Stay tuned to meet a woman
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who's on a
mission to deliver health,
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wellness, quality education
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and religious activities
to impoverished children
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and the elderly in Belize.
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My name is Jason Bradley,
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and you're
watching Urban Report.
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Hello, and
welcome to Urban Report.
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My guest today is Ash Reynolds,
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Founder and President
of Read and Feed Belize.
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Welcome to Urban Report, Ash.
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Hi, thank you so
much for having me.
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I'm really excited to be here.
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It's great to have you here.
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I love what you're doing
with Read and Feed Belize,
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and I'm looking
forward to our viewers
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finding out about
all the wonderful things
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that are taking place.
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But before we dive into
what Read and Feed Belize
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is all about,
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I want us to look
at some scripture.
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This is coming
from Matthew Chapter 25,
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and we'll begin in verse 34.
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"Then the King will say
to those on His right hand,
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'Come, you blessed of My Father,
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inherit the
kingdom prepared for you
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from the
foundation of the world:
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for I was hungry
and you gave Me food,
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I was thirsty and
you gave Me drink,
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I was a stranger
and you took Me in,
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I was naked and you clothed Me,
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I was sick and you visited Me,
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I was in prison
and you came to Me.'
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Then the righteous will
answer Him, saying, 'Lord,
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when did we see You
hungry and feed You,
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or thirsty and give You drink?
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When did we see You a
stranger and take You in,
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or naked and clothe You?
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Or when did we see You sick,
or in prison, and come to You?'
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And the King will
answer and say to them,
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'Assuredly, I say to you,
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inasmuch as you did it
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to one of the least
of these My brethren,
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you did it to Me."'
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And I believe that
Read and Feed Belize
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is doing just that.
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And so, why don't you
tell us a little bit about
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Read and Feed Belize.
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What is that?
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Well, like you said,
it's really a ministry
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and we're
striving to deliver health,
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wellness and quality
education to children
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and elderly that
are really in need.
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And it started
because my grandma,
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she actually found it,
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Carmelita village,
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which is the
community that we serve.
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I'm going to try to
make a long story short,
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but during undergrad
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I went to Belize
just to visit my family,
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and the electricity went out.
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And that also
includes water in Belize.
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So my cousin and I had this like
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fun activity planned
for the kids in the field.
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And the kids came,
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and some of them
didn't have shoes,
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some of them didn't
have adequate clothing.
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And then I, you
know, talked to people
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and I also found out
some kids go to bed hungry.
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Troubled my heart, came home,
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and I decided to
write different churches
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for Sabbath School lessons,
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because they
also all didn't have
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adequate school supplies.
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So in my mind, I was like,
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"If we get
Sabbath School lessons,
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that'll cover two
birds with one stone."
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We're sharing
the love of Christ,
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as well as giving them
their own reading materials.
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Yes. Yeah, so.
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That's beautiful.
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And you said
your grandma founded.
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It was Carmelita... Village.
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Village? Yes.
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We have a
picture of your grandma.
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Yeah.
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So let's take a
look at your grandma.
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Okay.
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Yeah, that is my
grandma, Emma Reynolds.
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And she's just an amazing woman.
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Philippians 2:4 says,
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"Let each of us not
look after our own interests,
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but also to the
interest of others."
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And she was really
a woman who did that.
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She was known in the
community as the woman
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who's always
cooking something yummy,
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and sharing and reading.
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And what's interesting is that
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she stopped
having a formal education
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in the third grade,
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but she learned to
read from her Bible.
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Yeah, yeah.
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And people would
come to my family's house,
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and you didn't
have to be family,
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but if you needed
an encouraging word,
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or you needed food,
she was your person.
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So, yeah. That's awesome.
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But I bet, you know, even though
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people weren't family per se,
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they felt like family
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when they went to
your grandma's house.
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Absolutely.
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It sounds like you really
took a look at the situation,
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what was going on
in the area, the needs,
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and you met those needs.
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So, tell us a little
bit about the journey?
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The journey has been one
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that's been full
of great successes,
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but also a lot of challenges.
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Okay.
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I'll give you
like a quick example.
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So with those
Sabbath School lessons,
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I thought it would be
great to take school supplies,
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you know?
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I put all these crayons
and markers in suitcases,
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you know, you get
two luggages free.
