The Impact of Veterinary and Christian Volunteer Work in Belize

We are excited to share Jacob Bills and Bailey Ward’s experience below, funded by Dr. Thomas Mack.

Our time in Belize was spent vaccinating, spaying, neutering, and treating animals in the surrounding communities. We did our vet work at Camalote Camp, so part of our goal was to expose the community to their ministry which has the goal of showing the love of Christ through service and discipleship. The camp puts on this free vet clinic twice a year, so this is the only time most of these animals receive any sort of veterinary care. Many animals had fleas, mange, ticks, and/or intestinal worms. These can all be devastating to the animals, but they are also relatively easy to treat – so our work was very rewarding in that aspect.

The dogs and cats often freely roam the streets, so unwanted animal pregnancies are a common problem, so many people were grateful to have their animals spayed and neutered. I had the opportunity to perform a neuter on a cryptorchid dog, which was a new procedure for me! We performed small animal surgeries in a shelter house in the blazing heat, so God certainly provided for us by keeping the animals safe during the procedure and preventing infections afterwards. We spent three afternoons walking the surrounding villages and treating animals at home for anyone who needed it. This was an awesome way to serve people that did not have a way to get to the camp, and it provided many opportunities to pray with families as we finished our work.

As we worked, we were offered fruit and cold water multiple times. I was stunned by how generous the community was to us despite having very little to give. The culture I experienced in Belize certainly challenged me to be more generous to those around me. When we weren’t doing vet work, the other half of our time was spent helping with a ministry camp for local children, which also grew my heart to serve others.The long, hot days often didn’t feel like work because the Belizians were genuinely grateful for our work and expressed that often. Please realize that none of this could have happened without your generosity. I am so grateful for your financial support – THANK YOU.