Why Go To Belize?
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. - 2 Corinthians 5:20
In July 2009, preparing to return home from Belize, I couldn’t get past the overwhelming emotion that I was leaving behind an unfinished work. Back there were spiritually hungry people who have never heard the saving message of Jesus Christ. Missionaries have come before. Why are there so many who have not yet heard? What did these missionaries do while they were there? Where was God in the previous efforts? Wrestling with this, it became clearer to me that the Scriptures are about a God who is present and active in human lives. Almighty God is not essentially somewhere else, but active and present in this world - Visible in Jesus, right? The incarnation of God in Jesus sent the clear message, "I care, and I’m here to do something about it."
As I contemplate the question, another thought comes. Perhaps I’m asking the wrong question. Rather than asking, "Where is God" the better question is posed by God, "Where are you in the midst of all this?" I have answered His call to serve Him and serve the people of Belize, at least until God moves me elsewhere, or is through with me.
Apostle Paul taught this concept in 2 Corinthians 5:20. The local New Testament Church, is the physical representative of God in Christ Jesus on earth (Matthew 28:18-20). If the world wants to know what God is like, the first place it should look is His Church. His Churches are to embody the message and spirit of Jesus. As His representatives, God is fulfilling His plan for this world through members of His Churches who are willing to answer His call, prepare themselves and GO with Him, not apart from Him. His Churches are not only supposed to proclaim the message, they are to live the message of the gospel.
Perhaps the next time we hear God’s tender call and ask, "God, where are You in all this?", if we are quiet enough to hear the voice of God, His reply might be, "I’m right here in the middle of it. Where are you?"
May we be the kind of people who embody the message of Christ for the world, and who run to be God’s hands and feet, reaching out to others with the saving message of Jesus Christ!
Ben was born again at the age of nine in Southern California and baptized by Immanuel Missionary Baptist Church under the pastorate of Dr. E.A. Sharver. Ben is married to his beautiful and loving wife Terese and has successfully raised their five awesome children, Stephanie, John, Amber, Aaron & Samantha. He answered God’s call to the Gospel Ministry in 2000 under the pastorate of Mike Raines in Norman, Oklahoma. Within the Lord’s churches he has held the positions of music director, teacher, youth minister, treasurer, and interim pastor and has chaired building, missions, finance, bus ministries and pastor search committees. Ben is currently attending Heritage Baptist Institute and Seminary in Missouri City, Texas. He has been involved in missions and church planting for most of his life and is no stranger to the processes and challenges of mission work and community evangelism. He is fairly fluent in Spanish and has lived in Peru (Lima and the Amazon) and Kenya. He enjoys singing conventional church music, southern gospel and contemporary Christian music and loves to play guitar. Ben was most recently employed by BP America (British Petroleum) Corporation as a safety and health professional and Crisis Management Advisor. Ben has worked in the oil and gas industry for more than thirty years holding positions of management in some of the largest energy sector corporations in the U.S. and the world. He has extensive leadership experience in the church, corporations, civic, and professional organizations. Preparing to take early retirement from BP in December 2010, again, Ben has answered God’s call to the foreign mission field and is preparing for service in Belize, Central America.
Terese became a child of the King at 14 years of age as a result of neighbor’s faithfulness, love and willingness to pick her and her brothers up and take them to Sunday School and church. Terese is married to her loving husband, Ben and is so thankful for her five beautiful children, Stephanie, John, Amber, Aaron and Samantha. Children are her blessing and she counts it all joy that she is able to teach them about Jesus Christ the Lord. She is committed to her family, and her husband’s ministry. Terese has extensive experience running several different businesses including electrical contracting and real estate, not to mention a very active household with five children and all their friends. Terese enjoys arts and crafts, baking and serving others. She has a great burden for missionaries everywhere and looks forward to any opportunity to help them and be a part of their work wherever she can. She has served leadership roles in church and local associations as teacher, VBS Director, President and Vice-President of local and associational auxiliaries and has planned and produced successful women’s conferences.
