One week to go - Departure for Belize Nov. 21 2011

Hello everyone

It's hard to believe after months of preparations, prayers, meetings and fundraising, here we are, one week to go before we fly out from Buffalo to Belize to continue the work so many teams before us have started. Our desire is to go in His Name and I pray that we go in humble service, to be blessed and to be a blessing as much as God has blessed us. Pray that we will be good representatives, faithful to Jesus and the gospel and as we work along side, listening to their stories and spending time with our hosts and in their communities may all this help us to discern what is our role even when we return home. Pray for safety, strength, good relations. Pray that patience,kindness, goodness and faithfulness will guide our path, that all we do be to the glory and honour of His Name.

My name is Hank Stronks and it has been my privilege to lead several teams from Community CRC to El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and now Belize. Our team, this year consists of thirteen people, all from CCRC, they are: Pete & Joyce Douwes, Bernie & Linda DeJonge, Pete Hansma, Sandra Krammer, Harry Oudman, Leo Veenstra, Janet Barry, Dick Oldenburger, Jonathan Oldenburger, Samara Douwes & Hank Stronks, half of whom have never gone on a STM trip.

We go under the auspices of Edu.Deo Ministries but are thrilled that Jesus has invited us to the greatest adventure ever, John 20:21 says, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you”. What a privilege! What a opportunity! We thank each and every one of you who have so generously supported this endeavor, your passion for supporting a Christ-centered education and wanting to pass this on is the same conviction our forefathers had when they arrived in Canada. Thank You so very much. We thank also those who so willingly have volunteered to drive us to and fro from Buffalo, Richard & Barb Krammer, Clarence Damsma & Sid Klooster.

We hope you keep in touch via this blog and we will do our best to update daily with pictures and comments of our activities.

hank