We know that many of you are visiting this website in search of updates on Vicki Weaver's health condition. Please continue reading this page for as much information as we can provide. Thanks, Jonathan Williams (Website Admin)

Current Update

These updates have been collected from various people and ministries with direct access to the Weavers. We will update this page as often as we can.

Vicki Weaver Update - Tuesday, December 31, 2013 I spoke with Dan Weaver last week to get an update on Vicki's progress and I wanted to pass it on to you. Just as the doctors have stated, the progress will be slow. There has not been any significant progress, but there are some small improvements. She still struggles with her speech, her mobility and her short term memory. She has made a little progress of being able to turn in her walking, but she does it slowly and with help. Her short term memory is not there, but she has made a little progress as sometimes she remembers things that had taken place the day before. Please continue to pray for God's healing hand on Vicki and God's hand of wisdom on Dan. Pastor Mark Hodges The Weaver's Sending Church Pastor (Winter Haven Baptist Church)

Vicki Weaver Update - Thursday, September 12, 2013 What a summer it has been for Dan and Vicki Weaver. We never know what the future holds - it's so important that we make the most of today because we have no idea of what a day is going to bring to us. Vicki is slowly progressing. She walks a little now, but with short steps and the help of Dan. She has also improved a little with her swallowing of which we are praising the Lord. Mentally, she is not progressing quickly at all. Doctors think that getting Vicki back to her familiar environment will help her mind to focus more on healing itself, than focusing on a new environment. So, Dan and Vicki Weaver will be leaving soon and returning back to Belize. In Belize, there will be some people who will help Dan with Vicki's care and progress. An assistant missionary, who has recently joined Dan in Belize - his wife is an RN and certainly will be helpful with Vicki. Please pray for these dedicated missionaries in their new era of missions in Belize. I'm overwhelmed at the Weaver's dedication to do God's work in spite of their circumstances. They certainly deserve our prayers! Pastor Mark Hodges The Weaver's Sending Church Pastor (Winter Haven Baptist Church)

Vicki Weaver Update - Friday, August 30 Miss Vicki is doing somewhat better physically. She is walking a little, using a walker. Her balance is not too good yet. Still has difficulty swallowing. She still chokes several times a day, and her short term memory is still basically not there. Our plans are to be returning back to the field in September. We feel that the home environment will be instrumental in her rehabilitation. Thanks for all the prayers. We love you all so much. All for Him, Mr. Dan

Vicki Weaver Update - Friday, August 23 Dan and Vicki are still in Springfield, MO. The doctor reports are not much different than what they have been told in the past. The mind is an amazing, but unpredictable part of the body that responds and heals differently in various people. These matters take time. Dan and his daughter Jessica are working every day to help Vicki with her physical and mental abilities. Vicki had the boot removed from her foot and is now able to stand behind a walker with the help of someone. The physical aspect seems to be progressing quicker than the mental aspect of short term memory and understanding situations. Vicki is making progress of which we thank the Lord. Please continue to pray for her swallowing, as this is difficult for her and it causes her to get choked often. Dan doesn't rest well at night as he cares for Vicki, so please remember him in your prayers too. Pastor Mark Hodges The Weaver's Sending Church Pastor (Winter Haven Baptist Church)

Vicki Weaver Update - Wednesday, August 14 Vicki is resting well in her new location in Springfield, MO. Even though she struggles to understand everything going on, she does understand that things are not the same and it is a real discouragement to her. She has seen the doctor and is starting therapy this week in her new location. Apparently, this is going to be a long process, so please keep Dan and Vicki in your prayers. Thank you. Send cards to: Vicki Weaver BBFI P. O. Box 191 Springfield, MO 65801 Pastor Mark Hodges The Weaver's Sending Church Pastor (Winter Haven Baptist Church)

Vicki Weaver Update - Tuesday, August 6 We have been seeing the Lord's hand through all of Mom's journey. Even though there are ups and downs, the downs are still an absolute praise that she is still with us and we can be thankful for that every day! As of now, we are leaving for Springfield, MO on Thursday. We are very thankful that family will be visiting her! It is going to be good therapy! Please continue to pray for her difficult road ahead. She is in the stage of becoming frustrated at not being able to do anything. This is heartbreaking to see but a blessing to know that this is a sign of recovery! Please pray for her swallowing still. It has proved to be the most frustrating thing for her. It is so strange but so difficult for her. Also, please pray for a safe and drama free trip to Springfield. We are hoping she will not be confused or anything on our trip. Thanks for all your prayers!!!! Jessica Dan & Vicki Weaver's Daughter

Vicki Weaver Update - Tuesday, July 23 Vicki continues to have therapy each day. The process is repetitive and the progress has been slow. Not much has changed since our last report. Please continue to pray for Vicki. Pray that this week will show some major improvements. Remember Dan and his daughter Jessica in prayer as they daily work hard to help Vicki in this process. Pastor Mark Hodges The Weaver's Sending Church Pastor (Winter Haven Baptist Church)

Vicki Weaver Update - Friday, July 19 I visited with Vicki and Dan Weaver yesterday. Vicki is making some progress, but it is very slow. Dan asked Vicki if she knew who I was. After struggling to get the words out, Vicki said, "Pastor Hodges." They are doing 3 to 4 hours a day of therapy with Vicki. Throughout the rest of the day, Dan and their daughter Jessica, continue to work in trying to help regain Vicki's mobility and speech. I took all of the cards that were sent to our church for Vicki. Send more and I'll plan on taking them with me on my next visit. Thank you so much for your prayers for Vicki. Please continue to pray for her continual progress and strength for Dan and his daughter Jessica as they diligently work with Vicki for improvement. Pastor Mark Hodges The Weaver's Sending Church Pastor (Winter Haven Baptist Church)

Vicki Weaver Update - Saturday, July 13 Vicki has been in the Rehab Center now for two days. She is progressing, but slowly. She is still not moving her body much. Please continue to pray for her that God will give strength to her body (brain) and that she will continually make good daily progress. If you would like to send a card to Vicki, please mail it to this address, and we will see to it that she receives it. Vicki Weaver 1500 Dundee Road Winter Haven, FL 33884 Thank you for your prayers - God bless. Pastor Mark Hodges The Weaver's Sending Church Pastor (Winter Haven Baptist Church)

Vicki Weaver Update - Wednesday, July 10 I was able to visit with Dan and Vicki Weaver yesterday afternoon. Vicki has struggled with resting well, but when I came into the room, she had been resting peaceably for more than two hours. She is talking, knows her family, but she struggles in putting everything together (focus). She is moving one arm somewhat and has feelings in her other limbs, but not using them yet. She is to have an EEG today (I believe that is the test) which measures the electrical activity of your brain. If the test comes back good, they will start the process of moving her to a Rehabilitation Center. Doctors state that the sooner she gets started on rehabilitating, the better chances she has of recovering. Dan has been with Vicki almost around the clock, but was able to get a little rest the last day or so. He looked a little more rested and is trusting in the Lord to take care of his sweet wife. His two children Gabe and Jessica are a great encouragement and help to him as they assist in helping care for their mother. Please continue to pray for Vicki's recovery and for Dan and their family. Pastor Mark Hodges (Winter Haven Baptist Church)

Vicki Weaver Update - Tuesday, July 9 Vicki is doing better. She is able to communicate a little. Only understands short sentences she gets confused if they talk too fast or use long sentences. She is awake more but still sleeps alot more than normal. She ate a little today and was able to swallow. They will remove her feeding tube tomorrow. She will be leaving the hospital tomorrow and going to a physical therapy facility for extensive therapy to regain movement to her right side. It is her right side that is paralyzed. Continue to pray for Vicki and her family. Blessings to All! <>< Fisher's of Men - Belize

Vick Weaver Update - Sunday, July 7 Vicki Weaver is now in a hospital in south Florida in ICU. She is no longer considered critical - as far as life threatening. She is talking some, but is still disoriented somewhat. She's not moving her limbs much. Keep praying for continued progress! Pray for Dan to get some rest as he has not left her side for any length of time. - Winter Haven Baptist Church (The Weaver's Sending Church)

Vicki Weaver Update - Saturday, July 6 Vicki remains in a comatose state but she is beginning to talk and yawning a lot as if she hasn't slept. She is in a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Vicki is unable to move her right arm and leg, similar to a stroke due to lack of oxygen for a period of time. Prayerfully, Vicki will soon emerge from the coma and be able to regain the use of her arm and leg. Continue to PRAY for Vicki and Dan, Doctors, and Family! <>< Fisher's of Men - Belize

Vicki Weaver Update - Friday, July 5 Air evacuated this morning to Ft Lauderdale, Florida. Please continue to pray! <>< Fisher's of Men - Belize She is now in Ft. Lauderdale as of this morning. They are running tests and so at this time we have no new information - other than, she is still not coming out of the coma. She has opened her eyes a little from time to time and moved her hand some. She is in a really good trauma care unit, of which we praise the Lord! Please keep praying! - Winter Haven Baptist Church (The Weaver's Sending Church)

