October 2023 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

It is hard to believe that we are already in October. September is one of the busiest times of the year for us as we have both Children’s Day and Costa Rica’s Independence Day right after beginning a new school year. We have continued to proclaim the Gospel throughout San Pablo. We continue to preach and teach sound doctrine. We met one couple on visitation that is now attending with us on Tuesday nights. Jeremy also had an opportunity to preach at the language school where new missionaries learn Spanish before serving in their field of service. Unfortunately, our church van has continued to have several problems. We have now passed the window of time to have it pass inspection and we are no longer able to drive it. Yesterday, we had it looked at by another mechanic and we believe we may have found a problem that has eluded us for a long time. However, there will be significant costs. At this point, we are looking to sell it to someone who can fix it up. Jeremy has begun looking for another van and is considering all of the options.

September is also a very busy time for our family. We are now in the rainiest time of the year. That means lots of getting wet and setting our shoes out in front of fans to dry off before the next day. Michelle’s parents came down to visit us for a couple of weeks. We could not slow down, but they were able to help out in different ways. It is always good to see them. We were also able to celebrate the birthdays of both Jeremy and Lila. Lila is now 12 and Jeremy is one year older than he was before (now 39). The kids are doing well in school and are being stretched in different ways. Someone asked Elijah’s teacher what she did when the other missionary kids did not understand what she was saying in Spanish. She said that she has Elijah translate for her! It looks like he is getting a lot of experience from a young age! The girls also do a good job of bridging that gap between the Costa Ricans and other missionary children.

Before sharing our prayer requests, we would like to send special thanks to our sending church, West Jacksonville Baptist Church, as well as a supporting church in Tennessee that have sent special offerings to help purchase a van. Thank you! This month, please pray for the following:

1. That God will continue to save souls and add them unto the church.

2. That God will help our church to grow spiritually in both faith and in practice.

3. That God will lead us as we explore the options of getting another church van.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz