Dear Support Team,

We arrived safely back in Costa Rica on Michelle’s 17th birthday, Aug. 23. She thought it was a great present to return home. It was not without some sadness though because our dog Copper had died earlier in the summer when he bit a huge poisonous toad. So Michelle asked for kittens as a birthday present and we now have two very playful and tame kittens, Daisy and Roksy, to entertain us.

Having been gone for a year it takes a degree of energy and “elbow grease’’ to get things back in working order. Our car needed a new battery and some updates on Costa Rican inspections and new insurance, but we are back on the road. Humidity and lack of use has a way of growing mold so lots of things needed washing and cleaning.

Michelle started her senior year of high school on Aug. 29. Although she has some friends from before, there is a big turn over as missionaries move on for various reasons. So she is getting reacquainted and is making new friends as well. She is playing on a girl’s basketball team for the first time which is stretching her skills and muscles after playing soccer for many years. Pray for her leadership and growth in the Lord as one of the older kids in the school and youth group. She will attend a Youth Retreat on Oct. 12‐15, so pray for God’s Spirit to move in each heart and to anoint the speaker and leaders.

Mark got right back into his work at the LATN office in course development. Our LATN courses started up in September with many students all over Latin America studying. Pray for their time management in the midst of many ministry and family needs. Mark also needs pray for the revisions and additions he needs to make for a course he will be teaching in January. Mark has struggled with an ear infection and a ringing in the right ear since July. He had a tube put in to drain it in August in CO. Recently a Dr. here in Costa Rica pulled a piece of skin and dried blood off of the ear drum and it is improving. But please pray for complete healing and a cessation
of the noise.

Martha needs prayer for her work with the LATN team in areas of personal growth and team health issues. She is currently interviewing team members to see what is going well and what needs improvement. We are encouraged by the fact that God is bringing us additional team members as you pray. Kara Pederson is here to work on our library needs and she has a MA in library science. Her input and expertise are needed now for crucial decisions which effect the future of LATN. We are also recently had a visit from other potential team members that we are praying will be able to come soon and help in the area of technology and administration.

We were also blessed with the visit of Mark and Stacie Seaman on Sept. 22‐27. They came to us from the Christ Community EFC of Greeley, CO to give us help and consultant work in the areas of networking and partnerships, fund raising, student recruitment, and other critical needs. Mark has many years of experience working with Hewlett Packard and Stacie in a computer related job in the health arena. Both have lots of missions experience and a passion for what God is doing around the world. We thank God for their willingness to help us and ask you to pray for wisdom and God’s direction for Mark as he continues to work on a number of initiatives for LATN from Greeley.

We moved Melinda into the Boulder, CO center for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies (www.dayspringcenter.org) and the site of the new school called Rivendell College www.rivendellcollege.org on Aug. 22, the day before returning to Costa Rica. It was hard to say goodbye but we were thankful for all the time spent in closer proximity for the first year of college in Ft. Collins. We feel that we were all much more prepared for the separation. So far she is doing very well, really enjoying her teachers and classes, and making lots of new friends. She is studying in the Spiritual Formation major and hopes to use her degree in some type of ministry. Pray for good friends , a good church, and growth in the Lord.

Our hearts turn to God in praise and towards you, dear friends and partners with us in ministry. We think of the wonderful times we shared with you when we were home (wish there had been more!)and we thank God for each one of you, for your prayers, your generous giving that make our ministry here from Costa Rica possible and effective. May God bless and prosper you in spiritual and material blessings for all the ways you are helping us to “teach them to obey all that Jesus commanded”.

Mark, Martha Melinda & Michelle Hendrickson