GRAPEVINE, TX – Paul Whisnant is celebrating his 50th birthday this year. 2021 is also the 30th anniversary of his arrival in Belize, where he has worked tirelessly to spread the Gospel.
Whisnant took part in a short-term missions trip to Belize while he was a student at Bryan College. He was so burdened for the people he met on that trip that he withdrew from school and bought a one-way ticket to Belize.
A Courageous Beginning
With $50 in his pocket and a backpack filled with personal belongings, he arrived at a place near a remote village in the jungle. For several years, Whisnant lived in a hut made from branches and leaves. Having no electricity or running water, he washed in a nearby stream alongside – but not too close to – native alligators. His survival depended upon eating iguana and other assorted jungle delicacies. He still enjoys most of the rainforest cuisine, but our sources tell us that he doesn’t care much for mashed potatoes.
Over the past 30 years, Paul Whisnant and his wife, Dr. Amanda Whisnant, have served the people of Belize through several ministries under the auspices of International Servants, which Paul founded in 1990. Amanda serves as the mission’s medical director.
A Continual Impact
During that time, International Servants’ missionary work has given birth to 54 Bible-teaching churches. The buildings for those churches were funded by ministry donors and constructed by onsite believers.
iServants, as the agency is also known, offers a panoply of holistic aid services to poor communities throughout the small country. Ongoing programs include Feed-A-Child Belize, in which $12.50 USD can provide a malnourished child with nutritious meals and basic medications for an entire month. In fact, because of donor-matching programs, five additional children will receive the same benefits.
Other sectors of iServants include the Belize Medical and Dental Mission, the Save-A-Child’s Life Program, and Wheelchairs 4 Kids Ministry.
The primary focus of the ministry is winning souls for Jesus and expanding its network of churches. iServants funds and constructs church buildings and pastor’s residences. International Servants also provides continuing training and financial support for its local pastors in Belize. The iServants team includes around 150 people, mostly natives of Belize.
A Chorus of Accolades
The work has not gone unnoticed over the past 30 years. Paul Whisnant was appointed as a Citizen Liaison to Belize by the United States Embassy, a title he continues to hold. The Government of Belize awarded Paul as the first-ever recipient of its Lifetime Humanitarian Award in 2017. That same year the government also endowed him as the Honorary Humanitarian Ambassador of Belize.
Notwithstanding, Whisnant and International Servants were awarded Certificates of Appreciation by the U.S. Ambassador to Belize in 2008 and the four years from 2011 to 2014 inclusive for their service in the country of Belize.
To God be all the glory!
Read more news on Faith Based Organizations and World Missions on Missions Box.
Sources:
- Mission Finder, International Servants
- International Servants, Official Website
- PR Newswire, Dr. Paul Whisnant, Founder of International Servants, Delivers Aid to Hungry Children