February 2014 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

As we are approaching our departure date in April, our time of deputation is rapidly coming to an end. In January, we were privileged to be in four scheduled meetings, including one conference, in the states of FL, GA, and NJ. We were also able to visit in a couple other churches that were not scheduled. We were invited to come to other churches and missions conferences, but had to decline due to a full calendar. Thankfully, we saw one new supporting church and two others commit to future support. We are working to secure plane tickets and housing in Costa Rica for our time in Language School. We now have all of our needed documents to get our student visa except for one. We are waiting for just the right time to apply this last document, as it must be less than thirty days old when we present it. We are so excited to make this transition to Central America!

During the first part of January, we were able to attend our home church. Jeremy always enjoys helping out with visitation and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. In the second half of the month, we found ourselves right in the middle of a snowstorm passing through SW Virginia. Even worse, Jeremy got very sick for a couple days. Thankfully, the snow was not as bad as predicted, and Jeremy recovered just a little before our missions conference. Near the end of the conference, Michelle and Lila also came down very sick. We are so grateful for our hosts, the Ramirez family, who were so accommodating and helpful during this time. After this conference, we headed up to BIMI in Chattanooga for our exit interview. It was during this time that Winter Storm Leon paralyzed the South. Because we needed to avoid Atlanta, we had to drive up to Knoxville and down through the Carolinas in order to get home.

In the month of February, we are looking at a very busy month full of bitter, cold weather. This month, please pray for the following:

1. Safety as we travel through ice, snow, and other wintry weather.
2. The Lord to provide our remaining support for us to get to the field.
3. The Lord to guide us in obtaining our student visas for Costa Rica.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, and Ellowyn Blanz