March 2018 Urgent Prayer Letter - Guilbauds to Costa Rica

March 2018 – Urgent Prayer Letter

Dear Beloved Brethren,

Greetings and peace and love in the name of our eternal God, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As always, we thank our Lord Jesus Christ for taking us on this glorious journey, a journey of endless joy, speaking to our hearts, answering the call that he has given us and accepted the mission that is ahead of us to do His work according to His ways and will.

It was expedient and urgent, at this time, for us to write this Mid Prayer Letter to you, March 2018, instead of waiting until the end of April for our normal time.

On March 1^st, we left Lithia Springs, GA, Colonial Hills Baptist Church, Pastor Mark Ernst. After the meeting we headed to Virginia Beach to pack and to leave the next day for a Mission Conference in Madison, VA, Fellowship Baptist Church, Pastor Dale Freeman from the 3^rd through the 8^th of March. What a blessing!!! Then we headed down to Greenville, SC on the 10^th of March for a meeting on the 11^th at Iglesia Bautista de la Fe. I had the privilege to preach and present our work during the morning service and as well during the evening service. It was truly a blessing to preach in Spanish. On Wednesday the 14^th of March, we visited Hampton Park Baptist Church in Greenville, SC, Pastor Drew Conley, that’s where our previous pastor from New York City was ordained, we were received with brotherly love and many of the members wanted our information to pray for us and Pastor Conley wanted us to come back that Sunday the 18^th, but since we already had a scheduled a conference with Hope Baptist Church in Mocksville, NC, we couldn’t, so he took all our information to give it to the Mission Committee for a meeting.

Now, this is where we were hit an unexpected stumbling block which really started Tuesday night after an evening meal with the brethren of Iglesia Bautista de la Fe. I started feeling sick, being nauseous, having some pain in my stomach, could not stopped burping throughout the whole night and Wednesday it was the same but getting worse; but be it as it may, we went to Hampton Park Baptist Church that evening and after the service, the pain, the nausea and burping was escalating, we stopped by a Walgreen’s Pharmacy to speak to a Pharmacist to get his input on what can I do alleviate the burping, so he told me to try some antacid but that didn’t help; I did not sleep for the whole night, my wife prepared some mint tea hoping the pain and the burping would stop but it did not. By early morning it was getting worse and I started vomiting, diarrhea, nauseated with cold sweats but we didn’t know what to do, not knowing where to go and who to call; so finally the Holy Spirit of God illuminated my wife by contacting the Spanish couple we met at the Spanish Church and they offered their help to bring me to the Emergency room at Greenville Memorial Hospital that Thursday early evening. Upon our arrival about 6:30PM, we waited about 4 hours, but during that time I could not bear the pain anymore until finally, after my wife and sister Michelle, begged the staff for me to be seen and they did. These Brethren stayed with us until 4:00AM. I was admitted in the hospital for more test at 6:45AM. After all the necessary test were made, the immediate conclusion was that I had a blockage in my intestines and they may have to operate on me; but before that final decision was made, the doctors tried other possibilities, one was by putting a tube through my nose, esophagus and down to my intestines to remove all obstructions. With all that being said and done, I was in the hospital until Monday the 19^th of March, under observation and more test, and got discharged late that day. According to the doctors’ conclusion, I had Gastroenteritis which is an inflammation of the intestines, stomach virus as the doctor put it “a GI Bug” which could be caused by food poisoning, a virus, etc. A follow up with my doctor in Virginia was strongly suggested as soon as possible in Virginia.

We thank the Lord for Zion Hill Baptist Church, Pastor Danny Moore for his compassionate heart and allowing us to stay in their prophet chamber until the 26^th of March to recuperate since we had a presentation on the 25^th of March at Unity Baptist Church in Greenville, SC, Pastor J. Earl Green which went very well and we visited Freedom Baptist Church in Greenville, SC, Pastor Todd Page on Wednesday the 21^st of March since I was feeling a bit better, Pastor Page was very gracious in, briefly, allowing us to share our calling, vision and burden for Costa Rica, the doors are open for us to go back anytime to formally present our work. Also, we thank the Lord for the Brethren Antonio and Michelle of Iglesia Bautista de la Fe, Pastor Danny Vasquez for their compassionate heart, giving up their time accompanying us during this time; it was also a blessing to see Brother Doug Carragher, truly an unexpected visit and as well Brother Dr. Dean Hamby and Sister Karen Hamby from Macedonia World Baptist Missions stopping by on their way to Hope Baptist Church in Mocksville, NC that Saturday night for a Mission Conference of which we were supposed to be there as well. There are no words in our mouths on how to express our deepest gratitude to our beloved Brethren who stopped by and all those who prayed for me and my wife during this time.

