Cesar Lacayo: ChangeMaker in Belize

The following was written by Cesar Lacayo, pastor/missionary of our BMA congregation in Belize City, Belize:

This ministry started around the year 2002 as a mission outreach headed by missionary Pastor [and ChangeMaker] Ricardo Herrera Ramirez from the Garifuna village of Tornabe, Tela Honduras. His church planting strategy consisted of recruiting immigrants from the villages of Tornabe, San Juan, and Triunfo de la Cruz. Before the explosion of social media, Missionary Ricardo assumed the role of re-connector of relatives who had long lost contact with each other. In addition to that he acted as the Lord’s courier bringing and taking back small parcels and letters. It was in these engagements that he would present the gospel of salvation.

This approach was successful because Bungiu Wama (“God with us” in Garifuna) Baptist Church’s first baptisms and weddings were of couples who came from the villages previously mentioned. One of these two couples has gone to be with the Lord. However, the other couple, Brother Gilberto Martinez and his wife Yorleny Martinez have remained up to this date founding and active members along with their four children.

Bungiu Wama Baptist Church was first pastored by Pastor Jimmy Castillo, a native of Triufno de la Cruz and former member of Iglesia Bautista Galilea before migrating to Belize.

It was at pastor Castillo’s residence that services were hosted before his untimely passing.

Services moved to the household of another longstanding, founding member, Brother Carlos Norales who, along with his wife Silvia Norales, had transferred membership from an Assembly of God congregation. 

After a couple of years we came to set foot at the church’s property. With a desire to finally do something on the owned land, we moved into an unfinished shed consisting of a metal roof supported by timber posts with no walls, no windows, no doors and a rough, barn-style concrete floor. 

Miraculously, even during the rainy season, we had good weather to hold our services. The walls were added thanks to monetary and labor support from Garrett Memorial Baptist Church of Hope, Arkansas. The rough floor was smoothed by a graduating class of Columbia Christian School from Magnolia, Arkansas, in 2014.

Bungiu Wama Baptist Church continues to serve its community in spite of social, economic and spiritual challenges. We are grateful for all of the logistical, moral, and spiritual support we’ve received from our Honduran and American churches. I am personally grateful for the training, encouragement, mentorship and affection from Pastor David Dickson. His visits to Belize are always timely and refreshing. God used him to infuse me with new dosage of energy and hope. My family and I are privileged to host him and all those who have accompanied him throughout the years, his wife, Sister Shelley, and Brother Johnmichael. 

May the Lord continue blessing the missionary work of the BMA, and continue to safeguard your great country the USA, and the countries of those who partner with us. A special thanks to all who keep us in their prayers, have financially contributed towards the work of God here in Belize. May God greatly reward your obedience to the Great Commission.