July 2024 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that all of you are doing well! God is good, and we continue pushing onward here in Costa Rica. We have continued with all of our normal services and outreach. In the second half of the month, we were visited by a group from the BIMI connect trip. They helped us share the Gospel in the park and also provided us with some helpful curriculum materials to use. We are also pleased to report that our application for permanent residency has been accepted and should hopefully be approved in the coming months. At the end of the month, we began a short trip to the US to attend a memorial service for Michelle’s grandparents. Jeremy was also invited to preach the Sunday night service at our sending church, which is always a blessing. Our Costa Rican church members have really come together to “hold the fort” and continue the ministry in our absence. We are proud of how God is using them. There was a difficult church problem that came up before our trip, but we are thankful that the Lord has guided us through it. If any future issues are to arise, the church is prepared to respond appropriately. Lastly, our trip to celebrate our Nicaraguan church’s 9^th anniversary was postponed by a couple of weeks. We will look forward to seeing them in August.

Last month was a good transition for our family. The kids finished their school year. Lila will be following a homeschool curriculum to satisfy the requirements for both Costa Rica and the state of Florida. Ellowyn and Elijah will be attending a school that is much closer to our home. This should help bring some balance to our busy lifestyle. During our trip to the US, we were able to visit our family in Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia. We were also able to participate in a low-key 4^th of July celebration in South Georgia. It was a lot of fun! As we finish up our short trip to the US, we are taking advantage of buying several things that are either not available in Costa Rica or are much cheaper to buy in the US. Near the end of our trip, we were able to see a few friends and get packed up to head back to Costa Rica.

As we wrap up our short trip and head back to Costa Rica, we would like to thank all of our family and friends for how they have blessed us and stood with us through the years. And, of course, thank all of the churches that pray for us and support us financially. We truly are blessed! This month, please pray for the following:

1. For the church in San Marcos, Nicaragua to continue to plant other churches.

2. For the church in San Pablo, Costa Rica to continue to grow and develop.

3. For the Lord to provide land or a church building for the church in San Pablo in His timing.

4. For the Lord to continue to save souls and add them unto the church.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

June 2024 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from Costa Rica, the 6^th rainiest country in the world! The rainy season is now here in full swing! We’ve had a few leaky roof issues, but that is part of life here. Last month was a pretty good month. Jeremy is now preaching through 1 Corinthians on Sundays and on Tuesdays is doing a series on “Biblical Principles for Spiritual Growth.” We’ve continued our weekly evangelism efforts and have continued to see new visitors. One Sunday after church, we were able to lead a lady to the Lord. We’ve also been doing some counseling here and there. We are now preparing for a special Father’s Day service and will have a meal together with the church family afterward. We are also preparing for a short trip to the US to be able to attend Michelle’s grandparents’ burial. They were always a blessing and encouragement to us, and we spent a lot of time with them during deputation and our furlough in 2018. The trip will be about two and a half weeks and I believe it will be the first time that we have been away from the church for that long. We also now have a couple of men who are sound in doctrine who will be able to preach and teach in my absence. Michelle also has a rotation of Sunday school teachers who will be able teach in our absence. We are encouraged to see how the church has grown and matured over the years. We will also have a group from the BIMI Connect Trip come to visit us, so we are looking forward to that!

As of June 7^th, the kids have now finished the school year. Lila has a 6^th grade graduation and has finished with the highest cumulative grade average from 4th-6th grade and was invited to speak at her graduation. Ellowyn and Elijah have also done very well. For the next school year, Lila will be transitioning to home school and also studying her Spanish subjects in class one day a week. Ellowyn and Elijah will be transitioning to a local school that is within walking distance from our house. This will make things a lot easier as we will not have to drive across San José and back five times a week. Because we have now had temporary residency in Costa Rica for three years, we now qualify to apply for permanent residency without restriction. That means that we will no longer need to be sponsored by another established organization.

Before sharing our prayer requests, here is an update on Jeremy. After choosing the private hospital, the surgeon there advised Jeremy to wait 6 months and see how he progresses. So, we will take it one step at a time. This month, please pray:

1. That God will strengthen the church and care for it during our trip to the US.

2. That God will keep us safe through travels in Costa Rica and to the US.

3. That the Lord will continue to save souls and add them to the church.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

May 2024 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that each of your are doing well. April was another month that went by in a blur! We have continued strengthening the church in San Pablo. Michelle has been teaching and coordinating the children’s ministry. We now have a solid rotation of teachers for the children’s class and also on Tuesday nights. On Sunday mornings, Jeremy has been preaching through Genesis. On Tuesday nights, he’s been teaching doctrines. We have also continued our weekly evangelism. This last month was a difficult month for several church people. We have helped some with food and others we have met with to provide counseling and a path going forward. We have also established a group within the church to help create good financial processes and accountability. Thankfully, we have seen slow and steady growth and are now getting close to being full on Sunday mornings. God is good!

