tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48418753534727935302024-03-05T09:52:13.060-08:00The BelchersAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16183341941553692376noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841875353472793530.post-81306007549143443112015-10-07T01:01:00.000-07:002015-10-07T01:01:23.235-07:00Sri Lanka Trip Report<br />
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Anytime
I am traveling to a place for the first time there are always a few questions I
am seeking answers to during my time there. What is the spiritual climate like?
What is God doing there? What is unique about the culture and how do the
natives view their culture? And, what is the history of the place and its
people? We did a lot of driving (about 28 hours) over the course of my 6 days
in Sri Lanka, so there was a lot of time for questions and discussion with
Maxi, the local Sri Lankan pastor traveling with us. Here are some of my
takeaways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The
history of Sri Lanka has had a tremendous on impact on the culture and
spiritual climate, so this is where we must start. I was shocked to discover
that Sri Lanka had been locked in a civil war that lasted for 26 years and just
ended in 2009. I had no idea! I would encourage you to read more about this
online, but here is the short of it. When Sri Lanka (known as Ceylon at the
time) gained their independence from Great Britain in 1948 there were, as there
are now, 2 major ethnic groups, one being the Sinhalese and the other being the
Tamils. Under British rule they operated harmoniously in the government, but
when they gained their independence the government was taken over by the
majority (about 70%) Sinhalese. This left the minority (15-20% at the time)
Tamils in a vulnerable position. After years of political tension the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam formed and began rioting and fighting against
the government. As in all conflicts, both sides committed atrocities and did
terrible things over the next 26 years. The war resulted in an estimated
60,000-100,000 deaths with up to 40,000 Tamil civilians being killed. In
addition to the deaths, the war displaced nearly 300,000 peoples. Pastor Maxi,
a Tamil, was nearly blown up by a bomb on one occasion and was shot at on
another, so the war had really impacted his life personally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Eventually
the Sinhalese controlled government defeated the Liberation Tigers and the war
ended. However, the ethnic divide is still very strong in Sri Lanka, which is
very evident in the culture. In the minds of the Tamils, they are treated as
second-class citizens. Prejudice and racism are rampant. Geographically and
socially the Tamils and Sinhalese do their best to not mix. This is where the
church in Sri Lanka has an incredible opportunity to model unity and peace to
the culture. I did see Tamil and Sinhalese pastors meeting together and
fellowshipping as best as they could, although they do speak different
languages, so this can be hard. This is the type of breakthrough the nation
needs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">With
so much war and political unrest over the last 3 decades, the church in Sri
Lanka has really struggled. Any efforts to plant new churches or partner with
other churches around the nation have been severely hampered by the war. But
with peace comes new opportunity. There is receptivity to the gospel amongst
the traditionally Hindu Tamils. The church in Sri Lanka is growing and
multiplying like never before in their history. Everywhere we visited we met
pastors who are planting new churches and are working together to evangelize
their cities. It was very encouraging and gave our team great hope for this
nation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">All
in all, this was a great trip. We did SCP envisionings in 3 cities: Jaffna,
Batticaloa, and Hatton. There were about 65-75 pastors present at these
envisionings and they all seemed to be encouraged by the teaching. From this
groups we will be selecting individuals and inviting them into a coaching
relationship. Once we coach these pastors we will task them with taking
ownership for seeing their cities evangelized. This will mean training and
partnering with the other pastors who were part of the initial envisionings as
well as the other churches in their area. In the future we are hoping to begin
some new envisionings and trainings in the nation’s capitol Colombo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">As
always, your prayers are so appreciated and impactful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1c1c; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Thank you so much for your prayers for Leeza, Tripp and I while
I was traveling. Everything went pretty smoothly at home and God was definitely
with us as we traveled around the island.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1c1c; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Please pray for the church in Sri Lanka, especially for unity
and strength to press on towards the outcome of seeing every man, woman, and
child have opportunities to respond to the gospel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1c1c; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Please pray that God would continue to draw the lost in Sri
Lanka to Himself. Pray for the Buddhists and Hindus to turn from their idols
