Dear Friends and Family,
August has been an exciting and busy month for us. We have now hit our first major milestone in language acquisition. We have now completed our first trimester of language school. Glory to God, Michelle and I received high A's in all of our classes. Although it is a slow process, we are learning more and more each day! We have now started our second trimester, and the difficulty has been cranked up a notch. Our classes are entirely in Spanish, and any communication in English is forbidden. We are also required to engage in conversations throughout the community in Spanish. While we still have a long way to go, we are steadily getting closer to being able to effectively communicate the Gospel in Spanish. Until then, we are being sure to stay faithful giving out tracts, and helping in the church we attend.
In our last letter, we asked you to pray for Ellie, who had a bronchial infection. Praise the Lord, she has recovered well. However, Lila was then diagnosed with bronchitis. After that, Michelle was diagnosed with bronchitis. Jeremy got sick as well, but managed to recover without seeing a doctor. We are now all healthy again, so thank you for praying for us. During our break, Michelle's parents came down to visit us for one week. We enjoyed being able to introduce them to life in Costa Rica, as well as visit a local volcano and waterfall garden. Although our double stroller broke at the end of the trimester, it was a timely blessing that Michelle's parents brought us another one from the States. During our 2 week break, we were also able to a blessing to incoming students at the school. We were privileged to help other missionaries adjust to everyday life here in Costa Rica.
We do have a special and urgent prayer request. Our campus counselor has recently contracted an unknown tropical illness/disease that has shut down his liver, and he is presently in critical condition. This month, will you please pray:
1. For this counselor- That the Lord heal his body and provide for his family.
2. For our health- That the Lord help us to stay healthy and able to serve.
3. For our communication- That the Lord help us to communicate the Gospel in Spanish.
In Christ,
Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, and Ellowyn Blanz
