Dear Friends and Family,
This last month was an exciting month! We began with an evangelistic children's outreach in one of the communities of San Pablo. Thankfully, the man who threatened to make sure that it didn't happen was unsuccessful in his efforts to hinder the Gospel. We had a great turnout from our small church plant and had 5 volunteers from another church. We began the event with only a few people, but more and more showed up. By the time we finished, it was mostly full. Jeremy shared the Gospel and there was one child that received Christ. The rest of the month was a little bit slower, mostly with our normal church services and evangelism. We forgot to mention that last month there was one teenager named Joshua who received Christ as Savior by faith. This month, one lady named Anabel trusted in Jesus as Savior. We hope and pray that they will take the next step to attend church and be baptized. One of the things that we are learning about Costa Rica is that there is a big gap between one's profession of faith and them taking the next steps (baptism, church attendance, growth). This is not only with new believers but also with many who have professed faith in Christ for a very long time. This month, we are beginning a one on one discipleship course with a few faithful members. Our desire is that upon completion, they will be able to disciple others. In this way, we hope that this will help to promote healthy relationships, spiritual growth, and multiply our capacity to disciple others.
As for our family, we are now getting into a new routine. Michelle and the kids will all now go to the same school where she is helping out. Jeremy is able to focus more on the ministry during this time. As of late July, Michelle should be losing her driving privileges for the last time before getting her Costa Rican license. Lord willing, that will be one more obstacle out of the way! This month, Michelle's parents will be able to visit us for a little while. That should be a blessing. Near the end of the month, we will be celebrating Elijah's 4th birthday! Where does the time go?
During the month of July, we received an additional donation towards our land and building fund. Thank you to all who have contributed! We are continuing to trust in the Lord to provide. This month, please pray:
1. That God will continue to save souls and build His church in San Pablo, Costa Rica.
2. That God will guide us as we seek a new meeting location.
3. That God will bless our new discipleship program and use it to strengthen His church!
In Christ,
Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz
