Belize Mission Trips 2008

On the second and third week of July 2008, St. Andrew's sent two mission teams, one each week, to the Holy Cross Anglican School in Belize consisting of a mix of adults and the youth of the parish. The intent of these misson trips was to minister to the physical needs of the school and spiritual needs of the students. As with most ministry, those who went to provide succor and love were themselves recipients with an abundance of the same.

On September 2001 Vernon and Francis Wilson become our first overseasmissionaries in cooperation with the Episcopal Relief and Developmentagency of the National Church. They worked with the Diocese of Belize,the local government, and the school system to establish a vocational training program to teach jewelry design, manufacturing, and repair. In2004, while in Ambergris Caye, they saw numerous school age childrenwandering the streets during school hours..Informal talks with community leaders revealed the critical need for a new school on the Island. The Holy Cross School is the result of their efforts and the efforts many others, both in Belize and in the US.

The daily schedule for our two mission groups included daily Vacation Bible School with the children, which included worship, prayer, art, storytelling, and recreation. The afternoons were filled with the hammer and paint side of 'Sharing the Gospel.'