About Mafredi, Belize

Belize is in Central America, south of Mexico and east of Guatemala. Mafredi is a small village of about 160, located in the Toledo District in southern Belize. It is warm year-round and rainy, especially May-January. People from this area of mostly from East Indian descent, speak English, and are most likely farmers. Some build furniture or make wooden bowls, and some travel to Punta Gorda for work. Most are Christians, some have electricity and very few have running water.

Our History in Mafredi

After two trips to serve people in Belize City, Bob Popoff was drawn to serve in another area of Belize. The United Methodist Western Conference Liaison to Central American Missions mentioned a small, remote village in the jungle with no air conditioners, a five-hour drive from the airport, and added, “No one would want to go there.” Bob thought, “Sounds perfect!”

In 2013, Bob’s team traveled to Mafredi, replaced a roof on the teacher’s cottage and painted the church. They taught VBS and slept at the school. The following year, they painted, taught VBS, and built a platform for a water tank to supply parts of the community with running water. This year, Hope Center opened, an effort led by Theresa and Mitch Osborne to house mission teams. It sleeps 20, has running water, air conditioning, and a large kitchen. The Osbornes also dreamed of using the center to offer medical, dental, and eye care. Bob’s team, with the support of DUMC, build the Nicholas Center on the back side of Hope Center in response. Through the years, our teams have worked to make life easier for people from Mafredi, by providing school supplies and running water to homes and by assisting children with secondary education costs. We have also built meaningful relationships through these projects, VBS, home visits, and community dinners.