Dear Friends and Family,
We hope that you are doing well! July came and went very quickly! After our US trip, we took a little time to get caught up. Jeremy resumed his Tuesday night series on “Biblical Counsel for Spiritual Growth.” He also resumed his Sunday series on 1 Corinthians. We resumed our normal evangelism efforts and held a couple of activities for the youth group and ladies ministry. We saw a few new visitors including one lady we met on visitation who has been attending faithfully. Unfortunately, it seems that the devil also desires to cause problems. Last month, we mentioned a “church problem.” There is a person who has been stirring strife and attacking the ministry, among other things. Of course, the situation is a bit more complicated than that, and we have had to be very wise in how we proceed. Dealing with the situation has consumed a lot of time, but Lord willing, we hope it will all be resolved soon. We would appreciate your prayers. In early August, we were invited to attend the 9th anniversary of the church that we planted with pastor Berner in San Marcos, Carazo, Nicaragua. It was our first time driving through the border into Nicaragua and back. Thankfully, the process went smoothly and we did not have any problems. For the anniversary Sunday, Jeremy preached the morning and afternoon services. It was good to see how the church has persevered over the years. Pastor Berner informed me that apart from the other churches they have planted, they are also supporting 14-15 missionaries! It was encouraging to see how our Costa Rican church has been able to continue in both evangelism and services in our absence. We are excited to see how God is growing His church!
In many ways, August was a transition month for our family. Lila graduated from 6th grade and has now begun her 7th grade homeschool classes. Ellowyn and Elijah are now attending a new school that is within walking distance of our house. The new school is almost entirely in Spanish, providing a good opportunity to get a stronger Spanish education. Michelle is also guiding them through some supplemental homeschool subjects in English. Even with all of that, it has been a nice change of pace, allowing us to have a better balance. Although Jeremy had visited Nicaragua a couple of times since we served there, this was the first time for Michelle and the kids since 2017. We were able to show the kids the places where we used to live and serve. It was also a great opportunity to see some old friends. Some things have changed, while others have remained the same.
This month, we will celebrate Elijah’s 7th birthday. It is hard to believe how quickly time passes! We are also planning to guide the church a few steps forward. This month, please pray…
1. That the Lord will give us wisdom and grace to deal with the attacks on the ministry.
2. That the Lord will continue to save souls and add them unto the church!
3. That the Lord will strengthen and mature the churches in San Pablo, Costa Rica and San Marcos, Nicaragua.
In Christ,
Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz
