July 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope this letter finds you doing well. We realize that you might have just received our June prayer letter. It seems that we somehow did not send it out by email last month. We apologize for that! Hopefully this one will arrive on time! In the early part of the month, we had a combined ladies meeting with the Victory Baptist Church in Atenas. We sent about 15 ladies to have a shared fellowship and it was very edifying. After that, we began switching gears to plan for VBS. We put a lot of work into coordinating all of the parts of our VBS. We had 18 people help out, including 3 from another church. At home, we printed and cut well over 1000 invitations and prepared over 1000 Chick tracts with our church information. Our evangelism team was able to deliver them to around 1000 homes. We had around 15 new visitors and several others who have not attended in a while. On the first two days we had around 40 people attend. The final day was Sunday, and we had a record attendance of 62-63 people present. This surpassed our previous high of around 57. While we wished to have had more first time visitors, I think that God knew that we did not have the space for any more! We are now working on follow up and hope to see new families continue to attend the church. Besides the VBS, Jeremy is now meeting every 1-2 weeks for a discipleship course with two men from the church. We are now making plans to build a baptistry. Lord willing, that will help us to be able to baptize new believers without having to go elsewhere.

This last month was quite busy at home. Although the kids have 2 weeks of summer vacation, we have stayed very busy with preparing for VBS. Michelle was our chief planner. Lila helped with the songs. Ellie helped in the kitchen. And Elijah helped with just having fun. I’m kidding, but seriously, he helped prepare many of those tracts. Last month, we also received a visit from some old friends from Bible college. The Tracht family came to visit our church and we were able to come together for a couple of meals. It was good to see them! Now that VBS is over, we are trying to rest a little bit. We took a day trip together yesterday. We are now enjoying their last few days before they go back to school.

Thank you to all who pray for us. We are pleased to report that we received support from a new supporting church. This month, please pray…

1. That those who attended the VBS will continue to attend and deepen their faith in Christ.

2. That God will continue to strengthen the church and add to it those who believe in Christ.

3. That God will provide the means for us to buy or build our own church building.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

June 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that this letter finds you doing well! The year is going by very quickly. I guess time goes by quickly when you are working hard! We continue to push forward in the work of the church. Every week we go out with our evangelism team sharing the Gospel with the community. In a follow-up visit with one who has visited us a few times, a man named Roger called upon Christ as his Savior. We now have several baptism candidates and are planning our next baptism service. This is harder since we do not have a baptistery. Jeremy stays busy preaching and teaching. On Sundays, he is preaching through Genesis and on Tuesdays, he just finished teaching a short series on the sovereignty of God. We always emphasize the importance of embracing what the Scriptures teach, but rejecting ideas that they do not. We have enjoyed seeing so many grow in their faith. In many ways, our Tuesday night studies are laying a good foundation for what could become a local church Bible institute. Michelle continues to develop the children’s and ladies’ ministries. Unfortunately, we had a refrigerator go out. Thankfully, we were able to get a new one that is a little bigger and nicer. This is helpful to accommodate the growing church. We also purchased a new trash can for the church exterior. As we look toward July, we are now planning for a 3 day VBS. We hope to reach many children and families for Christ!

This last month has been a little unusual around the house. The kids have had many days of school canceled for various reasons. While it is nice to have them around the house a little more, it can also make it a little harder to keep a consistent work schedule. They look forward to our monthly youth activities at the church. One other thing is that we have been working to create a small bedroom for Elijah. So far, we have removed a significant wall, laid some concrete and tile, as well as created a new entry through another wall. One task that we underestimated was the cleanup after each job as well as the removal and disposal of rubble. Next month, we are looking forward to receiving a visit from an old college friend who will come to Costa Rica with his family. They may even be able to help with the preparation for our VBS.

Thank you for your prayers and support. This month, please pray for the following:

1 – For those who have received Christ to follow the Lord in believer’s baptism.

2 – For God to guide us in our plans for VBS.

3 – For God to continue to strengthen and grow the church.

4 – For God to provide the means to buy or build a church building in His timing.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

May 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope this letter finds you all doing well. In many ways, after returning to Costa Rica, Jeremy had to hit the ground running. He had meetings with those who led the church in his absence. Several new people are now attending faithfully, and others have begun visiting within the last month or so. There were some areas in the church that needed special attention, so we are working to address those areas. Our weekly evangelism is going well and we average 10-12 people each week. Jeremy was able to lead a woman named Mariela to the Lord. We have a visitation ministry that arranges visits for our recent visitors. On one of those visits a man named Luis trusted Christ as his Savior. We also have a discipleship ministry and we now have four active groups working through a course. We also had our monthly teen and ladies’ activities. We give thanks to the Lord that the church continues to move in the right direction. It has maintained its faith promise commitment for the two missionaries, as well as a ministry support offering for Bro. Eddy, who has been faithfully helping in the ministry. Jeremy has recently finished his Tuesday night lesson series on “True and False” which compares the true things of God with false alternatives. On Sundays, he is continuing to preach through the book of Genesis. Near the end of the month, we received a shipment of Chick Tracts that were donated to us by Amazing Grace Tract Fellowship. We look forward to using them. As we look to the future, we are making plans to do a VBS.

