Greetings from Herradura. Thank you so much for joining our support team as we launch a new chapter of Neighbors Outreach Worldwide here in Costa Rica! We have over a dozen on our Monthly Support Team and another dozen who have given one time gifts. We are thankful for every penny as we pray and continue to follow God’s vision for the women and children of the Herradura community.
We promise to provide monthly updates and invite you to inquire at any time about the ministry in which you are investing. We know Kingdom investment takes community, effort, time, resources and prayer. We are thankful you’re willing to come alongside us in this journey.
The Ailor family is doing well despite all the challenges 2020 has brought to the world and specifically Costa Rica. River did start 6 weeks of school before COVID hit and about a month ago, was able to go back to school for tutoring and P.E. We were so thankful as we began to quickly see his Spanish developing again, but then Costa Rica encountered nationwide “huelgas” or strikes.
There is a proposed tax increase in grocery and electricity here and many local people around the country are protesting by blocking roads with bulldozers, buses and large objects. Just as we got a small taste of a more “normal” routine, the strikes kept us home bound again. But we are thankful to live in a great community, with neighbors, security and a pool. The weather has been pleasant and we are able to get out for walks and jogs. We hope change is on the horizon soon for more mobility within the country. A new ministry leader in our church here named Tiffany Waters is due to come in one week. She is on the board of NOW Costa Rica. Please pray the huelgas don’t cause her too much stress as she moves here to help counsel those in need. Her speciality in counseling is sex trauma and we are happy to be able to partner with her for the work we are aiming to do.
Pepper will host a group of veterans at the end of November through his work at Freedom Alliance. We will miss having him with us as we depart to come back to the States, but are happy his work is picking back up with in-person experiences in this beautiful land once again. River, Windsor and I will fly back mid November to spend time in Manassas, Waynesboro and Tappahannock. We are eager to see Jackie who has now started her senior year at Stevenson University. She handled the quarantine so well, but we certainly were saddened to be so far from her during that time. It is our prayer that we’ll be able to return again in May to celebrate her college graduation.
Until then, if you know of anyone who would like to schedule a one-on-one meeting or group meeting to learn more about NOW Costa Rica, please feel free to send them my way. Our five weeks at home will be devoted to raising support and spending time with family and friends. If you are able to take the time to send one or two personal messages on our behalf to friends or family you believe may be interested in helping combat sex tourism through the gospel, please feel free to share our website and story with them. If you are a one time donor and feel God is leading you to join our Monthly Support Team, we will be very grateful as currently we are just beyond 25% of what we need to raise in monthly support for the Kingdom work here. We know God’s got it all covered and we pray you will continue to invest your time, talent and treasure here.
Please pray for the following this month for the Ailor family:
1. Nov 16th flight for Jordanna and the kids: traveling mercies for them (pending passport renewal appointment Oct 21st at embassy here). We are blessed to be flying alongside our youth director’s wife Alicia but Windsor still is required to wear a mask at age two, which we anticipate won’t be easy.
2. Monthly Donors to roll in: We're at 25% but have a long way to go. We know ministry requires consistency and we’re praying for long term investors. I will speak at four churches while we're home. Please pray for those experiences and audiences as well. Please send this link to any/all you know: www.nowcr.org
3. Language School: In January, River and I are scheduled to attend a 7-week Spanish immersion school, where we will stay with a host family just outside the capital city. This particular school has sent out many missionaries and even our pastor and his family 11 years ago. https://www.thespanishinstitute.com/
4. Continued health and mobility: That our family will remain healthy and the nation of Costa Rica will open its tourism, roads and communities so the gospel can be shared more fluidly.