December 2018 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that this letter finds you doing well. Last month was a busy month for us. Jeremy took some time to call all of our supporting churches regarding our temporary field change to Costa Rica. Since then, we have also been doing a lot of planning for our upcoming transition. We have already gotten our passports renewed and have been in communication with the Costa Rican consulate regarding the documentation needed for our transition. We will need to get all new birth certificates, marriage certificates, police records, and financial documents and get them all apostilled before leaving the states. In the meantime, we are also planning a short survey trip as we make plans for our next ministry. We presently have the dates set for mid-January and hope to secure housing and other things for our arrival in late January. We do not yet know all that the Lord has planned for us, but we believe we will be involved in church planting, evangelism, and discipleship. It is estimated that more than 10% of the Costa Rican population is made up of Nicaraguans, many of whom are displaced refugees from the crisis in Nicaragua. We are also praying for the Lord's guidance on how to reach them with the Gospel. We also will have some trouble and expense in bringing our vehicle in from Nicaragua. We are praying about how to best handle that.

Although we have much transition ahead of us, it was nice to have a little stability at our home church last month. Jeremy enjoys going on visitation. He was able to share the gospel with many, including some who could only speak Spanish. Michelle enjoys singing in the choir. Our girls have also been preparing for the Christmas musical. Michelle has been working hard on home-schooling the kids. We have been considering options for schooling in Costa Rica. There are many things we have to figure out, but we know that God is good and will guide us in these next few steps.

Last month, President Trump signed an executive order declaring the Nicaraguan crisis as a national emergency and a threat to the United States. He imposed the first round of sanctions against Nicaragua. He is also expected to sign into Law the "Nica Act" including much stronger actions against the government of Nicaragua. This month, please pray:

1. That God will guide the situation in Nicaragua and bring peaceful resolution to the people.

2. That God will lead us as we transition to Costa Rica.

3. That God will use us to lead others to salvation by faith in Christ.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

November 2018 Prayer Letter

This month, our letter is being sent out a little behind schedule because we wanted to wait and include some big decisions. Last month, we completed the last of our scheduled meetings for furlough. We were part of one missions conference in TN and one other meeting with a supporting church in KY. After returning home, we enjoyed being able to be a part of all of the activity at our home church. Jeremy was also glad to teach Sunday school and help with events when he had the opportunity. Due to the civil unrest and economic crisis in Nicaragua, we have been able to help our church with a relief offering. Despite the economic crisis, we were proud to see three men attend their 1st year promotion of their studies at the Bible Institute. One is serving as an intern under the pastor, while the other two are actively evangelizing and planting the Gospel seed in 2 neighboring cities for upcoming church plants. God has blessed and even provided homes for meeting locations.

For the last several months, we have been closely monitoring the situation in Nicaragua. We had hoped and prayed for the crisis to be resolved, but there is still no resolution. The U.S. Embassy continues the level 3 travel advisory, stating "avoid travel due to serious risks to safety and security" along with many other warnings. After several months of prayer, seeking godly wisdom, and heeding the advice of our pastor and field director, we sadly come to the conclusion that Nicaragua remains too dangerous and too unstable for our family to return at this time. This is a very difficult decision that we never expected to or wanted to make. We have also been seeking the Lord's direction for our next term. At this point, we believe that the Lord is leading us to go to Costa Rica until Nicaragua has stabilized. There has been a massive migration of Nicaraguan refugees to Costa Rica and we are praying about the possibility of a special ministry to help them. We do not yet know all that the Lord has planned for us, but we know that God is doing a work that is much bigger than we can understand.

In the near future, we are planning to personally contact our supporting churches regarding these changes. This month, please pray...

1. That the Lord bring peace and stability to the people of Nicaragua.

2. That the Lord continue to use our church plant to win souls and plant other churches.

3. That God will direct and lead us regarding our future ministry in Costa Rica.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

October 2018 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We are now approaching the last of our meetings on furlough. Last month, we had meetings with 5 churches. Unfortunately, there was another meeting that had to be canceled. Though we have only a little time left on furlough, we were able to schedule one more missions conference. One new church began supporting us monthly, which brings us to 95% of our needed support. As for Nicaragua, the situation continues to remain unstable. Recently, the United Nations Human Rights Office conducted an investigation and published a report on the killings, torture, and detentions. After this was published, they were expelled from the country. The Nicaraguan Association for Human Rights now shows 512 killed, over 4000 injured, and over 1300 people that have gone missing. We are continuing to monitor the situation and will be making decisions with our pastor very soon regarding our return.

Last month, we were able to spend a little time at our home church. It was missions month, so we were encouraged to hear other missionaries share how God called them to their respective fields. We celebrated Lila's 7th birthday, and this month we will be celebrating Ellowyn's 5th birthday. The girls also liked being able to attend their kids classes at our home church. Elijah is now walking and climbing up everything that he can find. It turns out that we needed some of the extra time time to take care of some urgently needed car maintenance and repair. It was also a good time for us to take care of some doctor appointments. At the end of the month, we moved into a new house where we will stay the remainder of furlough.

This upcoming month, we will be taking a trip up to TN and KY for a missions conference and another another meeting. Please pray for us as we have some big decisions ahead of us regarding our return. These are decisions that we cannot take lightly. We are surrendered to whatever the Lord's will is for us during this time. This month, please pray:

1. That God will give us wisdom as we make plans regarding our return.

2. That God will bring peace to the people of Nicaragua.

3. That God will use us to to lead souls to Christ and be a blessing to others during the remainder of our time on furlough.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

Missions Schedule

Missions Schedule

We are currently near the end of our first furlough. We are making preparations to return to Nicaragua in the coming months. We may have a few available dates left for booking meetings and conferences. If you would like to have us come to present our ministry or give a missionary report/update, please contact me at: Blanz2Nicaragua@gmail.com.

September 2018 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that this letter finds each of you doing well. Last month was another busy month for us. We had 9 meetings from northern MI down to southern FL. In between meetings, we drove over 3,200 miles. At this point, we are at 92.5% of our needed support. In Nicaragua, the violence and unrest has continued. Even the Nicaraguan Human Rights organization that was tracking it has been forced to close to receiving death threats. Ever since July 6th, the U. S. Government has ordered the departure of non-emergency U. S. government personnel. In other words, the embassy has been closed and only offers limited emergency services. Many other services such as medical care is also limited due to the ongoing crisis. We are continuing to monitor the situation and Jeremy may be taking a short term trip in the near future to be able to assess the situation with regards to our return.

Although we stayed pretty busy with meetings, we were thankful that many of them were in our home state of FL. This means that we were able to spend a little time at home. After having been gone for much of the last few months, it took a little time to get everything back to normal. Lila and Ellie really enjoyed being able to see some of their friends at our home church. Near the end of the month, we celebrated Elijah's first birthday! Time has passed so quickly since he was born. He brings smiles to everyone that he meets. As we approach the end of our furlough meetings, we are beginning to focus much more on our plans for our next term. We are seeking counsel and trust the Lord to guide us as we make some big decisions.

This month, we will be finishing up the last of our furlough meetings. Although our children love to see their friends and family, they also miss Nicaragua. This month, please pray for the following:

1. That God will bring peace to the people of Nicaragua

2. That God continues to advance his Gospel and save souls, even in these difficult times.

3. That God continue to guide us as we make decisions regarding our next term.

4. That God provide the remaining support needed for us to be fully funded.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

August 2018 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that this letter finds you doing well. The situation in Nicaragua has been going on now for nearly 3 1/2 months. The latest report by the Nicaraguan Association for Human Rights reports at least 448 deaths, 2,830 injured, and 595 people that have disappeared. Thankfully, our church in Nicaragua has remained strong. On July 29th, they celebrated their 3rd anniversary and there were 8 who followed the Lord in believer's baptism. Many have lost their jobs and all, including the church, have faced extremely tough times economically. Prayerfully, we have been able to help some during this time until things stabilize some. This brings to mind the relief effort of the disciples for the churches in Judea during the famine, "Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea (Acts 11:29)." We are thankful to have the means to do so.

During July, we had 10 scheduled meetings in the states of FL, IL, KY, OH, and MI. In between meetings we drove over 3,500 miles and stayed in 15 different places. Thankfully, there were 2 new churches that began to support us financially, bringing us to 92.5% of our needed support.