Vicki Weaver Update - Thursday, July 4 Praise The Lord! Vicki is scheduled on a flight to the states early in the morning. She's opened her eyes a little. Keep praying - Thank You! - Winter Haven Baptist Church (The Weaver's Sending Church)

Vicki Weaver Update - Tuesday, July 2 Dear Praying Partners, Urgent - We need your prayers. I spoke with Gabe (Dan & Vicki Weaver's son) a few minutes ago. Vicki is not coming out of the coma. The doctor said that there is a portion of Vicki's brain that is not getting blood. He believes that the blood restriction is growing. They have an evacuation team on standby to bring her to the states where she can receive medical care from those who specializes in brain injuries of this sort. Please pray they can get Vicki here soon and that God will have the right doctor waiting to help her. Pastor Mark Hodges (Winter Haven Baptist Church)

Vicki Weaver Update - Monday, July 1 Dear Praying Friends, I spoke with Dan last night and Vicki was resting in a good hospital in Belize. She is still in an induced coma to allow her body and brain to overcome the traumatic brain injury. The swelling in Vicki's brain went down yesterday, so the doctors are going to run all the test again and make sure that everything is continuing to heal. If everything looks ok, they will start taking Vicki out of the coma today. It will be a tough time for her and Dan as she will probably struggle, not understanding her condition as she comes out of the coma. Thank you so much for your prayers - I know you will continue to pray. Pastor Mark Hodges (Winter Haven Baptist Church) Psalm 147:3 "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."

Vicki Weaver Update - Sunday, June 30 Vicki was moved yesterday to Universal Healthcare Partners, a private hospital in Belize City. She is in a medically induced coma and being treated for head injuries ( skull fracture ) The air evacuation plan to move her to US is in place pending further medical test and evaluation. Continue to pray for her and those whom will be making crucial decisions in hours and days ahead. PRAY! <>< Fisher's of Men - Belize

Urgent Prayer Request! - Saturday, June 29 Dan and Vicki Weaver were in a serious wreck last night in Belize. I do not know all details but received a call just now. Vicki is in serious condition and is in need to be air evacuated to US. She has serious head injuries. Please pray for them. Many of our FOM mission teams have worked with them through the years. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Weaver's and their family during this difficult time. Thanks for your special prayers today and beyond. Blessings to All! <>< Fisher's of Men - Belize

Information About the Accident

The Weavers were in a terrible car accident after being shot at late in the evening on June 28. In an attempt to flee the assailants they lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a creek. For the local news report from Belize regarding the accident, please click here.

Dan accepted the Lord in his youth but in his early adulthood, he says, he had almost stopped going to church altogether. He had married Vicki, who had been lead to the Lord by Dan's mother, and moved to Fort Worth, Texas to build a business.

He says he was successful in business but there was a missing element. The couple began attending Hallmark Baptist Church where, Dan says, "It felt good to be in church." He taught Sunday school and was a faithful visitation worker. Finally, at the age of 32, he could deny his call no longer and he surrendered himself to the Lord.

Attending BBC in Springfield, Missouri, he was called to serve, first as assistant pastor to Robert Terrey at West Republic Baptist Church, and then upon Terrey's resignation, as pastor of the church. The church has grown in the past seven years from about 40 to 150 and the Weavers were happy serving God in that congregation.

In 1999 the church sent a group of youth to Belize. Vicki says, "We went with our youth, hoping that God would Change their hearts. God worked on mine." The visit also unsettled Dan. Though he could not get the people of Belize off his mind and heart, he had questions: "Things could not be better. God was blessing. The church was growing. Why would God be calling me away during such a time as this?"

Finally Dan and Vicki revisited Belize, this time alone. They returned with no questions. God had called them, and though Dan confesses his hurt in resigning his church, he says, "God's call is clear, and I must answer first to him."

(Taken from Baptist Bible Tribune, June/July 2000 Page10)

The Valley Of Peace

God called us to the villages of Belize. We visited a village in July of 2002, called, “Valle de Paz,” (Valley of Peace), and found a great need for the Gospel. There used to be a Baptist Church there years ago, but the work had been abandoned for some time. The jungle, bats, and termites had taken over and the building was in need of major repairs. After seeing the church we were introduced to a Mayan lady in the village named Ms. Petrona who was 64 years old. She has been a widow for over 25 years and had been planting and harvesting her crop of corn by hand to assist in paying for the electricity of the church. She had been praying for a preacher to come to the valley and wanted the church ready when he came. She knew God would answer her prayer. After much prayer, we felt God calling us to help these people. We began with a VBS and then started holding services the following week. To get to the village, we used to have to cross the river by ferry, but God gave us a bridge, and although the roads are still very rough, travel is easier.

