Category Archives: Belize

News from St. Hilda’s Anglican School

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We hold our friends in Belize in our hearts, praying for the students and teachers at St. Hilda's Anglican School, as well as the scholarship students who have moved on to High School. Ms. Jane Ramirez, Principal at St. Hilda's, recently sent us this note about activities at the school.

Greetings Kelley,

I pray that this email reaches you in good health. It has been some time since we communicated so I just wanted to send a greeting and give you some updates about what is happening at St. Hilda's Anglican School.

We are now back fully face to face for four days each week. It has been a challenge especially since Covid19 is still among us. We have had a few teachers and students who became sick. Thankfully, no one has gotten extremely ill. We have protocols in place to help prevent the spread of the virus.

We are looking forward to the new school year. It is my prayer that our preschool will open in September. We already have 18 students waiting. We are on the finishing touches and are grateful for your continued prayers and support. We have had some difficult days but God has been faithful. He has been good. We are nearing the time of our graduation which will be held on June 22nd. Our school year is almost over! Yeah! I am really looking forward to some vacation time in July.

Please greet our Friends of St. Hilda's. Sending our love and appreciation. I will be forwarding the reports for the scholarship recipients as soon as I receive them.

I pray the best for you all and look forward to hearing from you.

Blessings,

Jane

Update from St. Hilda’s School in Belize

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We continually pray for our friends in Belize - the students and teachers at St. Hilda's Anglican School, as well as the scholarship students who have moved on to High School. In March, Ms. Jane Ramirez, Principal at St. Hilda's, sent us this update.

Greetings Friends,

I pray that this email reaches you in good health. I am sorry that it has taken so long to send an update. Times have been a bit hectic and we're now trying to establish a new sense of normalcy on a personal and professional level. The COVID-19 pandemic really had an impact on our staff, students and families. There were many who were affected health-wise and financially.

Since January 17th, 2022, we returned to school for two days face to face sessions and we did two days online. It has been a challenge because many children did not participate in the online sessions. In terms of academics, we are far behind but striving to reach our goal. Parents have been skeptical about sending their child for face to face sessions as well. We are trying our best to ensure that safety protocols are in place. Starting this Monday, March 14th, 2022, we will be back fully face to face. We have divided the children into two groups so we will have each group coming on alternate days. Please keep us in prayer that all goes well.

I cannot express how thankful I truly am for your support and prayers. I cannot find the words to tell you how blessed we are to have your partnership. I can testify that whenever our financial resources run low, it is at that right time that you send funds. Those funds have kept us operating, especially this school year. Many parents are experiencing financial difficulties so they cannot pay their fees. Please express how thankful we are to our Friends of St. Hilda's.

I have spoken to each of [the scholarship students] or their guardian regarding their grades. I believe this will be a better semester since most schools have returned or are returning to face to face sessions.

We at St. Hilda's will continue to keep you and your family in prayers.

Blessings,
Jane Martinez

St. Hilda’s Year in Review

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Ms. Jane Martinez, Principal of St. Hilda's Anglican School in Belize, recently sent us a 'Year In Review' document with photos that show an overview of activities at the school in 2021. Throughout the pandemic, education has been a combination of in-person and online learning, depending on the COVID infection rates at different times of the year. Several construction and repair projects have also been underway at St. Hilda's.

She also shared a video greeting on behalf of the staff and students. Watch it below.

Please pray for the students and teachers at St. Hilda's elementary school, our high school scholarship students, and their families. Contributions towards the Belize mission are welcome and appreciated, especially during these pandemic times when the Missions Committee has not been able to hold a fundraiser. You may give and receive a charitable tax receipt by making an online donation or submitting a donation marked 'Belize' through the Cathedral office or offering plate.

St. Hilda’s Harvest and Scholarship Update

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Ms. Jane Martinez, principal of St. Hilda's Anglican School in Belize, sent us some photos of 'St. Hilda's Harvest', a recent event where the students collected and packaged items for senior citizens in their neighbourhoods. View the gallery below to see photos of this special event.

Christ Church Cathedral provides funds each year to help provide necessities for the elementary school, which educates approximately 200 children between kindergarten and grade 8. Over 60 Cathedral members ranging in age from 15 to 79 have gone on a mission trip to Belize between 2005-2018, and hundreds of people in Fredericton have supported the work through organizational support, donations and prayers.

The Cathedral's four high school scholarship recipients, Korey, Edvin, Jenniah and Gian, continue their efforts. Two of the scholarship students had a difficult year due to pandemic challenges and family circumstances, but both have persevered and improved their marks in the recent semester. We have high hopes for all of the students' continued success at overcoming obstacles.

In Belize, the average age at which a child leaves school is 13 years old, because of the prohibitive costs of tuition for high school, which is not publicly funded. Unemployment in the country is high, there are many large single-parent families, and almost half of Belizeans live below the poverty line. In 2010, Cathedral mission team members established a high school scholarship program which has allowed St. Hilda’s students to apply for a scholarship to continue their education past grade 8. Some of the graduates supported by the Cathedral have gone on to post-secondary education.

Please pray for the students and teachers at St. Hilda's School, our scholarship students, and their families. Contributions towards the Belize mission are welcome and appreciated, especially during these pandemic times when the Missions Committee has not been able to hold a fundraiser. You may give and receive a charitable tax receipt by making an online donation or submitting a donation marked 'Belize' through the Cathedral office or offering plate.

Scroll through the photos below from St. Hilda’s Harvest:

Scholarship Student Graduation

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Congratulations to Jocelyn Herrera, one of our scholarship students in Belize, who has graduated from Eden SDA High School!

Jocelyn attended elementary at St. Hilda's Anglican School. She is interested in furthering her education beyond high school, and has also previously expressed interest in becoming a business secretary. Please pray that, with God's help, Jocelyn will find her path. Read previous letters from Jocelyn to the Cathedral's Belize Mission Committee here, here, and here. You can watch her graduation ceremony on YouTube. Jocelyn's name is announced at the 47 minute mark.

This year, the Belize Missions Committee has used contributions from the Cathedral congregation to provide scholarships to four students enrolled in high school. In Belize, the average age at which a child leaves school is 13 years old, because of the prohibitive costs of high school tuition. Unemployment in the country is high, there are many large single-parent families, and almost half of Belizeans live below the poverty line. In 2010, Cathedral mission team members established a high school scholarship program which has allowed St. Hilda’s students to apply for a scholarship to continue their education past grade 8. Some of the graduates supported by the Cathedral have gone on to post-secondary education.

Currently, four students attending high school benefit from Cathedral scholarships. $4000 was sent in August 2020 -- $1000 each, which helps to cover the cost of tuition, books and other required materials. The 2020-2021 scholarship students are: Jocelyn Herrera, Grade 12; Jenniah Tillett, Grade 11; Gian Myvette, Grade 10; and Edvin Perez, Grade 9.

This past year has been a challenging one for students across the globe, and we pray that our sponsored students will be guided by the Holy Spirit in their lives and in their studies.

Donations towards the Cathedral's efforts in Belize are always appreciated, and are especially welcome after this year of pandemic in which the Missions Committee has not been able to hold a fundraiser. You may donate and receive a charitable tax receipt by using an offering envelope marked "Belize" or by making an online donation. Funds will be used to support St. Hilda's Anglican School (elementary) and the high school scholarship program.

Missions Committee provides support throughout the pandemic

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“Serving God in mission, sharing Jesus with the world” is the mission statement of the Christ Church Cathedral Missions Committee.

The committee works together with the Cathedral congregation to reflect the teachings of Jesus and the heartbeat of Christian history. The committee's goals are to: raise awareness about mission work, prayerfully and financially support missionary efforts, and encourage action by the congregation.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee has been conducting business virtually, primarily through email, and has been able to continue communications and support for several long-standing mission partners.

Annual financial assistance of $1500 was provided to support the stipend for Canon Paul Jeffries at Bishop McAllister College in Uganda as well as $1500 for Reverends Kara and Nelson Mejia and their Honduras Mission Fund.

A $350 donation supported the mobile medical clinic in Ho, Ghana - a campaign initiated by the Diocese of Fredericton.

$250 was donated in response to an urgent appeal by PWRDF for financial assistance in August 2020 to assist with humanitarian needs following the Beirut explosion.

The Cathedral Missions Committee has remained in touch with members of the Refugee Family Sponsorship Team. In October, members of the committee assisted others in helping the Weah-Gmah family move to their new home.

A related committee under the Bishop and Chapter responsibility of Mission/Outreach maintains communication with St. Hilda's Anglican School in Belize.

Like so many others across the globe, our mission partners faced unforeseen challenges over this past year. School closures threatened to jeopardize the entire ministry at Bishop McAllister College. A shut down of the tourism economy in Roatan placed Rev’s Nelson and Kara in the position of needing to feed regular meals to over 200 residents in their community. When both of these partners reached out, the Cathedral offered additional assistance of $250 each and shared their messaging with the congregation via the missions web page and corresponding links on the Cathedral website and Facebook pages.

The committee posts online updates to keep the congregation informed of ongoing developments with our mission partners and continues to ask for prayerful support. In the year ahead, it is hoped that guest speakers can be invited back to the Cathedral.

The Missions Committee welcomes new members and is happy to answer questions. Contact the Cathedral Office or communicate directly with committee members Brad McKnight, Sam Mayo, John DosSantos or Kurt Schmidt.

Details from the Missions Committee update in the Christ Church Cathedral Annual Report for 2020.

Commitment to Education in Belize

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Christ Church Cathedral has a special relationship with the staff and students of St. Hilda’s Anglican School, an elementary school in the rural village of Georgeville. Two hundred children attend the school, ranging between kindergarten and grade 8. Cathedral teams have travelled to Belize five times: in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2018. Over 60 Cathedral members ranging in age from 15 to 79 have gone on a mission trip to Belize, and hundreds of people in Fredericton have supported the work through organizational support, donations and prayers.

As part of the Cathedral's ongoing financial commitment to St. Hilda's, in 2020 we sent the school $1000 in August and $1000 in December to contribute to ongoing needs for the students and teachers. Although we were unable to do any fundraising in 2020 due to COVID-19, enough funds were available from efforts in 2019 to continue our support for the school.

The money sent to St. Hilda's was helpful in preparing for opening of the school with the restrictions and regulations of COVID-19. They used the funds to purchase cleaning and sanitation supplies, as well as garbage bins, masks, and gloves for teachers. Teachers were also given a stipend to assist with  classroom preparation and arrangements for physical distancing.

According to Ms. Jane, principal of St. Hilda’s, the school typically holds fundraising events throughout the year to help with supplies, but has been unable to do so since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We communicate with Ms. Jane on a regular basis, who recently shared, "I continue to express sincere gratitude to our Friends of St. Hilda’s family. You all have truly blessed us. I keep seeing God working through your sponsorship. When we were at our lowest, that’s when the funds came through. We are truly thankful. Prayers for you all during this time. God’s continued blessing on your ministry."

In addition to support of the elementary school, the Cathedral supports scholarships for selected St. Hilda's graduates. In Belize, the average age at which a child leaves school is 13 years old, because of the prohibitive costs of high school. Unemployment in the country is high, there are many large single-parent families, and almost half of Belizeans live below the poverty line. In 2010, Cathedral mission team members established a high school scholarship program which has allowed St. Hilda’s students to apply for a scholarship to continue their education past grade 8. Some of the graduates supported by the Cathedral have gone on to post-secondary education.

Currently, four students attending high school benefit from Cathedral scholarships. $4000 was sent in August 2020 -- $1000 each to four students, which helps to cover the cost of tuition, books and other required materials. The 2020-2021 scholarship students are Edvin Perez Grade 9, Gian Myvette Grade 10, Jenniah Tillett Grade 11, and Joselyn Herrera Grade 12.

Our congregation continues to support and pray for the students and teachers at St. Hilda’s school, past and present.

Read more posts about Belize missions.

Update from St Hilda’s Anglican School in Belize

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The following is a letter sent March 11/21 by Ms. Jane Martinez, Principal at St. Hilda’s Anglican School, to Kelley Hall of the Belize Mission Committee.

Good Afternoon Kelley,

I pray all is well with you and your family. I wanted to send you an update so that you know what is going on at St. Hilda’s Anglican. Due to the Covid19 situation, we are only at school Monday and Tuesday. We are still doing distance learning. Teachers print packages every week for students and they also do online sessions twice a week. It has been truly challenging because both teachers and students have to adapt to a new way of teaching and learning. My staff has been very vigilant in this exercise and I must commend their efforts. 
It is being said that the vaccine will be given to teachers soon and classes will resume in April. I’m not sure if that will work out. Some people are hesitant about getting the vaccine because much controversy surrounding it. There has been no Education or information given to the public and people are hesitant. 
The high school students have gotten some reports so I will forward that to you as well.  I’m still waiting for two more students to send theirs. They have also been doing online learning and receiving packages. 
I am including pictures of some repairs that we were able to get done in one classroom as well as the signs that we set up. I also bought folders for teachers to create a portfolio with lessons and packages that are sent out.  Overall,  I must say that we are blessed because we have all been able to cope and have stayed healthy. 
I continue to express sincere gratitude to our Friends of St. Hilda’s family. You all have truly blessed us. I keep seeing God working through your sponsorship. When we were at our lowest, that’s when the funds came through. We are truly thankful. Prayers for you all during this time. God’s continued blessing on your ministry. 
Blessings, 
Jane

News from St. Hilda’s Anglican School in Belize

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I pray that this email reaches you in good health. It has been some time since I contacted you but We have been keeping you all in prayer just as I know you have done for us. Our little Belize is battling the pandemic. 

