You Better Belize It!

It is official! The 2018 Belize mission team has booked their flights and will be starting preparations soon for their mission trip in January. The team consists of Rebecca Butler-Goddard, Nat Fetter, Caryn Gunter, The Very Rev. Geoffrey Hall, Kelley Hall, Beverly Morell and Jim Morell. Please keep them in your prayers, along with the staff and students at St. Hilda’s Anglican School, and stay tuned for ways you may be able to help out as part of the home team.

Last call for Belize Missioners

The Belize Mission is a Go! At our recent meeting, there was enough interest to send a mission team to St. Hilda’s School in Belize. The one week mission will take place sometime between Jan.26 and February 18, 2018. The size of the mission team is open ended and anyone interested is invited to contact Brad McKnight, Beverly Morell or the Cathedral office. A final commitment will be needed by team members by Friday, October 20th.

News from Belize!!

Congratulations to SHANTEL JONES as she graduates from Memorial University of Newfoundland with the degree of Bachelor of Nursing on October 5th!

The Cathedral mission team that served in Belize in 2007 met both Shantel Jones and Ashley Jones at that time.  Ashley was assisted by our church family until she graduated from high school.  Shantel was financially supported through high school by one of our missioners, Susan Watson and her family.  Then, with help from our Cathedral family, Susan and her family continued to ‘walk along side of’ Shantel throughout her university years at Memorial.

Many will remember the service here at our Cathedral in 2012 when Shantel visited to express her thanks to us for the education she was receiving thanks to the love and generosity of her Canadian friends.  The words she spoke to us were from her heart as she thanked us for our help, and she touched each one of us present at that service with her words of gratitude.

I believe we also have been blessed by our relationship with Shantel and the other Belizean students who have been given the opportunity to go on to higher education.  From this beginning with Shantel and Ashley, the “Canadian Friends of St. Hilda’s” scholarship was established by the members of the 2010 team to St. Hilda’s in Belize.  Today our Cathedral church continues to sponsor four students per year as they go on to higher education after finishing Grade 8 at St. Hilda’s School.

Congratulations Shantel – and well done!

YOU ARE INVITED TO SIGN A CONGRATULATORY CARD TO SHANTEL ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH. The card will be circulated after the service this Sunday.  The card will go with Susan Watson when they leave for Newfoundland on September 28th to attend Shantel’s graduation.

Congratulations to Ms Jane (in Belize) with the second highest GPA!

Greetings Mrs. Bev:

Sorry for not responding earlier. i read the email yesterday but got so busy that I forgot to respond. I am glad to hear that you had some time off for family and relaxing. We are back at workshops and this will continue until school reopens the first week of September. The holiday is over although I did not get much of a holiday. I was preparing for final presentations for a School Leadership program that I was enrolled in this year. We had our graduation yesterday. I must say that God has been faithful to me and given me favor among my colleagues. I was awarded with the second highest GPA. Yeah!! To God be the Glory!! 
I am encouraged by your trust and dedication to St. Hilda’s. The children are all doing well and making final preparations for the reopening of school High School year will begin on August 28th. I am in the final stages of preparation for Jocelyn as well. We have a few more books that we will get from the school to prepare her for her journey. She is so excited about this opportunity. I keep encouraging her to do her best and ask for help when needed. I really want her to succeed. I have five staff members who will be on internship this school year so we have a challenge ahead. I may also have to teach the Standard 6 class so I ask for your prayers. Being administrator and teachers is not an easy task. I continue to thank you for your support and pledge to continue working with my staff, parents and the community to transform St. Hilda’s and make it a shining light in this community.
 
Blessings to you and the church family.
 
Best Regards,
Jane Martinez

Greetings from Indira Spain in Belize (June 17, 2017)

Greetings from wet Belize.  The rain started a little while ago and has completely cooled down our corner of the Earth (Thank God for that).  I’m very sorry that I did not respond to your last letter but I didn’t have access to a computer.  My computer updated itself and now I can’t use it.  The update wasn’t compatible or something like that and now I’m without a machine.
As I said in a previous email, I will be picking up Anique’s report card on the 22nd and will email you a copy as soon as I get it.  I thank you again for all that  you do for my little girl and I.  your gift is priceless and I pray for you and your church everyday because you are so awesome.  You are a true picture of what it is to be Christ like.  You help me keep my faith going and for that I thank you.  I ask that your church family say a special prayer for me as I embark on my internship this coming September.  I finished up all my courses and now need to complete internship to receive my certificate in Primary Education.  Internship is a grueling 13 weeks and is so very expensive.  With God’s grace I’m sure I’ll meet all expenses and keep my sanity.  :)… Keep me in your prayers.
I had my top 5 students write letter which I typed.  Please find them attached all in one document.  Its a really hard decision and I’m sure you will agree after reading the letters.  Thank you for your yearly blessings.  We at St. Hilda’s love all of you. 
Sincerely Yours, 
 
 Indira Spain 
– Teacher at St. Hilda’s School and mother of scholarship recipient, Anique Hernandez

Congratulations to St. Hilda’s class of 2017 and scholarship winner Jocelyn Herrara

 

Best wishes to the 2017 graduating class from St. Hilda’s School in Belize! A special congratulations also to Miss Jocelyn Herrara, this years recipient of the “Canadian Friends of St. Hilda’s Scholarship”.

 

 

I am 12 years old.  I live in Georgeville Village. My greatest wish is to go to high school, sixth form and the University of Belize.  I love school and I am praying to get a scholarship so I can get and education which is the first step to being successful in life.  I am very smart and enjoy reading any book I can get my hands on.  

I’m glad I got this opportunity to write to you in hopes of getting a scholarship.  This is probably my only chance at moving on to high school so my hopes and dreams lie in this letter.  I come from a very poor family and if it wasn’t for my teacher Miss Indira my mom wouldn’t have even considered high school.  After coming in first in my class for first and second term, my teacher begged my mom to find a way to send me to high school.  I have goals that I want to achieve so I can lift my family.  My father works part time and the money he receives for his hard work is never enough.  After paying rent and buying food for the house we are not left with much.

I am thankful for this opportunity and your time to listen to what I have to say.  I hope you enjoyed learning about me.  I really want the chance to become a better person and to help my family in the future.  I thank you so much for every child you have given an opportunity to over the years.  It would be great if I got a chance to receive the scholarship this year.

Sincerely yours,

– Jocelyn Herrara, 2017 Scholarship recipient

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“She is the first for her family to have the opportunity to get a high school education. She comes from a very humble single parent household. Her mother would not have been able to send her to high school. I have faith that she will do well as she has the desire to make a difference. Ms. Indira and I have pledged our support to assist her with her schooling. We have made available the internet and computer from the school so she will have access to do assignments. We spoke to her and her mother today and explained the expectations to retain this scholarship. She has enrolled at Eden High School”

– Jane Martinez, Principal at St. Hilda’s

 

 

 

Letter from Indira Spain mother of Belize student Anique Hernandez

The following is from a recent letter sent by Indira Spain who is the mother of Belize scholarship student, Anique Hernandez, and also a teacher at St. Hilda’s school.

June 17, 2017 

Good Evening Miss Bev,

Greetings from wet Belize.  The rain started a little while ago and has completely cooled down our corner of the Earth (Thank God for that).  I’m very sorry that I did not respond to your last letter but I didn’t have access to a computer.  My computer updated itself and now I can’t use it.  The update wasn’t compatible or something like that and now I’m without a machine.  

As I said in a previous email, I will be picking up Anique’s report card on the 22nd and will email you a copy as soon as I get it.  I thank you again for all that  you do for my little girl and I.  your gift is priceless and I pray for you and your church everyday because you are so awesome.  You are a true picture of what it is to be christ like.  You help me keep my faith going and for that I thank you.  I ask that your church family say a special prayer for me as I embark on my internship this coming September.  I finished up all my courses and now need to complete internship to receive my certificate in Primary Education.  Internship is a grueling 13 weeks and is so very expensive.  With God’s grace I’m sure I’ll meet all expenses and keep my sanity.  :)… Keep me in your prayers.

I had my top 5 students write letter which I typed.  Please find them attached all in one document.  Its a really hard decision and I’m sure you will agree after reading the letters.  Thank you for your yearly blessings.  We at St. Hilda’s love all of you. 

Sincerely Yours, 

 Indira Spain

 

10 New Lay Ministers in Belize

Give praise to the Lord with David and Mary Beth Alenskis in Belize for the ten new Lay Ministers who were licensed last week for their churches, in particular, a handful of young men (ages 17-20) who have real possibilities for a lifetime of leadership and service to Christ. Mary Beth and David have spent time nearly every week developing a relationship with them and mentoring with them, and they’re excited, anticipating them being deployed in ministry in the coming weeks and months.

Letter from St. Hilda’s School in Belize

The following is a recent letter sent to Beverly Morell by Ms. Jane Martinez, the principal of St. Hilda’s School, in Belize.

Greetings Mrs. Bev,

I am glad to hear that the fundraising was a success. Your donations are what makes it possible for us to provide materials needed for the classrooms and other school improvement. There has been many changes through God’s blessings. We are working on making our school environment more child-friendly and welcoming. Our children have come a long way in respecting the school property and taking ownership for what we have. 
It was a wonderful experience making the video. It gives people an opportunity to see the success of their investment. I am also looking forward to seeing you on your next visit. Hopefully, it will be soon. We have already bought some school supplies for teachers. We have also made costumes for our children for the annual Festival of Arts. The competition was held today and we won two gold certificates and one silver ! Yeah!!! The groups that got the gold will represent the school at Golden Awards night in May. I will be sending pictures to you as soon as Mrs. Bennett emails them to me.
I thank you for your continued support. Greet your family and church family on our behalf.
 
 
Blessings,
Jane