and follow the one true God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1c1c; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Lastly, we are 6 weeks into our church planting effort in
Bangkok. We are making adjustments on the fly and one of those things is to
really commit ourselves to the emphasis of decentralized house churches over a
centralized gathering (although both are necessary). Please pray that God would
give us wisdom in decision making, bless our efforts as we seek to grow our
people in our 5 discipleship values, and let us see some of our unbelieving
friends come to know Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We
love you all and we cannot thank you enough for your support, love and prayers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The
Belchers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16183341941553692376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841875353472793530.post-78944420547867671942015-09-27T06:18:00.001-07:002015-09-27T06:18:56.022-07:002 Months in ThailandWe are coming up on the 2 month mark of our time in Bangkok. It is hard to believe how quickly time has gone. A lot of you have asked me if Bangkok feels like home yet. I'm not sure if it will ever fell like home, but it is definitely starting to feel normal. We have daily and weekly rhythms and patterns in place, we pretty much know how to navigate the city, and we are really enjoying our new way of life! That being said, we are still making a lot of adjustements too.<br />
<br />
I said to many of you before we came here that Bangkok is one of the darkest places on earth and that I could not think of a more spiritually lost place in the world to move my family to. Well it is one thing to say, it is an entirely different thing to live in it. In many ways it is downright depressing. There have been days where it overwhelms me. I look around and all I see is lostness, idolatry, and sin. It breaks our hearts, but it is also a daily reminder of why we are here. I am more motivated to see the gospel break through this darkness each and every day. We will continue to trust God's heart and will for this nation and its people. The other major adjustment for us has been dealing with loneliness. We miss our family and friends back in Florida. Again, we are not surprised by this. We knew this would be difficult. We are developing new friendships here in Bangkok and seeking satisfaction in the Lord, but we would appreciate your prayers as well.<br />
<br />
We are now 3 weeks into this church/vision plant and there is much to be excited about. We have had some great times of worship, teaching and prayer; we had 22 kids, 15 of whom were unchurched, come to a youth gathering on a Saturday night, and we are making friends with other ministries, churches, and Christians all around the city. So attendance on Sundays isn't really growing yet, but we still feel as if we are making a lot of progress towards the vision of having gospel representation in all 51 districts of Bangkok. We are going to have to be patient, but the potential that we see in this city is really exciting. Please pray that God would continue to bring us people; specifically Christians who are disconnected and isolated, church and ministry partners, and lost people who are open to the Gospel and want to learn more about Jesus.<br />
<br />
Well, this week I am off to Sri Lanka for a week to meet some of our partners and friends there. While we are there we will be sharing the vision to reach every man, woman and child with groups of pastors in 2 different cities. This will be my first trip since we moved, so I know Leeza would appreciate your prayers. She is going to do great, but it is never easy when one of us is traveling. I also ask for you to pray that the trip is an effective and productive one and that God would give us wisdom and safety.<br />
<br />
Thank you for following our journey, for praying for us, and for you support. We are so blessed by you all. Don't hesitate to drop us a facebook message or an email. We miss you all and would love to hear how you are doing and how we can pray for you as well.<br />
<br />
God bless you,<br />
<br />
Carl, Leeza, and Tripp BelcherAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16183341941553692376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841875353472793530.post-75756188681208999912015-09-05T03:33:00.000-07:002015-09-05T03:33:19.974-07:003,2,1, LAUNCH!!!Hello everyone,<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I hope life stateside is going well for you. We miss being home with our family and friends, but we are more excited than ever to see what God is going to do here in Bangkok. This week I invited many of you to like the SCP Bangkok page, so I want to take this opportunity to share with you all a little more about who/what SCP Bangkok is. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
SCP Bangkok is an international church, but more than that it is a vision to reach every man, woman, and child in Bangkok, Thailand, and Asia. The international community in Bangkok is comprised of over 3 million people from all over the world. We believe that by starting with an international church we will have the opportunity to provide facilitation for an easily multiplied, decentralized church model to the indigenous Thai church and the other 23 nationalities represented in Bangkok. We are asking and believing in God in the next 20 years for strategic gospel presence in all 298 sub districts of Bangkok, in all 76 provinces in Thailand, and in 1 pivot nation in each of Asia's 5 divisions.<br />
