August 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

Our last few letters have been a little behind schedule, but we are now just about back on track! Last month, we continued with our regular evangelism. Last week, Jeremy was able to lead a boy named Josue to the Lord. He lives quite far from the church, but it was not coincidence that he heard the Gospel! Unfortunately, the visitors from our VBS have not returned, but we have had other visitors return. Last Sunday, as we were leaving the location that we rent, some restaurant owners informed us that their family will be attending with us this Sunday. It is exciting to see how God opens doors. Although weekly attendance may fluctuate, it is becoming more common for us to reach capacity at our current location. We believe that getting our own building will be the key to the church becoming self-sufficient. We are hoping to set aside more time soon to look at land or buildings, with the goal of raising funds for our own church building. We have continued to look at different options for our baptistery… we now just need approval to install it in the commercial building where we rent. We are also making plans for a new ministry called “English Fellowship.” Michelle has been wanting to use her teaching experience by teaching English as a way to reach more people for Christ. Please pray for this project as we will begin very soon!

After finishing our VBS last month, we need to take a little break. Thankfully, we were able to take a day trip together as a family and rest a bit. We are also getting a little work done at the house. We are converting some unused space to be a small bedroom for Elijah. Lord willing, Michelle’s parents will visit us next month and the new room will help us to better accommodate guests. We are also anticipating a visit from a small group from our sending church, and we are excited to host them.

As we wrap up this letter, I would like to thank all who faithfully support us and pray for us. It is through your prayers and support that God allows us to serve here in Costa Rica. This month, please pray:

1 – That God will help us to use our time effectively to accomplish all that He has planned.

2 – That God will help us to reach more souls for Christ and see them added to the church.

3 – That God will continue to grow the church even as we approach the limit of our space.

4 – That God will provide the means for the church to have its own building.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

July 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope this letter finds you doing well. We realize that you might have just received our June prayer letter. It seems that we somehow did not send it out by email last month. We apologize for that! Hopefully this one will arrive on time! In the early part of the month, we had a combined ladies meeting with the Victory Baptist Church in Atenas. We sent about 15 ladies to have a shared fellowship and it was very edifying. After that, we began switching gears to plan for VBS. We put a lot of work into coordinating all of the parts of our VBS. We had 18 people help out, including 3 from another church. At home, we printed and cut well over 1000 invitations and prepared over 1000 Chick tracts with our church information. Our evangelism team was able to deliver them to around 1000 homes. We had around 15 new visitors and several others who have not attended in a while. On the first two days we had around 40 people attend. The final day was Sunday, and we had a record attendance of 62-63 people present. This surpassed our previous high of around 57. While we wished to have had more first time visitors, I think that God knew that we did not have the space for any more! We are now working on follow up and hope to see new families continue to attend the church. Besides the VBS, Jeremy is now meeting every 1-2 weeks for a discipleship course with two men from the church. We are now making plans to build a baptistry. Lord willing, that will help us to be able to baptize new believers without having to go elsewhere.

This last month was quite busy at home. Although the kids have 2 weeks of summer vacation, we have stayed very busy with preparing for VBS. Michelle was our chief planner. Lila helped with the songs. Ellie helped in the kitchen. And Elijah helped with just having fun. I’m kidding, but seriously, he helped prepare many of those tracts. Last month, we also received a visit from some old friends from Bible college. The Tracht family came to visit our church and we were able to come together for a couple of meals. It was good to see them! Now that VBS is over, we are trying to rest a little bit. We took a day trip together yesterday. We are now enjoying their last few days before they go back to school.

Thank you to all who pray for us. We are pleased to report that we received support from a new supporting church. This month, please pray…

1. That those who attended the VBS will continue to attend and deepen their faith in Christ.

2. That God will continue to strengthen the church and add to it those who believe in Christ.

3. That God will provide the means for us to buy or build our own church building.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

June 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that this letter finds you doing well! The year is going by very quickly. I guess time goes by quickly when you are working hard! We continue to push forward in the work of the church. Every week we go out with our evangelism team sharing the Gospel with the community. In a follow-up visit with one who has visited us a few times, a man named Roger called upon Christ as his Savior. We now have several baptism candidates and are planning our next baptism service. This is harder since we do not have a baptistery. Jeremy stays busy preaching and teaching. On Sundays, he is preaching through Genesis and on Tuesdays, he just finished teaching a short series on the sovereignty of God. We always emphasize the importance of embracing what the Scriptures teach, but rejecting ideas that they do not. We have enjoyed seeing so many grow in their faith. In many ways, our Tuesday night studies are laying a good foundation for what could become a local church Bible institute. Michelle continues to develop the children’s and ladies’ ministries. Unfortunately, we had a refrigerator go out. Thankfully, we were able to get a new one that is a little bigger and nicer. This is helpful to accommodate the growing church. We also purchased a new trash can for the church exterior. As we look toward July, we are now planning for a 3 day VBS. We hope to reach many children and families for Christ!

This last month has been a little unusual around the house. The kids have had many days of school canceled for various reasons. While it is nice to have them around the house a little more, it can also make it a little harder to keep a consistent work schedule. They look forward to our monthly youth activities at the church. One other thing is that we have been working to create a small bedroom for Elijah. So far, we have removed a significant wall, laid some concrete and tile, as well as created a new entry through another wall. One task that we underestimated was the cleanup after each job as well as the removal and disposal of rubble. Next month, we are looking forward to receiving a visit from an old college friend who will come to Costa Rica with his family. They may even be able to help with the preparation for our VBS.

Thank you for your prayers and support. This month, please pray for the following:

1 – For those who have received Christ to follow the Lord in believer’s baptism.

2 – For God to guide us in our plans for VBS.

3 – For God to continue to strengthen and grow the church.

4 – For God to provide the means to buy or build a church building in His timing.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

May 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope this letter finds you all doing well. In many ways, after returning to Costa Rica, Jeremy had to hit the ground running. He had meetings with those who led the church in his absence. Several new people are now attending faithfully, and others have begun visiting within the last month or so. There were some areas in the church that needed special attention, so we are working to address those areas. Our weekly evangelism is going well and we average 10-12 people each week. Jeremy was able to lead a woman named Mariela to the Lord. We have a visitation ministry that arranges visits for our recent visitors. On one of those visits a man named Luis trusted Christ as his Savior. We also have a discipleship ministry and we now have four active groups working through a course. We also had our monthly teen and ladies’ activities. We give thanks to the Lord that the church continues to move in the right direction. It has maintained its faith promise commitment for the two missionaries, as well as a ministry support offering for Bro. Eddy, who has been faithfully helping in the ministry. Jeremy has recently finished his Tuesday night lesson series on “True and False” which compares the true things of God with false alternatives. On Sundays, he is continuing to preach through the book of Genesis. Near the end of the month, we received a shipment of Chick Tracts that were donated to us by Amazing Grace Tract Fellowship. We look forward to using them. As we look to the future, we are making plans to do a VBS.

Last month was a bit unusual for our family. Our kids had several school days canceled, but it is nice to have them at home. On one of those days we drove out into the country and attended a strawberry festival. Jeremy, Ellowyn, and Elijah also came down with a pretty nasty stomach bug, but thankfully we are back on our feet. Jeremy was thankful for Bro. Eddy to be able to preach in his stead. There was one unusual experience in which Jeremy got stuck in the elevator at the commercial building where our church meets. Thankfully, he wasn’t stuck too long. We may leave some tracts for “reading material” in case it happens to someone else! We’ve also had a little housework done as we are making a small room for Elijah.

Lastly, we give thanks to God for one more church that will be supporting our ministry. This month, please pray:

1 – That God will continue to strengthen the church and help us to reach more souls for Christ.

2 – That God will guide us as we consider options for training up laborers in Costa Rica.

3 – That God will provide the means for our church to get its own building in God’s timing.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

April 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

The year is advancing very quickly. Last month was a bit unusual. Michelle and the kids flew out from New York to Jacksonville, packed their bags, and then flew back to Costa Rica. Jeremy completed the remaining weeks of furlough alone. He gave ministry updates or presented our ministry in 11 churches. He drove over 4,300 miles for the remaining meetings across the states of Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. While this furlough was mostly to report back to supporting churches, we now have 2 more supporting churches, and 1 has increased our support. We greatly appreciate that boost in support. We are now at 94.5% of the support needed. There is a possibility that others may be able to help us reach closer to 100%.

As Michelle and the kids returned to Costa Rica, they stayed very busy as well. Apart from getting our home back in order, Michelle has been helping out with the children’s classes again and prepared new lessons for the month of April. They have also been helping out with church activities like weekly evangelism, youth activities, and ladies’ meetings. She decorated the church for Resurrection Sunday and also worked with the kids for their special song.

As you can imagine, it was a very busy month. Jeremy was able to spend a little extra time with his family in Georgia as well as Michelle’s parents in Florida. Michelle focused on “holding down the fort” at our home in Costa Rica. The kids got back to school and have had a great start to the new year. Ellie is now attending the high school near our home. At the end of the month, we were able to meet up with the two other BIMI missionary families in Costa Rica and had a nice meal together. We hope to do so again before too long.

Although our furlough was short and sweet, we enjoyed getting to see everyone again. This month, please pray for the following:

1 – That God will provide the remaining funds needed to help us reach full support.

2 – That God will use us to strengthen the church and reach more souls for Christ.

3 – That God will guide us as we consider options for training up laborers in Costa Rica.

4 – That God will provide the means for the church to have its own building and become self-sufficient financially.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

March 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you are all doing well. It seems like this last month went by in a blur! We originally had 12 meetings scheduled in the states of SC, NC, VA, WV, MD, KY, OH, PA, and NY. Our meetings in SC were canceled due to Winter Storm Gianna. We finished the month arriving in New York City right after the blizzard from Winter Storm Hernando. I believe we have seen enough snow and ice for the next few years! While most of our travels were to give ministry updates in our supporting churches, we visited one new church in Pennsylvania. Apart from the normal services, we also preached in one Spanish service and taught in a high school chapel, a Men’s prayer breakfast, and a ladies luncheon. Our church in Costa Rica has continued to reach the surrounding area as well as send a group to help with evangelism training to another church that is going through a revitalization effort. I am told that between those that came from our church and those that attended, there were about 45 people present.

One good thing about furlough is that our family spends nearly all of our time together. We also get to do some pretty fun things together. While in Kentucky, we were able to visit the Ark Encounter as well as the Creation Museum. Now that the kids are a little older, I believe they were able to better appreciate it all. Later, in Ohio, we were able to do a little sledding on the snow and even ride a four-wheeler. When in Washington DC, we visited the White House and two of the Smithsonian museums. In Baltimore, Jeremy met up with a friend from Bible college. In most of the churches, we enjoyed getting to spend time with the pastors’ families and others from the churches. Near the end of the month, we visited New York City right after the blizzard and it was a unique experience. We enjoyed some New York Pizza. Who said that being a missionary can’t also be fun? After New York City, Michelle and the kids flew back to Jacksonville to pack their bags and they arrived back in Costa Rica on March 2^nd to get the kids back in school. After that, Jeremy began his journey toward Northern Michigan for the next meetings. The next few weeks will go very quickly and Jeremy will return to Costa Rica near the end of the month.

As we visit our supporting churches, it reminds us how grateful we are for your hospitality, prayers, and support. We hope that we have also been able to be an encouragement and a blessing. This month, please pray:

1 – For Michelle over the next few weeks as she “holds the fort” at the house in Costa Rica.

2 – For Jeremy as he travels to visit the last churches on this furlough.

3 – For the Lord to provide some additional support so we may return fully funded.

4 – That God will provide the means for our church to have its own building in God’s timing.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

February 2026 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

This last month we began our main furlough trip. We began our first meetings in Jacksonville, FL. We then gave ministry reports or presentations in a total of 11 scheduled meetings in the states of FL, SC, NC, TN, and VA. Unfortunately, the service for one other church was canceled due to Winter Storm Fern. We hope to visit them on our next furlough. At the end of the month, we had another cancellation in SC due to Winter Storm Gianna. We then made a plan B to visit a church in TN. That meeting was also canceled due to much heavier snow than expected. We then had a plan C, which didn’t work out. As we traveled up toward Chattanooga, the snow began falling much heavier than expected so we came off the road and sought temporary refuge at a McDonald’s and mall. Thankfully, there was a church in the area that allowed us to stay at their missions house. They received us very kindly with a nice warm place to stay. They also allowed us to present our ministry on Sunday. We are thankful for the kindness and hospitality of God’s people! We were also able to book one more meeting in SC and reschedule the canceled one.

Our church in Costa Rica has remained faithful and is continuing to see new people come to the church. I am impressed by the example of those in their 70s, 80s, and even 90s who are modeling faithfulness for the next generation. There are also some newer young people who are attending faithfully and beginning to serve. A couple of weeks ago, there were 14 who went out sharing the Gospel.

We enjoyed spending some time with our family. It was good to visit some friends from our days in Bible college. We are thankful for the families that have hosted us and been kind to our family. We have made many memories of fun with family and friends. We had hoped to see snow at least once, but for the last few weeks we have seen it nearly every day! We have appreciated the beauty of snow, glistening ice-covered trees, and even had fun making snow angels and snowballs. We had one scary experience with some black ice. By the grace of God, we flagged down a man who was able to help us. He was able to guide Jeremy and help keep the vehicle from sliding down the hill into the ditch. He may not have known it, but we believe he was the answer to the prayers of those who have prayed for us over this last month.

Thank you to all who have prayed for us. There are 2 new churches that will support our ministry and 1 more that will increase our support. This month, please pray…

1 – That God will continue to keep us safe and healthy as we continue to travel in the U.S.

2 – That God will provide the means for the Costa Rican church to have its own building

3 – That God will provide additional support so that we may return to Costa Rica fully funded.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

January 2026 Prayer Letter

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 16^th, 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

December 2025 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for your prayers and support in 2025! As we prepare this letter, we can see how God has blessed and answered so many prayers. Last month, we mentioned how God blessed the faith promise commitment of our church in San Pablo. Near the end of the month, the church voted to increase the support of the two missionaries whom we support by over 50%. The missionaries were encouraged to see a missionary church supporting missionaries! Last month, we emphasized serving together in the local church. God has blessed and we have several more who are now serving in different ministries. We continue to prioritize evangelism and every week we have about 6-8 people sharing the Gospel in the San Pablo area. We have seen several new visitors and some are now attending faithfully. Near the end of the month, we had a special Thanksgiving service and were near capacity in our meeting space. On Tuesdays, Jeremy is teaching a series of lessons called “True and False,” in which we examine the truths of God’s Word in response to the counterfeits and lies of the world. We are now making the final preparations in the church before our furlough. Two faithful men will take greater responsibility in preaching and teaching. Jeremy has also arranged external support from other churches. There are a few other preachers who will help with the preaching and teaching. Michelle is preparing the children and women’s ministries.

We are now at the end of the school year. Elijah has now completed 2^nd grade. Ellowyn is graduating from 6^th grade and completing her time in elementary school. Lila is moving on to 8^th grade. This break between grades allows us the perfect opportunity to come back for a brief furlough. We are all very excited to see our family and friends, to celebrate Christmas, and to visit our sending and supporting churches. We are getting ready for cold weather and lots of traveling. We are now doing what we can to prepare our house and vehicles for our trip. We know that we will be in the USA before we know it! In early December, the ladies at the church planned a special birthday party for Michelle and two other ladies. It started out as a small thing, but quickly grew into something like a church activity. It was a blessing and it was good to see the love of Christ on display.

As we return for our first furlough since beginning the church in San Pablo, we know that it will be a trial of sorts. But thankfully, Christ has promised that He will build His church “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). This month, please pray…

That God will continue to strengthen and guide the church in San Pablo.

That God will open doors and provide so that the church may get its own building.

That God will bless us and protect us as we travel back to the US and to our supporting churches.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

November 2025 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you are all doing very well. We are staying very busy and did not realize that we had not yet sent out our November prayer letter! Last month, we had our second missions emphasis month. For the first three Sundays we heard missionaries give reports, present their ministries, and preach. On the last Sunday, Jeremy concluded the month on the grace of giving by faith. Faith Promise missions giving has been a great success and our 2025 church commitment represents a 35% increase from last year. Lord willing, the church will likely increase the missionary support and/or support a new missionary in our next business meeting. Throughout the month, we received 4 new members. Generally speaking, we have had better attendance, repeat visitors, and are nearly full for most services. Our teen activity was missions themed, so that was a fun way to celebrate missions month.On the first day of November we had a church-wide evangelism day. Unfortunately, a cold front arrived and brought a constant rain. However, we still had about 28 people participate. Some prepared Gospel tracts in the church building, but the rest shared the Gospel and gave out tracts at the central park, at a nearby traffic light, and in front of the church building. I believe we gave out around 800 tracts and we are well stocked for the future. In November, we are now shifting emphasis to “Serving Together In the Local Church.” We trust that the Lord will work in hearts to raise up laborers.

As a family, we are staying very busy. On the 13^th of October we celebrated Ellowyn’s 12^th birthday. We are so thankful for all that God has done in her life. Probably the biggest thing is that we are doing all that we can to prepare for our furlough in December. We now have our flight tickets purchased and we know that the date of our trip will come very quickly. We were excited to hear the good news that the kids’ school year will begin about 2 weeks later than usual. This means that Michelle and the kids will have more time to visit churches on furlough before returning to Costa Rica. At this point, the kids are mostly done with school and there are a few more activities before the school year concludes in December.