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So I had to pack them.
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And I got to the
airport in Belize,
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but I didn't know about duty
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and I didn't know about customs.
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So they're like,
"This is going to cost you."
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Remind you, I'm an undergrad.
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So I said...
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The guy's looking and
he sees all the lessons,
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he sees the crayons.
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He's like, "Are you
a Jehovah's Witness?"
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And I was like,
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"No, but I am a
witness for Jehovah."
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And then he was
like, "Okay, let her go."
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So I didn't have to pay.
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So, there's been a lot of things
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where I've just seen like God
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provide in ways that I just,
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I wouldn't have imagined.
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And we actually have a video
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that has a lot of
the projects included.
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So, I'd love for
you guys to see that.
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Absolutely.
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Let's take a look at
that video right now.
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This is their cooking area.
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Crayons, glue sticks,
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folders, notebooks.
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Wow!
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That was a lot of
moving parts. Yes.
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So unpack some of
that, what was going on?
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Because it was like
from this scene to the next.
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I mean, there's so much movement
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taking place in Belize.
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Read and Feed
Belize is busy. Yes, it is.
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And again, that's
like nothing but the Lord.
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Because in the beginning,
I envisioned it, like,
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okay, the kids are hungry,
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like what could we do
to kind of help in any way?
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But then, so much
flourished from it.
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So, we kind of
have it broken down
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into three different projects.
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We have Project
Read, Project Feed,
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and then Project Outreach.
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So what you saw in the
video, we visit the elderly,
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the kids will
even make them cards.
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And what's so
magnificent about that aspect,
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is just how many
people get involved.
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So, even though it started
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as just one thing,
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you see it grow.
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And you see people like,
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you know, just
having a heart for service.
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Amen.
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And I love what you
just brought out there
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that the kids are
making cards for the elderly.
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So now you're
getting the children
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involved in ministry.
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And so they're doing a good deed
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writing these cards out
for the elderly, that's huge.
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And I love how it started
with the Sabbath School lesson
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because they're learning about,
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you know, the Bible and learning
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important spiritual lessons.
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That's crucial.
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When did you develop
such a passion for people?
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That's a good question.
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I don't know how to answer that.
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I would say,
like I saw my parents,
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they're still like very
giving, generous people.
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My grandma, my aunt, so I think
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my family has a
lot to do with it.
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I worked in health care before,
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which is very isolating.
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And I do have an answer.
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I have an answer. Okay.
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I'm thinking back.
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I volunteered a long time
ago at church to help out.
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And I thought
they were going to say,
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"You could send emails,
or something like that."
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No, no.
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They were like,
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"Can you lead
out Sabbath School?"
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And it was like cradle roll.
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And so you can't
help but just like,
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want to nurture, when
you're working with kids,
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so I think
that's a big part of it.
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Yeah. Okay.
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I'd say that. Okay.
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And how has
working in health care,
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or having that
background in health care,
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how has that played a
role in what you do now
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with Read and Feed Belize?
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The thing that's
coming to mind right now,
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I would say is like
preventive measures,
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just like how a lot of
people go through things
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that they might not
necessarily have to go through
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if we like face things
in the beginning, but yeah.
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So like the
wellness component is,
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like helping to
boost the immune system,
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providing them
with nutritious meals,
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that type of thing,
because it's Read and Feed...
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Absolutely. Got you.
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That makes sense.
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So, what are
some of the challenges
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that you've faced
with Read and Feed Belize?
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There are lots of
challenges sometimes.
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For example, we like to pack,
we call them love packages.
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Okay.
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And it comes with the
basic Belizian staples
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like beans, rice, flour,
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all that great
grandeur, wonderful stuff.
00:11:40.56\00:11:43.87
So I wrote companies in Belize,
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as well as people
here have shipped things.
00:11:45.73\00:11:49.27
And I just didn't
think out certain logistics
00:11:49.30\00:11:51.41
like the shipping,
00:11:51.44\00:11:53.27
how long does that take?
00:11:53.31\00:11:54.94
Again, customs as
well as in Belize,
00:11:54.98\00:11:59.25
a rice company donated,
00:11:59.28\00:12:00.72
but it's like two hours away.
00:12:00.75\00:12:02.32
So, some of the
challenges have been like
00:12:02.35\00:12:05.09
the moving parts,
00:12:05.12\00:12:06.45
the financial component,
00:12:06.49\00:12:08.02
and even with
that God has provided.
00:12:08.06\00:12:09.82
Amen. Yeah, yeah.
00:12:09.86\00:12:11.46
I would imagine
that it takes a huge team
00:12:11.49\00:12:14.90
to mobilize this operation.
00:12:14.93\00:12:18.80
How have you found
volunteers, and all of that,
00:12:18.83\00:12:22.07
especially with you
being here in America
00:12:22.10\00:12:24.94
and then having
people in Belize,
00:12:24.97\00:12:26.61
how does that work?
00:12:26.64\00:12:27.98
Well, again, I
have family in Belize.
00:12:28.01\00:12:29.61
So like, Sharon
Reynolds, she's like...
00:12:29.64\00:12:32.88
She knows everyone in Belize,
00:12:32.91\00:12:35.15
not literally, but,
and she's just again,
00:12:35.18\00:12:38.22
she's just a beautiful heart.
00:12:38.25\00:12:40.89
So she really
helped me with volunteers.
00:12:40.92\00:12:43.09
And what's really awesome
is some of the young adults
00:12:43.12\00:12:45.69
in Belize, they're very helpful.
00:12:45.73\00:12:47.10
So, we buy things in bulk.
00:12:47.13\00:12:49.70
And again, it became
this big outreach thing
00:12:49.73\00:12:52.40
that I didn't imagine.
00:12:52.43\00:12:53.77
So the young adults,
they'll get together,
00:12:53.80\00:12:55.44
and you know,
they're talking, having fun,
00:12:55.47\00:12:57.11
but at the same
time, they're working.
00:12:57.14\00:12:58.51
So they're scooping
out three pounds of flour,
00:12:58.54\00:13:00.78
three pounds of rice,
three pounds of beans,
00:13:00.81\00:13:03.24
bagging it up,
putting it in this package.
00:13:03.28\00:13:06.72
And someone else in the village,
00:13:06.75\00:13:08.12
they'll donate
like their pickup truck,
00:13:08.15\00:13:10.29
and we'll stuff them in there
00:13:10.32\00:13:11.85
and go and deliver, so.
00:13:11.89\00:13:13.59
Nice. Yeah.
00:13:13.62\00:13:14.96
What
opportunities have come about
00:13:14.99\00:13:17.66
as a result of
Read and Feed Belize?
00:13:17.69\00:13:22.23
I would just say a lot.
00:13:22.26\00:13:23.77
And a lot of the
opportunities have come
00:13:23.80\00:13:25.67
from some of the challenges.
00:13:25.70\00:13:27.84
Okay.
00:13:27.87\00:13:29.47
For example, we
did a laptop drive,
00:13:29.50\00:13:34.28
because with COVID,
00:13:34.31\00:13:35.64
I'm sure many people know
00:13:35.68\00:13:37.01
that kids weren't
able to go to school.
00:13:37.05\00:13:39.18
So the kids
were getting packets,
00:13:39.21\00:13:41.62
but because they
didn't have access,
00:13:41.65\00:13:43.92
some kids weren't able to learn
00:13:43.95\00:13:45.95
how to do the work
that's in the packet.
00:13:45.99\00:13:48.42
So we decided to
do a laptop drive.
00:13:48.46\00:13:51.56
Wow. Yes.
00:13:51.59\00:13:52.93
Now tell us
about the laptop drive,
00:13:52.96\00:13:55.00
in terms of how
many laptops can you get,
00:13:55.03\00:13:57.97
and for what price?
00:13:58.00\00:13:59.40
Okay, so, for
every $1,811 collected,
00:13:59.43\00:14:05.31
we're able to get
12 refurbished laptops.
00:14:05.34\00:14:08.01
Wow! Yeah.
00:14:08.04\00:14:10.08
$1,811, you can get
12 refurbished laptops
00:14:10.11\00:14:15.35
and send them to the
children, that's huge.
00:14:15.38\00:14:18.02
Yeah. That's huge.
00:14:18.05\00:14:19.39
Yeah.
00:14:19.42\00:14:20.76
And so what's being
done with those laptops?
00:14:20.79\00:14:22.46
Software is being
installed where the kids
00:14:22.49\00:14:24.69
could actually access
more online learning material,
00:14:24.73\00:14:28.00
especially during COVID.
00:14:28.03\00:14:30.10
In that way, the kids
who don't have electronics,
00:14:30.13\00:14:33.23
they could log into their class
00:14:33.27\00:14:34.60
so they're able to
complete their work.
00:14:34.64\00:14:38.14
So again, it was a challenge,
because the first drive,
00:14:38.17\00:14:43.95
we couldn't get the
laptops there in time.
00:14:43.98\00:14:47.15
But the blessing is that,
00:14:47.18\00:14:48.65
like it gives us
more time to collect more
00:14:48.68\00:14:50.89
so each kid could
be properly equipped.
00:14:50.92\00:14:53.32
Yes, yes. That's awesome.
00:14:53.36\00:14:55.36
What are some of the churches
00:14:55.39\00:14:57.19
that have helped
you in this process?
00:14:57.23\00:15:01.20
Burr Ridge has been a church
that I went to go speak at.
00:15:01.23\00:15:04.50
And they were like,
"Yeah, we'd love to support,"
00:15:04.53\00:15:08.44
which was awesome
00:15:08.47\00:15:09.80
because it's going
to be a true blessing
00:15:09.84\00:15:11.17
for the children,
00:15:11.21\00:15:12.54
as well as Vallejo Drive
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:15:12.57\00:15:15.38
And we actually have a
project that they have been,
00:15:15.41\00:15:19.28
we call it Project Backpack.
00:15:19.31\00:15:20.65
Okay.
00:15:20.68\00:15:22.02
They have been in it
00:15:22.05\00:15:23.39
from the beginning
collecting school supplies.
00:15:23.42\00:15:26.02
It's brought us
together as a church family,
00:15:26.05\00:15:28.59
just to work together
and prep for everything,
00:15:28.62\00:15:31.43
and I'd like to
show you guys that too,
00:15:31.46\00:15:33.60
if that's okay.
00:15:33.63\00:15:34.96
Absolutely. We have that video.
00:15:35.00\00:15:36.67
Let's check out
Project Backpack right now.
00:15:36.70\00:15:39.17
Cereal, bar,
cookies, granola bars,
00:15:58.75\00:16:02.69
coconut, peanut
butter, granola bars,
00:16:02.72\00:16:04.69
macaroni, beans and that's it.
00:16:04.73\00:16:09.50
God is good.
00:16:09.53\00:16:10.87
To set the crews in
action for community day.
00:16:18.97\00:16:22.04
This is where
lunch will be served,
00:16:26.01\00:16:27.58
the little table.
00:16:27.62\00:16:29.65
If you're happy and you know it,
00:16:29.68\00:16:31.22
praise the Lord.
00:16:31.25\00:16:32.59
Praise the Lord
00:16:32.62\00:16:33.96
Thank you!
00:17:09.12\00:17:10.56
Wow!
00:17:15.86\00:17:17.20
Another great thing that
Read and Feed Belize is doing.
00:17:17.23\00:17:20.30
Now, tell us more
about Project Backpack?
00:17:20.34\00:17:22.37
Okay.
00:17:22.40\00:17:23.74
So Project
Backpack, like you saw,
00:17:23.77\00:17:26.27
was just that at the beginning.
00:17:26.31\00:17:28.01
It was just
supposed to be a backpack.
00:17:28.04\00:17:31.65
But it turned into this project
00:17:31.68\00:17:33.82
where so many hands got involved
00:17:33.85\00:17:35.58
to get the kids the backpacks.
00:17:35.62\00:17:38.32
So again, that was Vallejo Drive
00:17:38.35\00:17:39.92
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:17:39.95\00:17:41.49
And how it started
is, I shared the story
00:17:41.52\00:17:44.93
with a lot of my
friends at church.
00:17:44.96\00:17:46.53
I was like, "Oh, guys,
this is happening, like,
00:17:46.56\00:17:49.33
what can we do?"
00:17:49.36\00:17:50.70
And you know,
we're working together,
00:17:50.73\00:17:52.83
thinking of different ideas.
00:17:52.87\00:17:54.70
And so it started as
just like a basic drive like,
00:17:54.74\00:17:58.97
you know, we encourage
00:17:59.01\00:18:00.34
certain parents
at the church like,
00:18:00.38\00:18:01.98
"You're buying your
kids school supplies,
00:18:02.01\00:18:03.45
if you could buy an
extra box of crayons
00:18:03.48\00:18:05.45
and stuff like that."
00:18:05.48\00:18:06.92
As you saw in the
video, it turned into this day
00:18:06.95\00:18:10.72
where we all got together
00:18:10.75\00:18:12.39
and it wasn't just
the basic school supplies,
00:18:12.42\00:18:15.39
like, we were able
to stuff each backpack
00:18:15.42\00:18:18.33
with crayons, markers, paper,
00:18:18.36\00:18:21.60
canned food, rice,
beans, sanitizer, like...
00:18:21.63\00:18:26.27
Wow! All kinds of things.
00:18:26.30\00:18:28.34
Yeah, it goes to show I
was thinking this little
00:18:28.37\00:18:30.91
and God was like,
00:18:30.94\00:18:32.27
"No, we're going to
hook them up, so to speak."
00:18:32.31\00:18:35.48
Yes. So we got to give a lot.
00:18:35.51\00:18:37.85
So He was seeing it
on a much larger scale,
00:18:37.88\00:18:41.22
and He brought that
into fruition through you.
00:18:41.25\00:18:44.72
And through all of the churches
00:18:44.75\00:18:46.76
that supported
this initiative as well.
00:18:46.79\00:18:48.72
What's your vision
for Read and Feed Belize?
00:18:48.76\00:18:52.96
My vision is that it
will continue to grow.
00:18:52.99\00:18:56.67
Like years from now,
00:18:56.70\00:18:58.73
I just want
each kid to know that
00:18:58.77\00:19:00.94
they're valuable and special,
00:19:00.97\00:19:03.34
and I truly believe that
00:19:03.37\00:19:05.07
education can change
the trajectory of our lives.
00:19:05.11\00:19:07.98
And I wouldn't be here today
00:19:08.01\00:19:09.84
if certain people
didn't pour into me.
00:19:09.88\00:19:12.05
So I see it like this
thing that keeps growing,
00:19:12.08\00:19:17.79
and we serve one another,
00:19:17.82\00:19:19.69
and we share
Christ's love ultimately.
00:19:19.72\00:19:23.29
So for example, in
the video, you saw, like
00:19:23.32\00:19:25.79
property, where we
had the outreach day
00:19:25.83\00:19:28.23
where the kids
got their backpacks?
00:19:28.26\00:19:29.60
Yes.
00:19:29.63\00:19:31.43
That's like my family's farm.
00:19:31.47\00:19:33.64
So in my mind, I
say, wouldn't it be great
00:19:33.67\00:19:36.91
if one day we could
build like a community center,
00:19:36.94\00:19:39.67
and maybe there's a sort of
like outpatient clinic there,
00:19:39.71\00:19:44.05
and the kids could have like
00:19:44.08\00:19:45.41
their own computer lab
where they have these resources
00:19:45.45\00:19:48.12
that we might take for granted.
00:19:48.15\00:19:49.65
Yes.
00:19:49.68\00:19:51.02
That could really just help,
build and grow and contribute.
00:19:51.05\00:19:55.12
I also think it would be amazing
00:19:55.16\00:19:57.73
if we could have
like sustainable farming,
00:19:57.76\00:20:00.26
so certain kids who
are great with trade,
00:20:00.30\00:20:04.03
I think it could be
something spectacular event.
00:20:04.07\00:20:06.53
Yes. Yeah.
00:20:06.57\00:20:07.97
Yeah. That could
be huge for sure.
00:20:08.00\00:20:10.64
And so your family already
has the property, has the land.
00:20:10.67\00:20:15.28
But you want to get a
building put up there?
00:20:15.31\00:20:19.15
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
00:20:19.18\00:20:20.58
It will be helpful
for the kids, yeah.
00:20:20.62\00:20:22.65
Absolutely.
00:20:22.68\00:20:24.05
How has leading out
in Read and Feed Belize,
00:20:24.09\00:20:28.16
how has that been
for your spiritual life?
00:20:28.19\00:20:32.59
Wow! That's a...
00:20:32.63\00:20:34.30
It's been one where it's
like you have to keep faith.
00:20:34.33\00:20:38.97
Not only that, learning that,
00:20:39.00\00:20:42.04
praying that my
will aligns with God.
00:20:42.07\00:20:46.68
Like years ago,
00:20:46.71\00:20:48.04
I wanted to have like
a dream for my own life.
00:20:48.08\00:20:52.41
Now, I'm a marriage and
family therapist associate.
00:20:52.45\00:20:56.02
Okay.
00:20:56.05\00:20:57.39
I told you before that
I worked in health care,
00:20:57.42\00:20:59.19
but I wasn't doing things
00:20:59.22\00:21:04.03
to bring glory to God,
00:21:04.06\00:21:05.39
it was more so,
00:21:05.43\00:21:06.76
I just wanted it
to be successful.
00:21:06.80\00:21:08.13
Got you.
00:21:08.16\00:21:09.50
So as far as this
go, it's a lot of prayer,
00:21:09.53\00:21:13.77
and a lot of trust,
00:21:13.80\00:21:15.27
and really believing that
00:21:15.30\00:21:16.64
all things are
going to work together
00:21:16.67\00:21:18.01
for good even when it's like,
00:21:18.04\00:21:20.74
"What's happening?"
00:21:20.78\00:21:22.21
Yes. Yeah.
00:21:22.24\00:21:24.58
So it's really
brought me closer to Him.
00:21:24.61\00:21:29.75
It's really increased my faith,
00:21:29.78\00:21:31.49
because I really
have seen miracles
00:21:31.52\00:21:33.96
that I just never
would have imagined.
00:21:33.99\00:21:35.69
Yes.
00:21:35.72\00:21:37.26
Are there any
testimonies that you can share?
00:21:37.29\00:21:41.10
Absolutely.
00:21:41.13\00:21:43.13
Well, through COVID,
00:21:43.16\00:21:44.50
we've delivered like
over 1,500 pounds of rice,
00:21:44.53\00:21:48.60
beans, like just the kids,
00:21:48.64\00:21:51.64
God is still providing
even through the pandemic,
00:21:51.67\00:21:54.28
like we couldn't
fundraise, like, He's amazing.
00:21:54.31\00:21:58.35
He really, really is.
00:21:58.38\00:22:00.58
Again, laptops were donated.
00:22:00.62\00:22:05.49
The elderly, like people
are still able to go and visit.
00:22:05.52\00:22:08.89
So, there's a
lot of just blessings
00:22:08.92\00:22:11.83
that have flowed from.
00:22:11.86\00:22:13.19
So the pandemic
didn't stop things,
00:22:13.23\00:22:14.70
God just rerouted, redirected,
00:22:14.73\00:22:17.00
and still had
things going forward.
00:22:17.03\00:22:19.27
That's awesome.
00:22:19.30\00:22:21.47
With that being said,
00:22:21.50\00:22:23.47
with those things going forward,
00:22:23.51\00:22:25.51
and all of that stuff,
00:22:25.54\00:22:26.88
and all the moving
parts that are involved,
00:22:26.91\00:22:28.61
what are some of the
needs of Read and Feed Belize?
00:22:28.64\00:22:32.58
Well, we're definitely
00:22:32.61\00:22:33.95
still trying to collect laptops,
00:22:33.98\00:22:36.65
as well as we're doing
an online reading program.
00:22:36.69\00:22:39.99
Okay.
00:22:40.02\00:22:41.36
So it's been really
cool with the church
00:22:41.39\00:22:43.46
that you saw in
Project Backpack.
00:22:43.49\00:22:45.23
What we're doing is,
00:22:45.26\00:22:46.59
we're linking a
child to an adult
00:22:46.63\00:22:48.70
or a child
that's older than them,
00:22:48.73\00:22:51.50
and the idea is
they meet online,
00:22:51.53\00:22:53.77
and you read to them.
00:22:53.80\00:22:55.40
It could be a
Sabbath School lesson,
00:22:55.44\00:22:57.27
some sort of spiritual
thing of the reader's choice.
00:22:57.31\00:23:02.08
And the idea is not
that we can teach to read,
00:23:02.11\00:23:05.38
per se, but, you know, exposure
is really good for the kids.
00:23:05.41\00:23:09.42
And there's something
beautiful about saying,
00:23:09.45\00:23:12.19
"I'm just going to
invest my time with you,
00:23:12.22\00:23:14.46
like, you know?"
00:23:14.49\00:23:15.82
So the kids feel special.
00:23:15.86\00:23:17.19
And there's been fun
things that's happened, like,
00:23:17.23\00:23:20.13
you know, they
switch stories, like,
00:23:20.16\00:23:23.06
"What's your favorite food?"
00:23:23.10\00:23:24.63
And it'll be
like a Belizian dish
00:23:24.67\00:23:26.47
or an American food.
00:23:26.50\00:23:28.94
They'll talk about
Natalie, she's eight years old,
00:23:28.97\00:23:32.21
she goes to Vallejo Drive
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:23:32.24\00:23:34.51
and she's matched
00:23:34.54\00:23:36.58
with one of the kids
in Belize who's five.
00:23:36.61\00:23:38.88
And so they were
talking about animals,
00:23:38.91\00:23:40.68
and it's beautiful to watch.
00:23:40.72\00:23:42.62
Yeah.
00:23:42.65\00:23:43.99
I love that because
you're exposing them
00:23:44.02\00:23:45.89
to a different culture.
00:23:45.92\00:23:47.26
Yeah.
00:23:47.29\00:23:48.62
And so they're learning
00:23:48.66\00:23:49.99
even if they can't
travel there right at that time,
00:23:50.03\00:23:52.86
they're learning
about another culture
00:23:52.89\00:23:54.43
and everything,
and that's amazing,
00:23:54.46\00:23:56.33
especially with
the spiritual component
00:23:56.36\00:23:58.27
as well.
00:23:58.30\00:23:59.63
So, you know, how do
people, like let's say,
00:23:59.67\00:24:03.00
a church wants to
get you to come out there
00:24:03.04\00:24:05.24
and to share with
their congregation
00:24:05.27\00:24:07.14
what Read and
Feed Belize is doing.
00:24:07.18\00:24:10.41
How do people reach you?
00:24:10.45\00:24:11.78
What's your website, and
what's your email address?
00:24:11.81\00:24:13.82
Okay, so our website
is ReadAndFeedBelize.org
00:24:13.85\00:24:19.69
and then our email address
is ReadAndFeedBelize@gmail.com
00:24:19.72\00:24:24.43
Nice.
00:24:24.46\00:24:25.79
And they can contact you there,
00:24:25.83\00:24:27.73
they can check out
what it's all about,
00:24:27.76\00:24:30.50
and some different
projects that are going on.
00:24:30.53\00:24:33.13
We have some more pictures
00:24:33.17\00:24:34.50
that I'd like for us to look at,
00:24:34.54\00:24:35.87
and perhaps you can tell
us, kind of, what we're seeing.
00:24:35.90\00:24:37.84
Okay.
00:24:37.87\00:24:39.21
So we'll just go
through those pictures.
00:24:39.24\00:24:42.51
Okay, so this is a picture of
some of the love care packages.
00:24:42.54\00:24:47.18
Again, there's a book in
there, there's food in there.
00:24:47.22\00:24:52.92
And that woman
00:24:52.95\00:24:54.46
who's kind of
sorting things out,
00:24:54.49\00:24:58.83
that's actually Miss Jones,
00:24:58.86\00:25:01.63
and she and her daughters.
00:25:01.66\00:25:04.27
So someone in the village
actually donated the truck.
00:25:04.30\00:25:07.17
And they'll go
through the village,
00:25:07.20\00:25:08.54
and they'll deliver the packages
00:25:08.57\00:25:11.94
to the families of the
children that are involved,
00:25:11.97\00:25:14.44
and that's one
of the recipients.
00:25:14.48\00:25:16.01
Nice.
00:25:16.04\00:25:17.45
So as you see, she
has her little mask on.
00:25:17.48\00:25:19.78
I thought she took it off
for the photo, which is fun.
00:25:19.81\00:25:22.88
So again, God
has really provided
00:25:22.92\00:25:24.85
even in the midst of a pandemic,
00:25:24.89\00:25:27.56
which is incredible.
00:25:27.59\00:25:29.46
I wouldn't have thought.
00:25:29.49\00:25:30.83
And again, just the
fact that thinking of
00:25:30.86\00:25:34.56
how many hands are
involved to make this happen.
00:25:34.60\00:25:37.40
Yes.
00:25:37.43\00:25:39.20
You know, the
shipping from here to getting,
00:25:39.23\00:25:41.97
and when we ship,
it's not just like,
00:25:42.00\00:25:44.57
it's not like UPS,
00:25:44.61\00:25:45.94
we have to pack
these big barrels,
00:25:45.97\00:25:48.01
there are a lot of
hands, a lot of people involved,
00:25:48.04\00:25:50.71
it arrives, and the
team involved in Belize,
00:25:50.75\00:25:53.88
they have to unpack the
barrels and pack the bags
00:25:53.92\00:25:56.92
and take it out
to the community.
00:25:56.95\00:25:59.22
So it's like a huge
overseas assembly line
00:25:59.25\00:26:03.22
and everything like that.
00:26:03.26\00:26:04.59
Yeah, that's a huge operation.
00:26:04.63\00:26:06.66
What can churches do if
they want to get involved
00:26:06.70\00:26:10.83
with Read and Feed Belize?
00:26:10.87\00:26:12.20
What can they do
to help support you?
00:26:12.23\00:26:14.34
Definitely, if they
would like to do something
00:26:14.37\00:26:16.77
similar to Vallejo Drive
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:26:16.81\00:26:19.24
by committing
to Project Backpack
00:26:19.27\00:26:21.28
and it could be like a
long term relationship.
00:26:21.31\00:26:23.28
Okay.
00:26:23.31\00:26:24.65
So it could start with
something like backpacks,
00:26:24.68\00:26:27.88
and then laptops,
00:26:27.92\00:26:29.78
where they can keep in
touch with the children
00:26:29.82\00:26:31.55
that they're supporting.
00:26:31.59\00:26:32.95
Yeah, that would be wonderful.
00:26:32.99\00:26:36.42
What do you see as,
00:26:36.46\00:26:39.96
like the next big thing
for Read and Feed Belize
00:26:40.00\00:26:43.40
beyond the building project?
00:26:43.43\00:26:46.74
That's a good question.
00:26:46.77\00:26:48.10
We should pray about that.
00:26:48.14\00:26:49.47
Because I just
think that's so big.
00:26:49.50\00:26:52.31
It is.
00:26:52.34\00:26:53.68
And God willing,
that would happen.
00:26:53.71\00:26:55.28
But I would definitely
have to pray about that.
00:26:55.31\00:27:00.32
I would think an outpatient
sort of health care thing
00:27:00.35\00:27:03.15
would be really awesome.
00:27:03.18\00:27:04.52
Because a lot of people
go through different things
00:27:04.55\00:27:10.49
that they just don't have access
00:27:10.53\00:27:12.53
to the same adequate health care
00:27:12.56\00:27:13.93
that we do here in the States.
00:27:13.96\00:27:15.30
Yeah.
00:27:15.33\00:27:16.67
So the reading, the
feeding, the wellness,
00:27:16.70\00:27:19.10
the health with the elderly,
the impoverished children.
00:27:19.13\00:27:23.04
You're doing a
great work for God
00:27:23.07\00:27:24.97
and God is using you
to do amazing things.
00:27:25.01\00:27:27.34
I want to thank you so much
00:27:27.38\00:27:28.71
for coming on
and sharing with us
00:27:28.74\00:27:31.11
what you're doing and what Read
and Feed Belize is all about.
00:27:31.15\00:27:34.42
Thank you for that.
00:27:34.45\00:27:35.78
And I can't believe that
we are almost out of time.
00:27:35.82\00:27:39.32
But I want to encourage you
00:27:39.35\00:27:41.02
to seek God's
will for your life,
00:27:41.06\00:27:44.26
seek His purpose, His
plan and His direction
00:27:44.29\00:27:47.56
for what He
would have you to do.
00:27:47.60\00:27:49.33
There are so many
different facets of ministry,
00:27:49.36\00:27:52.40
and you need to get involved
with doing something for Him.
00:27:52.43\00:27:56.17
Until next time, God bless you.
00:27:56.20\00:27:58.01