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We are launching the vision on September 6<sup>th</sup> (just a couple more days!!!) with our first Sunday Gathering, where we will worship together with the 30+ families and individuals who are already committed to joining us in this effort. We will simultaneously be launching 3 Church Fellowships, 3 Women’s Fellowships, and a Youth Fellowship. These Fellowships will serve as the primary vehicle for discipleship and mission; modeled after the New Testament church we see in the book of Acts.</span></div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
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<div>
Church planting is quite the experience so far. We have a small team (4 families) so it is all hands on deck. There's is lots to do and we don't have specialists on our team or the resources to pay someone else to do it. From web design, to creating Info Guides and Conncection Cards, to even leading worship (I only know how to play 3 songs on the guitar, so picking the music set was easy!!! LOL); I am being asked to do things that I never thought I would be doing. But God is growing me and stretching me in ways I couldn't have ever imagined. I knew I would be getting pushed out of my comfort zone, but WOW! Leeza is stepping up and leading the children's ministry too, so needless to say she will have her hands full as well.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnXIU485vuwpPxYdZb1cRUov7krO-bcHPLjHLCfhWAHCjlIYhXypVQKqdeuJL8xh3Tu-ksjwUk9d66Zbi45tKeRAFicxTKbGRoHlN_M1ZFPZ_VYQ3w3O-L9GYaMccxlPRsyXIdDtteJzw/s1600/family+in+thailand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnXIU485vuwpPxYdZb1cRUov7krO-bcHPLjHLCfhWAHCjlIYhXypVQKqdeuJL8xh3Tu-ksjwUk9d66Zbi45tKeRAFicxTKbGRoHlN_M1ZFPZ_VYQ3w3O-L9GYaMccxlPRsyXIdDtteJzw/s320/family+in+thailand.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our First Church experience in Thailand</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thank you so much to those of you who have been faithfully praying for us. It means the world to us and we really can't say thank you enough.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Please pray for the launch of SCP Bangkok. For God's favor, for open doors, and for His Spirit to show up and move in the lives of the people there so that they can go and be salt and light in this dark city.</li>
<li>The closing of our house had to be pushed back to September 9th, so please pray that we will finally close and have that burden lifted.</li>
<li>Pray for our health. Living in a foreign country and especially in a big city means being introduced to lots of new germs. Tripp has been sick again and now Leeza and I are fighting off some infections of our own. </li>
</ul>
<div>
So many of you have already sacrificed so much to support Leeza and I that I hesitate to even ask, but although w<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">e are confident that as God builds this fellowship it will not only be able to provide for itself but will be a blessing for this whole area of the world, right now we need</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">a team of people who believe in what we are doing to help get this off the ground.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> If you are interested in learning more about SCP or even possible becoming a financial partner please go to www.scpglobal.org. </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><img border="0" id="72C24A640B39B944BDA820607BD4786F@summitlife.com" src="cid:72C24A640B39B944BDA820607BD4786F@summitlife.com" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; left: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 703px;" width="100%" /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Grace and Peace,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Carl, Leeza and Tripp Belcher</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16183341941553692376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841875353472793530.post-32351163646393545892015-08-26T00:27:00.000-07:002015-08-26T00:27:05.000-07:00#BelchersinBangkok<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdXDz2usMlHswxSWeCtUPffjOdQoP0tBGtF3-C1bmIgUGMOuBPTaVhNOuX5P25_IHYI1egr89ChLFURdJEKXyRiVJXWVzMvN015q0aE4MVSOMB9Zm34bpnw_7AhehGEy7v0Qu6nen3G3B/s1600/Class+Photo+Silly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdXDz2usMlHswxSWeCtUPffjOdQoP0tBGtF3-C1bmIgUGMOuBPTaVhNOuX5P25_IHYI1egr89ChLFURdJEKXyRiVJXWVzMvN015q0aE4MVSOMB9Zm34bpnw_7AhehGEy7v0Qu6nen3G3B/s200/Class+Photo+Silly.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My crazy 6th grade class</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hello All!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">{Warm welcomes and hugs} we have been in Bangkok for nearly 4 weeks now and have some definite peaks and pits to share about our life here.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Peak, Carl and I are loving our new jobs. international schools are awesome! No state mandated testing, no discipline issues, no cell phone problems- are you jealous yet? But better than that is the awesome staff that Carl and I are getting to know. Also teaching all of the subjects in 6th grade has been a fun change.... More to come about my new school, Berkeley International School in the coming posts.