Update: August, 2007
2007_08-August_Kedrovsky_Newsletter.pdf
Dear friends and family,
I apologize for not getting a letter out to you sooner. I just looked over my files and saw that the last update we sent out was in May. I have had some serious problems with my computer and have been trying to patch it together and keep it running. First it was the motherboard, then the power supply, after that I got hit with some nasty viruses, and the latest has been bad RAM. However, I think things are okay now, so let’s get to the good news…
Romería 2007
God gave us the wonderful privilege of passing out 200,000 Gospel tracts last week during the four-day celebration of the annual “Romería”—the catholic pilgrimage out to Cartago to (supposedly) honor the “patron saint” of Costa Rica. An estimated million and a half people walked into Cartago last week. We started passing out our “new and improved Pope tract” on Monday the 30th and continued doing so until the official mass at noon the following Thursday, August 2nd.
Last year we experienced some “potentially violent” reactions to our outreach efforts when we passed out tracts on the grounds of the Basilica where they celebrate the mass. So this year we made plans to move farther out and “greet” the walkers as they came into Cartago. In order to do that, we needed to have permission to use some property on the road where the people were walking (that would give us rights to be in the street in front of the property, and the police couldn’t make us move).
Thankfully God put Isaac in our path. Isaac owns a tire repair shop just inside Cartago, right on the road into the Basilica. And what a coincidence: Isaac’s shop needed a new roof!
A big THANK YOU to Tom, Rory, and the team from First Baptist of Jackson, Ohio; they were instrumental in replacing Isaac’s roof. In exchange for the roof, Isaac loaned us his property (and his bathroom, praise the Lord!) for the week of the Romería. We were set! You can see the whole week on a blogspot here:
www.fbcj-costarica.blogspot.com
Decatur Baptist Church (Decatur, Alabama) sent a team of seven down to help us pass out the tracts, and they were a lifesaver. I had them on the street early Monday morning and they passed out tracts from eight to ten hours straight each day of the event. Thanks, y’all!!
My kids helped, too! They were out on the street on Monday since they had the day off from school.
The largest movement of people into Cartago was the night before the mass, on the 1st of August. The Decatur team and I were relieved around 6:00 pm by a good group of folks from my church here, and they handed out around 100,000 tracts that night alone! They said it was crazy, just people and tracts all over the place.
The response to the tract has been good. There have been six or eight “angry e-mails,” but for the most part the people have been very thankful to have received something that’s caused them to reflect on eternity and their salvation.
The Gospel is clearly laid out on the back of the tract with a presentation of the Law, the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and the individual’s responsibility to repent (confess and forsake sin) and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Please pray that God would give much increase to the many seeds that were sown!
December Trip to Kansas City
We are making plans to be in the Kansas City area to visit friends and family from December 10th through the 18th. We haven’t seen many of the folks there (including my—Greg’s—family) and we’re looking forward to the trip very much. Hopefully we can make plans to see as many of you as we can. It’s always a tremendous encouragement to see you!
Thank you all very much for your continued support and friendship. With your prayer and your help, we’re able to continue the ministry God has given us in Latin America. We appreciate you all!
Greg & Sue Kedrovsky
