Back in Costa Rica--February 2025

By -
Well into this new year, we are far overdue for an update here on the blog! It is hard to know how to summarize and share the highlights from the last 6 months, but overall we are so grateful for the time of furlough that we spent in Pennsylvania. It has been wonderful to be able to catch up with so many of you in person and give firsthand testimony as to how God has been working in the ministry in Costa Rica and in our family. Many of you so lovingly opened up your homes to share a meal, or met up for coffee to hear how God is moving and we will forever treasure these moments! Thank you, and praise the Lord for these much needed opportunities! 

We loved having an extended time in the U.S., giving us the chance to experience things that we have missed over our time spent in the mission field. Experiencing Fall and Winter again, seeing all the sights of Lancaster County, traveling to visit with friends and supporters across the States, and spending sweet time with our family on the weekly are a few major highlights! It is difficult to do life far from those whom we love so dearly and having this opportunity for our kids interact with their family (outside of Facetime) was such a blessing. Church was another highlight that is hard to put into words. Being able to worship our Lord in our native tongue is something we didn’t realize how much we needed - It was refreshing to be able to be fed spiritually and to simply attend church regularly. This extended time in the States allowed us to truly connect with our sending church, and provided time for rest for our family. 


We are thankful for a few unique ministry opportunities we had over our months in the States. We loved having the chance to connect and share with youth groups and small groups from our supporting churches! Brandon spent a weekend with the Calvary Monument Bible Church youth group at their youth retreat and encouraged the group over a series of sessions on seeking and finding your identity in Christ alone. We were also blessed to spend precious time with Brandon’s Gram (Patricia Hoover) before her passing in January. Brandon was asked by his family to lead the ceremony at her funeral, and while it was a difficult task and time, we are happy to know that she is at rest in Heaven with our Lord. Brandon was able to share with friends and family about the great hope that we have in Christ, and how his Gram’s life reflected that love and hope. 


There is so much evidence of God’s hand in this time of furlough that we will not soon forget. We saw Him at work through providing a home and a vehicle for our stay, in giving us safety in all of our travels to, from, and during our stay, and in all the ways we have all grown over these months. He has provided for all of our financial needs over this time through our faithful and loving supporters and opened up doors for new and strengthened relationships with our community in the States. Praise the Lord! God’s hand has also been evident in the continued ministry in Semillas de Vida in Costa Rica. It is encouraging to see how He has led members to step into new roles within the church in our absence. The church and ministry has continued to thrive and grow with new members and a morning of baptisms. A growing number of volunteers means and larger rotation of teachers within kids ministry, and more areas of need being filled. 


We returned to Costa Rica on Wednesday, and are so thankful for a smooth and safe day of travel. We ask for much prayer as we transition away from our newfound routine in Lancaster, and jump back into life and ministry here in Santa Rosa. We hope to come alongside the team here in the ministry and continuing in our roles, while also finding new ways to serve the church and community. Please pray for peace for our family as we move away from regular time with loved ones and adjust back to the phone/video calls. We pray that God will continue to guide us as we serve Him! 

Thank you once again to all of our supporters who have invested financially into our ministry, and for all the love and time you have given us over the last 6 months! We are so thankful for the unique opportunity to connect in person and to hear how God has been working in your lives as well. We praise the Lord for the churches, families, and individuals he has placed in our lives who allow us to serve Him in full-time
ministry.

We are in need of a little more financial support to reach our monthly goals. If you would like to join our monthly support team, or give a one-time gift please feel free to reach out via email (bhoover18@gmail.com)! You can also follow the prompts found in this link https://cmcmissions.org/donate


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

August 2024

By -
Image
Fun things are happening here in our ministry and in our family, and we are excited to update you all on the work the Lord is doing! We were sharing the story of our family and ministry with a new acquaintance recently, and it is always so humbling and sweet to think back on all the Lord has brought us through in our years here in Costa Rica. His mercy and grace are ever present, His love so powerful, and we are so grateful to be able to be a part of His kingdom work!  The weekly ministry agenda with Semillas de Vida continues to bless our lives and family, and we are thankful to be able to serve the regular attendees of the church. Sunday mornings are always a highlight of our week, as we come together to worship with the body of Christ. As we have mentioned before, children’s ministry is a large part of our Sunday mornings. We have been blessed by the completion of a new Sunday school room for the youngest group of students, ages 2-5. This is a big upgrade from the small “cry roo...
Read more

February 2024 Update!

By -
Image
Happy New Year everyone! It is hard to believe we are already a month into 2024, and looking back on this past year, it is amazing to reflect on all the growth that has happened within our lives and ministry! We are encouraged by the amount of regular attenders at Semillas de Vida who have recently taken the steps to become members of the church. This includes an application process, attending a membership course, and being presented to and accepted by the congregation. It is exciting to see more people who are willing to take this step, and then move forward in positions of serving within the church. As membership increases, so does our team of willing workers. This means more people to help with children's Sunday school, food service in the fellowship hour, men to help with scripture reading, and tasks throughout the week like cleaning and preparing the building for worship. We are so grateful for all that God has provided this past year to help grow our church and the service te...
Read more