Last month, we requested prayer for Jeremy’s sister who was in a serious car accident. We give thanks to God as she has come a long way in her recovery. This month, please pray:

1. That God will continue to heal Jeremy’s sister Mary and help her in her recovery.

2. That God will lead more of the church people to serve in the ministries of the church.

3. That God will help us to prepare our family and the church for our upcoming furlough.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

October 2025 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

September was another busy month. We continue to teach and preach the Gospel throughout San Pablo. Every Saturday we preach the Gospel in parks and neighborhoods. We see new visitors on a regular basis. On September 7^th, we had an activity after the service to celebrate Children’s Day. We are also working on plans for our second missions emphasis month in October. Last year, our church embraced faith promise missions giving and took on two missionaries for support. The church has not only kept its commitment, but exceeded it! We have also had the opportunity to send a group of about 18 people or so to help one of the missionaries with an evangelistic children’s day activity in the town where he is planting a church. It was great to encourage him and help the church to see how we are sowing the Gospel in other communities. In preparation for missions month, I have contacted several Costa Rican pastors and missionaries to inquire about others who are being sent out to start new churches. If the Lord allows, we hope to do even more this year – not only financially, but also through prayer and sending groups to help with evangelism training and support. Near the end of the month, we also had a teen activity and ladies ministry activity.

At the beginning of the month, Jeremy received news that his sister, Mary, was in a head-on collision. She had severe injuries and her life was at great risk. He then took a short trip to support her and the family. By God’s grace and many surgeries, she has stabilized and has improved in many ways. Her recovery has been nothing short of miraculous, but she still has a long way to go. She lost much of her small intestine, and we are praying that her body will be able to receive nutrition. Please pray for her and her family.

Near the end of August, we celebrated Elijah’s birthday. In September, we celebrated Jeremy and Lila’s birthday. We also had several activities for Costa Rican independence day. Besides that, we have continued to prepare for our next furlough. Jeremy has attempted to contact with all of our supporting churches and has tried to schedule as many visits as possible. We now have 32 out of 39 possible services scheduled. We have a few available services that we hope to schedule soon. It has been good to speak with many pastors and we look forward to seeing our family, friends, and supporting churches again.

As we prepare for October, please pray:

1. For my sister Mary and that the Lord will heal her in a miraculous way.

2. That the Lord will bless our missions month and allow our church to do more this year.

3. That the Lord will provide land and a building for our church in His timing.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

September 2025 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from Costa Rica! August was another busy month. We continue preaching the Gospel throughout the city of San Pablo. One man named Cesar and a woman named Solaira professed faith in Christ as their Savior. In our regular services, we have continued to see good attendance. We have seen several visitors and, at times, are nearly full in the building where we meet. In the middle of the month, we had a special mother’s day service with a breakfast before the service. We also had a teen meeting in our home.

Despite all of the normal evangelism and activity, we have been shifting gears and preparing for our next furlough. As we prepare the church for our absence, we have two faithful men who will help with the preaching and teaching. Michelle is preparing the Sunday school teachers as well. Jeremy has also been working hard to plan our US travel itinerary. Unfortunately, our furlough will be too short to visit all of the churches that support us. Not only that, but our supporting churches are spread out across 15 different states! Jeremy has already reached out to our supporting churches where we could not visit on our last furlough. He is now contacting the rest to see if they would like for us to come and give a ministry report. As our calendar fills up, it becomes increasingly difficult to find available dates that work for each church. We are thankful for the flexibility of those who allow us to give ministry reports when we are in the area.

As for our family, we are doing well. We all have our new residency ID cards. The kids have been inviting their school friends to church. It is good to see how they are making a difference even in their schools. Michelle and I have also been preparing the kids for our next furlough. By the time we arrive in the US, it will have been nearly seven years since our last furlough! We are looking forward to seeing family, friends, and many dear brethren from the churches. We are also preparing ourselves for some cold weather! In a very short amount of time we will go from Costa Rica to Florida and then toward the Northern states at the coldest time of the year!

Thank you for all of your prayers and support. Lastly, here are a few prayer requests. Please pray:

1. That God will open doors and provide the means for us to construct a church building.

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

3. That God will help us and the church to make plans for our upcoming furlough.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

August 2025 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you are doing well. We are doing well and staying busy in the ministry. Jeremy stays busy preaching, teaching, and visiting people from the church. This last Tuesday he finished up the “Practical Discipleship” series. We spent a quite a bit of extra time working on plans for the evangelistic activity we told you about. We recorded an evangelistic video to use with our tracts. We also designed a new tract with a QR code that goes directly to the Gospel presentation. It took some extra time to print, cut, and fold the tracts. The new design does not require us to use stickers with the church information, so that will be helpful going forward. On the day of the activity we had about 26-27 people from the church come out to give out water bottles and Gospel tracts to those who were taking the “Romeria” pilgrimage. We gave out over 1,000 bottles of water and around 1,200-1,300 Gospel tracts. It was a good opportunity for many to get experience in giving out tracts. We are now preparing for a special Costa Rican Mother’s Day service. We usually serve them a nice breakfast and have a time to honor mothers. We are also preparing for our trip planned for the end of the year and early 2026. A young man preparing for ministry will be preaching once per month until then and another faithful brother will teach on Tuesday nights. We are also looking at training one or more people to work the sound system.

