A young man stopped by to ask for
work years agowhen we first
arrived in Belize. He noticed the
property where we now live
,being cleared and he was
looking for work. After chopping
bush for several days, he began
to tell us about his village of
Santa Rosa. He rode on his
bicycle everyday, from Santa
Rosa to work for us. Driving to
Santa Rosa, takes us over one
hour. This young man, told us his
Pastor was praying for a
missionary to come to their
village. We could not hardly wait
to make the trip to Santa Rosa,
to meet this Pastor, We had just
arrived in Belize, and we didn't
have a clue, what The Lord
wanted us to do, other than give
away bibles. Our first impression
of Aurtro Chal was uncertain,
and he proceeded as cautiously
as we did, into our relationship.
This very young Mayan Man, was
a new Christian who, had
suffered greatly. Not long after,
he gave his heart to Jesus, his
first born baby daughter had
died. We met him, just a few
months after this tremendous
tragedy. Someone in his village
had dug a hole for water, and his
baby just learning to walk and
fallen into the hole and drown.
He was confused about why God
had allowed this to happen to
him and his wife. They had one
other child at the time. He and
Bonita his wife were still
morning the lost of their baby
girl. He shared with us, the fact
he felt God had called him to be
a minister. He didn't have a
church, and only a few people in
the village, were willing to listen
to him tell about Jesus. He told
us, he was alone, feeling
confused and asking God to give
him answers. He had prayed that
God, would send missionaries to
him, as conformation of his call.
Obviously we were as new at
being missionaries, as he was at
trying to be a Pastor. We used a
thatch roof dirt floor shelter in
front of his house, to begin our
weekly services. ln the beginning,
it was disappointing to Aurto and
to us. The adults would not
come, because they were unsure
of the Americans and they were
unsure about this 25 year old
man, they knew from their
village. It turned out to be a long
hard journey for all of us. Every
Saturday, we went to Santa Rosa
for bible study, and sometimes
the only people there, would be
the two of us, Aurto and Bonita.
Aurto was dedicated, and so
were we. We
continued for months, with our
bible study. We couldn't help but
notice, if no one came to the
weekly bible study, children
always came. Maybe they came
just to see, what the Americans
were doing
there. But, every week they
came. We decided, a children's
bible study would be
appropriate. We taught in that
thatch roof for over two years,
and our children grew in
numbers. We constantly had 80
to 100 children, every week.
He was trusting God to use us
for his village. As the weeks and
months went by, our 7 adult
numbers for bible study began to
grow and we were meeting
inside Aurto's house.
Even though, we were gaining
more people almost weekly, at
times, we all became a little
discouraged. We had given Aurto
a seminary course, to help him
become better equipped as a
minister of the gospel, and he
had finished it.
We continued to look for bible
courses, he could use. We didn't
have money to build a church in
Santa Rosa, we barely
had money to feed ourselves. We
struggled and prayed, trying to
stay positive for our young
Pastor, who thoughtwe knew
exactly what to do.
Our second year, in Belize we
went home in December for the
holidays. Feeling, discouraged,
disappointed and let down in
ourselves a little, we tried to
share our experiences with
fiends, we thought might become
partners, in our vision. We had a
few appointments with churches
in the U.S., to speak about our
mission and what we were doing.
We were praying for The Lord to
give us answers, and guide us
according to HIS Will. After one
of those speaking engagements,
a man came to us and wanted to
know, more about, what we were
doing. We shared with him and
his wife, and showed pictures of
our 80 plus children in Santa
Rosa. We shared about Aurto,
and the fact, that Aurto was
praying for God to supply our
needs for a church in Santa
Rosa. God was about to change
our ministry in ways, we could
not imagine. The generous man
and his wife, called later and told
us, they would give the money to
build the church for the ministry
and for the people in this village.
This was a turning point in our
ministry that took us to new
heights, in our faith. After two
years of struggling and being on
our own, no one else to share our
work with, this wonderful man of
God, later told us, he felt God
was leading him to assistant us
in ministry, in Belize. We returned
to Belize, elated and enthused.
We could not wait to go to Santa
Rosa and give Pastor Aurto the
news. He was getting the church,
he had believed and trusted God
for. His testimony is so beautiful.
He still is over-whelmed when he
speaks about, his beautiful
concrete church, he now has
sitting, right on the main road in
Santa Rosa.
It is the biggest most
predominate building in the
village. Aurto and Bonita, since
that time, have had three other
children, four in all. He baths in a
creek that runs through the
village. His wife washes clothes
and dishes, in that same creek.
His thatch roof house has no
electricity. However,he has been
blessed, with a concrete floor
inside his house. By Belize
standards, Aurto Chal is a
blessed man.
Through his growing pains with
The Lord, he has lost
jobs,because he put his church
before anything else. He has
been excluded among his
people, because he has white
missionaries. He and his wife
have been persecuted, because
of their commitment to Jesus
and to preaching the word of
God, without compromise. Even,
through his persecution, he never
gives up. Always standing for
what is right and now knowing,
that the trials he has suffered,
including the death of his baby
daughter, were attacks from the
evil one to stop him from going
forward to fulfill the call on his
life. Aurto Chal is a righteous
servant of The Lord Jesus Christ.
His church has grown in
numbers and he is now ourlead
Pastor, for the ministry here in
Belize. His church is open every
night, for service or for prayer.
He is a pillar of his village, and
each year he becomes more
accepted by the people as, the
Pastor, The Pastor that will
always be there to support them
in prayer, visit their families
when they have sick relatives.
The Pastor that will handle each
situation in a Godly manner,
Pastor Aurto Chal, Pastor of
Santa Rosa Church, Belize
work years agowhen we first
arrived in Belize. He noticed the
property where we now live
,being cleared and he was
looking for work. After chopping
bush for several days, he began
to tell us about his village of
Santa Rosa. He rode on his
bicycle everyday, from Santa
Rosa to work for us. Driving to
Santa Rosa, takes us over one
hour. This young man, told us his
Pastor was praying for a
missionary to come to their
village. We could not hardly wait
to make the trip to Santa Rosa,
to meet this Pastor, We had just
arrived in Belize, and we didn't
have a clue, what The Lord
wanted us to do, other than give
away bibles. Our first impression
of Aurtro Chal was uncertain,
and he proceeded as cautiously
as we did, into our relationship.
This very young Mayan Man, was
a new Christian who, had
suffered greatly. Not long after,
he gave his heart to Jesus, his
first born baby daughter had
died. We met him, just a few
months after this tremendous
tragedy. Someone in his village
had dug a hole for water, and his
baby just learning to walk and
fallen into the hole and drown.
He was confused about why God
had allowed this to happen to
him and his wife. They had one
other child at the time. He and
Bonita his wife were still
morning the lost of their baby
girl. He shared with us, the fact
he felt God had called him to be
a minister. He didn't have a
church, and only a few people in
the village, were willing to listen
to him tell about Jesus. He told
us, he was alone, feeling
confused and asking God to give
him answers. He had prayed that
God, would send missionaries to
him, as conformation of his call.
Obviously we were as new at
being missionaries, as he was at
trying to be a Pastor. We used a
thatch roof dirt floor shelter in
front of his house, to begin our
weekly services. ln the beginning,
it was disappointing to Aurto and
to us. The adults would not
come, because they were unsure
of the Americans and they were
unsure about this 25 year old
man, they knew from their
village. It turned out to be a long
hard journey for all of us. Every
Saturday, we went to Santa Rosa
for bible study, and sometimes
the only people there, would be
the two of us, Aurto and Bonita.
Aurto was dedicated, and so
were we. We
continued for months, with our
bible study. We couldn't help but
notice, if no one came to the
weekly bible study, children
always came. Maybe they came
just to see, what the Americans
were doing
there. But, every week they
came. We decided, a children's
bible study would be
appropriate. We taught in that
thatch roof for over two years,
and our children grew in
numbers. We constantly had 80
to 100 children, every week.
He was trusting God to use us
for his village. As the weeks and
months went by, our 7 adult
numbers for bible study began to
grow and we were meeting
inside Aurto's house.
Even though, we were gaining
more people almost weekly, at
times, we all became a little
discouraged. We had given Aurto
a seminary course, to help him
become better equipped as a
minister of the gospel, and he
had finished it.
We continued to look for bible
courses, he could use. We didn't
have money to build a church in
Santa Rosa, we barely
had money to feed ourselves. We
struggled and prayed, trying to
stay positive for our young
Pastor, who thoughtwe knew
exactly what to do.
Our second year, in Belize we
went home in December for the
holidays. Feeling, discouraged,
disappointed and let down in
ourselves a little, we tried to
share our experiences with
fiends, we thought might become
partners, in our vision. We had a
few appointments with churches
in the U.S., to speak about our
mission and what we were doing.
We were praying for The Lord to
give us answers, and guide us
according to HIS Will. After one
of those speaking engagements,
a man came to us and wanted to
know, more about, what we were
doing. We shared with him and
his wife, and showed pictures of
our 80 plus children in Santa
Rosa. We shared about Aurto,
and the fact, that Aurto was
praying for God to supply our
needs for a church in Santa
Rosa. God was about to change
our ministry in ways, we could
not imagine. The generous man
and his wife, called later and told
us, they would give the money to
build the church for the ministry
and for the people in this village.
This was a turning point in our
ministry that took us to new
heights, in our faith. After two
years of struggling and being on
our own, no one else to share our
work with, this wonderful man of
God, later told us, he felt God
was leading him to assistant us
in ministry, in Belize. We returned
to Belize, elated and enthused.
We could not wait to go to Santa
Rosa and give Pastor Aurto the
news. He was getting the church,
he had believed and trusted God
for. His testimony is so beautiful.
He still is over-whelmed when he
speaks about, his beautiful
concrete church, he now has
sitting, right on the main road in
Santa Rosa.
It is the biggest most
predominate building in the
village. Aurto and Bonita, since
that time, have had three other
children, four in all. He baths in a
creek that runs through the
village. His wife washes clothes
and dishes, in that same creek.
His thatch roof house has no
electricity. However,he has been
blessed, with a concrete floor
inside his house. By Belize
standards, Aurto Chal is a
blessed man.
Through his growing pains with
The Lord, he has lost
jobs,because he put his church
before anything else. He has
been excluded among his
people, because he has white
missionaries. He and his wife
have been persecuted, because
of their commitment to Jesus
and to preaching the word of
God, without compromise. Even,
through his persecution, he never
gives up. Always standing for
what is right and now knowing,
that the trials he has suffered,
including the death of his baby
daughter, were attacks from the
evil one to stop him from going
forward to fulfill the call on his
life. Aurto Chal is a righteous
servant of The Lord Jesus Christ.
His church has grown in
numbers and he is now ourlead
Pastor, for the ministry here in
Belize. His church is open every
night, for service or for prayer.
He is a pillar of his village, and
each year he becomes more
accepted by the people as, the
Pastor, The Pastor that will
always be there to support them
in prayer, visit their families
when they have sick relatives.
The Pastor that will handle each
situation in a Godly manner,
Pastor Aurto Chal, Pastor of
Santa Rosa Church, Belize
Pastor Aurto Chal
Santa Rosa Church,
THE PASTOR
THE PASTOR
| Want to see the construction and building of Santa Rosa Church CLICK HERE |