One year Down

Dear Family and Friends,

It is August 7th today. It has been one year, two months, and six days since I’ve been in Costa Rica….. and I am still blown away at the journey that God has swept me into down here. So much change in so little time, and though it has often felt overwhelming, Stacey and I feel we have been very, very blessed. 1. Our new baby, Olivia is healthy and growing cuter every day. 2. We’ve moved into our new house… and the final touches are coming to a close. 3. Last but not least… the ministry is moving forward… and God is showing up in some amazing ways.

THANK YOU…..
Thank you! We want to say a very big thanks to those who have been praying for us. These past three months have been pretty crazy trying to manage a newborn baby, moving into the house, and dealing with numerous car problems. I won’t go into all the details, but believe me when I say that these sorts of life events take more of a toll on your time and energy in a 2nd/3rd world country than they do in the U.S…..so thank you very much for your prayers. We have felt and experienced a generous measure of God’s grace affording us patience and strength in this season of life.

THE BLESSINGS
In addition, we have been blessed in other ways as well. I’ll just do some bullet points of blessings to keep the letter brief. There’s so much to say.

 In the last letter, I mentioned some specific needs we had for things like a photocopier, pastor’s library software, and finances for transportation and fees to a Church Planting conference this October. Within days of sending the letter… all of these needs were met. We thank God, and we thank you for your generosity to our ministry.
 Sometimes I joke with Stacey that Costa Rica is like the Land of the Misfits Toys (from Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer). But instead of being a land of broken toys…it is a land of broken and rejected people. Again and again, we encounter people in Tamarindo and who have been left feeling broken and abandoned… people who are seeking love, hope, and new direction in life. The harvest is plentiful…..and God affirms to us daily that we are in the right place.
 We have also been blessed by the presence of new people in our congregation. In addition to having the fellowship of our missionary friends Darwin and Kristi, two new missionary couples have moved into our area. Phil, Rebecca, Noah, and Mir who are missionaries with Calvary Chapel. We thank God for them as we have found mutual encouragement and friendship … and we look forward to growing in these relationships as we minister to the surrounding community.
 On June 12-14, we had our first “Outreach Event” in Tamarindo! Christ the King Church, from Bellingham, Washington, came to Tamarindo… and members of our congregation partnered with them in hosting Tamarindo’s first ever Bible School for kids. It was a three day event of crafts, songs, and gospel proclamation. Each day the event grew from 50, to 70, to over 100 kids on the last day. Praise God, as seeds were planted in these kids hearts, and many parents were reminded that God deeply loves them and their children. And a special thanks again to Pastor Mark and to Kristi Akin for their organization and facilitation of the event.
 During the last week of July, Tamarindo Ministries sponsored two students who couldn’t afford to go to Le Cumbre Christian camp. We are grateful hear how they were encouraged they were in their faith, and we pray for their continued spiritual growth.

Two Requests
In closing, I leave you with a couple of requests. The first is for your continued prayers. We need your covering in prayer… for God’s protection of our marriage and the ministry. We also appreciate your prayers for wisdom in how to best minister to the people in our congregation, and how to reach the people our community. Second…. I’ve made this request before, but I’m asking again that you would consider supporting our ministry financially. Our situation is as follows… Several months ago Stacey and I were blessed with income from the sale of our condo. We have felt led to use a portion of this money to fund our own a salary as well as to meet the ministry expenses for Tamarindo Ministries for one year. So, between now and March of next year, it is our goal is to raise $50,000 through one time gifts and financial commitments. This amount would be enough to meet the needs for our salary and for ministry expenses during the 2007-2008 year. We are asking that you please prayerfully consider being part of this team. If you are able to, please see our website (www.tamarindochurch.com) or call us personally for more information on how to send your support.
As Stacey and I were falling asleep last night, I was sharing with her some of my occasional fears and doubts about our call to be ministering here Tamarindo. In response, she lovingly encouraged my by saying, “Babe… you have to remember. I’ve been here for years, praying that there would be some sort of church or ministry in Tamarindo. None of this was here a year ago. Now we have a church, a pastor, and Christian friends here…... God is doing amazing things.” (Thank you Lord…. for my wife.)
Thank you again for your prayers and encouragement. Also, please note our prayer requests and new ministry contact information below.

Grace and Peace to you,

Lyle, Stacey, Olivia
tamarindochurch@aol.com
(011) 506-653-1751

Grace and Peace to you in Christ,
Lyle and Stacey

Prayer Requests-
• For wisdom in how to best reach non-Christians in Tamarindo and the surrounding community, and for God’s blessing in our efforts to do so.
• For our missionary friends, the Darwin, Kristi and family. For grace and strength as they are enduring a difficult season in life.
• For members of our congregation, as we strive to live lives that honor God in our homes and in this community. We want to be a witness for Christ of his love, righteousness, and grace.
• For our financial goals to be reached for the coming year.
• For Stacey’s outreach to local women with infants/toddlers. They meet once a week in our home to share recipes, form new friendships, and cook meals together.

WISH LIST
-2 Speakers for our sound system- $400
-Paint and paint materials for renovations of THE VENUE,
our outreach coffeehouse. $150
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