During our time in Kentucky, one sweet church provided us tickets to see the Ark Encounter. Michelle's parents were also able to come up and see it with us. It was an awesome experience and one that surely changed our children's perspectives of both Noah's ark and the pre-flood world. We send special thanks to this sweet church and to Bro. Tim and Mrs. Lori for their generosity. Near the end of the month, we were able to spend a little bit of time at Michelle's grandparents' house in Tennessee. It was good to see her family. The girls also LOVED playing outside, feeding the chickens, etc. Elijah has also been coming along and is now getting close to walking. We will be celebrating his first birthday later this month.

This month, will you please pray:

1. That God bring peace to the people of Nicaragua.

2. That God continue to advance his Gospel and save souls, even in these difficult times.

3. That God continue to guide us and help us raise the additional support needed.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

July 2018 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that this letter finds each of you doing well. This last month, we stayed very busy on the road. We were in 8 scheduled meetings in the states of PA, VA, NC, and NJ. Jeremy also had the privilege of preaching a series of messages for a Spanish ministry family camp of a church in Maryland. It was a blessing to spend some time with the church and minister to their Spanish congregation. In between meetings, we drove over 3,500 miles and stayed in 17 different places. At this point, we could probably pack and unpack with our eyes closed! While it can be fun to visit so many different places in different states, it can also be very difficult when sicknesses come. Last month, sickness took a toll on our family. Thankfully, the month finished better than it started! We were also glad to receive news that another church had voted to take us on for support.

One highlight from last month was when one of our supporting churches in VA surprised us with a "missionary Christmas." Our girls didn't know what was going on... and they weren't asking any questions! It was a blessing and encouragement to us. We send special thanks to this dear church! As for Elijah, he is now not only crawling, but crawling everywhere very quickly! Our girls really enjoyed the Spanish family camp. We all loved the food and sweet spirit of the people. It really made us miss our church family in Nicaragua.

At present, the Nicaraguan people are going through an extremely difficult time. Since the civil unrest began about 2 1/2 months ago, civil rights groups are reporting that at least 309 people have been killed and over 2,500 who have been injured. There is still much fighting in the streets, even in the city where our church was started. This month, please pray:

1. That God will bring peace to the people of the Nicaragua.

2. That God will bring the gospel to those who are lost.

3. That God will guide us as we evaluate the situation and form plans for our next term.

4. That God will bless our time on furlough and provide the remaining support needed.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

June 2018 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you are well. This last month, we were able to take a much needed break from our travels and spend some time at our home church. We were able to spend a little time with family and friends. Jeremy spent some time working on a home that we will be basing out of for the rest of our time on furlough. He was also able to go on visitation with our home church. Jeremy was contacted by a church and asked to preach a Spanish family camp in Pennsylvania later this month. In most cases, we would not be able to do that. However, we will be very close to the area and it will be a good opportunity to both refresh our Spanish and minister to a Spanish congregation.

One issue that has been difficult for our family has been to keep up with everything going on in Nicaragua. Over the last 1-2 months, there have been deep divisions and massive protests throughout the country. There had been a "peace dialogue," but even that have been called off. More than 110 have been killed and nearly 1,000 people injured. The situation can not be summarized in a short prayer letter. Most major U.S. news networks are now covering the situation and articles are easily found online. According to the Washington Post, "Nicaragua is moving from national crisis to potential national catastrophe." We are praying daily for peace for the Nicaraguan people.

As for our family, we have had some sicknesses this last month. We have also been able to take care of some doctors appointments while we were in Jacksonville. Since we have moved into the "new" house, it has been good for our family to settle in a little bit before resuming travels. Our girls have really enjoyed getting to see her grandparents. It was a blessing for Michelle and I to see both of our mothers for Mother's day. Our baby, Elijah, is now crawling around and getting into everything!

