Don't Miss General Conference!

We participated in another Seminary Super Saturday this past week.  This time the seminary students, their teachers, leaders, full-time missionaries, and senior missionaries from the Belize District (which covers the northeast part of the country) were involved.  The Rotary Club of Belize supplied the paint and supplies we needed to paint playground equipment at two different school playgrounds.

At St. Martins School...

...a mile away at Queens Square School.

We had over 50 youth participate.  If you take 50+ youth working for 2 hours each, that is over 100 hours of donated service time!

Our yellow Mormon Helping Hands vests identified us as volunteers serving our community. 

As we returned back to the Belize City chapel, we enjoyed lunch, complete with snow cones to refresh us after working in the hot sun.  Then, we gathered to talk about our service experience.  Fun activities, a bounce house, and karaoke completed Super Saturday!

Elders Adams and Magnusson got into the act and sang Johnny Cash's, "I Walk the Line" --karaoke style

We asked a member of the branch, Stuart Barton, to show us the location where the Belize City saints first met for Sunday services in the early 1980's, prior to the completion of their present-day chapel.  The house, located on the corner of Eve St. and Barack Rd. along the seawall, is showing its age.  

A younger Stuart, second from the left, stands next to the sign that was in front of the house then. An older Stuart, and equally old Elder Magnusson, stand in the same location.

This past week we were able to meet some new friends from Montana.  It was fun to get to know them and introduce them to Belize.  It won't be the last time we get together with the couple on the top row, right.  Our son is marrying their daughter next month!

As I complimented the lady's dress (bottom right photo) she noticed our missionary tags.  She said that she was also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visiting from Sacramento, California.  As we talked, I found out that we both grew up in the San Francisco Bay area as teenagers in the 1970's.   It's a small world, after all.

Every year during the week leading up to Easter, our church focuses on the life and Atonement of Jesus Christ.  The mormon.org youtube channel said this about the featured video clip #BECAUSEofHIM:

As you celebrate Easter this year, remember how Jesus Christ changed history that first Holy Week—from His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to His Crucifixion on Good Friday to His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. We invite you to find ways to be more like Jesus Christ this week by loving others, loving God, and following His example. #BECAUSEofHIM

You can also see the video by clicking here

Visit https://www.mormon.org/easter and learn more about Jesus during this Easter season.  The website invites us to follow the example and teachings of the Savior, and make the changes that will lead us to lasting joy and peace in our lives.  It is an honor for us to share our testimony of Jesus Christ with our brothers and sisters here in Belize.  

This coming Saturday and Easter Sunday is our worldwide church's General Conference, originating from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.  Thanks to modern technology we can all hear it. We eagerly anticipate hearing from President Russell M. Nelson.  You can read the post about when President Nelson was called to be God's prophet on the earth in January by clicking here.

Some fun facts about the Conference Center from mormonnewsroom.org : 

The Conference Center has 21,000 seats

Millions of other people will watch and listen to the proceedings from overflow facilities on historic Temple Square, in Mormon chapels throughout the world, on television and radio, and from Internet and satellite communications into 190 countries, nations and territories.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a worldwide church and its members speak nearly 190 different languages. There are 1,500 translators that prepare each talk for the 700 interpreters who will read the talks in 94 non-English languages.

During the five conference sessions there are 350 interpreters located in the Conference Center and about 400 in their home countries reading the talks as they are given from the pulpit.

Everyone is invited to General Conference this weekend.  Click here to find out the times and options of listening/watching it via the Internet.  Another option is to go to our Belize City chapel or to any Mormon chapel in the world where it will be streamed in over the Internet or satellite, in fulfillment of prophesy:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days that...many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord...and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord." (Isaiah 2:3) 

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." 

(Amos 3:7)