The Beauty of Belize inside a Bus

By Addie

I expected to see God work in many different ways on the mission trip to Belize. In the scenario in my head, our group would teach kids at Chan Chen Government School love by teaching math, bless the church with renovation, maybe even share the word of God to the stingrays as we snorkeled. Yes, we did do all of that (except maybe the bit about stingrays), but what I did not imagine was the overwhelmingly strong community our group became, both within the church and with the people of Belize. I had expected, even hoped that God would be at work. But he showed himself in so many ways that I had not anticipated, changing the way that I look at my religion, myself, and my God.

I probably should have guessed that I would feel God’s presence when I least expected it, but in my defense, who would have thought that that time was in a slightly smelly bus at 8:30 pm? A small group of us had gone from the hotel after working hours to cut pineapples and package it with other fruits to give to the kids. We had also played musical chairs to Dolly Parton’s  “Nine to Five”, so we were already in a singing mood. Adrian, part of the Belize Project, and our van driver at the time, began to sing “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, and the rest of the group joined. It didn’t sound very put together. After a long day, we were all pretty tired, and some of our voices had begun to decide to take a short vacation from functioning correctly. I had sung this song dozens of times before, so it wasn’t exactly anything new. But hearing a man who lived in a very different country worship God, the same God that you or I worship, together with us, something changed. For a moment, I could see that we weren’t just specks in a vast universe, we were a part of something greater. For a moment, the seven or eight of us from different countries worshiped the one God, the only thing that matters in that wide expanse of space.

Sometimes it's hard to use every second of every day to worship God. It’s hard to see why any of it matters, when you live your everyday life and it feels like He isn’t there. I am always taught that He will not abandon you in times of hardship and suffering, but my question has always been, what about normal life? Going to work every day, cleaning your house, or learning at school? Where is He then? I thought that I was the only one who doubted whether He really hears my prayers. But that day, I worshiped with a man and his family who lived in Belize in a bus after listening to Dolly Parton and cutting pineapple, and I learned that my God is everyone's God. He actually is steadfast and unchanging, no matter the country. He is with us, even in a smelly van at 8:30 at night. Even in everyday life. So many times I have seen my friends praying or worshiping and I find myself wishing with all my heart that I could have a relationship with my Father like they do. In moments like that I have felt so alone. I have been told that God is always with me, but like the human that I am, I needed proof. God knew that, and he gave me what I wanted. Despite the odd setting, that short moment on our way to the hotel changed my perspective on our God.

I expected, among other things, to feel alone on the trip, as my family did not come with us. God had other plans. Listening to exhausted friends sing to the one and only God, the same one who sometimes seems like He’s not there, made me feel incredibly known and accepted and loved. My goal on the trip was to change someone else’s life. I hadn't anticipated how quickly mine could as well.