In August we were out of school for two weeks because one of our staff members had to get swabbed because she was displaying symptoms. We waited for almost two weeks for her results. Thankfully, the test came back negative. We have to be at school everyday but the students are at home. Some teachers are doing online classes via Google Classroom or WhatsApp. We also prepare learning packages each week for all students.

It has been a very difficult time trying to cope with everything that is happening and staying focused. The funds that you sent were very helpful in preparing for the reopening. Registration has been very slow and we usually get our funds from fundraising activities but unfortunately, we can’t do anything at this time. We were able to purchase cleaning and sanitation supplies as well as garbage bins, masks and gloves for teachers. Teachers were also given a stipend to assist with preparation of classrooms. We had to arrange our furniture to cater for social distancing.

I will be sending you some pictures of the classrooms and other arrangements that were made during this time. I am also attaching receipts from students. They started their sessions on October 5th, Some of them are doing online sessions while others are receiving printed materials as well. So far they are all engaged and have started working. I will keep you updated as the time goes by. We will continue to ask God’s blessings on you all. we love you and pray the best for all our Friends of St. Hilda’s. Be safe.

Best,
Jane (Principal at St. Hilda’s)

Ten Years A Missionary – David Alenskis

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February 2021

Dear friends and partners in ministry,

I want to take this time to wish you a very blessed Ash Wednesday, and to thank you for all the support that you have generously given us over the past few months! It has been a joy to know you are praying for us, and to receive your notes of encouragement since our last update in December.
This year certainly does not feel like any Lent Mary Beth and I have experienced recently: in Belize by this point in the liturgical calendar we are usually boiling from the hot season rolling into town, but at the moment we instead have sub-zero temperatures and mounds of snow where we’re hunkered down in the Midwest. As we prepare for Easter in just over forty days, we ask you to keep our family in your prayers as we seek his strength, provision and guidance in the months ahead.
Yesterday I posted an update on how we are doing, and I invite you to give it a read:
Here is a quick brief summary of what the blog post is sharing:
  1. Academics. So far I am performing very well in my doctoral program—despite having to do everything remotely—and I am enjoying the coursework I am taking. I am still on track to defend my thesis and graduate by 2024 … it will be tough to fit in everything by then, but I am highly motivated to get it done and my track record so far is encouraging. (Read more!)
  2. Family Life. Mary Beth and the boys are doing very well. Because we were unable to proceed to Canada in time for the Winter term, we have rented a small two-bedroom place a few miles from my parents’ home in Indiana, and we are enjoying being together as a family in our own space.A very big development over the last few weeks is that our parish in San Ignacio, St. Andrew’s has decided to rent out the Rectory as soon as next month, so we are shipping our belongings to our home in the States—and we will probably not be returning to Belize this summer to pack out and say goodbye. We are grieving the loss of this opportunity to take an extended time to pack out and say goodbye, but at the same time we have seen God’s hand working in amazing ways. (Read more!)
  3. Finances. Shipping our belongings from Belize to the U.S. is going to be a tremendous expense (around $7,000), right at the same time that Mary Beth and I will have to take a salary cut. Our regular/pledged giving is $3,300 below our bare-bones basic SAMS budget each month, and now that we are in 2021 we will have to lower our salaries by 30–40% beginning in March. (Read more!)To make sure that we do not have to decrease our salaries any further, we would ask you prayerfully to consider giving a one-time donation to our missionary account to help us rebuild some margin. And if the Lord is guiding you to become a pledged supporter of our ministry, we would be deeply grateful to have you on the team.
Next month will also mark ten years (!!!) since I left California to become a full-time SAMS missionary in Argentina. So much has happened since then. I want to thank each of you for first supporting me, and then Mary Beth, and now our whole family as we pursue the vision for mission and ministry that the Lord has given us. Please keep us in your prayers, and be in touch as together we move ahead in service to our Lord Jesus Christ!
In his name,
David+ and Mary Beth (and Austin and James)