Dear Friends and Family,
We planned, dreamed, and prayed for the ministries of February and March 2018, and now, we are in the midst of it all. Above all, we pray that all our endeavors have heavenly consequence—both to glorify the Lord and also to strengthen or grow His kingdom.
Beside our continued ministry at the Spanish Language Institute and Sojourn Academy, we shared with you earlier this year other projects we look forward to realizing in 2018 and beyond.
February’s ministry excitement came with the IBAC ministry with the first week of three 2018 modules of pastoral training occurred at the Spanish Language Institute. Due to the bi-vocational nature of pastors here in Costa Rica, our focus is to provide for pastors and lay workers the opportunity to study and learn during the evenings. Forty-one students came to listen and study from 3:30-9:00pm each evening—supper included.
Your prayers and financial help were essential to the success of the week. All finances for this week were covered! Praise the Lord. We thank Dr. Jim Wilson and his team from IBAC (Institutos Biblicos de America Central/Bible Institutes in Central America). We look forward to the next installment in June!
Now in the midst of March, we turn our attention toward the Awana Lifeline prison ministries. We are in the midst of planning, printing, and designing with national pastors a program that will start up on March 18 with the arrival of Dan Bostrom, Kristi Miller, and Mike Broyles from Awana Lifelines. Bob Rohm, the director of our mission agency, Grace Global Ministries, will also be here. On March 24, Awana Lifeline will provide an all-day training program for 87 church-approved workers who desire to not only minister to those in the prisons and jails, but also help restore relationship with the Lord as well as with the prisoners’ families. The training will take place at the Spanish Language Institute facilities.
Please pray for the initiation of this strong program that has proven to be so blessed of the Lord in the United States, the Dominican Republic, and other countries. The Word of God through discipleship changes lives, families, and even prisons!
We look forward to sharing with you the results of this venture—but these will be ongoing into the months and years ahead, Lord willing. We pray, too, that one of the results of this ministry will be the training of evangelical chaplains, a desire of the pastors here in Costa Rica.
Other projects to keep in front of you this year:.
Equip and prepare Spanish-speaking missionaries through teaching-Spanish as a second language certifications and basic English training so that they are able to enter countries as tent-makers—this can include that many North Americans are not free to enter.
Providing online training for English-speaking missionaries learn Spanish before and after their formal class time at the Institute
Tia and I are blessed to be part of New Life Impact Baptist Church, our church from our previous years in Costa Rica. We have been involved in some of the small group ministries, and Tia has had some opportunity to minister through playing the piano. We just enjoyed a week of Bible conference with Argentine speaker/professor Raul Ferrero who spoke on “Those Who Love His Appearing.” The building was full every evening–even during the weeknights. Praise God.
As a middle school and high school English teacher, Tia is involved in ministering to missionary kids and to national children in their educational needs. Due to small class sizes, much opportunity exists to get to know students personally and become a discipling part of their lives.
At the beginning of January, we submitted our American documents toward the process of residency here in Costa Rica. Please pray that this proceeds quickly and smoothly.
And still, too, we ask for prayers for comfort for each family member as we journey forward through life here without our daughter Colleen. We truly miss her, but we trust in God’s sovereignty regarding life here and life there.
With faith in Him,