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Peak, we found a nanny. For those of you who aren't familiar with the culture here, it is standard to have a nanny to take care of your home while we are at work- so don't judge 😉. Though I wasn't keen on the idea at first, God yet again was faithful to bring a young Christian Filipino named Jen, who we all love! This will free up Carl, who has been staying home with Tripp the last couple of weeks, to start getting involved in the early stages of church planting.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Peak, You! Thank you so much for all of your support. Last post we shared with you our financial need and God used you all to care for us and meet our needs. We have had new people join our support team and it looks like our budget is in a really healthy place now. Thank you for all of your prayers!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Pit, a couple nights ago my cell phone dropped from my pocket and was left in a taxi. After utilizing "iPhone Finder" we have determined the phone is gone. A hard lesson to learn, but I can promise it won't happen again. We are on the lookout for a cheap used iPhone (not sure if those really exist, but we are going to try) so if you have any ideas we are open to suggestions.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Overall God has been using this transition to slow us down and reflect on our family's mission before we launch the church plant. Carl and I could not be more grateful for this season where we can simplify our lives and focus on the purpose that God created us for, to Glorify Him as we participate in His redemptive mission for every man, woman, and child.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Blessings,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Leeza, Carl and Tripp</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16183341941553692376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841875353472793530.post-52970077010362797572015-08-05T23:00:00.000-07:002015-08-05T23:00:33.025-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
Our “Thai”venture has Begun<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we committed to moving to Thailand and joining the SCPI
team we knew the most difficult aspect of this move would be living so far away
from our families. So we said our goodbyes and shed a few tears, knowing no
matter how hard it seemed, we were doing what God desires for us. If it wasn’t
for this confidence in our call I’m not sure we would have been able to board
the plane last Monday morning. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speaking of planes, our journey to Thailand was long and
tiring, but God was very gracious. If you have children then I’m sure you can
imagine how terrible 28 hours of plane travel could be with a 1 year old. That
being said, it really wasn’t all that bad. Tripp made lots of friends on the
plane, including all the flight attendants. They had a lot of fun carrying him
up and down the aisles showing him off to everyone on the plane, while Leeza
and I benefited from the special attention and very attentive service. (Yay for
having a cute and outgoing kid!) <o:p></o:p></div>
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Our first week in Bangkok has been very busy, but we are
really enjoying exploring the city and discovering all that the city has to
offer. This week we have had 2 major priorities, getting Leeza integrated at
her school and finding a place to live. We spent most days this week looking at
apartments all around the city. Bangkok is pretty easy to navigate, but we did
a lot of walking and it is very hot here. Needless to say, we are exhausted,
but it all paid off. We moved into our apartment on Wednesday. It is going to
be a great little home for us this next year and is located in a quiet and safe
neighborhood that is very close to both Leeza’s school and the area where we
will be launching the church plant. I know I say this time and time again, but
God’s provision blows me away! He gives us more than we could imagine and we
are so grateful for that. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One really cool thing about our apartment is our neighbors.
A couple that work with Leeza live right down the hall from us. One of the things
we are praising God for this week is all the connections and relationships we are
developing with many of the other new teachers at Leeza’s school. We have met
some great people from all walks of life and from many parts of the world and
we look forward to the opportunities to bless and serve these wonderful people.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Over the next weeks we will continue to get settled in and
adjust to life in Bangkok. School will officially start for Leeza and I will
begin meeting with the rest of the SCPI team to begin preparing for the launch
of the church plant. Thank you for your love, prayers and support. We have been
so encouraged by the many texts, emails, and Facebook comments! We serve an
awesome God and we are blessed that He has given us this wonderful opportunity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Here’s how you can continue to pray for us…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->We have 2 leads on nannies for Tripp. Both of
them would allow for us to share with another family, which would be ideal!
Figuring out childcare is our priority for this next week.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The sale of our home is scheduled to be
finalized on September 1<sup>st</sup>. This is our 3<sup>rd</sup> contract
though, so we know that nothing is final until those closing papers are signed.
