Belize
As the city’s crime rate began to escalate, the mayor searched for an answer . . . and looked to an unusual source for help.
As the mayor of Belmopan met with personnel from the U.S. Embassy, they decided that to start affecting real change, they needed to reach elementary age children. The next day, the mayor and other city officials met with a CEF missionary. As they learned about Good News Club® programs and the effect they’ve had in other areas, the mayor got excited. He decided that each of the city’s elementary schools would now offer a Good News Club and even pledged for the city to supply snacks for all the children who attend.
…to start affecting real change, they needed to reach elementary age children.
Just as God provided the opportunity for Good News Club to be started in Belmopan, He’s also opening doors to reach all children in Belize with the Gospel. Thanks to friends of CEF, the children of Belize have the opportunity to learn about Jesus—the Prince of Peace who can transform individual hearts and entire communities.
Most children in Belize are born healthy and have access to basic social services, such as health services and primary education resources. On average, children stay in school until the age of 13 and by the age of 18, 26% of young people are married. About fifty percent of all children in Belize live below the poverty line.
Overall, Belize has high rates of violent crime, with one of the highest murder rates in the world. The majority of the violence stems from gang activity. The police department has instituted multiple youth programs as one of the methods to address these high numbers.
Belize has a high prevalence of communicable diseases such as malaria, respiratory diseases and intestinal illnesses, which affect adults and children alike. Children are also impacted by the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, as the number of children orphaned by this disease continues to rise.
Prayer Request
- Pray that believers will say yes to reaching the children in different areas of Belize.
- Pray that permission will be granted by school management and principals to hold Good News Clubs in the schools.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to convict our children of their need for salvation.
Belize
| Country Population: | 360,346 |
| Christian Population: | 262,272 |
| Languages: | English (official), Spanish, Creole, Maya, German, Garifuna |
| Life expectancy: | 68.9 years |
| Literacy: | 82.8% |
| Religions: | Catholic: 40.1% Protestant: 31.5% Jehovah’s Witness 1.7% Other: 26.7% |
Sources: Central Intelligence Agency: The World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/); Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org/); World Data Atlas (https://knoema.com/atlas)
2017 Outreach