Last month, the kids had a short 2 week summer vacation. We spent more time together and also took an overnight trip to visit some friends. Jeremy has stayed busy working on repairs and adjustments around the house in between the work of the ministry. The kids also received their grades. They are all doing very well and we are proud of them. Ellie and a classmate participated in their school’s science fair. They won 1^st place in their grade and went on to participate on the school level. They came in second and will now represent their school in a competition against other schools. This is all good news because we need to submit her grades to the local high school to secure her spot in the bilingual program.

Lastly, we are working on our plans for our next furlough. We can only take a short furlough, so we will not be able to visit every supporting church. We will need to prioritize our supporting churches that we did not or could not visit on our last furlough. Though it will be difficult to do all that we have to do, we hope to take another furlough before too long. This month, please pray:

1. That God will guide us and help us to get everything done with regard to furlough planning.

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

3. That God will strengthen the church and prepare it to press onward even in our absence.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

July 2025 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that this letter finds each of you doing well. Thankfully, we are now fully recovered from an illness we had last month. We continue to work hard to strengthen the church in San Pablo. Jeremy is preaching a series through the book of 1^st Corinthians. On Tuesdays, he is teaching a series on Practical Discipleship. In the future, we hope to teach others who can disciple others. Michelle stays busy working on the lessons for our children’s classes and planning ladies activities. She also helps out at a local Christian school. Our evangelism ministry meets every week and we have a faithful brother who leads that ministry. We are now planning an outreach during a Catholic holiday in August in which many take a pilgrimage to the Basilica in the city of Cartago. We hope to share the Gospel with those who make the pilgrimage. We also have our visitation ministry led by another faithful brother. We meet twice a month to visit the sick and others who might need encouragement. This last Saturday, we had a nice teen activity up in the mountains. That same afternoon I was struck by all God has done since we’ve been here. When we moved to San Pablo, we didn’t know anyone. But Jesus has built His church, just as He said.

Since moving into our new house, we have had our hands full as we make repairs and settle in. The kids are now on a 2 week vacation, so we've been enjoying slower mornings and more time together as a family. We are now trying to squeeze in a short trip before the end of their vacation. In the past months, we have mentioned how our residency ID renewal process was quite behind schedule for seemingly no reason. Thankfully, we finally received a response and things are moving in the right direction. So far, we have now received 2 of the 4 cards and the third one is on its way. We are also making plans for a very short furlough in early 2026. This will be our first furlough since 2019. We will not only have to prepare our family for all that we hope to accomplish in the US, but also prepare the church to continue in our absence.

It will be a challenge for us to get everything done between now and our next trip, but we know that the Lord is faithful and will help us to do all that is needed. Thank you for your prayers. God is good! This month, please pray…

1. That God will help us to get everything done with regards to our furlough planning.

2. That God will continue to saving souls and adding them unto the church.

3. That God will strengthen the church and its ministries to do even greater things.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

June 2025 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from Costa Rica! We hope that all of you are doing well. We have been staying very busy here in Costa Rica. We are continuing to establish the church in San Pablo. Every week we have a small team that goes out preaching the Gospel in door-to-door evangelism and in public parks. We are continuing to develop our visitation ministry in which we visit church members, visitors, and those who are sick or need encouragement. Jeremy has continued to preach through 1 Corinthians on Sundays and is also teaching a series on practical discipleship on Tuesday evenings. Michelle coordinates the children’s ministries and helps out at a Christian school. All in all, we stay very busy.

We are behind schedule on sending out this newsletter. Since last month, we have moved to another house and have had to do quite a bit of fixing things up. Thankfully, Jeremy has some experience with different types of construction and repairs. Unfortunately, we were hit by a severe cold or flu of some kind. We are still recovering at the time of writing this. Thankfully, we are now doing a little bit better. Although we now have permanent residency, we still have to renew our ID cards every now and then to stay in good standing. Unfortunately, there seems to be some strange delay with the renewal which makes things difficult for us to do some relatively basic things. Hopefully everything will get resolved soon enough. As for our kids, they are doing well. They are studying hard and we are now working to get Ellie into the bilingual school where Lila attends. She will need to take some entry exams in the coming months. Please pray for that!

Before closing out with a few prayer requests, we would like to thank all who pray for us and give to support the work here in Costa Rica. We know that God blesses and honors your prayers and support. Honestly, we are a bit overwhelmed at the moment with so much to do, but we know that is a part of the ebb and flow of the ministry. This month, please pray:

1 – For our health. That we will fully recover and get caught up on everything.

2 – That the Lord will bless the ministry and that more souls saved and added to the church.

3 – That God will resolve any issues that are causing the delay of our residency ID cards.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

May 2025 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope this letter finds you well. Here in Costa Rica, we are transitioning into the rainy season. Despite the changing weather, we are continuing to make progress in establishing the church. Each week, we remain committed to our evangelistic efforts, sharing the Gospel in parks, streets, and homes. Recently, we launched a visitation ministry to organize in-home visits for the sick, visitors, and others in the church. Michelle continues to oversee the various children’s classes, ensuring a solid foundation for the younger generation. Jeremy has recently started a new "Practical Discipleship" series on Tuesday nights, which has been well-received.

As a legally established church, we are required by the government to submit two special declarations. Due to our unique situation, this has involved legal assistance, making it a learning process. However, we believe this will lay the groundwork for greater ministry opportunities in Costa Rica.

Last month was a busy time for our family. Lila transitioned to a new school much closer to our home, which has been a big change. Ellowyn and Elijah have been on special school schedules to complete their standardized tests. This week, Ellowyn is attending a special retreat called "convivencia," as she completes her final year of elementary school before transitioning to high school. Jeremy is nearing the end of his recovery and expects to resume regular exercises and lifting in about a month. We are also in the process of renewing our residency IDs. Thankfully, the process has become much simpler now that we are permanent residents.

As we look forward to May, we know the year will pass quickly. We are already preparing and making plans for the ministry. Please join us in prayer for the following:

1. That God will continue to build and strengthen His church here in Costa Rica.

2. That God will raise up laborers within the church to expand the ministry.

3. That god will continue to guide us as we make plans for late 2025 and 2026.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

April 2025 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We are now near the peak of dry season here in Costa Rica. While we don’t prefer the heat, at least we don’t have the heavy rains! Last month should have been a “slow” month… but in reality, things never slow down! Jeremy has been preaching through Genesis, and Michelle continues to direct the children’s and ladies’ ministry. We continue our evangelism efforts in both neighborhoods and public spaces and are seeing new visitors regularly. There is no bad place to preach the Gospel! We have also been working on our sound system—updating equipment and fine-tuning adjustments. We have also made a lot of progress in recording the sermons and sharing them online. It has definitely been a learning experience and has helped me have even greater appreciation for those who work in sound booths and media ministry. Near the end of the month we had both a ladies meeting and a teen meeting.

Perhaps the biggest event last month was Jeremy’s bilateral hernia surgery. The first few days afterward he was not able to do very much, but he has been gradually getting back into the normal routine. The doctor said that everything looks good and that he should be able to do pretty much anything after 3 months. Life doesn’t slow down, and Jeremy has been working to get caught back on everything. As for our family, we are doing well. Michelle stays busy helping at the Christian school and also doing some additional homeschooling for our children to make sure that their English is what it needs to be. We have recently taken some time to enjoy a new children’s park area that the local government installed near our house.

Thank you to all who continually pray for us and support our ministry. This month, please pray for the following:

1 – For Jeremy’s continued recovery in the coming months.

2 – That God will continue to bless, guide, and strengthen the church in San Pablo.

3 – That God will guide us as we plan for late 2025 and 2026.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

March 2025 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that all of you are doing well. We are staying busy here in Costa Rica. Jeremy has been preaching on the book of Genesis. On Tuesday nights, he recently finished teaching through the book of Acts, and we are now focusing more on Bible Doctrines. We have continued in our regular evangelism efforts. In February, we saw one teenager and one young man profess faith in Christ as Savior. We also have been reworking our sound and computer system. We have set up a side table where we now have a person running the sound and slides. We have installed a new camera that will allow us to record our services and share them online. We have also purchased a sound board to allow us to improve the sound quality in both our services and recorded sermons. We are hoping to record evangelistic videos which we can share through the gospel tracts that we give out weekly. Please pray that God will allow us to reach even more people for Christ.

