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 Lyndon Martinsen |
Blessed in Belize
March 30 2007 / ShareHim in Belize, Mar. 16 - Mar. 31 '07 #133by Lyndon Martinsen
Personal Testimony of Lyndon Martinsen.
My name is Lyndon Martinsen and I am a mechanical engineer and live in the high desert of Southern California. I signed up to speak in a ShareHim campaign in Belize, March 16 – 31, 2007. My wife Satik and adult daughter, Anahid (Annie) accompanied me.
I grew up as a child of missionaries in East Africa, and so I thought I was immune from what has been called “culture shock.” I was wrong. When we arrived at the airport near Belize City, it was hot and humid, but we were exited and didn’t even mind the hour or so delay in being picked up. The drive to our orientation city was pleasant, with many new and interesting sights along the way. But then we got to the hotel. The room had paint peeling here and there, the hot water wasn’t on and there was no closet to hang our clothes in. In my mind it was a dump. The sun was getting low and we were getting hungry. We weren’t sure it was safe to walk around town after dark. I started to question the wisdom of bringing my family into such a situation. Discouragement was lurking nearby.
Everything looks better in the daylight, and so the next morning our mood improved a lot. This was my first campaign outside the United States, and so I was still a little apprehensive about how it would go.
I was to speak in a “tent” (two large blue tarps on 12 2x4’s) set up in Orange Walk Town, and the first night was warm with a light breeze. As we got started we noticed lightning flashes in the distance; they became more frequent and seemed to get closer. I was about 15 minutes into my presentation, when rain started falling, and a strong wind hit. Within 30 second the tent was coming down. While people held onto the ropes so the tarp would stay positioned over the computer and projector I scrambled to get the equipment turned off and stowed in the waterproof hardcase.
The next morning and evening (Sabbath) we met in a local church, and then the tent was rebuilt on Sunday. The meetings continued with minor distractions like barking dogs and a loud birthday party nearby. One evening on the 40 minute drive to our site we were stopped at a customs checkpoint. This part of Belize is close to the Mexican border, so there is a bit of a smuggling problem. The official asked to see out passports but they were back at the hotel. He was starting to get upset and asked to see any ID we might have--we gave him our California driver’s licenses. He told us to go back to the hotel and get the passports. We did that, but by the time we returned, the roadblock had been moved somewhere else. We were able to retrieve the licenses three days later at the Customs and Immigration office in Orange Walk Town.
Within a week our culture shock had pretty much subsided, and we began to enjoy the local cuisine, the sugar cane fields, and the ocean views. We were able to travel to a number of Mayan Ruin sites, and see some of the natural beauty of Belize. Then on Wednesday of the second week we started doing baptisms. Between 80 and 100 people were attending each night, eight were baptized that first night and five the next.
We pray earnestly for the new members, and their pastor, and the whole church; that all will be a strong family group, dedicated to serve God in their community. We leave in two days, and I know we will cherish the time we have spent here, and miss the beautiful friends we have made.
Your brother in Christ, Lyndon
I grew up as a child of missionaries in East Africa, and so I thought I was immune from what has been called “culture shock.” I was wrong. When we arrived at the airport near Belize City, it was hot and humid, but we were exited and didn’t even mind the hour or so delay in being picked up. The drive to our orientation city was pleasant, with many new and interesting sights along the way. But then we got to the hotel. The room had paint peeling here and there, the hot water wasn’t on and there was no closet to hang our clothes in. In my mind it was a dump. The sun was getting low and we were getting hungry. We weren’t sure it was safe to walk around town after dark. I started to question the wisdom of bringing my family into such a situation. Discouragement was lurking nearby.
Everything looks better in the daylight, and so the next morning our mood improved a lot. This was my first campaign outside the United States, and so I was still a little apprehensive about how it would go.
I was to speak in a “tent” (two large blue tarps on 12 2x4’s) set up in Orange Walk Town, and the first night was warm with a light breeze. As we got started we noticed lightning flashes in the distance; they became more frequent and seemed to get closer. I was about 15 minutes into my presentation, when rain started falling, and a strong wind hit. Within 30 second the tent was coming down. While people held onto the ropes so the tarp would stay positioned over the computer and projector I scrambled to get the equipment turned off and stowed in the waterproof hardcase.
The next morning and evening (Sabbath) we met in a local church, and then the tent was rebuilt on Sunday. The meetings continued with minor distractions like barking dogs and a loud birthday party nearby. One evening on the 40 minute drive to our site we were stopped at a customs checkpoint. This part of Belize is close to the Mexican border, so there is a bit of a smuggling problem. The official asked to see out passports but they were back at the hotel. He was starting to get upset and asked to see any ID we might have--we gave him our California driver’s licenses. He told us to go back to the hotel and get the passports. We did that, but by the time we returned, the roadblock had been moved somewhere else. We were able to retrieve the licenses three days later at the Customs and Immigration office in Orange Walk Town.
Within a week our culture shock had pretty much subsided, and we began to enjoy the local cuisine, the sugar cane fields, and the ocean views. We were able to travel to a number of Mayan Ruin sites, and see some of the natural beauty of Belize. Then on Wednesday of the second week we started doing baptisms. Between 80 and 100 people were attending each night, eight were baptized that first night and five the next.
We pray earnestly for the new members, and their pastor, and the whole church; that all will be a strong family group, dedicated to serve God in their community. We leave in two days, and I know we will cherish the time we have spent here, and miss the beautiful friends we have made.
Your brother in Christ, Lyndon