AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN FIELD
Jon & Jennifer Dahlager

Greetings from Costa Rica!

Special thanks to the many of you who have kept in touch, fielding our
prayer requests and writing notes of encouragement to us and our boys and sending updates from your end of the lifeline. We think of you every day and depend on your prayers and involvement in our ministry!

ONE YEAR DOWN
This has been a fruitful, first-full, faith-building year for us. Last week
Jennifer preached her first message in Spanish, after a year of intense
language school. Our son Jonathan, 3 1/2, is now carrying on full
conversations and making jokes in Spanish, and Joshua, 1, is busy chasing "bolas" (balls) and chants "vamos" (let's go) when it's time to move on.

PK MINISTRY
Together with the Lord we have seen the beginnings of the national ministry to pastors' kids, with a great camp for PK's in January and several events since. Many hearts have softened to the Lord, and pastors regularly pause to thank us for helping to spark a change in the lives of their children. Please pray for our upcoming PK event on July 27, and preparations for our next national camp in January.

BIBLE SCHOOL MINISTRY
This week Jon is finishing his second quarter teaching at the Central Bible Institute in San José. It has been a privilege to invest in the formation of pastors and leaders who will bring God's kingdom to the highways and byways of Costa Rica and beyond. Today in class one student named William, a Teen Challenge graduate, testified of the wild-eyed years he spent living under a bridge addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol, like the lepers of Jesus' day scaring people into crossing the street when they saw him coming. Now he is the copastor of a church, travels as an evangelist, and is to be married in two weeks; all milestones he would not have dreamed of reaching just a few years ago. God changes lives.

ADVENTURES IN MINISTRY
We have also had the privilege of ministering in many different churches, conferences, and retreats, and the Lord has given us grace to challenge and share faith in Christ with many people. Last weekend we made an amazing trip into the deep mountains of Talamanca to visit an indigenous tribe called the Bri Bri.  Were we scared to cross the rickety suspension "hammock" bridge in our Speed the Light car? Yes. Did we get shivers up our spine when the drunken party ended and the revelers (who at least once had tried to kill the pastor) decided to surround the pastor's house where we were sleeping and practice their war whoops all night? Yes. Most importantly, though, we were touched to see the valiant faith of men and women who are choosing to renounce their traditional spiritism, violence, and despair to bring the light of Christ to a hostile and isolated people. The Spirit moves among the tribal mountain people, too.

UPCOMING CHURCH PLANT
Our biggest challenge anticipated for the next year, as God opens doors, is the planting of a church in Sabanilla, a large section of the city of San José that has no significant evangelical outreach. This suburb near our home borders on the campus of the University of Costa Rica and several other private universities, numbering over 20,000 students, and is known for its witchcraft and resistance to the gospel. Great challenges disguise great opportunities. Please pray with us as we unite with a national pastor and believe God to raise up a group of believers who will make a major impact on their community and nation! Thank you for praying for our family and the work of the Lord in Costa Rica!

For His sake,
Jon and Jennifer Dahlager

E-mail: jon.dahlager@agmd.org