During spring break of 2023, 24 people from several area churches journeyed to San Mateo Belize located on the island of Ambergris Caye.
Belize is a nation on the eastern coast of Central America, with Caribbean Sea shorelines to the east and dense jungle to the west. Offshore, the massive Belize Barrier Reef is dotted with hundreds of low-lying islands called cayes.
New Lebanon Free Will Baptist Church member Tonya McAnally, started the missions in April of 2009 from here to the area and helps organize biannual mission trips.
The mission group went to San Mateo to give witness of Christ, volunteered at the Holy Cross School, and worked at the Angelica El Tabernacle Church. The mission team worked on the construction of a pavilion for the church that included pouring four 28-foot pillars for the pavilion. The team conducted a medical clinic on Sunday night after worship services and was able to provide blood pressure checks, and glucose checks and provided glucose monitors and supplies to all in need. The team worked out in the community of San Mateo sharing the gospel and providing food to many. They worshiped nightly, which included a Sunday morning children’s church, VBS on Monday Night, and Wednesday night they had a couples night services and youth events.
The team also worked out in the community of San Mateo, and were able to provide hands-on support, financial support to those in need, provide food for several families, and conduct a medical clinic where glucose monitors were provided with supplies for many individuals.
The Holy Cross School was founded in 2006 by missionaries from Virginia, and it now serves 430 underprivileged children. The school provides many services to children through volunteer doctors, dentists, lunch snacks, as well as educational opportunities. The school was built and is maintained by volunteers and donations.
The mission team assisted teachers in the classrooms, organizing the library, assisted the dentist in the dental lab and in other places needed. There were groups at the church who spent time building the framework, mixing and pouring concrete by hand.
The team reached out to the people in the community of San Mateo before worship services to invite them to come for all our worship services, Children’s Church, VBS, youth night, and adult services. We were able to provide hands-on support, hand out bibles, Christian tracts, flip flops, handmade dresses, rice and beans to children and families of San Mateo.
Without the support of many people in the communities, New Lebanon Freewill Baptist Church, and surrounding churches the mission would not have been successful.
Mission Team Members: Tonya McAnally, Cheryl Jordan, M.J. Lambert, Ray Daniel, Ann Daniel, Brandy Johnson, Devin Lowrey, Brianna Lowery, Haley Lowrey, Jimmy Lowrey, Cassidy Lowrey, Daniel Phifer, Emily Phifer, Madi Phifer, Braxton Phifer, Bro. Jack McQuary, Nicole McQuary, Anna Claire McQuary, Abbey McQuary, Adilyn McQuary, Justin Winn, Cassidy Winn, Bella Winn, and Nikki Rudolph.