If you want to see the raw numbers, please click on the following link:
http://carlosulatecostarica.blogspot.com/p/statistics.html
Please put up with the configuration of the tables. It is difficult for me to create tables in HTML language. Also, you may notice the contribution figures are not posted yet. The treasurer hasn't been able to give the file with the figures, because he was in El Salvador for more than two weeks in August. His name is Daniel Delgado. By the way, there are news regarding this dear brother. He had been dating a girl from a church in San Salvador, and he just married her. That was the reason for his trip to El Salvador. Daniel works for a local bank, and goes to college on the weekends.
The last three months have been a period of growth. Some people were added to the fellowship. Two ladies were baptized: Lizeth and Ofelia. This is the result of the work of committed ladies who are evangelizing because it is just natural for them to do so. Two new men have become members. We have studied with them and decided that they were scripturally baptized. They consider it a blessing to have found a New Testament church. They are Claudio and Guillermo. They are also the result of the natural outreach done by committed men. One more lady immigrated from Nicaragua and she is a faithful member. We need to count Raquel, Daniel's new wife from el Salvador. Claudio is a stable family man. He just retired from teaching in the Public School System at 52 years of age. We just hope that his wife and children will follow him, because this could help him become a leader in the church. Guillermo is a retired college professor, very committed and mature spiritually. He reaches out to me personally, and he has a lot of respect for what we are doing.
I have a list of 95 adults, 13 teens, and 27 children, a total of 135 members. To this we must add a steady attendance of at least 15 visitors. However, there are about 25 adult members who are very irregular in their attendance. Actually, some visitors are more committed than these adults. Also, some families struggle to be able to make it to services. This is due to them living a little bit too far and not having a vehicle. So, we don't see them at the services all the time, but they are relatively faithful. Some members have been falling in the habit of not worshipping at the AM service, because they think it is possible to do it at the PM service. However, when it is time for them to start leaving home to be at church at 5 pm, it is raining so heavily that they just miss services altogether (So they tell me).
The NE Bible Study Group merged with the Midweek service in the church building. So, attendance to the Midweek service rose from an average of 13 to an average of 22. The leaders of the NE Group explained that they did not have time to prepare the lessons due to personal situations with work and family.
The Support Group for men continues to attract an average of 6 men. This group includes Roberto, Norberto, and Carlos Brenes. These three men are being built up and they are really maturing spiritually. This is the result of their involvenment in a group where the truth is spoken in love and growth is received from the Head through the joints as each part does its work (Ephesians 4:15, 16).
The Youth Group has an attendance of 18. Roxana and I have had to get involved, because it has been difficult for the young leaders to carry such a responsibility. They are young adults who are working and going to college at the same time. So, we are helping with the teaching, and it has been very rewardint to see some young ones turning around from the world to Jesus.
The Singing Lessons group did not continue to meet. Too much rain in the afternoons discouraged some. For other it was too long to be there from 3 pm for the Youth Group, and then stay two more hours for the singing lessons. Norberto appreciates the relief because it was too heavy on him too. He attends all Bible studies during the week, and is helping with the Youth Group, but he Sunday PM service.
Our oldest daughter, Raquel, got married to her highschool sweetheart, Michael, after 7 years of going steady and having graduated from higschool. Michael happens to be one of our song leaders. The nest in begining to get empty. You may see the pictures in our Facebook wall.