The “Valley of Peace” was given to a group of refugees from El Salvador that were escaping for their lives during the civil war in their country in the 80’s. Most homes are very primitive wood homes with thatch roofs. Many of the villagers have no running water or electricity in their homes. They bathe and wash their clothes in the river at the pila in the village. Very few have indoor plumbing. They are a very simple group of people. Sometimes it seems we have gone back in time. Language has been a very difficult barrier for us in the valley. The children are taught some English in the schools but most of the adults speak Spanish, Ketche, or Maya. Illiteracy is also a problem with the adults, most of them being unable to read and write. So we visit and talk with the people with our few Spanish phrases and get along the best we can while getting a chuckle now and then from the villagers when we say something wrong. My wife and I would like to start an English class to teach reading and writing. Our compound has grown in the past 8 years. We have 2 Sunday school buildings, one having two rooms. Since our attendance has increased, we had to begin construction on a new auditorium, which is directly behind our present auditorium. It is 60 ft. x 90 ft. in size, with no outer walls keeping things much cooler. We will use our old auditorium for youth ministries. We have a shop for building our own pews and doors. A MANNA feeding center was built in March of 2006. We have a home on the corner of the property that is 700 square feet (pictured here). The most difficult goal to reach with the children is gaining their trust. They have had bad experiences with outsiders in the past and are a little reluctant to trust what people say. My wife and I both understand the importance of gaining their trust first. If we can’t get them to trust us, how will we ever get them to trust in Christ? The valley has only two schools. One is Catholic and the other Assembly of God. If your child goes to the Catholic school, they have to be baptized into the Catholic faith to attend there. We feel this is so wrong to force the children into the Catholic faith. There are just not enough choices. The children have been deceived and are taught that there is no hell and they don’t need to be “saved.”

With so many children we started a children’s program on Tuesday nights, called “TNT,” (Truth and Training) forchildren ages 5-12 years. We open the service with a time for songs and puppets. The children then break up into groups and alternate with games or lesson time. We usually end the service with a clear presentation of the Gospel. Since our children are so shy we ask if any are interested in salvation to raise their hand and we will come to their home and talk to them individually. Once they pray the sinner’s prayer and accept Christ as their Savior they are very proud to come forward at the next service and present themselves as new Christians to our church. Parents started coming and teenagers too so we added a Spanish service for the adults and a seperate service for the youth ages 13-18 years of age. We are all spread out on the compound, with every group hearing the Gospel. Click any photo for a closer look and use your browser's back button to return.

Our rainy season here lasts about 8 months. We are talking approximately 165 inches of rain a year so you can imagine the "mud" we have to deal with at game time. Our new auditorium also is used as a multi-purpose building for AWANA games at TNT, and activities such as volleyball on youth nights. We would also like to build a dormitory for men and women to house a team when they come here from the states. It would extremely cut the cost of staying in a hotel, and they could also experience staying in a jungle village.

We have a feeding center here in the Valley of Peace for school age children. At this time we are feeding 60 for lunch each day. I wish you could see their smiling faces as they sit down to a hot nutricous meal. At the end of each month we have cupcakes after the meal to celebrate the children that had birthdays that month. The first time we did this they asked, “Are we going to do this each month?” When we told them yes, you should have heard the cheers. It doesn’t take much to make these kids happy. But it sure makes you feel good seeing them leave after the meal with a smile on their face, a full belly, a quick wave and a thank-you. We have established three other works in Belize. Bullet Tree Falls, which is on the western border of Belize. Camelote Village which is on the road to the Valley, and Arenal, which is just over the western border into Guatemala. Each village has a unique culture of their own. Bullet Tree Falls and Camelote are English speaking works. Arenal is a Spanish speaking work. Ismael Lopez our Pastor in training does our translating.

Please continue to pray for the ministry here as we plant other churches in the villages of Belize and train nationals to take over the work.

The Weavers - Before We Became Missionaries

I was the Pastor of West Republic Baptist Church for over seven years. Our burden for missions had greatly increased over the years and we were wanting our youth to share in this burden, so we thought what better way than to take them to a missions field. Many of our missionary friends had warned us to be careful that after visiting a mission field we might feel the call. My reply was, I know I'm right where God wants me to be here at West Republic Baptist, everything is going well and there are no problems. As soon as we landed on foreign soil God began to work on our group. Yes, he softened the hearts of our youth and they will never be the same but He broke the hearts of my wife and me. After returning home, we could not get the Belizean people off our minds. We were unable to sleep at night and would wake up thinking of the lost souls and "unforgettable faces."

The population of Belize is approximately 300,000. It is a small country that is only 75 miles wide and about 200 miles long. It borders Mexico to the north and Guatemala on the west and south and the Caribbean Sea on the east. Belize has the highest cost of living in all of Central America. The government places a high taxation on any company that attempts to start a business. This hinders the people and creates difficulties finding jobs. The main industry of Belize is sugar cane and citrus. The jobs are very strenuous and wages are poor. The average Belizean will make a salary of $60.00 US to $75.00 US a week for about 70 hours of labor. This is the reason for extreme poverty. It is actually cheaper to live in the states than Belize. Gas is around $4.75 a gallon, which enables few to have cars. A box of cereal sells for $10.00 Belize or $5.00 US. The poverty causes many to live in primitive dwellings. The people of Belize are a melting pot of cultures. English is spoken in the cities but most people are bilingual and speak both Spanish and English. The dominant ethnic group are the Creoles (British and black), though predominately African in origin. Mestizos are people of mixed Spanish and Indian descent. Next are the Maya (or American Indian), the only indigenous group. The Garifuna also known as the "Black Caribs," (African and Indian), are descendents of African slaves and actually came over on Pirate ships that foundered in the sea. There are 1% white, and the remainder of people include East Indian, Lebanese, and Chinese. The cultural groups in Belize transcend racial lines and intermarry which causes even more complicated cultures. The main religion in Belize is Catholicism. The people are very receptive to what you have to say. There is no interference with the government. You are able to preach on a street corner if desired. There are other cults in the area also. Seventh Day Adventist, Mormonism, and Jehovah's Witness prevail. This is why we have to get the true gospel to the people. They will listen to whatever people have to say, and are easily misguided. Schooling is government subsidized through the eighth grade. Few children are able to complete High school or college due to poor income. The schools teach in English since Belize started out as a British colony. Many might remember that Belize used to be called, British Honduras. It changed it's name in 1982 when they received their independence from Great Britain. The main staple in Belize is rice & beans and tortillas. Many eat fish that live in the coastal area. Chicken is eaten frequently. Most of the food is stewed and cooked on open fire. They have fruits and vegetables in the market place. They do not have fast food as we have in the states. Their restaurants are much below our standards, but it is good and usually hot.Many do not have our modern conveniences, such as refrigeration, air conditioning, stoves, indoor plumbing, and washing machines. The laundry is done in the river scrubbing on rocks or washboards or at the pila in the village. Appliances are available but very expensive for a Belizean. The road system in Belize is in bad shape. The main roads are just dirt, few have gravel. There are very few paved roads, only one has lines on it, which is called the Hummingbird highway. The main vehicles in the country are 4-wheel drive units due to the bad roads and heavy rainfall. The area of Cayo where we will be going gets 165 inches of rain a year. It's in the tropical rain forest. There is public transportation by bus and a ticket can be bought at a reasonable rate. There are many sites to see in Belize. One of the largest living coral reefs in the world is off the island of San Pedro in the Cayes. The coastal area is great for fishing. There are many Mayan ruins to explore. The Belizeans are big environmentalists. Much of the jungle and tropical rain forest has been untouched. The creatures of Belize are plentiful. Crocodiles swim the sea and rivers, as do the iguanas. The national animal is the tarpon, which actually looks like a pig/cow. The national bird is the toucan. Wild parrots fly over the houses at dusk making the forest come alive. The loudest animal of all is the howler monkey. He has a unique way of sucking air into his lungs and then his throat blows up and he expels it over his vocal cords. There are jaguars in the dense jungle, and of course we have the three most deadly snakes in the world. They include the Yellow throated Tommy Goff and the bushmaster. We also have the garden variety of tropical rattlesnakes, boa constrictors and corral snakes. And many crawly things consist of tarantulas, scorpions, and geckos. Stay to the main paths and roads and all should be well.

We have partnered with MANNA Worldwide and Palmetto Avenue Baptist Church in Sanford, FL to minister to the children in the Valley of Peace in an exciting and unique way. We offer a free lunch to the students in our community. Each day more than seventy children come to our feeding center for valuable nourishment. This has opened up wonderful ministry opportunities to these kids and their parents. Enjoy some of the pictures we've taken at the feeding center!

Christmas Party 2011

17 Photos

Feeding Center

15 Photos

Dentists Visit the Valley of Peace

Bringing smiles to many faces

We don't have the exact amount of people that were seen by the doctors and dentists but we were so happy to be a part of this wonderful experience, provided by Fisher's Of Men. We are grateful to all the doctors, dentists, hygienists, helpers of all kinds that provided our people with such wonderful care. Words cannot express our appreciation for the time, patience and love shown to our people. We are looking forward to next year!