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