December 2021 – Prayer Letter
Dear Beloved Brethren and Co-Laborers,
We trust and pray that everyone had a blessed Christmas but most of all thanking God for His Son Jesus Christ by giving us the precious gift of Salvation, eternal life. We thank everyone for their thoughts and gifts. We pray that the New Year 2022 will be a blessing as well.
We have seen the hands of the Lord in our lives this past year 2021 and truly it has been a very trying year dealing with, not only COVID – 19, but also with all the health issues that I have had since May starting with my stomach operation, then a hernia operation in October, after that a biopsy of my prostate in November which came out negative, but praise the Lord He protected us and provided as well throughout all this time. We pray for a better year in 2022 according to the Lord’s will, and for whatever He has planned for us as we do His work.
As always, we cannot over state this, we thank and we will keep on thanking our Eternal God, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for sending us on this glorious mission. It is truly a joy as we do His will even in difficult times.We pray that His Holy Spirit will keep on guiding us in the right path of righteousness, to be obedient and faithful until the end. We understand that we are living in difficult times and we do immensely thank you for your support, prayers and we praise the Lord for your faithfulness.
As we keep on pressing on this glorious journey, the restrictions for the month of January will be the same as it was in December. Let’s hope the weekends will remain the same but we never know with the government.
As we press on, please pray and continue to pray for the following prayer request:
PRAYERS
- Continue praying for the project that I have been working on, Outlines and Commentaries in Spanish for all the books of the Bible, so far I have written the Book of Leviticus, Book of Psalms, the Epistle of James, the Epistles of John (1, 2, & 3), the Epistle of Jude, the Epistle to Philemon. I am still working and revising the 1st Epistle of John as I have mentioned in our last prayer letter, it will take me a while to finish it even though I have already written the Outline for all the chapters. It is a very long journey on this Opus that the Lord has laid on my heart. I don’t know how many days, months or years that the Lord is going to give me in order to work on this project, by the time I leave this earth to be with my Lord, I would like leave a legacy behind that will honor the Lord and for His glory. It is truly a blessing meditating on the Word and learning a lot.As I have mentioned in our previous letter, I have put a booklet together of my experience in the hospital San Juan de Dios in San José, Costa Rica, based on Romans 8:28 written in Spanish and English. The title is: Focusing and Trusting in GOD in the midst of Difficulties & Storms. It is being printed at the moment by Macedonia World Baptist Missions and hoping to have it finished by the end of this year. You can preview the booklet on our website www.guilbauds2costarica.com under BOOKS – Spanish & English.The Commentaries and Outlines can also be seen on our website under the Tab Spanish Bible Commentaries & Outlines, as well my preaching under Media/ Sermons in Spanish and Sermons Notes under Spanish Sermons, Notes and Outlines.
- Our health in order to work in His vineyard. As I mentioned previously, it is going to be a long process for my recuperation before I can resume (full blast) to my normal activities. I still have some liquid in my stomach, according to the doctor it will take a while for it to dissipate. I had the biopsy done for my prostate, the results came in negative, praise the Lord, but will be under treatment, I don’t know how long. Continue praying for my wife, as well, for physical strength as she is doing everything and being also my nurse. With all these setbacks, I am asking the Lord to give me physical strength to keep doing His work according to His will because He is in control of my health and my life; what the Lord started, He will fulfill it and keep His promises as long we are faithful to Him to the end – Philippians 1: 6. Thank you for your prayers, it means a lot to us.
3. Place for the ministry – We received the drawings from the Association (the Owner) but with my condition I have not been able to submit them to the Federal College of Engineers and Architects to review them; once that’s done, we will submit them to the Ministry of Health and the Corps of Firemen for their approval. Now that Christmas season is over, the government will resume their normal activities sometime after the second week of January.
4. Pray about the COVID – 19, it keeps on increasing and has surpassed 570,556 cases with 7,353 deaths. It is mandatory to wear a mask everywhere you go and if you don’t, you will not be allow to come in unless if you are in open air keeping your distance.
- Pray regarding the assembly of churches, the Ministry of Health has not given the full 100% to start because of the continuing increase of COVID – 19 cases.Some Churches have started to congregate, the allowable occupancy is still at 50% due to the COVID restrictions.
- We are praying about taking a month trip to the US sometime in the spring in order to give an update; unfortunately we won’t be able to visit all the churches that are supporting us during that short period of time, the date has not been set yet but hopefully during January, if that is the Lord’s will and once that is done, I will contact those particular churches. At the same time while we are in the States, my wife needs to see the eye doctor that operated on her and to have a complete women’s physical checkup because in Costa Rica the plan that we have will not cover everything and it will cost a lot of money to get it done; so it will be much more economical and cost effective to get it done in the US under our Medicare plan.
- During the month of January and February, I also have many follow-up doctor’s appointment and laboratory test to be done due to my operations.
Support Level
Our support is still at 84%. We pray and trusting in the Lord that it will go up by the time we start the ministry; even though we are very eager to start but the Lord knows what He is doing! (Psalms 27: 14).
Safety with Travels
Protection on the road and the COVID – 19.
Schedule of Meetings
It will be a blessing if we can have meetings via the internet, with the Lord nothing is impossible.
Softness of Attitude
To stay close to God and focus on Him and the mission that is set before us, not on our circumstances because it very easy to get discourage at times.
PRAISES
- Praise the Lord that I am slowly recuperating with no major issues and also for the negative results on my prostate biopsy.
- Praise the Lord for the Conference we had from December 6 – 9 on “WINNING SOULS” at Bible Baptist Church Calle Blanco, many people got saved and many also have made decision to make it a priority.
- Praise the Lord for the Christmas Cantata and the Program we had at Bible Baptist Church Calle Blanco. I preached that evening for the first time since my operations back in May and October. What a blessing!
- Praise the Lord I finally got my Costa Rica Driver’s License after seven months of which I had to pay a lawyer to get involve plus I had to pay again for another Dictamen and more translations. I will have to renew it in two years, the same procedure as Immigration.
- Praise the Lord for my wife, He has blessed me in a special way for I have no words on how to describe it. If it wasn’t for her, I could not have done anything.
- Praise the Lord for the time that He has given me to work on the Bible Outlines and Commentaries. As I meditate on all these setbacks, the Lord has given me that time to use it wisely and for His glory. The Lord, as always, knows what He is doing and I am very grateful. Nothing is in vain when we do it for the Lord.
- Praise the Lord for all of the Christmas gift you have sent, it was a big help towards the hospital and doctors expenses for my hernia operation and prostate Biopsy. Thank you very much and may the Lord immensely bless you all!
Beloved Brethren, may the love of the Almighty God, the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you All. Amen!
Brother Jean-Claude & Sister Matilde Guilbaud
Under His Wings Reaching the World for His Glory! Reach the World, Reach for Christ.