Pray that all goes well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Finally, moving to Thailand has ended up being a
bit more expensive than we had originally expected. Therefore, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">we currently have a need to raise an
additional $3500 (around $300 a month) for our first year’s budget</b>. We are
doing everything we can to cut our costs, but we would appreciate your prayers
in this. Also, please share our blog posts with your friends and family. We
want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to invest in what God
is doing here in South Asia.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Blessings,<o:p></o:p></div>
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Carl, Leeza, and Tripp<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16183341941553692376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841875353472793530.post-51759956000393356572015-07-24T08:08:00.001-07:002015-07-24T08:17:23.636-07:00The "pressure cooker"<br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;" />
<br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;" />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> Have you ever heard the expression that the mission field is like a pressure cooker? No? Neither had Carl and I till we had a conversation with our brother in law who is the executive director of </span><a href="http://www.haitibiblemission.com/" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">www.haitibiblemission.com</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">. He and my sister and their two kids live in Jeremie, Haiti on the mission field and have years of wisdom that we will be utilizing. He told us that a great misconception about missions is that people think it's like church camp, like you are going to be spiritually fed and have this gospel centered experience that's going to grow your faith and walk with Christ. While there is growth while on the missions field, it's not the type of growth one might think. You see, he stated that being a missionary is equivalent to being in a pressure cooker, the faith and truth that you already possess are going to be tested by the stress and circumstances that God allows you to experience, and the result - the true state of your heart and walk. </span><br />
<br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;" />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> This "pressure cooker" analogy could not be more true for Carl and I in this season. We are officially 3 days away from moving to literally, the other side of the world. Our original travel date was set for July 21st, however miscommunication and lack of information delayed our date. To make a long story short this process has not been the easiest. Two days ago we were in Tallahassee picking up documents to then drive to Coral Gables to finally process our visas. By Gods grace we will be on the plane on Monday and in Thailand Tuesday night, and I get to start work early Wednesday morning (that's a whole different story 😉 ). At the end of the day - God is good, He wants us in Thailand , and Carl and I have began the cooking process. Thank you all for your continued love and support, we will continue to update you all as we get to Bangkok. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Blessings, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Carl, Leeza and Tripp Belcher </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16183341941553692376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841875353472793530.post-12099423183670238322015-07-03T10:19:00.002-07:002015-07-03T10:28:53.696-07:00The Fruit of June<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
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<a href="webkit-fake-url://62a325cc-d9bf-46d5-8d72-3a397b7f8bd0/image.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="webkit-fake-url://26de1225-e758-4932-9bee-0a874f10489e/image.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="webkit-fake-url://26de1225-e758-4932-9bee-0a874f10489e/image.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="webkit-fake-url://62a325cc-d9bf-46d5-8d72-3a397b7f8bd0/image.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Hello friends! We can hardly
believe it, but we are less than 3 weeks away from boarding the plane and
embarking on our journey to Bangkok. June has been quite the month… we have
much to celebrate, but we have also faced a setback or two as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37izqnD6yLtQYNBF_SMjdsx_DZJffQu6Cpq9h3ypuMxCKmIaOKTEFimyDkuIYrGNlZTKP5-wM8-sfo_E5juLkEcaZ4P4rj9cCXQxZ_VmvYyDQFx5Z3eXR__4KZvLybXgZIvDpyn4dnTEH/s1600/IMG_3006.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37izqnD6yLtQYNBF_SMjdsx_DZJffQu6Cpq9h3ypuMxCKmIaOKTEFimyDkuIYrGNlZTKP5-wM8-sfo_E5juLkEcaZ4P4rj9cCXQxZ_VmvYyDQFx5Z3eXR__4KZvLybXgZIvDpyn4dnTEH/s320/IMG_3006.jpeg" width="240" /></a><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Leeza and I
have been covenant members at Summit Church for over 5 years now. On Sunday,
June 14<sup>th</sup> we were commissioned and prayed over by our church body as
they send us out to engage in giving every man, woman, and child in South Asia
access to the gospel. Summit has been such a blessing to our family over the
years and we are incredibly grateful that God has allowed us to be a part of
this church body for the last 8 years. What a joy it is to know that as we GO,
we will always have a home and a church family back in Fort Myers. We also took
this opportunity to dedicate our son Tripp. Tripp’s dedication was a time for
us to publicly proclaim to God, our church, and our family and friends that we
recognize that Tripp is a gift and a blessing from God and that he is
ultimately God’s child. Therefore, we dedicate him back to God and commit to do
all within our power to raise him up in the loving knowledge of God and to
disciple him to the best of our ability. Our greatest hope as Tripp’s parents
is that as he grows, his love for God would grow as well.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9qIkQu31ruwuPrOfrGZIRiYvOIAG-4rn0Rz-Z9Y-ZLTMTxa9tuL_i5TFhGfYijwYCT_SY4plCr7xFmiqQn3xIKB1KhbdZN4HOKDAqGCPuIC8zeTs4Scqa912gUDcS1YIh0NGoovCRTV2/s1600/lake+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9qIkQu31ruwuPrOfrGZIRiYvOIAG-4rn0Rz-Z9Y-ZLTMTxa9tuL_i5TFhGfYijwYCT_SY4plCr7xFmiqQn3xIKB1KhbdZN4HOKDAqGCPuIC8zeTs4Scqa912gUDcS1YIh0NGoovCRTV2/s200/lake+pic.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We took
some time this month to enjoy our family while we still can. We spent 8 days at my
uncle’s lake house in Kentucky. This was a great time of refueling and
fellowship. Tripp loves to swim, so he had a blast too! One of the hardest
things for us about moving to Thailand is leaving behind our family. Leeza and
I have been blessed with wonderful loving and supportive families whom we love
and enjoy dearly. We will miss you all so much!!! But we know God is calling us
to go.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We told you in our last update that we were set to close on
our house on June 23<sup>rd</sup>. Unfortunately that deal did not go through.
