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January 2019 – 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.
Year 2018 is behind us and now Year 2019 is before us. It reminds me of Phillipians 3:13,14 where it says: “ … but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling God in Christ Jesus.” We are looking ahead for much brighter and bigger things that the Lord has for us this year.
As we keep on pressing on this glorious journey, the month of January has been very light, not much meetings. Most of Sunday and Wednesday evenings we were at our sending church Tabernacle Baptist Church. But on the 6th, in the morning, we visited Temple Baptist Church on Chesapeake, VA, Pastor Watson Morgan, who is their new pastor. On the 13th, we visited Ocean Park Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, VA, Pastor Marvin Bagent, for the first time; this particular Sunday was the second Sunday of Mission emphasis month. Pastor Bagent was very kind and graceful in allowing us to present our ministry and to speak; he also invited us back the following Sunday the 20th, It was truly a blessing on how the Lord directed us to this church.
On the 27th, we were invited to a retirement service of a pastor of which the church support us; the church is Biltmore Baptist Church in Portsmouth, VA, Pastor Thorton Frye; he has been the pastor there for 66 years, what a blessing that was!
We are getting ready to leave February 2nd for the next two months for meetings and conferences in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and also in Virginia; then back to Virginia Beach for a week in the beginning of April, after we leave for Costa Rica on the 9th of April through the 30th in order to find a place to live, the location for the ministry and to start all the paper work needed for our stay in Costa Rica. We pray that everything will go well, Lord willing, and if it does, we look forward to our move sometime in June or July 2019.
As we press on, please pray and continue to pray for the following prayer request:
PRAYERS
- For wisdom and guidance as we are preparing to leave for Costa Rica, for the Lord to guide us to the right people and the right place.
- We are in the process of speaking to the Migration and Immigration of Costa Rica; there is a lot of leg work to do and many papers to fill out.
- Our health in order to work in His vineyard. My wife’s cataracts surgery has been postponed for a later date, hopefully before we leave for good to Costa Rica.
- As we keep stressing, it is our goal, Lord willing, to be on the field by June or July 2019. As mentioned earlier in the previous paragraph, we are planning to go in April to look for a place to live, as well as the location for the ministry. We need a miracle for our support to be at 100% or more by the time we leave. God is able to make other miracles and we pray that He will; He is able, with Him nothing is impossible. He is good, so good!!
- We would like to bring to the table of your hearts the following needs. We have started to check on our passage expenses (flight, moving, governmental fees, rental for housing and ministry, etc. etc.); we don’t have a final number yet but from what we have gathered so far, it could cost up to Twenty Five Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty Six Dollars, ($25,736.00) perhaps more, hopefully not. So far, (1) for the flight, places to stay and the car rental (only from the 9th of April to the 30th) in order to mobilize when we are there will be about Three Thousand Six hundred and Sixty Four Dollars for 21 Days ($3,664.00), plus or minus, that does not include food (Flight – $1,691.00 + Hotel – $1,323.00 + Car rental – $1,322.00.00/ Full coverage) these are the exact prices ; (2) for the moving, door to door, it could be about Fourteen Thousand Dollars ($14,000.00), for a 40’ container, which includes one car; (3) for governmental fees, taxes, etc. (Importation fees, Visa fees, it could be about Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00); (4) personal and ministry (rental of home and church building) about Five Thousand Four Hundred Dollars ($5,400.00) which includes one month security deposit and one month rent.
Beloved Brethren, Pastors and Churches, this is a lot of money; we pray and humbly plead for your help, for the Lord’s provision and what He will have you to do according to His will. We pray that the Holy Spirit of our Lord God will move your hearts; all donations and funds should be sent to Macedonia World Baptist Missions (MWBM) under Shipping- Travel account.
- Support Levels
We are still waiting on many churches and Lord willing plus the one we presented in January. Now, we are at 74%, thank the Lord for one more support. We pray that it will be more by our next prayer letter and for churches’ hearts to me moved.
- Safety with Travels
Pray that our Lord, God will keep on protecting us on the road. In February, we will be in North Carolina and Georgia; in March we will be in Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia; the first Sunday of April in North Carolina for Meetings and Conferences.
- Schedule of Meetings
Our schedule is full for February and March 2019; November in North Carolina for one conference, if we are not in Costa Rica, hopefully we will be, Lord willing!
- 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. Brethren, we are excited to see on how the Lord will be working this year, we are also encouraged and at the same time comforted by His provision, protection and peace.
PRAISES
The Lord is so good in giving us our health, providing and protecting us while we are on the road, despite of setbacks while serving Him.
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, as always, for your kindness, compassion and love, but most of all for your sensibility to the Holy Spirit of God who 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.
Brethren, may the love of the Almighty God, the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you All. Amen!
Brother Jean-Claude and Sister Matilde Guilbaud
Under His Wings Reaching the World for His Glory
In Christ alone