Hello Friends, Family, and the People of the United States,

We just wanted to say "hi" to everyone as well as tell some experiences.  So far our experience to Belize has been a blast...(if you take out brandon getting fried up like a piece of chicken by the sun, and we not knowing where to go the first couple of days for service meeting!)  We love and miss you all!

This one's from Derrick:

"house Seth and I found a couple of kids sitting on the hammock waiting for lunch (Most kids are in school but here they all come home for Lunch). We asked them if they liked to read and they replied “yes” so we handed them a tract and they said they would read it. We then asked them if they read the Bible and they replied, “Yes, and I pray every night.”  Seth asked, “If you could ask God one more question what would it be?” one of the kids said, “Why are their earthquakes?” (Many of the locals are worried since a small earthquake hit here a couple of weeks ago). We then got to explain the times we are living in and the hope of the new world and how we can get there, we probably shared at least 6 different scriptures with them. By the end of the conversation they wanted us to come by next week during their lunch so we can study the Bible Teach book with them. But before we left we wanted to talk to the mom, where we placed the abortion magazine with her, she told us that, “ I am going to read this, and when you come back next Wednesday if I have any questions I am going to ask you.” By this time we had been on the house for about 40 minutes, so in our first house that morning we started 4 bible studies! I thought it to be pretty remarkable that most kids down here have an appreciation for the Bible and respect it, they enjoy sitting down and listening to what the Bible has to say! JUST AWESOME!

This One's from Brandon

This is an experience about a man named Omar! Our first day out in the ministry we got lost a couldn't find our way to ware the service meeting was being held but we decided to do some informal witnessing. A kind man gave us a warm hello on the street, this man Omar was visiting Placencia because his father who lived here recently passed away and he was here for the funeral. We expressed to him that we understood what he was going through. I asked "Have you ever wondered why there is so much suffering in the world?"  He asked me "Well what are you r views?" I shared 1John 5:19 and contrasted that with 1John 4:8 explaining that its because of Satan that many suffer and not because of Jehovah who is our loving God. This touched his heart,  if you could have seen his face, it was full of appreciation. He said he admired what we were doing as young people and wished he was as focused, he also requested a bible. I gave him the bible teach book and assured him about getting his bible he said he would definitely read it! And he did. We ran in to him again on the street and he expressed to us that he agreed with what the bible teach book said about the condition of the dead. He though was discouraged about the immoral society here so we gave him the peaceful new world tract for encouragement. we Again ran in to him on the street he said "that information made so much sense!" That was the last time we would see Omar or so we thought. We herd that he moved. Today wile walking from the beach a week later from when we last seen Omar there he is walking right toward us!  We could not have been happier! I invited him to tomorrows public meeting and said he could also finally pick up his bible, He said "Ill definitely do that!" And all this time not once did we knock on his door! Omar is excited to learn more and im so happy that Jehovah is using us to help teach him!

This one's from Seth:

The Ministry is just so amazing out here that's it's so hard to think of all the experiences.  I have such a big urge to start bible studies, and this time in Belize I have to get them all from scratch, where as in Guyana a lot of them were handed down to me.  Once while Derrick and I were walking down the street, this man came down and started singing some church anthem and wanted me and Derrick to finish it.  Derrick said we don't know that one, and asked which church he went to and he replied "the Church of Christ."  We then got into the discussion of where the dead where and he told us they were burning in hell.  So then i asked him, "Does anything burn forever?"  He was confused by the question at first, so I illustrated it "if I were to take this magazine and burn it how long would it take?"  He replied, "not long".  He then got what i meant by the question.  I shared Eccl. 9:5 with him to show him just what the dead where doing, and brought him back to Revelation to show the resurrection hope.  I told him about meetings, and he said he would be there, so we shall see tomorrow.  We are slowly getting used to our new congregation, and we all gave them our letters from our home elders.  The elders were talking to me and Derrick and said that we may be getting parts.  Just after that I prayed to Jehovah saying  that if I got a part in the congregation that he'd give me his holy spirit to accomplish it like in guyana.  Minutes after that an elder came and asked if I would give a 10 min. service part in  about a month, so I am very excited and nervous, and happy that I can be used in the congregation.  We've met a new english friend named Lawrence who is also serving here and he will be staying with us for a little while. All of us are continuing to work on our tan, going from pasty white to white.  

This one's from Timmy

In just the first week and a half since being in Belize, I've grown so much in my appreciation for the ministry and Jehovah's remarkable Organization. Jehovah has certainly made his name known here in Placencia, where we are serving. Walking down the street the people here recognize us immediately as what they like to call "Jehovah's". We have already made many friend's with not only the congregation here in Placencia but also with many of the citizens. Service has never felt this rewarding to me ever in my life. I have been able to see Jehovah's spirit in action on a wide scale while serving here in Belize. I am treasuring every minute that I spend here, but I'm still anxiously waiting to see the expansion of my ministry here. I miss and love all of you back home.

We hope you have all enjoyed some of these experiences! We only wanted to share our personal favorites/thoughts but there are so many more great experiences that we didn't write down. We want to encourage anyone who has the circumstances to try and serve where the need is greater and experience this fulfilling and joyful work that Jehovah has allowed us to do in these last days. May Jehovah continue to bless all of your efforts if you do not have the circumstances to serve where the need is greater! 

Acts 16:9 - "Step over into Macedonia and help us" 

Seth, Derrick, Brandon, Tim

The pictures attached are a little random. The first one is Brandon's sun burn and sun blisters. The secound is Seth and I walking in our territory. Third we have Seth relaxing at the beach. The Fourth one is of all of us taking the boat to Thursday night meeting. And the last on is of our house.