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.