One of the great resources that PathLight has is a beautiful conference center set in the Belizean rainforest at Jaguar Creek. Built under the canopy of the jungle, along a gorgeous creek, and just a few miles from the capital of the country, the PathLight conference center is an incredible place.
Today it is where a lot of the PathLight activities are based. The students gather at the beginning of the school year to get supplies. A few times a year the students visit to attend special events, such as when Brenda Salter-McNeil led her Racial Pride workshop. The Teacher Training Conference is held there each year. The conference center also hosts visiting service teams, Belizean church groups, university programs, and other such activities. By the end of this year we expect around 1000 people to have passed through.
Built about twenty years ago, the conference center has been a birthplace for new ventures. Target Earth gained its international reputation here. The Creation Care Study Program was originally launched here. Countless visitors have used the center as a base for impacting children’s homes, schools, churches, and small farms.
Perhaps one reason it has launched so many great things is because the PathLight conference center has always had a spiritual dimension that touched those who visited. Shortly after being completed, during a ceremony on the banks of the creek, it was dedicated with Amos 5:24 in mind: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” That same sense of vision still drives the spirit of the place.
It’s always exciting when we sense God is shaping a new vision. For some time we’ve felt that happening as we contemplated the future of the conference center. But instead of a vision of what might be for the future, God brought us people to lead us forward and discern that vision.
That’s why it is an honor to announce that Andy & Lisa Stout have agreed to become the new directors of the conference center. All of us at PathLight are thrilled to be working with them, and we are beyond excited to think about how God is going to work through them as they lead this incredible place.
Andy & Lisa have lived in Belize for years and used their skills creating and hosting short-term service trip experiences. Andy has an MA in Social Work and Lisa completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Educational Ministries. They have two children, Spencer and Andrea, who are so Belizean they actually have their citizenship! The family will continue to live in Belmopan, but they will spend most of their time at the conference center just south of the city.
Personally, I’m thrilled about having Andy & Lisa with us! Andy & Lisa have a passion for combining service, cultural awareness, and spiritual development into a single package that will make a huge impact.
For instance, when asked what it is that draws them to this position, Lisa wrote, “The opportunity to help others realize their potential, and the opportunity to help North Americans plug into ministry in Belize in a way that will be beneficial to both the North Americans and the Belizeans.” What a perfect, simple, short answer to express the complexities of doing this job well!
The potential for innovation and creativity is limitless, and Andy & Lisa are the right people for this challenge. Who knows where their vision might take us in the future? What might the Spirit guide us toward? It’s going to be fun to see how God works through them to create something fresh and new. I’m really looking forward to this!
So join me in welcoming the Stout family. And please keep them in your prayers, especially during these early days of transition!