Last month was a bit unusual for our family. Our kids had several school days canceled, but it is nice to have them at home. On one of those days we drove out into the country and attended a strawberry festival. Jeremy, Ellowyn, and Elijah also came down with a pretty nasty stomach bug, but thankfully we are back on our feet. Jeremy was thankful for Bro. Eddy to be able to preach in his stead. There was one unusual experience in which Jeremy got stuck in the elevator at the commercial building where our church meets. Thankfully, he wasn’t stuck too long. We may leave some tracts for “reading material” in case it happens to someone else! We’ve also had a little housework done as we are making a small room for Elijah.

Lastly, we give thanks to God for one more church that will be supporting our ministry. This month, please pray:

1 – That God will continue to strengthen the church and help us to reach more souls for Christ.

2 – That God will guide us as we consider options for training up laborers in Costa Rica.

3 – That God will provide the means for our church to get its own building in God’s timing.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

April 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

The year is advancing very quickly. Last month was a bit unusual. Michelle and the kids flew out from New York to Jacksonville, packed their bags, and then flew back to Costa Rica. Jeremy completed the remaining weeks of furlough alone. He gave ministry updates or presented our ministry in 11 churches. He drove over 4,300 miles for the remaining meetings across the states of Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. While this furlough was mostly to report back to supporting churches, we now have 2 more supporting churches, and 1 has increased our support. We greatly appreciate that boost in support. We are now at 94.5% of the support needed. There is a possibility that others may be able to help us reach closer to 100%.

As Michelle and the kids returned to Costa Rica, they stayed very busy as well. Apart from getting our home back in order, Michelle has been helping out with the children’s classes again and prepared new lessons for the month of April. They have also been helping out with church activities like weekly evangelism, youth activities, and ladies’ meetings. She decorated the church for Resurrection Sunday and also worked with the kids for their special song.

As you can imagine, it was a very busy month. Jeremy was able to spend a little extra time with his family in Georgia as well as Michelle’s parents in Florida. Michelle focused on “holding down the fort” at our home in Costa Rica. The kids got back to school and have had a great start to the new year. Ellie is now attending the high school near our home. At the end of the month, we were able to meet up with the two other BIMI missionary families in Costa Rica and had a nice meal together. We hope to do so again before too long.

Although our furlough was short and sweet, we enjoyed getting to see everyone again. This month, please pray for the following:

1 – That God will provide the remaining funds needed to help us reach full support.

2 – That God will use us to strengthen the church and reach more souls for Christ.

3 – That God will guide us as we consider options for training up laborers in Costa Rica.

4 – That God will provide the means for the church to have its own building and become self-sufficient financially.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

March 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you are all doing well. It seems like this last month went by in a blur! We originally had 12 meetings scheduled in the states of SC, NC, VA, WV, MD, KY, OH, PA, and NY. Our meetings in SC were canceled due to Winter Storm Gianna. We finished the month arriving in New York City right after the blizzard from Winter Storm Hernando. I believe we have seen enough snow and ice for the next few years! While most of our travels were to give ministry updates in our supporting churches, we visited one new church in Pennsylvania. Apart from the normal services, we also preached in one Spanish service and taught in a high school chapel, a Men’s prayer breakfast, and a ladies luncheon. Our church in Costa Rica has continued to reach the surrounding area as well as send a group to help with evangelism training to another church that is going through a revitalization effort. I am told that between those that came from our church and those that attended, there were about 45 people present.

One good thing about furlough is that our family spends nearly all of our time together. We also get to do some pretty fun things together. While in Kentucky, we were able to visit the Ark Encounter as well as the Creation Museum. Now that the kids are a little older, I believe they were able to better appreciate it all. Later, in Ohio, we were able to do a little sledding on the snow and even ride a four-wheeler. When in Washington DC, we visited the White House and two of the Smithsonian museums. In Baltimore, Jeremy met up with a friend from Bible college. In most of the churches, we enjoyed getting to spend time with the pastors’ families and others from the churches. Near the end of the month, we visited New York City right after the blizzard and it was a unique experience. We enjoyed some New York Pizza. Who said that being a missionary can’t also be fun? After New York City, Michelle and the kids flew back to Jacksonville to pack their bags and they arrived back in Costa Rica on March 2^nd to get the kids back in school. After that, Jeremy began his journey toward Northern Michigan for the next meetings. The next few weeks will go very quickly and Jeremy will return to Costa Rica near the end of the month.

As we visit our supporting churches, it reminds us how grateful we are for your hospitality, prayers, and support. We hope that we have also been able to be an encouragement and a blessing. This month, please pray:

1 – For Michelle over the next few weeks as she “holds the fort” at the house in Costa Rica.

2 – For Jeremy as he travels to visit the last churches on this furlough.

3 – For the Lord to provide some additional support so we may return fully funded.

4 – That God will provide the means for our church to have its own building in God’s timing.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

February 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

This last month we began our main furlough trip. We began our first meetings in Jacksonville, FL. We then gave ministry reports or presentations in a total of 11 scheduled meetings in the states of FL, SC, NC, TN, and VA. Unfortunately, the service for one other church was canceled due to Winter Storm Fern. We hope to visit them on our next furlough. At the end of the month, we had another cancellation in SC due to Winter Storm Gianna. We then made a plan B to visit a church in TN. That meeting was also canceled due to much heavier snow than expected. We then had a plan C, which didn’t work out. As we traveled up toward Chattanooga, the snow began falling much heavier than expected so we came off the road and sought temporary refuge at a McDonald’s and mall. Thankfully, there was a church in the area that allowed us to stay at their missions house. They received us very kindly with a nice warm place to stay. They also allowed us to present our ministry on Sunday. We are thankful for the kindness and hospitality of God’s people! We were also able to book one more meeting in SC and reschedule the canceled one.

Our church in Costa Rica has remained faithful and is continuing to see new people come to the church. I am impressed by the example of those in their 70s, 80s, and even 90s who are modeling faithfulness for the next generation. There are also some newer young people who are attending faithfully and beginning to serve. A couple of weeks ago, there were 14 who went out sharing the Gospel.

We enjoyed spending some time with our family. It was good to visit some friends from our days in Bible college. We are thankful for the families that have hosted us and been kind to our family. We have made many memories of fun with family and friends. We had hoped to see snow at least once, but for the last few weeks we have seen it nearly every day! We have appreciated the beauty of snow, glistening ice-covered trees, and even had fun making snow angels and snowballs. We had one scary experience with some black ice. By the grace of God, we flagged down a man who was able to help us. He was able to guide Jeremy and help keep the vehicle from sliding down the hill into the ditch. He may not have known it, but we believe he was the answer to the prayers of those who have prayed for us over this last month.

Thank you to all who have prayed for us. There are 2 new churches that will support our ministry and 1 more that will increase our support. This month, please pray…

1 – That God will continue to keep us safe and healthy as we continue to travel in the U.S.

2 – That God will provide the means for the Costa Rican church to have its own building

3 – That God will provide additional support so that we may return to Costa Rica fully funded.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

January 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you had a great start to the new year. Last month was a time of transition. We began the month by doing all of our normal evangelism and ministry. In addition, our main task was to prepare the church for our furlough. We have faithful members who will lead the ministries in our absence. After our last service, we had our church family Christmas celebration. We had our highest attendance yet with nearly 60 people present. We are now near capacity at our current meeting space. Earlier in the month, we took some time to look for available lots in San Pablo. There are a few available and we are praying that the Lord would guide us and provide so that the church might have its own building. On the 16^th, we flew into Florida and hit the ground running. In the second half of December, we gave a ministry report in 4 supporting churches in the Jacksonville area. We were also able to spend some time at our sending church. Jeremy was able to teach the Sunday School and it was great to see everybody again.

As for our family, it was nice for the kids to have some time off of school. Although the kids had no classes, we stayed very busy preparing for furlough. During our time in the Jacksonville area, we stayed at Michelle’s parents’ house. It’s always good to spend some time together and catch up after being gone for so long. We spent Christmas with them and a few days later we met with Jeremy’s family in Georgia. Unfortunately, many were not able to come because of sickness, but it was good to see everyone that we could. We are now preparing to begin traveling to many other supporting churches, so we are taking advantage of the time we have to spend time with our family.

As we prepare to ramp up our furlough travels, we are so thankful for those who have prayed for us and supported us over the years. Our desire is to be a blessing and to encourage each one. We also understand that as we travel further north, we may see snow and icy roads. This month, please pray for the following:

1. That God will protect us as we travel and keep us healthy.

2. That God will help the church in Costa Rica to remain faithful and continue growing.

3. That God will provide the means for the church to build or purchase its own building.

4. That God will help us to raise some additional support so that we may return to Costa Rica fully funded.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz