Mylinda and Gary are pastors and professors but mainly friends and connectors who walk alongside their sisters and brothers in Christ. They enjoy connecting students with leadership training, connecting scriptures to everyday life, and connecting people’s gifts with life changing ministries.

The Baitses work with the Costa Rican Baptist Federation in pastoral and lay leadership development and theological education. There is an urgent need for committed, trained servant leaders for the churches. Recruiting, training, and encouraging leaders are high on their list of ministry priorities.

 Mylinda writes: “See how the waters are rising in the north; 
   they will become an overflowing torrent. 
They will overflow the land and everything in it, 
   the towns and those who live in them. 
The people will cry out; 
   all who dwell in the land will wail." Jeremiah 47:2

 This passage describes the scene we visited yesterday in the hills above Aserrí, one of many reeling from the affects of heavy rains that hit Costa Rica this last week. Through donations and sweat offerings, our Baptist Churches in Aserrí, Santo Tomas and throughout the Federation wanted to reflect Christ and be in solidarity with some of the families surprised by a powerful rush of water that left some buried and many others homeless and confused.

 So, with boxes of donated food and diapers in hand, we walked into the mess and left a little sign that they were not alone. Daniel, his mom and nephew from the church in Aserrí introduced us to their friends and family working to salvage what little they could from the natural wreckage. We heard their wailings and saw their loss, but also received a blessing hearing how miraculous it was that despite the devastation of their homes, no one was hurt or killed the night the waters swept through their neighborhood.

 On the other side of the hill, 20 others buried in a different landslide were not so lucky.  Our Costa Rican brothers and sisters are pulling together to help their neighbors and it has been impressive to see them reaching out with donations of food and shelter in such a time as this. Our churches are gathering food, clothes and other needed things to help out in the short term.

• Please pray that this spirit of working together will continue, not just during the initial crisis, but so that the underlying causes of inadequate housing will be addressed and eliminated. We appreciate your prayers for our friends here.
• Pray for Gary and Mylinda as they serve Christ in so many different ways in Costa Rica.
• Pray for their children Jamie (student at Pacific Lutheran in WA0 and Micah (16).