This month, there is so much to pray for. Although, we are not in Nicaragua going through this, we cannot help but to share in the pain of the Nicaraguan people. Please pray:

1. That God help the people of Nicaragua to have peace and stability.

2. That God direct, guide, and comfort us as we travel and continue making future plans.

3. That God continue to bless his work and protect the churches in Nicaragua.

4. That God strengthen and bless the ministry of the churches during this difficult time.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

May 2018 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that winter is finally over! Depending upon where we travel each day, we may encounter summer weather on one day and winter weather the next! Last month, we either presented our ministry or gave furlough reports in 6 churches in the states of FL, GA, and TN. Jeremy has learned to work wherever he is, even if it means setting up his "office" in the waiting room while getting his car maintenance done! During our meetings, Michelle has had opportunities to teach ladies and sing. Jeremy usually preaches and teaches children. We enjoy getting to see our supporting pastors and churches again. We have also been able to meet many new pastors. Although deputation and furlough travels can be very difficult at times, we are always amazed at the love and generosity of the churches that we visit.

In between meetings, we have been able to spend some time in the home of Michelle's grandparents. They have been very supporting of us and have been such a blessing during our time with them. While we are "on the road," we have few opportunities to slow down do things outdoors. Thankfully, we had the opportunity to do some fun things with the kids during our time there. Near the end of last month, we returned home to Jacksonville in order to take some time for our family to take a much needed rest. Baby Elijah is now almost ready to begin crawling. Lila now says that she wants to be a Sunday School teacher. Ellowyn is just happy to see her friends church again.

As we look forward to the next month, I ask that you will please pray for both our family and the people of Nicaragua. Beginning about 2 weeks ago, there have been massive protests throughout Nicaragua. We are seeking the Lord's will on many things, from guiding us on furlough to giving us direction on our plans for our next term. This month, please pray:

1. That God will strengthen us and our ministry on furlough.

2. That God will guide the people of Nicaragua during this time of difficulty.

3. That God will continue to use us to bring the Gospel to the lost, both here and in Nicaragua.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

April 2018 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

Last month was a very busy month for us. We were privileged to be able to either present our ministry or give a furlough update in 8 churches in the states of FL, GA, SC, and TN. 2 of the meetings were for missions conferences. During the conferences, we also were able to preach in Christian School chapel. We also took a day to report back to the BIMI world missions center. We enjoyed getting to spend a little time with the directors and share what God has done on our first term. In between meetings, we drove over 2600 miles! We were pleased to find out that 2 new churches had voted to take us on for support! What an answer to prayer!

Although we stay super busy on the roads, life does not slow down or stop. Michelle stayed very busy with Lila and Ellowyn in their home schooling. Elijah is also coming along. He is now sitting up much better and should be crawling pretty soon. He also has grown his first tooth. It seems that everywhere we go, he always gets lots of attention! We took a little time to get things ready for doing our tax return, but ran into some problems. Although Elijah was born in Nicaragua, his social security card was mailed to the USA and was never delivered to our USA mailing address. We had to spend some extra time with the Social Security Administration to get his social security number so that we may file our taxes. Near the end of the month, we took a short trip up to GA to spend some time with Jeremy's family. We don't get to see them very often, so it was a blessing. We were also able to attend a special "Christ in the Passover" service at our home church. On Resurrection Sunday, we spent the day with Michelle's family. They all enjoyed getting to spend a little extra time with the kids.

We are so thankful for those who pray for us as we travel. This month, we will be in 9 churches, including 2 missions conferences. We will be traveling from South FL all the way up to KY, VA, and WV. This month, please pray...

1. That God keep us safe and healthy as we travel.

2. That God use us to bless the churches we visit and preach the Gospel to those who are lost.

3. That God continue to provide the remaining needed support before we return to Nicaragua in October.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

March 2018 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

While January was a smooth transition into furlough travels, February was "full-steam ahead." We had scheduled meetings in 8 churches, including a missions conference, in the states of FL, GA, SC, and TN. During the conference, we enjoyed sharing our ministry with Christian school classes of all ages, as well as teaching Sunday school and children's church. In between meetings, we drove over 3,000 miles. We also received good news that 3 of our supporting churches increased our support level. In between meetings, Jeremy has called hundreds of new churches in the areas where we have openings on our calendar. Although our calendar is approaching "full," we were still able to book 6 more meetings to fill in some of the few remaining openings.

