August 2015 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

Last month was a month full of blessings and challenges. On July 12th, we had the
inauguration service for Iglesia Bautista Biblica in San Marcos, Nicaragua. While we were
praying for a great turnout and had rented 100 chairs, we were pleased to have seen an
approximate 110-115 who came for our first church service. During the inauguration
service, there were two men who came forward to receive Christ as Savior. Despite being
a very small and new church, we have seen dramatic growth in our children's ministry.
This last Sunday, we had once again reached our inauguration day attendance of 12-13
children. Despite having a very small classroom to meet in, we are now making plans to
better accommodate this rapidly growing ministry. Last month, we saw an additional 13
people pray to receive Christ and a few others rededicate their lives to the Lord. Because
so many have never heard the Gospel, and others have recently received Christ as
Savior, we are teaching a series on the doctrinal aspects of Salvation. Thankfully, we have
seen a few new faces each week.

Although we have seen many blessings of the Lord, we know that we must
constantly trust the Lord. Near the end of last month, our daughter Ellowyn was sitting on
the side of the bed and fell backwards onto the tile floor. When Jeremy rushed to pick her
up and comfort her, she lost consciousness, stopped breathing, and began convulsing.
Immediately, we sought the Lord's help, and as Jeremy was going to begin CPR, she
began struggling to breathe very weakly. She regained consciousness, but could not
move or respond. 45 minutes later, the local hospital sent us in ambulance to the Capital.
An hour after this, we arrived at the hospital in Managua. Many people prayed, and upon
arrival in Managua, Ellowyn awoke and began singing “Jesus loves me,” which Jeremy
had sung to her many times. Shortly after, she was talking, walking, and responding in
every way! After an Xray and CT scan, the doctors found no damage to her neck and
brain. In fact, they could not explain the symptoms with the lack of damage found. We
truly believe the Lord protected her and may have healed her before the tests.

God is good, and we need all need Him daily. This month, please pray for the
following:

1. God's protection on our family, especially for Ellie and her recovery.
2. That God will grow His church and help us reach the families of the children.
3. That God will lead us daily in His work here in Nicaragua.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, and Ellowyn Blanz