Dear Friends and Family,
We hope that you had a great start to the new year. Last month was a time of transition. We began the month by doing all of our normal evangelism and ministry. In addition, our main task was to prepare the church for our furlough. We have faithful members who will lead the ministries in our absence. After our last service, we had our church family Christmas celebration. We had our highest attendance yet with nearly 60 people present. We are now near capacity at our current meeting space. Earlier in the month, we took some time to look for available lots in San Pablo. There are a few available and we are praying that the Lord would guide us and provide so that the church might have its own building. On the 16th, we flew into Florida and hit the ground running. In the second half of December, we gave a ministry report in 4 supporting churches in the Jacksonville area. We were also able to spend some time at our sending church. Jeremy was able to teach the Sunday School and it was great to see everybody again.
As for our family, it was nice for the kids to have some time off of school. Although the kids had no classes, we stayed very busy preparing for furlough. During our time in the Jacksonville area, we stayed at Michelle’s parents’ house. It’s always good to spend some time together and catch up after being gone for so long. We spent Christmas with them and a few days later we met with Jeremy’s family in Georgia. Unfortunately, many were not able to come because of sickness, but it was good to see everyone that we could. We are now preparing to begin traveling to many other supporting churches, so we are taking advantage of the time we have to spend time with our family.
As we prepare to ramp up our furlough travels, we are so thankful for those who have prayed for us and supported us over the years. Our desire is to be a blessing and to encourage each one. We also understand that as we travel further north, we may see snow and icy roads. This month, please pray for the following:
1. That God will protect us as we travel and keep us healthy.
2. That God will help the church in Costa Rica to remain faithful and continue growing.
3. That God will provide the means for the church to build or purchase its own building.
4. That God will help us to raise some additional support so that we may return to Costa Rica fully funded.
In Christ,
Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz
