Why Belize?

As I have mentioned before, The Lord has placed the little country of Belize upon my heart. I believe that I am to purchase land here and work in concert with others to establish a place for a Christian community to function. Many people have asked me, "Why Belize?" Why not first practice community in your own backyard and if it works out, then go to Belize. This is a good and valid question and I have pondered it much before the Lord. Essentially, we in Western society have become, for the most part, insulated and isolated from one another....Christians included.

We have fashioned our own little fiefdoms where we control everything in, on, and around us. We live in a self-induced stupor of warm comfort and safety supplied by the Western lifestyle of abundance. Do not get me wrong; I am a great advocate of prosperity and blessing. It's just that when the pointless acquisition of material wealth becomes as an opiate to the people, that I give rise to question the whole affair.

Worldly Distractions
We work long hours and get deeply into debt in order to acquire those material "goodies" that we simply no longer can live without. " I Don't Have The Time!!" Has become our national mantra. We get up, work long and hard, come home and hole up before a computer or television. We Christians "fellowship" only when we feel like it and it is convenient for us to do so. We Christians have become quite sectarian in that IF we make the time to meet for fellowship, it has to be in and with our own little faction group.

Others and myself now look at this mess and wonder how we might extricate ourselves? Would it be possible to arrange our affairs so that we become debt free and have the time to slow down and hear from God? Many I know who are debt free and are "retired", still pack every free moment with appointments, projects and other busy work. I guess it is all a result of life in the hamster cage, running on that wheel whether we have to or not. It would be good to unplug and begin to detox from the hectic and ever quickening pace of life all around us.

Simpler Environment
Belize. Life here is simpler and slower. Although many Belizeans aspire for the American lifestyle and have moved to the states, for the most part, day-to-day life is relaxing and unhurried...especially out in the country. There is also a wonderful dynamic, which happens between people when they come together in agreement to embark on a project or adventure. A bonding takes place and there is an investment into each other’s lives. This type of endeavor would place us on the fast track towards spiritual maturity and becoming more like our Master, Jesus. The crucible of community is known to do that.
 
Many fear this level of intimacy and accountability because they know that the many sins and character flaws that they have been skillfully avoiding for so many years, may finally need to be dealt with. When committed to a life in community, it is not so easy to cut and run every time that things do not go our way. It is more difficult to wall ourselves off from those all around us. But this is a good thing!
  
Living, loving, working and building a life in Christ as a tangible example of who Jesus is in His people is an endeavor worthy of our very best efforts.
First and foremost Belize is the little country that the Lord has firmly implanted into my heart. Many have asked me to consider places like Hawaii, Costa Rica, Panama or Mexico. While I am sure that the Lord has many of his people strategically placed all over the world, Belize seems to be what He has placed before Bob Kaline. After that I am left to consider that Belize is the only English speaking country in Central America, They have the same legal system and system of land ownership that America does, It is a small country about the size of our state of Massachusetts with a small population of only about 300,000 people. Central America does not have winter and summer, as most of us Gringos understand it. The temperature is warm all year around. Their seasons are divided into wet and dry. Typically, the summer months get a lot of rain and the winter months get much less rain.

Life in community is not for everyone. One must be called into it by the Lord Himself, and even then, there is a season of Him Preparing the heart for such.

Prepare The Hearts
When in the crucible heated by the Refiner's Fire, many things in the form of dross are burned away and float to the top.  Some of this dross might take the form of the following;  "What is in this for me?".....I—Me—My--Mine.....The need to control and manipulate others, guile, jealousy , anger, unforgiveness, laziness and perhaps even a religious spirit are all skimmed off our hearts by the Loving Ladle of the Lord. What is left is a heart within His servant that is soft, supple, teachable and resonates with His still small voice.