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2016 3rd Quarter Newsletter

We continue to praise God and to thank Him for all He is doing here in Jaco!  We are so thankful for you who pray for us and support us–you are a vital part of our team as we serve here!  Looking back over the last Quarter is always so exciting for us as we see how God continues to work in and through us!

During the months of June and July we had a Worship Intern, Donny Zarate, with us leading worship and being mentored by Daniel.  He is a Costa Rican but is finishing up his studies in music and sound production in Ecuador.  He did a great job serving with us here, and it was sad to see him go.  Please continue to pray with us as we are in need of a permanent Worship Leader.

 Daniel and Donny

Mission Teams

We are always so thankful for the Mission Teams that come and serve with us throughout the year!  We had teams from Ohio, Florida and a combined team from different areas of the US. These teams were such a blessing as they ministered in a variety of ways!  The team from Florida built us new tables in the Kids Club park!!  Now we don’t have to set up and tear down tables each Saturday morning for Club because we have permanent ones!!  The Ohio team did street prayer walking and beans and rice distribution as well as much needed construction at a new ministry site, The Edge Property.  This ministry is the future home of missions training and small business classes in order to educate locals in how to run their own business enterprise.  One team hosted a big Art Day for children in the local neighborhoods and it was a huge success.  We were so blessed to serve alongside these teams knowing that the Gospel was shared through everything they did.  A BIG thanks to these teams for serving with us!!!
                New tables
at Kids Club!!!
Art Camp with neighborhood children
Children’s artwork
Women’s Service Day
As a church, we desire to live out 1 Thessalonians 2:8 on a daily basis.  This verse reads “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the Gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”  Through our Women’s Ministry we want to live the Gospel in front of others in the community as we “do life” with them.  We organized a Women’s Service Day where we served people in the community, some who don’t yet know Jesus.  We picked up trash in the INVU neighborhood and park, served the local veterinary office who is way overworked, and painted over at The Edge Ministry.  What a blessed time it was to serve with Sisters in Christ and to share Christ’s love with those we served!

 

Baptisms

Baptisms at the beach are by far a highlight of the ministry of Horizon Church and this past Sunday was no different!  We had the privilege of baptizing 6 people as they expressed outwardly the change that the Lord has made in their hearts.  It was awesome!!  These precious people who were baptized on Sunday represented freedom in Christ on so many levels–from drug addiction to religious bondage to homelessness to innocent hearts just seeing truth for the first time–it truly was a time of celebration!

Thomas, our oldest son, was on cloud nine as he celebrated his best friend, Ziggy (pictured above), getting baptized!  Ziggy gave his heart to Jesus at Horizon Kids Camp back in January and wanted to be baptized.  Praise the Lord!!



Dios en Accion

We are continuing to partner with Dios in Accion, the Drug Rehab Center in Coronado.  Jesus is transforming lives through this ministry and we are so blessed to be a part of it!  There are now 4 guys in the center from Jaco that men from our church have helped, and they are all doing incredibly well!  Please continue to pray for Manny, Tom, Olman and Jeffrey.  We are so proud of them!
Daniel and Gerry on a recent visit to Coronado (Olman and Manny are pictured in the center)
World Surf Games
The 2016 World Surf Games were held here in Jaco at the beginning of August.  Countries from all over the world were represented to compete for the title.  It was so much fun cheering on our local Costa Rica team and the US team as well!  Thomas and Jacob were selected by their school to participate in the parade by escorting in the different countries as well as the judges.  Jaco was crazy this week, but it was a great experience for all of us!
          
Peru ended up winning the tournament!!

Exciting Times Ahead!!!
We announced this week at church that we, Horizon Church, will begin the process of looking for our own church facility. Iglesia Radical has been very gracious to allow us to rent their facility for the last three years, and we will continue to do so in the interim. Sharing this facility has been ideal for us in these critical establishing years. It has giving us stability, and has allowed us a place to grow into a vibrant, thriving church. It has also allowed us time to develop the needed Costa Rican Board and Association.
As we continue to grow, it has become clear to both churches the need for both of us to have our own spaces. We will continue to be One Body in Christ but with the freedom to pursue His specific calling for us as individual churches. God has given us a unique call to reach the growing International Community in this country. We believe God is calling us to step out in faith and establish a place that will be a center of ministry in this community for many years to come. This will be the first International Church built in the Central Pacific region of Costa Rica.
Our vision for this building will include space for other ministries that we support and work with in the community. It will also allow us to add ministries and continue visioning in the future.
We are currently putting together a team “committee” to begin this process. For now, we ask that everyone be praying with us as we embark on this exciting time in the life of Horizon Church!

THANK YOU!!!

Thanks to each of you for your continuous prayer and financial support!  We could not be here ministering in Jaco if it were not for you as the other half of our team!  We are so blessed by the way the Lord continues to meet our every need on a monthly basis.  Please continue to pray for the following:  Horizon Church as we continue to grow and make disciples;  our Horizon Church ministry team as we search for a Worship Leader and a new location;  protection for us and our children;  Jaco and the lost;  intentional discipleship with those who are new to the faith;  CasaFe’;  that we would be faithful to prayer and the ministry of the Word and for wisdom and discernment as we listen and follow the Lord’s leading in all things.  We love you!
Blessings,  Daniel, Sarah, Thomas, Jacob and Micah Barrett