Psalm 29

Written By: Kristen, Emily, Shane, Kristen, Peter, Stephanie, Ruth and Mark


1 Look now to the lord O daughters & sons. Speak out of His glory and powerful works.
2 Give glory to the creator and honor his works. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
3 He speaks over the Mopan River and the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the almighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful like a strong river current, the voice of the lord is majestic.
5 The Lord sends the songs of birds to break the morning silence. The voice of the Lord breaks our barriers.
6 He makes us skip like a calf. All of us like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord rumbles like waterfalls of the Macal River.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the mountains, the Lord shakes the Maya Foothills.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the palms and strips the jungle bare. And all of Belize cries “Glory”.
10 The Lord sways in a hammock over Nabitunich, the Lord watches over Cayo forever.
11 May the Lord strengthen our community! May the Lord bless his lands with shalom!

Jah’s Rhythm (Psalm 33)

Written by: Katherine, Sarah, Laura G., Eric Daryn and Kori

Bass, Tone, Slap to Jah ye drummers.
It is fitting for us to praise Jah.

Praise Jah with the djembe.
Make music to him on the goatskin.
Jam to him a new song.

Play with rhythm and strong hands.
The word of Jah is right and true.
He is faithful in all he does.

Jah loves righteousness and justice.
The earth resounds with his unfailing love.
By the song of Jah,
The stars were sung into being.

He gathers the manatees into the
warm springs of the Gales Point Lagoon,
and he knows their need for oxygen.

Let all the earth hear Jah.
Let all the people feel
the beating of his rhythm.

For there was a bass,
and the waters came to be.

For there was a tone,
and the winds roared.

For there was a slap,
and the sun burned high in the sky.

Jah’s plans are more complete
than the manatee researcher’s.
His purposes are farther seeing
than the itinerary for our small group weekend.

Jah’s rhythm outlaststs the longest sambai.
His bass, tone, slap is strong and steady.


*Jah is a literal pronunciation and short form of the Hebrew name for God, Yahweh. Eg. Halleujah means praise God (Jah). Jah is the Rastafarian name for God.

Comfort (Isaiah 40)

Written by: Laura C., Gretchen, Leah, Marike and Linda

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to the people of Belize
And tell them of the promises of joy, peace, hope and love
Which God is offering this advent season.

Comfort to:
• Agricultural workers, who work long hours under harsh conditions for too little pay
• The small farmers who are still trying ot make a living on their own under an oppressive market regime
• The victims of natural disasters due to environmental degredation including hurricanes, storms and mudslides
• The refugees residing in Belize – especially those from Guatemala and El Salvador – who have had to flee their homes because of war and oppressive governments
• Those who face hardships because of unwanted pregnancies, alcoholism, domestic violence and martial unfaithfulness in their homes
• Families who cannot afford proper health care and education for their children

We have encountered this pain and injustice this semester, have been saddened by it and felt called to action as a result. But we also hold out hope because we know that God is aware of your suffering, hears your cries, feels your pain and will heed your call. He has sent you a comforter, in Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit, and our hope rests in Him alone.

And we believe that the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Psalm 95: 1 “O come let us sing for the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!”

Written by: Big Pete, Feltercline, Ms Responsible, Iris, Philip

We got to thinking that if God is like a rock,
Than what else could God be like?
What metaphors or similes could we utilize?
Here’s what we thought up one Sunday afternoon
While sitting on Iris and Philip’s roof.

God is like...
Tina the trooper: we take Tina for granted when we are riding smoothly but we are reminded to appreciate it more when it is not so straightforward.
A mother: She is full of care, gentleness, and compassion bringing forth and sustaining life.
Bad dancing: bad dancing has no formula, it is loose, arrhythmic, open to spontaneity and experimentation.
Deaf children at the CDI: they are full of curiosity, zeal, and are always raising trouble.
An emerald toucanet in an enormous big tree: you can hear it, you know it is there, through your naked eye you can see evidence of its movements, but sighting it can be a jolly hard (if very rewarding) task.
A buttress root: it is strong, stabilizing and the tree must depend on the root at all times.
A zookeeper serenading a jaguar at the Belize Zoo: the zookeeper plays her guitar and soothes the wild dangerous animal with tender words.
The rain on Garifuna Settlement Day in 2005: strong, persistent, ubiquitous.
Nitrifying bacteria: it takes our worst and makes it clean and useful.
An email from home: instantaneous, exciting, thrilling.
A ride on an untamed horse: it takes you places you do not want to go at speeds you do not want travel.
A lazy Sunday afternoon: relaxing, rejuvenating, and restful.
A fleece jacket: it lies abandoned during warm weather but when the temperature drops the fleece is there to provide warmth and protection.
A night dive on the coral reef: the dark waters are full of mystery, danger, and the unknown; but just as full with wonders, beauty, and awe-inspiring sights.
A strangler fig: it replaces the old with new.
The sun drying your laundry: there is nothing you can do to make your laundry dry, only the sun can help you with that.
A female hawk moth: it is elusive, precious, and highly sought after.
A cattle egret: it rids the cows of their ticks.
A troop of howler monkeys at Tikal: they are very loud, noisy and very vocal, but hidden from sight high up in grand trees.
A mosquito inside your mosquito net: almost inconspicuous but still incessant and bugging.
A botfly: it gets under your skin.
A crazed soccer mom: she is totally impassioned, totally irrational, and totally biased.
Miranda’s infatuation with snakes: it is not understood, but it sure is sweet.
A monarch butterfly: it is gentle, full of ease and grace.
An epiphyte: it creates space for life in unexpected and difficult places.
Cayo Twist: Delicious.
Wearing Eric’s shorts: they are tight and grippy.