Our History

Several years ago Rev. Howard Storm began taking interested individuals to Belize, Central America, to help improve the lives of underprivileged Maya and Maya Metizo people living in Northern Belize. The mission consisted mainly of medical and housing construction components. The medical team(s) traveled to several different remote villages to hold daily health screening clinics each February. The construction team concentrated on building houses in San Narciso and San Victor, also traveling to Belize each February. Rev. Storm also lead several trips each June for high school and college students. There were as many as 75-100 team members some Februarys with diverse objectives.

This effort was difficult to coordinate at times. As regular mission participants gained knowledge and experience, a degree of independence developed. Now, the medical team under the umbrella of doctors at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, continue their medical mission without having to coordinate trip schedules with other mission components. Horizon Community Church in Cincinnati now leads their own construction mission each year to San Victor. Rev. Storm plans to continue only June trips for high school and college students.

But many prior construction mission participants were not affiliated with Horizon or another organization with sufficient size to staff an independent mission. This led to a need now filled under the leadership of Bethel United Methodist Church, Columbus, Ohio, for individuals wishing to participant in the mission. Called Mission to Belize, participants come mainly from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky but residence in a particular area is not a prerequisite for participation.

As interest in Belize has grown, beginning in 2013, an additional group named Partnership for Belize has developed to offer more individuals an opportunity to participate in a mission trip to Belize. This group is a partnership of Lewisburg, Ware's Chapel and Fremont United Methodist Churches.

The Mission to Belize and the Partnership for Belize continue the goals long ago established by Rev. Storm and hope to expand those goals to meet other needs identified during previous trips including some basic education for those moving rapidly into the 21st century. In these pages, you will find more details about these mission groups, objectives, prior accomplishments, upcoming trip schedule, trip planning tips and participation opportunities on the support page.