We have sense had another contract on our home, but again, it did not go
through. I will not lie. This is a huge burden for us; we really need to sell
it. But we are not going to let this slow us down. We are getting on that plane
whether it is sold or not and we will trust God and his timing for the sale of
our home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With that in mind, here’s how you can continue to support us
in this transitional season… <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Would you please pray for us?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Pray that we would get another good offer on our
home soon and be able to sell it as soon as possible<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Pray for our travels (28 hours with a 1 year old
is going to be very difficult)<o:p></o:p></div>
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for Tripp<o:p></o:p></div>
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ministry with SCPI?<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Would you consider supporting us financially?
With our home not selling as expected we have had some unexpected expenses and
need to raise an additional $2000 to help with those. You can give at (<a href="http://www.reliant.org/carl.belcher">www.Reliant.org/carl.belcher</a>) <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16183341941553692376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841875353472793530.post-69944004717501312042015-05-29T05:21:00.001-07:002015-06-08T19:11:11.114-07:00The Perfect Plan<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Hello
all, how are you? Can I just start by giving you a big {HUG} and a Thank you!
Carl and I are just blown away by YOU, and how God is using you to encourage
and love us well.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">For
those of you who don’t know, the journey to Thailand only began about 5-6
months ago when Carl was actively pursuing our next step as a family and his
calling in ministry. Carl, being the God fearing man that he is, began praying
and seeking wisdom for what God would have for us. On a number of different
occasions God used different men in Carl’s life to point us towards this
opportunity with SCPI in Thailand in order for Carl to pursue his passion for
global missions. At this point in life we had just taken on a five year old
foster child, I had begun a second job with Florida Virtual School (With hopes
of staying home with our kids next year), and we had a 5 month old.—So clearly
these suggestions were just meant to amuse us… Very funny God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As time passed and with Thailand not being
a ‘real’ option for our family, Carl began to pursue other avenues for our
family, maybe an associate pastor? Maybe a church plant? Or finish his Masters
in Divinity? None of these felt like where God wanted us right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Carl
and I have stated that as a family we would posture ourselves with a “blank
check” mentality. Whatever the cost, if God called, we would go… BUT THAILAND?
Really God?-- God slowly broke our hearts for his calling. The Word of God
convicted both of us, at different points in time. Would we be the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rich Ruler </i>in Luke not willing to sell everything
and go? Had the “blank check” been something we were saying for these years but
not willing to act on? God, in only the way he can, slowly brought us both to a
posture of surrender. On March 8<sup>th</sup>, 2015 we both agreed, no matter
the mess it will bring, we are ready to be sent. In God’s perfect grace he
turned our reluctant submission into abounding joy. Carl and I could not be
more thrilled to have an opportunity to be a part of the great works God is
already doing in South Asia. How great is HE? That he would not just call us,
but provide for us the mercies of his Godly Joy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QeNa8AE0B1u_spk8k6R4UKLJtVRMsNnm5ymUoytK57lZhdaRafIcSCoyb9lDRMIGsyhK-RPAlmMF2ALVUWqm9BUvFGyxTmqrdtqnme0NsEWoyyYNnQ21jjRnhSTDjgb4hCMFqGvkYAe5/s1600/ab2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QeNa8AE0B1u_spk8k6R4UKLJtVRMsNnm5ymUoytK57lZhdaRafIcSCoyb9lDRMIGsyhK-RPAlmMF2ALVUWqm9BUvFGyxTmqrdtqnme0NsEWoyyYNnQ21jjRnhSTDjgb4hCMFqGvkYAe5/s320/ab2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tripp helping me pack</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Now
if that were not enough God has continued to amaze us by providing us with
every earthly need to be able to go in such a short time. By God’s grace, I
already have a contracted position with an international school teaching 6<sup>th</sup>
grade, we have a contract on our house and are slated to close on June 23<sup>rd</sup>,
and we have been overwhelmed by the financial support that God has already provided
through many of you. Thank you Lord! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">God
Is Good! And we are thankful. Moving forward in this journey we would continue
to ask you for a few things-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Bright"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Bright";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Would you continue
to Pray for us?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Bright"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Bright";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Pray that God
would continue to give us grace in the moving process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Bright"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Bright";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Pray that the
closing of our house would go seamlessly and we could be free of that burden<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Bright"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Bright";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Pray for us to find
an apartment in Thailand & childcare for Tripp<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Bright"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Bright";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Would you continue
