The Church is Growing and so is Samantha's Belly

Big things are happening in our church and in our lives, and we are so excited to share with all of you! We were sharing with a visiting group recently about how God has been moving in the ministry of Semillas De Vida over the past few years, and I was humbly reminded of just how perfect God’s timing truly is. In 2020, right before the pandemic and everything that came with it, a large donation came in for the expansion of or church building. The sanctuary was feeling smaller and smaller as our congregation grew, and more room was definitely needed. Soon after the money cleared in the bank, the country shut down and we were not allowed to gather as a church. While coming “together” over WhatsApp audio messages on Sunday mornings, the next three months were full of demolition and construction of what is now our new church building! When the doors opened up after the shutdown, members were welcomed to a brand new sanctuary, which is once again starting to feel more crowded each week. Now, as prayers continue to be answered and donations continue to come, we have begun construction on a much larger multi-purpose gymnasium! This building will eventually serve as the sanctuary, as well as open up doors for expanded ministry opportunities. We are so excited to watch as the congregation grows, membership rises, more people step up to serve, and God continues to provide to accommodate for it all. 

Construction is underway

One ministry we are especially thankful for right now is our new library in the church. While this may seem insignificant to some, a shelf full of theologically sound resources for both adults and kids is extremely hard to come by in our area and country. Watching members of the church get so excited about checking out new books each week in order to study and understand God’s word better, or to read with their children, is a beautiful experience. Again, these resources are difficult to find in this area (or even the whole country), so we are so thankful for the many donors who have invested in purchasing books, and helping to get them down here in order to stock these shelves. If you are interested in pouring into the lives of the people of our church in this way, please reach out! Our amazon wishlist is available to all, and the books arrive as visitors are willing and able to bring them.

Over the last couple of months Brandon had the privilege of preaching an 8 week series through the book of Philippians. Paul's desire to experience true joy that is found only in a relationship with Christ is one of the main points that can be found throughout his letter. He was happy to fill in as our ministry partners were able to spend some time with family in the USA for the first time in a few years. 

 

Going back to God’s perfect timing, we are thrilled to be welcoming another little one into our family so soon! Our little girl is due in November, and we are thankful to report a healthy and fairly-easy pregnancy so far. Thank you to everyone who has been following along in prayer and encouragement through all of the health challenges and unknowns over the past few years, God has been so good!

Our Church Library

Jackson enjoying some fresh pineapple from our friends farm 

Prayer and Praise:

• We are thankful for a successful surgery on Brandon's knee (ACL)
• Please continue to pray for healing as he continues with physical therapy
• We praise God for the opportunities for family to come and visit
• We had a great visit with Grammy and Elizabeth Hoover
• We are looking forward to some of Samantha's family visiting soon, please pray for safe travels 
• Pray for continued opportunities to share the message of hope found is Jesus 
• Finally, our biggest prayer is that God's name be glorified in all that we do 

Thank you again to our financial support team! We would not be where we are now if it weren't for all of those who give and pray for us! If you would like to join our team and be apart of what God is at work doing here in Costa Rica, please visit this link and follow the prompts. https://cmcmissions.org/donate