Early last month, we took a trip to southern GA. Jeremy was able to show our girls the church where his family attended when he was a child (Bible Baptist Church in Savannah) as well as the church where he attended when he surrendered to serve the Lord in Missions (Bethel Baptist Church in Richmond Hill). It was good to see them again, as well as meet many new people. Elijah is now 6 months old and the churches have loved to see him. Thankfully, we have been able to spend some of our time in between meetings with Michelle's parents in FL and her grandparents in TN. Michelle has also been very busy in homeschooling our girls. While it is difficult to teach them while traveling, there are also many great opportunities for educational "field trips" to museums and similar places. While we were in Columbus, GA, Grace Baptist Church brought us to the Infantry Museum. We really enjoyed spending time with them.

This month, we are scheduled to be in 8 more churches, including missions conferences, in the same 4 states. This month, please pray:

1. That God help us to raise the remaining support needed to be fully funded.

2. That God use us to encourage churches and to preach the Gospel to those who need to hear.

3. That God guide us as we continue to pray and plan our next term.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

February 2018 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you are doing well. Last month, we were in 8 scheduled meetings and 1 missions conference. We were also invited to attend one preachers meeting and a men's fellowship dinner. Jeremy was also able to book 7 new meetings. In one of the churches, a young girl had shared how she believed God was calling her to serve in missions. What an encouragement! When we had the opportunity, we were able to help visit with our home church. One Saturday, while visiting, we met a lady named Hilda. Hilda had attended church but had never rested her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. After sharing with her many Scriptures, she understood that salvation was only by grace through faith. She then placed her faith in Christ alone. Since being back in the states, we have seen some pictures of the church in Nicaragua. It was encouraging to see that the church is continuing to do well after we left. There was a report of 17 people receiving Christ recently. Praise God!

Life in the USA has been exciting for the girls. According to Ellowyn, every day we get to go to another new church! While it may not be "every" day, they have had to adjust to new places and new people on a regular basis. Elijah has been very happy to meet new people and get lots of special attention. Lila and Ellowyn have found their niche in giving out prayer cards to everyone they can. Some people may even receive 2 or 3 of them! All in all, it has been good for them. They are beginning to understand not just what we do as missionaries, but why we do it. What a privilege it is to bring the Gospel to those in need and report back on what God has done!

This month, there is only one Wednesday when we do not have a scheduled meeting. We will be very busy, yet we need God's blessing. This month, please pray:

1. That God will use us to share the gospel with the lost wherever we are.

2. That those who hear the Gospel will receive Christ by faith.

3. That God will use us to encourage churches in the Great Commission.

4. That God will provide a few new supporting churches during our furlough.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz

January 2018 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you had a wonderful time celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Last month was very busy for us. During our last few days in Nicaragua, we held a baptism service. Jeremy baptized a boy who had been in his Sunday School class for over two years as well as a man whom he taught in a 1 on 1 discipleship course. Our final service in Nicaragua was held in the new church building. Pastor Berner and the church held a special going away service for our family. They made us feel very special and missed. After that, we finished up our packing, sold many things, and stored the rest at the homes of a few friends. We took an all night flight and arrived back in the states on December 7th. Upon arrival, we had to buy a used van and set up our cell phones to get ready for furlough travels. Thankfully, we were able to spend a few weeks at our home church, as well as participate in some of the Christmas festivities. Jeremy was given the opportunity to preach in Reformers Unanimous ministry of our home church. He also took a little time to help out with church visitation. There were two men who placed their faith in Christ to be saved. Jeremy also went to work putting together a new video with lots of pictures to show on furlough. Near the end of the month, we gave a brief furlough report to one of our supporting churches in TN.

It was very special to spend Christmas time with our families. That is something special which we should not take for granted! Everyone loved seeing how the girls had grown as well as get to know the newest member of the Blanz family, baby Elijah! It took Lila and Ellowyn a little time to get used to life in the United States. Sometimes, on our way to a place, Lila would ask whether we would speak in Spanish or English. At first, it seemed strange to her that everyone spoke English! The girls were also surprised to feel how cold it was up in Tennessee and to see puddles and ponds that had frozen over. They even got to see a little bit of snow! They really enjoyed getting to spend a little time reconnecting with our families.

We are so thankful for all who pray for us. This next month, will you please pray:

1. That God continues to strengthen the San Marcos church in our absence.

2. That God will use us to be a blessing and encouragement to the churches we visit.

3. That God will enable us to raise a little additional support during our time on furlough.

In Christ,

Jeremy, Michelle, Lila, Ellowyn, and Elijah Blanz