Over the last several months, we have requested prayer for Jeremy’s health as he was diagnosed with inguinal hernias on both the left and right side. Although they began as mostly asymptomatic, over the last few months, he has experienced more pain. In February, the doctor recommended surgery. Last Sunday, Jeremy had both hernias repaired. After one night in the hospital, he is now at home recovering. Michelle has taken on extra responsibilities to keep everything running smoothly.. Several people at church have also stepped up to help out in various ways. In the first week of March, we had a visit from our field director, Bro Terry Jones, and his wife Kaye. Unfortunately, Jeremy was not able to be there, but it was nice that he shared a message for our Tuesday night service. As for our kids, Ellowyn and Elijah are now back in school and are staying very busy. They also help out with evangelism and children’s classes at church.

We are working on our plans for the rest of the year and early 2026. We are presently working on plans for a brief furlough early next year. We will let you know as the plans progress. This month, please pray for the following:

1. For the Lord to continue to grow and strengthen the church in San Pablo.

2. For the Lord to help Jeremy as he expects to have a full recovery over the next several months.

3. For the Lord to guide us as we make plans for late 2025 and early 2026.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

February 2025 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We pray that this letter finds you doing well. We are thankful for your prayers and support. We are staying busy and are off to a great start to the new year. We have continued our normal ministries in the church. Jeremy is preaching through Genesis and has nearly finished teaching through Acts. Michelle coordinates our children’s ministries. We have some faithful members who are coordinating other ministries. We are planning to start a visitation ministry to better coordinate home visits. Last month, we had a youth activity with a great turnout. We are glad to see how the Lord is working in the hearts of the young people. Lord willing, we will receive some new members into the church in the next week or two. We are also planning to baptize two who have attended for over a year and have trusted Christ as their Savior. This past Sunday, we launched our third children’s class and this will allow us to minister more effectively to children of different ages. We are also working on our religious association to take care of some more legal stuff and get everything on track. We are thankful for a Christian woman who is also a lawyer who has been helping us with that.

For the last couple of months, we have spent more time with the kids as two of the three have been on their extended vacation before starting the next school year. They are now getting back to school, and we are changing gears just a little bit. Lila started school in January as her school follows the US academic calendar. She studied for her spelling bee very diligently. She won first place in her class and second place in her school. In the youth group, she shares devotionals with each day this month. Later in the month, we had a visit from a pastor friend from Nicaragua and his wife. It was good to see them and hear how the Lord is blessing their church. We are now working on our plans for the rest of the year and early next year.

As we move forward into another busy year, we ask you to join us in prayer for the following:

1 - For God's guidance as we make decisions for our family and ministry, especially with the new initiatives we are working on.
2 - For continued health and strength, as we take on many responsibilities.
3 - For the souls we are reaching, that the Holy Spirit would open hearts to the Gospel and bring lasting change.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

January 2025 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you had a nice Christmas and a great start to the new year! December was a busy but blessed month for our family and ministry. Earlier in the month, we had our church family Christmas celebration. After that, we had a Christmas outreach event in a local community. We had a great turnout from the church and from the community. We shared the Gospel clearly with approximately 140 people. We hope that the Lord uses those relationships for further ministry in that area. Because we have our mid-week service on Tuesday nights, we had special services for both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Our desire is that the Lord be glorified in all that we do. It was a blessing to see several people who have not attended in a while to return to attend faithfully once again. We continue to bring the Gospel to the people of San Pablo and the Heredia area. Last week, two men professed faith in Christ as they called upon Him for salvation. We are glad to report that we are seeing more people involved in the children’s classes. We will hold a youth activity in our home. We have been preparing to make a series of Gospel-centered videos to share through a QR code on our tract. We have purchased some new equipment and are looking forward to putting it to use in the near future.

Although December was a month full of activity in our church, it was good to have the kids home on a brief vacation from school. We have been able to spend more time together each day and we sometimes take walks or go to the park together. We also had a special day to spend with Lila’s friend and her family who are missionaries in the language school. Michelle’s parents came to visit us for the week of Christmas. It was good to see them and spend some time together. We are now preparing to host our next youth event in our home before the kids get back to school. Lila will return to school on Monday. Ellowyn and Elijah have another month or so of vacation before beginning the next school year in February.

Thank you to all who sent special Christmas offerings in November and December. That really is a blessing and helps us in many ways. We expect 2025 to be a great year with much development in the church and ministry. This month, please pray…

1. That God will give us wisdom as we take the next steps with our church and its organization.

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

3. That we and our church will grow in faith and personal knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz