Mena SDA Church: 2004 Belize Mission Trip

Seventeen members of the Mena SDA Church recently returned from a mission trip to San Pedro, Belize, Central America. During their stay they helped with the construction of a new church, helped in the New Horizon SDA School, and delivered food in Belize City.

The idea for a mission trip started a year ago. In March of 2003 five couples from the Mena church went on a vacation together. On their vacation two days were spent in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It was a great vacation, but the group came away with the realization of the great need of the people in Central America. Shortly after the group returned from their vacation, Don and Minnie Johnson moved to Cove, Arkansas and started attending the Mena Church. They had spent a year living in Belize on an island called Caye Caulker. They suggested going to Belize and helping there.

Don knew of a need for another church in San Pedro. Plans were made by the group to build a new church and the Mena Church raised over $20,000 dollars for the project. Don worked many long hours in planning and coordinating the project with the members of the San Pedro Church. Don and Minnie went to Belize 2 weeks earlier than the rest of the group to oversee the beginning of construction. Members of the San Pedro church built the church, with the help of the Mena group. Before the Mena group arrived, the slab was poured and the first two rows of cement block were up. By the time the Mena group left the walls were up. Members of the San Pedro church are finishing the church with the help of the Belize SDA Mission.

In addition to building the church, an anesthesia machine and other medical supplies were provided for the La Loma Luz Hospital in Santa Elena, Belize. Troy Morrison, a nurse anesthetist at Mena Medical Center was able to arrange for the donation of the anesthesia machine. He was excited to see the machine in the La Loma Luz hospital, and talk to his counterpart at the hospital their.

The Mena Church has been drawn closer together by this mission project. Members are not ready for the project to be over. Ongoing help is going to be given to the New Horizons SDA School, and the La Loma Luz Hospital. While Don Johnson was in Belize he received a promise from the government of Belize for land on Caye Caulker to build a church. The Mena Church is planning to go back to Belize to build another church if the Lord opens the way.