to Share our story and what SCPI is doing in Asia?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Bright"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Bright";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Would you consider
supporting us financially? (reliant.org/carl.belcher) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Thank you again for all
of your love and support. We will update you again soon on more details of the
move.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Blessings, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Carl, Leeza and Tripp
Belcher<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16183341941553692376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841875353472793530.post-70839208651253834102015-05-13T13:39:00.000-07:002015-05-13T13:39:28.684-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="" name="OLE_LINK4"></a><a href="" name="OLE_LINK3"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Family and Friends,<o:p></o:p></span></span></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
are excited to announce that in July Leeza and I will moving to Bangkok to be a
part of what God is doing through <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saturation
Church Planting International (SCPI)</b> in South Asia. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bangkok
has 14 million people who desperately need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bangkok is the world’s #1 tourist
destination and has over 1 million expats.</b> But only 0.3% of the 14 million
people in Bangkok are Evangelical Christians. Through our partnership with Reliant/GCM
we will be serving with SCPI in Bangkok and the surrounding nations including
India, Sri Lanka, and China. In Bangkok our ministry focus is to plant a church
for the nearly 6 million people in Bangkok who speak English. Our hope in
planting this church is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">to give every
man, woman, and child in Bangkok a repeated opportunity to see, hear, and
respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ, without having to come or go anywhere</b>.
We will also be partnering with indigenous pastors all throughout South Asia,
envisioning, training, and coaching them to mobilize their churches to saturate
their nation with the gospel. In the last 20 years we have helped to facilitate
the planting of thousands of churches through these trainings and the
relationships.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Reliant/GCM
partners with missional churches and gospel-centered non-profits to mobilize
support-based missionaries for the Great Commission. God has called us to the
nations and to go and serve him in Bangkok and throughout South Asia. But in
order for us to do this, we need a team of people who believe in what we’re
doing in South Asia to prayerfully and financially support the ministry. SCPI would
not exist without the support of these ministry partners.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
are trusting God to provide individuals who will make monthly investments of
$100, $50, or $35 in the critical work of reaching South Asia for Christ. We do
have a wide range of gifts however, ranging from $25 to $500 per month. A one
time special gift can also be made and is very helpful as well. We are
currently trying to raise <b>$35,300</b> per year. We would like to challenge you to
give as the Lord leads and know that any gift will be greatly appreciated and
will help us get to Bangkok. Gifts can be made at <b>Reliant.org/carl.belcher</b> If
you have any questions you can call us at (863)381-9010 or email us at
carl@summitlife.com. Thank you for your prayerful consideration in this matter,
and God Bless.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sincerely,</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Carl
and Leeza Belcher</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16183341941553692376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841875353472793530.post-9255990776407785302014-06-01T14:19:00.000-07:002014-06-01T14:19:09.449-07:00Belcher Spring Update<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Belcher Spring Update</u></b></div>
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Hello All. And Happy May! Here we are at June 1st and we thought…. it’s time for an update. The past month and a half have flown by! We can’t believe that we are just a month out of meeting our new little
one. Any guesses for what the gender is? I think girl and Carl thinks (only because of statistics) that it might be a boy. Either way we are going to be thrilled and are just so thankful for God trusting us with one of his blessings.
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April, 2014- wow it’s already over? April ended the 2014 Ignite Spring semester. (Check Ignite wrap up for more details on the ministry) In April we celebrated Easter, a baby shower in Sebring, a quick trip to Haiti for Carl,
and a leadership retreat for me with my Key Club officers. I personally loved April- Loved the weather-Loved the experiences, just don’t ask me too many details about them because May has been so consuming that I have lost most recollections from April.
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May in the Belcher family has been exciting (Hints why April is already fuzzy)! We are in overdrive (Carl calls it nesting) in preparation for the baby, I am finishing up my school year, and we are completing
our foster care certification classes. May was kick started with a quick fun trip to The Kentucky Derby for Carl’s mom’s (?!) birthday. Since arriving back to Fort Myers we have been preparing our home (and hearts) for this new little one. And I must interject
that Carl has selflessly served me this month in all of my crazy home décor requests. So far we (He) has completed repainting the kitchen, swapped couches in the library/living room, put the guest room together, hung/rehung multiple wall art and worked in
the baby’s room (Can I call him super husband). I am so thankful for the way he serves me.
