Hello friends and family!

We hope you are all doing well, and we are excited to share with you all about our time so far in Costa Rica in 300 words or less … let’s see if we can do this!

Firstly, we must share that our first 7 weeks of marriage have been spectacular. We are enjoying and loving marriage together while living through an answered prayer of serving on the mission field.

We arrived in Costa Rica on October 3rd, and began classes at the Instituto de Lengua Española (ILE) the following week. Learning a new language has come with its challenges as well as its rewards. ILE is much more than just a Christian Language School; it truly reflects the heart of God and is a mirror of what is to come in God’s kingdom. Additionally, ILE students are diverse, as we have students from the United States, South Korea, and other countries, all in different stages of life: young families, large families, newly weds, older couples, and single individuals. There are chapels twice a week, and the spiritual atmosphere at ILE has been what Ticos (locals) call “tranquillo” (calm). During October, we had a guest speaker, Pastor Tito Ruiz from Stonemill Church in Georgia, lead us through Spiritual Emphasis week, where he challenged us to examine our callings, prepare for spiritual warfare, and recognize the necessity of collaboration with all people. Our time with Pastor Tito was encouraging, thought-provoking, and challenging to our faith in a variety of ways.

Before arriving in Costa Rica, we were in contact with a missionary named Jordan. Since arriving to CR, we have had limited contact from Jordan. He had some medical surgeries recently due to cancer, so we are unsure of any recent updates due to loss of contact within this past month. Please be praying for Jordan and his situation. Nonetheless, we have had the opportunity to partner with different ministries and missionaries. Within CR, there is a town called La Carpio, and it is one of the poorest towns in Costa Rica. We have partnered with Christ for the City (Cristo Para La Ciudad) that ministers in a neighborhood within Carpio called Las Gradas (The Steps). The missionaries informed us that many of the people in Carpio are immigrants from neighboring Latin American countries, and that 98% of the population in Las Gradas have experienced abuse, whether it be sexual, physical, emotional and/or other forms. To say the least, Las Gradas needs the Gospel. Fortunately, we have been able to start building relationships with the students through home visits and the discipleship program for the youth of Las Gradas.

Costa Ricans are known for living a life that they call “Pura Vida,” which denotes a life that is calm, peaceful, and not in a rush. While in comparison to other countries Costa Rica is relatively peaceful, there is still an immense need for Jesus Christ. Racism abounds, poverty is prevalent, immigrants (especially many Venezuelans) are seeking refuge, the homeless roam the streets of San Jose, and prostitution is legal. While many churches in Costa Rica prefer to work independently rather than collectively, we have been attending Iglesia Lugar. There seems to be potential opportunities to be further involved in ministry with this church, as they serve their community and create a family atmosphere. Overall, we have been loving our time in Costa Rica thus far, and we hope to continue to be productive and fruitful in our studies and in these ministries. We have attached some pictures and prayers points with additional information below!

Bible Verse: Isaiah 66:18-21

Song: Holy Forever by Chris Tomlin; El Versión en Español es Santo Por Siempre by La IBI

Prayer Requests:

• For the health of Jordan

• For us to maintain a disciplined and diligent spirit in learning Spanish and serving others

• For the people of La Carpio who need the healing power of the Holy Spirit

• For continued financial support as we continue fundraising

Spiritual Emphasis Week

La Chimba: Estamos en el Mano de Dios (In God's Hand)

Dia de Misiones (Missions Day)