Three Months Later In Tamarindo

Hello again from Costa Rica,
I know it’s been a while since we’ve been in touch… and we apologize for that. Life has been unusually busy over the past couple of months. Within the last two months we have…. 1. moved from San Jose to our condo in Tamarindo, 2. moved out of our condo and into a rental house, 3. took a ten-day trip to the U.S. to visit our families in Tennessee and Florida for Christmas, and 4. about a three weeks ago I took another 12 day trip back to the U.S. for my ordination exams at Princeton Seminary. This busyness has been trying at times because, through all of these events, our ultimate longing has been to settle into our new life and ministry together here in Tamarindo. Fortunately, as of my return from Princeton a week ago, we are now able to settle in.
The last time I wrote was in November when I shared some of our plans for starting a bible study and a praise service. This was a bold venture in that there has never been a Christian Ministry in Tamarindo before, and because Stacey and I are literally the only people we know from our town of 4,000 who attend a local Church.
When we began this ministry, a theme that kept recurring in my mind was the idea that “God witnesses to his existence and love most powerfully through community… even if that community is a really small one”. This has always been my experience when it comes to evangelism. With that in mind, I decided to go ahead with starting our meetings. In November, it began with basically the four of us. Stacey and I and a missionary couple we know (The Akins) began meeting for Tamarindo’s first ever bible study and praise service. The four of us gathered for bible study on Tuesdays. And on Saturdays evenings, it was the four of us + the 4 Akin kids praising God together in a downtown restaurant called Caracola. Since that time, God has done some neat things. So let me give you some of the highlights on things that have transpired.

Snapshots:
• On November 26th, 2005, the town of Tamarindo heard it’s first ever service of Christian praise and prayer.
• Our Tuesday night bible study and prayer meeting has been meeting consistently, and has grown from 4 to 7 committed people.
• A Christian woman (named Nina) from the U.S. has moved to Tamarindo with a commitment to help us develop the ministry here.
• Last week we had 39 people in attendance at our praise meeting downtown… and that’s not including passers-by who watched for a while from the entrance.
• We have met and talked with several people from the surrounding area who also have a heart for ministering in Tamarindo. They represent ministries such as YWAM, Christian Surfers, Banyon Ministries, and a adventure missions ministry called Going the Distance. Some have begun frequenting our praise meetings, and we are hopeful about partnering with them as witnesses to Christ in Tamarindo.
• A local paper “Tamarindo News” has published an article introducing our ministry to the community.
• We will be meeting with a two pastors next week from Christ the King Church in Bellingham, WA.. We will be discussing the possibility of receiving significant support from them for Tamarindo Ministries. Please keep us in your prayers.
• Last but not least…..for those of you who didn’t know, Stacey and I are expecting a baby daughter due in early June. =)

Beyond this, there are many other stories to tell of how God has been moving through Tamarindo Ministries. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for us. Tamarindo has been blessed. Please drop us an e-mail if you have any questions or thoughts.

Grace and Peace to you in Christ,
Lyle and Stacey

Prayer Requests-
• Praise to God for His provision and for the fruit He is bearing through our ministry in Tamarindo.
• Prayer that God would continue to raise up laborers for the harvest here.
• That Holy Spirit would draw people in our community who are skeptical of Church, who have been hurt by the church, who mock the church… that they would come to trusting faith in Him.
• That Christ would glorify Himself through Tamarindo Ministries.