We left South Carolina on the 27^th of March for a follow up appointment with my doctor in Virginia Beach, VA on the 28^th of March. The diagnostic was: I had a Norovirus infection. Come to find out, as well, after reading the CT Scan, I had a benign cyst in my liver, .7cm in diameter, nothing to worry about, but needs to be check again after six months to a year. After the medical examination, my doctor said: “It will take you a few weeks to get back on track but you can go back to your normal daily life”. Praise the Lord! On Wednesday the 28^th of March, we went to our home church. Perhaps, there are some lessons to be learned during this time; as Romans 8:28 comes to mind: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”. As we keep on pressing on this glorious journey, the month of March, still, has been a blessing and productive as well even though we had some setback along the way. In anyway, Glory to God, Praise the Lord, Praise His Holy Name!

We continue praising the Lord for His protection (physical and spiritual) and provision (He knows all our needs) as well as the wisdom that He gives us to do His work. We also praise the Lord that He continues to give us our health so we can serve Him with all the strength that He gives us, to adore Him in spirit and in truth with all our hearts, and to glorify Him in everything that we do, even in sickness. The Lord is so Good!

We want to bring to the table of your hearts a special prayer request. The insurance that I have may not cover the days that I was admitted in the hospital since it was out of the network, except for the Emergency room. According to my knowledge, the hospital bill that was presented to me before I was discharged was about $14,000.00 to $16,000.00 dollars +/- of which I know I have to pay at least $1,200.00 dollars; on top of all that, I also will have doctors, laboratories and x-rays bills of which the Insurance will not pay for since it is out of state; to my knowledge as of now the bills could be as high as $6,000.00 dollars or more and I know that I will have to pay at least $4,500.00 dollars on my part or more. Please, my Beloved Brethren, be in prayer for the Lord to make a miracle regarding these bills, especially the hospital bill. I know with the Lord nothing is impossible. It is no surprise but I am in need in paying these bills. My Brethren, I pray and humbly ask what the Lord would have you to do in succoring to these needs; whatever the Lord will put in your hearts. All donation should be sent to Macedonia World Baptist Missions, Medical fund for Jean-Claude Guilbaud. We will forever be thankful and grateful.

As we press on, please continue to pray for the following prayer request, my wife’s physical need with her blood circulation as we traveled and a constant cough that attacks her every now and then. Also, it is our goal to be on the field between January and June 2019. We are planning to go next January or February to look for a place to live and Lord willing move sometime in the spring! We pray that the Lord will move the hearts of His people to make this happen. We humbly plead to all the churches we have presented, and not supporting us at the moment, to pray, consider and reconsider in encouraging us with support

Support Levels

Continue to pray as we are on this glorious deputation journey that the Lord will guide us to the right church and have favor along the way in order to obtain our support as soon as possible according to the Lord’s will. We are now at 55% and it will be more by our next prayer letter. Fellowship Baptist Church in Madison, VA, Pastor Dale Freeman; Maranatha Baptist Church in Yorktown, VA, Pastor Dale Coffey took us on for support.

Praise the Lord, Glory to God! Our minds, our hearts and our spirit are in Costa Rica but our bodies are still here. Our Lord is a Sovereign God, Omnipresent, Omniscient and Omnipotent.

Safety with Travels

Pray that our Lord, God would protect us on the road.

In April we will be in Virginia and South Carolina; May in North Carolina and Georgia; June in North Carolina and Georgia; July in Florida and Georgia; August in Georgia; September in Georgia and South Carolina; October in Georgia; November in Georgia and Virginia; in December it’s still open for now.

Schedule of Meetings

Pray that our schedule will be full with formal meetings and conferences for the rest of the year. The Lord has blessed with meetings and conferences in VA, NC, SC, GA and FL. Our schedule is not full, but praise the Lord for what He is doing in our lives. He is in control! For now, the Lord is still opening doors for more meetings and conferences in these states.

Softness of Attitudes

Pray that our hearts would stay soft, to have a humble attitude, to stay close to God, and focus on Him not on men neither our circumstances; also for the churches that we have been in contact with and presented. We are excited to see on how the Lord will be working during the year, we are also encouraged and at the same time comforted by His provision and protection.

Praise the Lord for everything! To God be the Glory, great things He has done, that He is doing and what He will do as we focus our eyes and hearts upon Him.

Thank you for your faithful prayers, kindness and love, but most of all for your sensibility to the Holy Spirit of God whom dwells in you.

We are deeply grateful for your continued prayers, financial support and being behind our vision to further the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Brother Jean-Claude and Sister Matilde Guilbaud

Under His Wings Reaching the World for His Glory.

In Christ alone