November 2017 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

Last month was very busy for us. In Jeremy's Sunday School class, there were several who had been really beginning to grasp the gospel. One morning, Jeremy stopped the class early and counseled six children who then made the decision to place their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. One of our Sunday School teachers had been burdened to bring a girl to church each week for about a month. This girl received Christ in one of the services. We believe that God placed this burden in the Sunday School teacher's heart. It is hard to put this into writing, but one weekend the girl had gone missing. The city was rocked by the news that she had been murdered. Her family invited our church's national pastor Berner to come and preach the Gospel to all of the friends and family. This tragedy reminds us of two things: #1- That evil and wickedness exist in this world, and #2- That Jesus Christ is the only solution. Please pray for that God comfort the family and bring many to faith in Jesus Christ through this tragedy.

As for the church building, the main structure is now nearing completion. Work is now beginning on the roof. Pastor Berner is doing a great job managing the building process and working to get materials for the lowest prices possible. We are also working towards transferring our ministry roles in the church to faithful church members who will pick up where we leave off. Our family has been working every day to get ready for furlough. Jeremy has called several hundred churches. Last month, he booked 25 meetings, including many new churches. Michelle has been focusing upon cleaning, packing, and making plans for the storage of our things. We missed out on some opportunities to get things done last week due to a tropical storm. We spent 5 days with no electricity. Thankfully, we now have light again!

This next month will be extremely busy for us. We will be working to wrap things up here in Nicaragua as well as set things up for our furlough in the states. This month, will you please pray:

1. That God guide our church through this transition as the church becomes completely indigenous.

2. That God will use the tragedy from last month to bring others to Himself and for His glory.

3. That God will guide our family as we prepare for a big transition back to the states on furlough.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, and Ellowyn Blanz