama.

The S family is another family that has been involved in our small fellowship. We have all been so blessed by their family. Sister Lesa has always been so sweet and she always found time to talk with me when others were busy. How we miss our friends back home! ♥

Finally Going to Belize!

To continue our story from the last post, we had finally determined (that is usually when you get into trouble, when you start to decide things :]) that God must not want us to go to Belize; otherwise, He would have to provide in a mighty way for us to get there since moving to another country is very expensive.

We were looking into moving to another state to find more fellowship. We were very much considering PA, since there are many others in that state who believe closely to us. (There are only a few very dear and close families besides ours, that we know of, that believe closely to us in our area back in WA.) Dad, one of the brothers and my brother, Ryan went to a conference in Pennsylvania and then Dad and Mama went back a few months later. However, God had His own plans. :) He showed Dad through many interesting and obvious circumstances that we should not move to Pennsylvania but to Belize. We were all excited when we heard that news from Dad! But the question still was, "How are we ever going to get there?"

  Some of our brothers and sister from back home with us at the airport. Our friends on the right took us to the airport, and our brother in blue in the picture came to help us as well. His wife is not in this picture because she couldn't come to the airport. We miss these families so much!

Through the following situation, we learned never to put God in a box, and also that our Father can provide things in ways totally unexpected.

My older sister and I love animals. We love to train animals, care for animals and especially love baby animals. So when the Lord provided some free and inexpensive dogs (the most we paid was $100, I think) we thought it would be fun to have some puppies. We had a litter of Lhasapoo puppies, Silky-Lhasa puppies and a litter of Cocker Spaniel puppies all within about 2 months! We had not really expected all these, but somehow that is what happened. We were, of course, VERY busy with puppies for a few months. However, when we sold all the little fellas, we found that we had enough money to fly to Belize! That was the way God provided for us to come here. Not the most significant, but He loves to use simple things to confound us by His power. :)

We were so excited to finally be leaving. But, oh how hard it was to leave not only our family but also our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ who seem like family to us, too! We love these families so much! It was SO hard to leave them! But the Lord knows best, and we hope to see our friends soon... Maybe they will come too? We only want God's will. But if He does will them to come, I will be far from dissapointed.  :)

Mrs. K and her sweet little boy

That is the nut-shell version of the story of why and how we came to Belize. We still do not necessarily know what our Lord has for us here, but we know for sure that He does want us here! :) May He get all the glory for what He is doing in His servant's lives all over the world!

Why Belize, Anyway?

Our family was asked this question many times within the last three years of our life.

About three years ago, we had been asking the Lord for a place in this world that we could go and serve as a family for Him. At the same time, we were also seeking for a place where our family could get out of the "American Dream Bubble" for a little while and experience real life! :) My parents went to Liberia, Africa in 2006, and since that time have felt the need for us children to experience what most people in this world live like, and perhaps be the hands and feet of Jesus to those out there who needed help.

~Our family before we left~

It all started with a brochure about Belize. Dad was working at a local bank at the time. We decided to show the brochure to Dad; at the same time joking that he would *never* go for living in a third world country! However, when he came home one night, we showed him the article and he said, "Wow! That looks interesting... Let's pray about it." My mother, older sister and I were amazed. Dad was not usually the one liked to step out of the norm!

                   A view from our current backyard in Belize

The following year, Dad and a couple friends went to Belize. These friends were also looking for a new place/country to live. On Dad's trip to Belize, he felt the Lord showing him very clearly that this is the place the Lord wanted our family. Every time he turned around, the Lord had answered another prayer request of ours to know if we should move there. He also got to meet the Banman family. We met the Banmans through email when we first heard of Belize. The Lord totally planned and orchestrated our two family's friendship, and we have been blessed greatly by it.                                                                                                                                                                                   

                 Gracie M and Wanda B, our first week in Belize

The following years held many experiences. We met a Christian man who had beeen successful in business, and soon the plan was made that we would go to Belize and start an organic farm, and he would fund it. He wanted to get some of his money out of the country, and we wanted to do some farming, so it sounded like a wonderful idea to all! We sold everything we had, and were ready for most of us to drive to Belize and the others to fly in just two weeks! Then at the last minute, our friend decided he needed more time to consider this big decision. We completely understood. However, we were left without a house, a newborn baby, a job and hardly any furninture or kitchen utensils, or clothing! This was quite the test of faith for us.

Some of our best friend's children and my siblings back in WA State ♥

We ended up living in a travel trailer of our dearest friends for about a month and a half (their children above), and the Lord provided a house for us to house-sit for a month. Then He provided a very inexpensive and beautiful place for us to live. Someone also called my Dad up and offered him a job. We were very suprised and grateful to our Heavenly Father for caring for these servants of His Kingdom... Now the question was, were ever going to Belize? And if so, how could we ever leave our beloved friends?

Our family right before getting on the airplane to leave ♥

More of the story in the next post! :)

Welcome, Friends!

Hello Friends!

 Welcome to my blog. In these posts, I hope to expound upon my new life in Belize, and what the Lord Jesus Christ is doing in my life! He has moved our family here to Belize for Him, and we pray that He can use us to do His will. Enjoy the pictures and thoughts about my Lord, my family and Belize.

In the last few months, I have had many health issues, and hopefully will share some of the things that my Lord has taught me through them. May our Heavenly Father give you a hopeful and joyful spirit in Himself!

Blessings~
p.s.- I will warn you that I am prone to write stories instead of paragraphs, so be prepared to read long posts sometimes! LOL~