By Jason Pfingsten
Today Thirst Missions formally announces that we’ll be taking teams to Alaska and England as well as Belize starting in summer 2017. Considering the announcement I wanted to take advantage of the chance to share what is going on in Belize this year and our hopes for the future.
It’s been an amazing last couple of months in Belize. By summers’ end there will have been 44 mission trips with 1,000 people serving. That’s 44 host church partners and 44 host pastors encouraged. Leading the teams were 35 Thirst Missions staff members. Our teams have completed too many ministries to count, impacting thousands of lives for Jesus Christ.
We’re humbled to see the ways God has used our teams to advance the kingdom in Belize.
2016 Highlights
Four groups from the United States spent the majority of their mission trip experience at Hopewell Children’s Home. They invested time, energy, and love in children who have experienced little of all three.
A choral group called Zamar flooded Belize with incredible song and dance in more than a dozen locations. Their team was 115 people strong all from one church in Mississippi! They put on 13 concerts and handed out nearly 15,000 CDs as they shared Christ through their performances and visits with local communities, schools, and churches. The response to the concerts was 
tremendous with many people coming to faith.
The youth from John Knox Presbyterian Church from Seattle continue to set the gold standard for long-term partnerships by returning for the eighth straight summer. Two VBS outreaches and many home and church projects highlighted their week in Belize. Thank you for your faithfulness Dave Roberts and John Knox Presbyterian.
People as young as eight and old as 82 came from states and towns throughout the United States and Canada to share their passions, gifts, training, and talent with the people of Belize. From Belize City to Orange Walk to Belmopan and small villages far and wide, communities were uplifted one at a time as groups of missionaries descended on them with love and gifts. Thank you to all who served!
2017: Looking Ahead
We’ve decided to expand after much thought and prayer. The reality is that we’re expecting close to 100 teams in Belize next year ministering with our church partners throughout the country. We set out following God’s call to bless the work of the church in Belize, and now he’s expanding that vision in exciting ways. Belize is our first love and will in no way play second fiddle to Alaska and England.
Our trips to Alaska and England will be June through August only, while Belize will of course be year-round. The things you love about Thirst Missions will be in place on all our trips, just with a different and local flavor depending on the location.
As we expand next year throughout Belize and also lead trips to Alaska and England, please keep Thirst Missions in your prayers for protection and guidance and reliance on the Lord. May He continue to hold all of our participants and groups in the palm of His hand.
Along with your prayers, we invite you to join us in any of our three locations in 2017. We’d be honored to minister alongside you!
Jason Pfingsten is the founder and CEO of Thirst Missions.
