Dear Friends in Missions-

It is hard to believe that back home you all are headlong into spring enjoying the budding trees, blossoming early flowers and the greening grass.  Here we are getting back to summer-like temperatures with daytime highs in the nineties and humidity in the eighties. 

After eight months here in Belize, we have been spending the last few weeks reflecting on our experiences and hashing through our developing philosophy of missions.  Some questions that we have been struggling through are: What really qualifies as ‘missions’?  What is the difference between evangelism and witnessing?  How do we measure or evaluate our work?  Are we being faithful to our supporters back home?  Is God calling us to further ministry here or elsewhere?  These are only a few of the topics that we have been sitting up late into the night discussing with one another.  For some, perhaps there is no black and white answer.  For others, the answer may be more about what God is doing in our hearts and lives than about us developing a ‘plan’ for ministry.  But this we know: none of this is easy and God is at work.

This past month we saw two different people come to faith in Christ right here in our kitchen.  One was Lloyd, who we wrote about earlier.  Right now he is doing well.  He is working a fairly steady job, he is not drinking and he is telling his family about all he is learning through reading the book of John and meeting with Scott to talk and pray.  The other is Zaita.  Sarah met Zaita after a Belizean friend brought her by to talk.  As they began to talk Sarah spoke boldly to her about the gospel and God’s plan for salvation and deliverance from sin.  After about an hour of talking and explaining Sarah asked her if she would like to receive salvation.  Zaita answered “Yes!”  So they prayed together and she began a new life in Christ that afternoon.  We have not had as much contact with her as we have with Lloyd.  But, Sarah is planning to go visit her in the next week to see how she is doing.

We have also visited a new church this month.  Last Sunday we attended Corozal Presbyterian Church, which is only 5 minutes away from our home.  Since we arrived in August we have been primarily attending church in Cristo Rey village, a 30-minute drive away.  For various reasons the closer church had not really been an option before, but now the door appears to be open for us to begin attending in Corozal.  We felt very welcome there and enjoyed the service tremendously.  That night they conducted worship in both Spanish and English.  We cannot express to you the joy there is in singing praises in your own native language!  We met some very interesting people and found that much of the congregation speak very good English.  We are excited about pursuing this opportunity and are making efforts to get to know that pastor and his wife better.

Scott is continuing to meet once or twice a week with Isa, a Belizean teacher from the Presbyterian school in Cristo Rey.  They are really developing a great relationship and Isa has been very open to Scott’s discipleship.  He is excited about learning how to study God’s Word for himself.  He has a desire to reach out to the young men in his village to mentor and teach them but has felt inadequate and unprepared.  Our study in Galatians with Isa and his wife is giving him confidence to trust the Holy Spirit to teach him and empower him to minister to others.  Right now he has a group of about 6 –8 teenage boys who he meets with every other Friday for Bible study and fellowship.

Sarah continues in her Wednesday night Bible study.  She is in a mentoring-style relationship with Norma, a Belizean friend who has a contagious passion for evangelism and teaching.  Norma has asked Sarah on numerous occasions to help her learn how to mentor and disciple women.  So, through this once-a-week study, which is conducted entirely in Spanish, Sarah is encouraging and supporting Norma as she learns to study the Bible and teach women.

We also are continuing our language study.  We have added a computer-based program to our arsenal to help with verb conjugations and vocabulary.  We wish we had more time to devote to full-time language study but are doing our best to get as much as we can with what time we have.

Thank you all so much for your continual prayers, messages and financial support.  We know that we have the best support team that we could ask for!  You are making it possible for God to use us here as He sees fit – in His time – and for His purposes!  We miss you all so much but we get up each day knowing that we are where God wants us to be for now. 

Scott and Sarah Arensman

MTW Missionaries to Belize
P.O. Box 206
Corozal Town, Belize
Central America
001-501-422-0080 (h)
001-501-627-7192 (c)
ssarensman@aol.com
www.mtwsa.net/people/sarensman.htm

On a side note:  Sarah parents are traveling to Belize for a visit May 8th through the 17th.  We are excited to have some more visitors from home!  Elizabeth and TJ will be returning to the States for a month-long visit when they fly back.  If you are in the Huntersville area, you may see them at church while they are there!  Please pray for safe travel for them and for good visits with family and friends while they are there.  We are hoping that this trip will recharge their batteries and give them momentum to return and finish out the final year here.