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Also this month Carl and I celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary, and we celebrated 9 years together at the end of the month. I can speak for both of us when I say God truly continues to bless our marriage
and we love each other more today than yesterday. In reflecting on these past three years Carl and I are so thankful for the growth that we have had in our ministry. We know that our relationships and life would not be the same without your love and support.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! </div>
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Blessings-</div>
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The Belchers </div>
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<b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16183341941553692376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841875353472793530.post-56879706913393226902014-04-06T17:25:00.002-07:002014-04-06T17:25:28.324-07:00March Maddness (Ministry Update) Hello All... Happy April, <br />
<br />
This has been a great Spring semester, full of growth and experiences. The highlight for me would have to be our Spring break trips to Syracuse, NY and Asheville, NC. We were able to send 22 students on these two trips, 12 to Syracuse and 10 to Asheville, with the purpose being to grow our students in evangelism and missional living. We spent the week going out into these cities and engaging in conversation with people. We wanted to BLESS people in the name of Jesus, PRAY with people in the name of Jesus, and SHARE the Gospel or our testimony with them. Throughout the week we were able to engage with nearly 250 people. And I have to share one story with you!<br />
<br />
One of our students named Collin was talking with a young man in his early twenties. The young man proceeded to tell Collin about all the trials in his life, how he had been in prison, been shot 3 times, and about some of the losses he had experienced in life. Collin then asked the young man “How do you find hope in the midst of all the bad things that have happened in your life?” The young man responded by saying, “My hope died when my grandfather died last year. I wouldn’t know hope if hit me in the face.” One tool we were using to share with people was a small paperback Gospel of John, so Collin pulled the booklet out of his back pocket and I kid you not, he gently but very seriously slapped the man in the face with the Gospel of John and said, “It just did!” Collin then opened up the Gospel of John and they began to read the Scriptures together for about 20 minutes. Collin then prayed with the young man and we left.<br />
<br />
I don’t know what has happened to that young man since we left Syracuse, but I know this… the Gospel was proclaimed and God was glorified! Collin, and all the other students that went on these trips, came back to FGCU with a new boldness and passion for sharing the good news of the gospel with their peers and professors. I hope hearing that story challenges you to approach life with a similar boldness.<br />
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On the home front Ignite has had the opportunity to have a great presence on campus for the last couple of weeks. In the final week of March Ignite met on the campus of FGCU for our Tuesday night gathering. That night I had the privilege to preach the gospel on "the green" in the center of the school. What an opportunity to read the word of God in a lost place for all to hear!<br />
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We also had the opportunity to partner with other campus ministries at FGCU to do a 72 hour prayer event. Students were interceding to God on behalf of their peers and professors for 72 consecutive hours. During this time we were able to encounter Gods presence on campus and even got to see a student give her life to Christ.<br />
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Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers. The life change that we are seeing take place in Ignite would not be possible without you.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16183341941553692376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841875353472793530.post-12204591816394038642014-03-27T14:30:00.000-07:002014-03-27T14:30:07.565-07:00The Belcher's <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hello Friends! Its time, time we joined the wide world of blogging. We are hoping that this would be the outlet we could use to update, celebrate, and communicate all things new from our family to yours!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Before we have any subject specific posts we though it best to get you caught up on life in general. God has Leeza and I in such a sweet season of life where he continues to pursue us so lovingly and stretch us so intentionally. If you are unaware, we are three months away from meeting our first child. In preparation of this season we are learning so much....Who knew babies would truly change EVERYTHING! We are overflowing with excitement and anticipation of what this child will bring and thank God daily for entrusting us with him/her.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> In preparation for #belcherbaby1 we are trying to be more intentional with our family culture. As of the first Saturday in January Leeza and I sat down and created a list of family priorities as well as a family mission statement. One of my favorite new family activities are our Saturday morning family worship breakfasts (GOD+FOOD=AMAZING). It is in this time that we have been intentionally reading scriptures together. The discussions between the two of us as well as with other friends and family that we have invited to join us have been such a blessing. We are grateful for the grace and fruit that continues to flow from this time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Friends and family we just want to thank you for your continued support of our family and ministry. We truly could not do it without you........soon to come a ministry update :) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> God Bless,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> The Belchers</span> <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16183341941553692376noreply@blogger.com0