Bethel AME Church, Ann Arbor, Travels to Belize for Mission Work

In a continued effort to extend the reach and impact of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, 28 members of Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Bethel AME Church traveled to Belize City, Belize, for four days of service, connection, and fellowship. Under the vision and direction of the 16^thEpiscopal District and Bishop E. Anne Henning Byfield, the group contributed to projects that Bishop Byfield has already begun in the country and introduced projects of its own. “The Central American nation served as a great mission field for several reasons; there was a need, no language barrier, and ease of access,” said the Rev. Mashod A. Evans, the senior pastor at Bethel Ann Arbor.

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The Dorothy Menzies Child Care Center is home to children in Belize City who have been neglected by their parents and are now under the care of the Department of Human Services. As the Center aims to provide a temporary safe and caring environment where children can seek refuge, it is in desperate need of outside support. Housing anywhere between 30 to 60 children between ages one-18 at any given time, the Center’s resources, staffing, and funding are severely limited. Through a relationship already established with Bishop Byfield, the Bethel congregation collected Bibles and more than 50 sheet-sets to be donated to the Center. Those that traveled to Belize City were able to deliver the donated items and toys on behalf of the congregation, as well as share songs, laughter, prayer, and smiles with the children.

The mission group ventured to Belize Central Prison to connect with inmates housed at the facility. Located 17 miles outside of Belize City, Belize Central Prison is the country’s only correctional facility, housing roughly 1,200 adult and adolescent men and women. Women in the mission group delivered toiletries, sanitary items, and undergarments that were also donated by the Bethel congregation. They also visited with the female inmates, exchanging testimonies, words of encouragement, and prayers. On the other side of the prison grounds, the mission group’s men visited with male inmates, where they also shared words of encouragement, testimonies, and prayer.

The mission group aimed to leave a lasting impact on those it encountered while in Belize. With that, the group began the demolition process on a building that will eventually become a transition house for many of the women that are incarcerated at Belize Central Prison. It will serve as space for them to seek resources and support upon release. 

At the Golden Haven Rest Home for senior citizens, some members of the mission group spent an afternoon lifting the residents’ spirits through song, fellowship, and quality time. Other members worked to leave a more lasting impression at the Home by adding a fresh coat of paint to brighten the facility’s interior.

Members of Bethel not only donated their time and treasure to the mission trip and efforts but they also donated their talents. Spearheaded by a team of Bethel medical professionals, the mission group hosted a free health clinic that provided more than 140 Belizeans general information on dental care as well as oral care products, glucose and blood pressure testing, a one-on-one consultation with a doctor and a pharmacist, multivitamins, and over-the-counter pain medications for those in need. “My hope is that the members of Bethel who traveled to Belize were changed as a result of their service and that the people with whom we partnered were blessed by our efforts,” said the Rev. Evans.

In addition to mission work, the group immersed itself in the rich Caribbean culture of Belize. They visited the historic Mayan Ruins, experienced new foods, enjoyed the attractions at Old Belize, on and Sunday morning worshiped alongside members of Merirh’s Ministries.

Bethel’s work in Belize has just begun and the Rev. Evans says the group looks forward to continuing its support of Belize. This will be done both from afar and with future return trips to the country.