This month was significant in many ways.
First, on October 17, because of an act of God (see below), we had to move to San Rafael, a town just 5 minutes North of Heredia. This may mean that our plan to start new works around Heredia has received a blessing from the Lord. He is for it. San Rafael is one of the towns around Heredia where there is no New Testament church. There is the Catholic church of course, and a large protestant congregation. As soon as we have men who are able to preach and take my place in Heredia, we will be able to start having Sunday morning services in San Rafael. There are three families who are members in Heredia who could become members here.
Second, Insurance companies call "acts of God" those events that are caused by the effect of nature or natural causes. Well, it rained in Central America for almost two weeks in a row, during the first and second week of the month. So, the creek that used to run about 60 yards away from the back of our home, and 50 feet below, got too strong and the waters washed up the left bank and the foundations of 7 out of 9 homes were damaged beyond repair. Our home was one of those damaged, and we were ordered to evacuate. On October 17th we had to look for a home to rent somewhere else. Thankfully no one was injured. However, it was very sad to see ourselves having to move out of a home we had occupied for almost 20 years. Tears were shed. Thankfully the church in Heredia helped with the moving. The Bammel church helped us with the first three months of rent. We are truly thankful for this support, and praise God for you.
One girl was baptized. She was evangelized previously by the church in Barva. She is part of a family that had placed membership in Heredia. This family is from San Rafael so she may become a member of the future church in San Rafael in the future.
I continue to work with people on a personal basis. I continue to focus on the men. It is truly a blessing to be able to help others grow spiritually to the point of being able to have a personal relationship with the Lord. We also need them to grow to the point of being able to help others do the same. In a typical encounter we get together for coffee. The conversation flows naturally to the needs we may be experiencing. After listening to each other, we turn to the Bible for answers from the Lord. Then we look for a place where we can pray for one another.
In the Support Group for Men, we are focusing on praying for the things God wants us to pray for. We look at Paul's requests for prayers, the Lord's prayer, the experience of the Lord in Gethsemane, the prayers for those in authority, etc. Then we organize the prayers so that they reflect what is taught in these passages. The group has become meaningful and instrumental for the growth of those who attend. We wonder where we would be spiritually if it wasn't for this activity the Lord recommends in His Word.
The Pan-american Lectures where held in Costa Rica this year. There were more than 100 Christians from the States. I was asked to preach for the Sunday morning service, where Heredia and two other Costa Rican churches met with these North Americans. I am sure there were more than 200 people attending. More information later.
