Tag: Belize

Answering the Call- Part I
Sanctuary Ridge Faith Stories

Answering the Call- Part I

Monica ScottLeave a comment

A Phone Call

One summer afternoon in 2018 I received a phone call. I had no idea how that one phone call would change everything…

My pastor’s wife Kaye was calling me, wondering if I would be interested in going on a mission trip to teach some young women to decorate cakes. Years ago, Kaye and Terry Harris began ministering in other countries. This led to a ministry called “Dream Central” where the goal is sharing the love of God by empowering people to dream big dreams. From prison ministry to orphans, the heart of it all is helping people break negative cycles through the love of God. The work being done through Dream Central is international. If you want to read more about the Dream Central ministry click https://dreamcentral.org/about/.

I was asked to go on the mission trip with the prayer team, but my mission was to teach the daughters of a local pastor to decorate cakes because they had a dream of opening a bakery. When Kaye told me more about the trip, we realized that my husband Jamey could come on the second week of the three weeks mission to work on the building project that was underway. I wrote some of the information down as we talked over the phone and promised to let her know if we could go as soon as possible. I needed to pray about it and talk to my husband about the possibility of going.

Dream Central, Willows Bank, Belize

Count Us In!

After praying about it and talking with Jamey, we decided that the answer was a resounding “YES”! We had 3 months to pray, plan and prepare. I began gathering cake decorating tools, books and supplies to take with me. Jamey began working with Pastor Harris to determine what he would be working on for the second week. We were excited and nervous too because we had never done anything like this before.

History

There is so much history to the ministry in Belize! I’m hoping that one day my friend Gary will write a book about how he answered the “call” to begin God’s work there. It is such an amazing testimony! I can’t begin to tell you all the trips that have been made over the past 30 years. All the people who answered the “call” and said yes. All the time sacrificed, tallent and money invested in the work that has been done there. I want to tell you all about it but that isn’t my story to tell. What I CAN tell you is this:

  1. God’s plans never fail. I am continually in awe of this. We are witnessing this firsthand as we continue to submit to His will. Romans 12:2 (NLT)Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
  2. You don’t have to be special to answer the “call”, you just have to be willing. I felt so unqualified, so unworthy, it would have been easy to say no. God will qualify you for what He is calling you to do. He will take what you have to give and make it more than enough. 2 Corinthians 3:5 (NLT)It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.
  3. Fear will rob you of your future if you let it. Don’t let fear of failure or fear of the unknown rob you of the future God is setting before you! I used to be terrified to travel to new places. It’s true! But God set me free from that fear when I stepped out in faith. Now I love to travel because I get to see the resounding beauty God has created in the world around us.
    2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)    For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. Philippians 4:6 (NLT)Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.Psalms 34:4 (NLT)I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.

Here and Now

I’m not sure why (yet) God has asked me to share this with you. I’ve tried many, many times to write about the work God is doing in Belize. It is so difficult to put onto paper the work that God is doing because it is a spiritual move. There is so much being accomplished in the physical too- so much “work” being accomplished. But the spiritual move of God is something that is so hard to put into words. All I know is that God wants me to begin sharing this now. Here I am at 3 A.M. writing this!

So for whoever this is for, even if it is just one person, God is not finished with you yet. HE is still calling you. HE still sees potential in you. You haven’t missed your opportunity to do what He called you to do so many years ago. Your hesitation has not hindered His plan. You have been on standby but it’s time for you to step out in faith. All you need to do is answer the “Call” and say YES. I will go. I will give. I will do whatever it is YOU want me to do Lord.

A New Song

There are two older songs that continue to come to mind as I write this: “Lead me Lord, I will Follow” and “If You Can Use Anything Lord, You can Use Me”. As I searched YouTube for one of those to share, I found this song to share instead. I’m so thankful “I am my Father’s dream”!

To be continued….

Walking in Faith
Sanctuary Ridge Faith Stories

Walking in Faith

Monica ScottLeave a comment

The featured photos are of Jamey and I on a 3 hour hike last year and another photo of my dear friend Renae and I painting the ceilings at the mission house in Belize.

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God has been so good to me! On May 16, 2016 I was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. A nerve complication after breaking my foot on April 1 and tearing ligaments. Look it up. It will terrify you. Extreme cases even have their affected limb amputated. The doctor used words like chronic, lifelong issues. But you see my God is bigger! Here I am walking with NO pain! And I never took anything stronger than Aleve! My foot is healed! And I know it was a God thing!

I missed ONE step! Just one step.

I was carrying a chair down 3 steps to finish setting up for Noah’s birthday party in 2016. I had never broken a bone, but when I fell I immediately knew something was wrong. I was misdiagnosed at the emergency room and sent home. The following Monday I was sent to a specialist who confirmed my foot was broken. Over the next few weeks I went for a weekly x-ray and check up. I kept telling my doctor that my foot was still swelling and painful. He said it was normal. He didn’t realize the seriousness of my complaint until 8 weeks later when my foot still looked like this:

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I reached out asking everyone I knew to pray: Please pray. This is what I’m dealing with. Along with tingling, numbness and shooting pains every single time I get up and move around. It’s hard to describe. I just want to be better. I believe in The healing power through the blood of Jesus. There is nothing He can’t do!

I began physical therapy. There was concern that I might not be able to walk due to the numbness in my foot. I prayed for healing and believed for it too. Within four weeks I was walking a mile every day! The therapists and doctors were amazed.

Last spring I spent several days standing on my tiptoes painting a mission house in Belize. No pain, no swelling! I can run and jump! My foot is healed! To God be all the Glory! I am so thankful for every step I take!

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Jamey and I on a 3 hour hike on Lookout Mountain!

  • Psalms 6:2 (NIV)

    Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.

  • Luke 10:9 (NIV)

    Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

  • Psalms 147:3 (NIV)

    He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

I am so thankful for the healing power of God! What areas of your life are you seeking healing in? God is able to heal you physically, mentally, and spiritually. Pray, seek and believe!

 

  • Psalms 145:3 (NIV)

    Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

  • Psalms 105:2 (NIV)

    Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

  • Psalms 145:6 (NIV)

    They tell of the power of your awesome works— and I will proclaim your great deeds.

© Copyright 2020– or current year, Sanctuary Ridge. Unattributed use of this material is strictly prohibited. Reposting and links may be used, provided that credit is given to Sanctuary Ridge with active link and direction to this original post.

 

 

Bulldozers and Lasers
Sanctuary Ridge Adventures in Farming

Bulldozers and Lasers

Monica ScottLeave a comment

With no buildings to store our farm equipment, it’s time to start some construction!

Jamey and I have spent hours planning, staking, measuring, and finally decided on a solid plan for our first farm barns. One will be an equipment barn, one will be an outdoor pavilion and the final barn site is for a proposed wedding venue. The build sites all need to be leveled in preparation for the buildings. Since we have to rent the bulldozer, we wanted to get as much preparation completed as we could. Our retired construction company “Legacy Construction, LLC” gave us the experience we need to plan and manage the build. Although we always decided the best location for our home construction by measuring and laying out the site based on the legal setbacks, we never did the site leveling or foundation preparation ourselves.

  • Jamey making sure the “drop” in the septic is correct
  • A new sign for Dream Central Belize
Dream Central Belize, in Willows Bank

Jamey’s expertise in these things always amazes me! On our mission trip to Belize last May, we needed someone to install a septic system. No one with the expertise needed was able to go. So Jamey asked questions, read about it, watched videos, and studied how to install a septic system. In addition to planning the work for the mission team members and creating material lists, he spent the majority of the trip in the grueling heat/sun installing the needed septic system. When we returned in November, he installed the second system for the Mission House at Dream Central Belize. Sometimes you don’t have to be an expert, you just need to be willing to be used by God and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done!

Once again, Jamey has studied to prepare for something new: building site prep via bulldozer.

  • Setting up the Transit
  • First day of working with the Dozer
  • Three “tiered” sites

Even with all the planning, we ended up changing some of our plans. After the first day of working with the Dozer, the machine developed a massive hydraulic leak. The rental company had to come get it to do the repair and bring it back to us almost two weeks later. During those two weeks, we re-evaluated our plans for some “RV sites”. A new plan was developed to allow us to make the RV sites multipurpose. We will be able to use those for parking or outdoor seating. We also redesigned the RV “carport” to a pavilion that will have the same heavy timber design as the wedding venue. It too will serve multiple purposes. We are excited to see these designs come to life now!

The Laser Transit

Jamey became a pro on the dozer and I learned to run the transit!

© Copyright 2020– or current year, Sanctuary Ridge. Unattributed use of this material is strictly prohibited. Reposting and links may be used, provided that credit is given to Sanctuary Ridge with active link and direction to this original post.

Pineapple Salsa
Sanctuary Ridge Family Recipes

Pineapple Salsa

Monica ScottLeave a comment

Ahhh! The first time I had this delicious salsa, I was on a mission trip in Belize. We prayed hard, worked hard, and I can’t even begin to articulate how much I love the people in Belize. Our work there isn’t finished yet, maybe it never will be!

On our first trip to work there, this was my favorite authentic Belizian dish. It was served as the side dish to a pineapple stuffed with fried rice and grilled shrimp. I was determined to find the recipe when I came home. I tried several, and after a little change here and there I finally think I’ve got it! Last night, we grilled chicken on the Blackstone and served some Pineapple Salsa over the chicken. Roasted broccoli and potatoes rounded the meal out. It was outstanding!

Chicken Tenders seasoned with Garlic salt, pepper and topped with pineapple salsa

So far, this is a delicious addition to grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, grilled fish, shrimp with fried rice, and Spiral Sliced Ham. That’s right! Spiral Sliced Ham with a little spoonful of Pineapple Salsa is just divine! You may want to adjust the HEAT by only adding 1/2 the habanero pepper. You can always add more if it’s not hot enough. If you are making this for a smaller crowd, you can freeze it in smaller portions. This is so good, I can’t wait for ya’ll to try it!

Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe pineapple- with rind and core removed, cut into large chunks
  • 1 habanero chili (you may want to only use half)
  • 1 lime- juiced, reserve the juice
  • 1 Poblano Chile
  • 1 Red Bell pepper
  • 1 Red Onion, small
  • 1 Handful Fresh Cilantro
  • 1 TBSP Light Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt

Directions: Prepare pineapple by removing the rind and core, cutting the fresh pineapple into large chunks. Next, prepare the habanero by removing the stem and seeds, cutting it in half. Juice the lime into a small bowl and set aside. Continue to prepare the Red Bell pepper and poblano by removing the stem and seeds, cutting in large chunks and setting aside. Peel and cut off the ends of the Red onion; cut into large chunks and place in your food processor with the chopping blade inserted in the bottom of the device. Add all the ingredients as prepared into the food processor, including the brown sugar, salt and lime juice. On high, pulse the food processor until the ingredients are chopped to the consistency you desire and combined. I like my salsa a little chunky. Some like theirs pureed. It’s just a personal choice. Taste to see if more salt or sugar is needed. This will depend on how fresh and ripe your ingredients are. The heat will intensify a little overnight. Serve immediately, refrigerate or freeze for long term storage. Enjoy!

Perfect Pineapple Salsa

© Copyright 2020– or current year, Sanctuary Ridge. Unattributed use of this material is strictly prohibited. Reposting and links may be used, provided that credit is given to Sanctuary Ridge with active link and direction to this original post.