November Prayer Letter

Below you'll find the test of our November prayer letter.

Be Blessed!

But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before, you; yes, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” Isaiah 52:12
This month, we give thanks to God for His plans, provision, and protection.

The Lord God has a plan for our lives:
Two years ago we left the bustling capital city of San Jose with over one million people, and moved to a rural village of 3,000 people called Villarreal, in the Costa Rican province of Guanacaste. We recall talking about how what we had done must have appeared crazy to many; leaving a growing ministry to go to a place where we knew no one and would be starting all over. That move brought culture shock all over again, as the differences between life in the city and life in the country are many. Admittedly, fear existed at that point. Yet, God is faithful and His Word is a light for our path. We trusted His plan for our family and we are reminded of His faithfulness in Isaiah 52:12. The blessings the Lord has poured out on our family are countless. We could never have imagined what the Lord had planned for us, and in fact moved here with a completely different plan. However, we are so thankful for the way the Lord has worked in our lives and in the ministry He has given us. We ask you to be persistent in praying for the Lord to continue to reveal to us His plans for our family and ministry, and also to Pastor Phil for Calvary Chapel Villarreal.

The Lord God is our Provider:
A little over a year ago, the Lord provided for our family in a way we never could have imagined with new ministry partners, both financially and in collaboration with Potter’s Field Ministries. The Lord has allowed us to minister to nearly 100 children who’ve come through the doors of Calvary Chapel Villarreal through Potter’s Field Kids (PFK) or the weekly Bible Club. After much prayer, patience, and grace, we are beginning to see fruit in the lives of the PFK children. We are able to disciple some fifty children through the weekly Bible Club. The Lord has provided women and youth volunteers to assist in the daily ministry. We consistently receive PFK interns who have proven to be a tremendous blessing and invaluable part of the ministry. The Lord provided a new PFK staff member, Helyi (LG), in August of this year and she brings great experience, training and life to the ministry. Many of you, especially from FEPC, have deepened your relationship with us through consistent daily prayer and we are so very thankful. Our understanding and study of God’s Word has grown tremendously through Pastor Phil’s teaching, and therefore our relationship with our Creator has grown as well. Thank you for your prayers and your provision for our family!

The Lord God is our Protector:
Protection is something we all desire, but it is not something we need to worry about. Countless times in scripture, God promises His children He is our Refuge in times of trouble. He is our Protector and He hides us in the shadow of His wings. He fights for us and He is the Rock upon which we can stand. He intercedes for us when we cannot. He is our strength when we are weak. The Lord continues to provide His protection for our family. We cannot understand the depths of His love, grace , forgiveness, and mercy and are completely undeserving. Yet our God does and He goes before us and comes after us, providing the most powerful protection available. Praise God with us for His protection over our family!

Prayer and Praise:
Please pray this month for Pastor Phil and Rebecca as they travel to San Jose for the birth of their fourth child. Pray especially for Rebecca and the delivery. Praise God that Brooke is feeling much better and only experiencing minimal side effects from the meds. Thank you for praying! Praise God that Matt’s parents are visiting this month and will be bringing a special surprise!! Pray for their travel, our time with them, and that God would be glorified. See next month for details on their visit and the surprise!