April was a very busy month with a little extra pressure on the family. April was the last month of dry season and we are now transitioning into rainy season. While there is something nice about the transition to rainy season, the heavy rains can be dangerous to drive in. Unfortunately, the AC compressor on the car went out last month and it is now longer able to remove the excess condensation from the windows. There is also a 2 week delay on receiving a new one, but Lord willing, we’ll have that replaced soon. Lila has been busy studying for the standardized tests necessary to graduate from 6^th grade. Thankfully, Ellowyn and Elijah don’t have to take those tests this year. Apart from all of that, we’ve had several appointments with doctors for various things. Jeremy will likely need a surgery. While that may slow us down a little bit, he is expected to have a full recovery within a month or so.

Before closing with a few prayer requests, we would like to take a moment to thank all who give and pray so that we may serve here in Costa Rica. We know that it is a sacrifice, but we are thankful for God’s provision so that we may lay a strong foundation for the Gospel here in Costa Rica. We pray that God will continue to bless and provide your needs as well! This month, please pray:

1. That God will continue to save souls and strengthen the church here in Costa Rica.

2. That God will give us greater wisdom, faith, and endurance to keep pushing forward.

3. For Jeremy – That the Lord will bless the surgery and help him to recover.

4. That God will give us safety driving through the rains until we can get the AC fixed.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

April 2024 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday. Last month was a pretty encouraging month for us. Apart from the resurrection themed messages, Jeremy has been preaching through Genesis. On Tuesday nights, he is teaching doctrines. Michelle teaches the children’s class and is now preparing several teenagers and adults to serve in the children’s ministry. We now have a faithful man who is helping us with the transportation ministry. This helps to free up Jeremy before and after the church services. We have stayed busy in evangelism. Each week, we average about 8-10 people going out to share the gospel. The day before Resurrection Sunday we handed out nearly 700 gospel tracts. Last month, there were two individuals who professed faith in Christ as their Savior. We also received two new families and one individual as members. On Resurrection Sunday, we had nearly 50 people attend. We held the Lord’s supper and it has been encouraging to see the church grow in faith and obedience. The teenagers also gave a presentation of Christ’s last days and resurrection. Slowly, but surely, the Lord is growing His church. We are now filling up our current location and as we look to the future, we know that it will eventually become necessary to move to a bigger location.

This April now marks 10 full years since we first came to Central America. It is hard to believe how quickly the time flies! Our family has really come a long way since we arrived. Our children are all bilingual and last month came home with straight A’s on their report cards. We are proud of them for all of their hard work and dedication to adapt to whatever challenges come their way. Last month, Michelle and I celebrated our 15^th anniversary. We took a short trip to the Poas Volcano area and enjoyed our time there. Near the end of the month, the kids had a week off of school, so it was nice to slow down a little bit and spend more time together.

As we begin April, we know that we have many big decisions ahead of us. The church is growing and expanding in many ways. It is very important for us to follow the Lord’s guidance every step of the way. This month, please pray:

1. For the Lord to give us wisdom to make good decisions for our family and for the church.

2. For the Lord to continue to save souls and strengthen the church in San Pablo.

3. For the Lord to provide the means for us to either buy or build a permanent building for the church.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

March 2024 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you are doing well. Last month was an exciting month. We have continued in our evangelistic efforts and have averaged 6-10 people witnessing to others at the park each week. Jeremy was able to lead one woman named Carolina to the Lord. There were some others who also professed faith in Christ. We have had several new families attending the church. Last Sunday, our Central American director with BIMI, Bro. Terry Jones, preached our Sunday message. We had 9 first time visitors and 2 returning visitors that day. Because of the recent growth, we have bought a few extra chairs. In February, we received 5 new members at the church. We also have a few more who should be joining in March. Our Tuesday night Bible studies have also grown to the point where we will need to change the format a bit to be able to accommodate everybody. Because of the recent growth, we will be enlisting the help of a few more ladies to help with children’s ministry. Apart from the church, Jeremy was also able to preach the spiritual emphasis week messages at the language school.

February was a month of many blessings, but it was also very busy for the family. Unfortunately, we have had more sicknesses than usual. Please pray for the health of our family. The kids have been studying a bit more than normal as they are taking the standardized tests for Costa Rica. From what we understand, if they do not pass the tests they will have to repeat the grade that they are in. Thankfully, all of the scores that we have seen have been excellent. They have done very well to conquer any challenges that they face. They have also been helping out on our weekly evangelism, which is nice and probably encouraging to others to see children carrying the faith to the next generation. Later, in July, we will be taking a trip to Nicaragua to be part of the 9^th anniversary of the church we started with Pastor Berner in San Marcos, Nicaragua. Over the years, the church has continued to grow and send out missionaries who have started other churches. God is good! Our son, Elijah, was born in Nicaragua but he has no memory of the country. He is looking forward to seeing the place where he was born.

This month, please pray for the following:

1. That the Lord will help us to stay healthy and able to do all that we have to do.

2. That the Lord will continue to save souls and build up His church in San Pablo.

3. That the Lord will guide us and provide future needs for us to one day have our own church building.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

February 2024 Prayer Letter

 Dear Friends and Family,

This month, we are sending out our letter a little ahead of time. We have continued to push forward in the ministry here in San Pablo, Costa Rica. We continue to preach the Gospel throughout the San Pablo and Heredia area. In recent weeks, we have had between 6-8 people sharing the Gospel in both door-to-door visitation and public park evangelism. Last week, while witnessing in the park, there were two individuals who professed faith in Christ for salvation. On Sundays, Jeremy has been preaching from the book of Joshua. On Tuesdays, we have been studying the topic of Apostasy and what the Bible says about those who reject the faith that they once proclaimed to posess. Michelle and a lady named Silvia have been teaching the kid's class. We have continued to emphasize the importance of church membership and last week three more people joined the church. We have several others that we will likely receive in February. We have had several visitors in our Sunday and Tuesday night services. Two new families have recently begun attending very faithfully. We also were glad to see one couple return to attend faithfully after not seeing them for a while.

In many ways, the month of January was an opportunity to get back to our normal routine. Jeremy has been able to get caught up on some of the things that were still a little bit behind. The kids are back in school. During December we took regular walks together as a family to spend time together and get a little exercise. So far, we have been able to continue that habit. Unfortunately, we had a few different sicknesses run through the family over the last few weeks. As of this morning, Elijah had ear pain due to a possible ear infection. Lord willing, we will all be in the clear again soon. Last week, we participated in a special family day at the school where our kids attend. It was good to spend a little time together with the other families and lend a hand where we could. We also were able to meet up with a few members of a supporting church from PA. We don’t get to take a furlough very often, so it is good to see friends and family when they are able to come here!

This month, please pray for the following:

1. That God will help us to see more souls saved and added unto the church.

2. That God will continue to strengthen the church in the faith.

3. That God will expand the ministries of the church.

4. That our church plant in San Pablo will honor and glorify God in all that we do!

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

January 2024 Prayer Letter

 Dear Friends and Family,

I hope that this letter finds you doing well and that you have had a great start to the new year. Last month was a pretty good month. We always enjoy singing the Christmas hymns and preaching on the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Jeremy preached on several prophecies of Christ’s birth in the book of Isaiah. We had a special Christmas fellowship with about 50 people. Attendance goes up and down, but we have seen the church growing both spiritually and numerically. We have had several new visitors including a family who has been very faithful. The father studied in a Bible Institute under another BIMI missionary, so we believe that they will likely be a good fit. The last couple weeks have seen a significant increase in attendance on Tuesdays, so that it is also great. Michelle stays busy teaching the children and our teen Sunday School teacher, Alberto, has been teaching the teens how to share the faith with others. We should be receiving some new members in the coming weeks. In our weekly evangelism, one man named Alvaro called upon the Lord for salvation.

December was a good opportunity for our family to slow down a little and spend time together as a family. We did not do any traveling, but Michelle’s parents were able to come down and visit us for a few weeks. We were able to spend time together, visit a nearby mountain, and celebrate Christmas together. The kids enjoyed having a few weeks with no classes. We took advantage of the opportunity to finally get some new family pictures taken. Jeremy was also invited to preach the messages for a Spiritual Emphasis Week next month at the language school. We hope that the Lord can use him to encourage and challenge those who are training to serve the Lord in missions. At the end of the break, our kids were ready to get back to school. Lila was excited as there is a new missionary girl in one of her classes. She always tries to befriend them and help them to adapt to any changes.

We are thankful for all of God’s blessings. He has provided for our new van and we are putting it to good use for the work of the Lord. Another blessing is that we were contacted by the pastor of a church we visited in the past. They are planning to begin supporting us this year. God is good and is faithful to provide. This month, please pray…

1. For a lady at the church named Liliam. Recently, she has been improving. Keep praying!

2. For God to continue to strengthen the church and grow the believers in their faith.

3. For God’s guidance to lead us as we keep pushing forward.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz