Missionaries experience 'unBelizeable' trip

Working full days in heat and humidity, 29 Campion students and 16 staff transformed the facilities of the King’s Children’s Home in Belmopan, Belize over Campion’s Spring Break, March 9 to 16.

Managed by Pastor Paul Cassanova, King’s Children’s Home (KCH) is an independent Seventh-day Adventist establishment which houses children whose parents are unable to take care of them for a variety of reasons.  The major project for the week was constructing, painting, and installing framed screens on over 80 windows on their dorm rooms. 

The crew tackled other large projects including repainting the church and common areas, rebuilding bleachers, installing a street light, digging a drainage trench, and multiple other improvement projects.

Misha Newbold, senior at Campion, commented, “The hardest part about this trip was working in the hot Belize sun. There were several things that could have set us back but we found our way around them. I found that the work we did for KCH felt fulfilling because in the end we were serving people and showing them Christ through what we did.”

One of the setbacks was the rented bus breaking down on the first day of the trip. The local mechanic said he would not be able to repair it, so Pastor Paul called a mechanic he knew who specialized in bus repair but lived in a city over three hours away. Miraculously, the mechanic happened to be traveling and was only three blocks away from where the bus had broken down. He was able to immediately come over and work on the bus and had it repaired by that evening. 

In addition, the painting crew faced some challenges with having to repaint due to color issues. Sherlin Vasquez-Hernandez recalled, “We were expecting some struggles because not everything goes as planned and it happened.” First, the crew spent a few hours painting frames before being told they were using the wrong color. Then, when they ran out of paint while painting the church, they discovered the new bucket they had begun using was not a match to the first coat. 

Vasquez-Hernandez continued, “It was a blessing to just see the others pushing through and not letting it get to us. We just kept painting and helping in what we could. It was ‘unBelizeable.’” Ultimately, they finished more painting projects than the director had planned for them with all the correct colors! 

In the end, the crew was very productive and able to accomplish much more than expected. “‘Belize’ it or not I also was blessed to go on the mission trip,” commented Jack Jordan, senior. “We were given a long list of tasks that we needed to complete during the week. Just as the sun dipped below the horizon on Friday we had finished them all. God truly blessed our work during this trip.”

In addition to the work, the group took a day excursion to snorkel and explore the island of Caye Caulker.

“The whole day was just a wonderful experience, start to finish,” Euan O’Keefe, senior, shared. “It began by feeding tarpon fish, and the things were as big as me and about as hungry too! We dangled sardines in front of them and they leapt so far out of the water to get to us it’s a wonder none of them ended up in the boat with us. I did it twice, the first time went perfectly fine, about as expected, but the second one must have overshot. He almost took my hand with him! Ended up biting my hand up to the wrist, but now I know what the inside of a tarpon’s mouth is like. Wet. Warm. Slimy. Generally unpleasant.”

Sarah Rushold, senior, furthered, “We saw beautiful coral and swam with nurse sharks and stingrays. The water was ‘unBelizeably’ clear and blue. It was really awesome to see all the creatures that God created.”

The last day of the trip was Sabbath, so the Campion students, organized by Pastor Josh Hestor, led out in a vespers and church service for the children.

“It was really fun to put together the worship services and I was trying to help them remember what Pastor Josh had been preaching about all week,” said Natalie Bryant, freshman. “It was really a blessing to see their smiles and hear them singing and laughing during the service.”

After church on Sabbath the group climbed pyramids at ancient Mayan ruins.

The trip was organized by Chaplain Lindsey Santana with the help of Bill Hay who had been on mission trips to Belize 13 times. “It was super intimidating coming into this year as chaplain, knowing the school wanted me to plan and organize a mission trip,” shared Santana. “I had never planned an international trip for a group, and when it became clear that 46 individuals wanted to go to Belize I knew God was going to have to take the reins in order for the trip to become a reality. Prayers were answered when Bill Hay, who has travelled to King’s Children’s Home several times, committed to helping.”

Santana furthered, “Our group of sponsors included individuals who knew their way with power tools but also loved interacting with teenagers. Miracles happened when each student became fully funded right before we left. Time and again I saw the hand of God blessing and guiding in the minutiae of planning this trip and his hand on the actual trip itself. I think the students are returning with full hearts and wonderful memories.”

Jill Harlow, Communication Director