Hoover Times

It is a joy to connect with all of you again. We count it a privilege to have you in our lives. Below are a few updates of our lives. Enjoy.

Carmelinda’s Corner

SCHOOL IS FINALLY OUT! This year has gone by so slow! I don’t know why though. One of the highlights of my school year was winning the basketball tournament. I may not have played the whole game, but it’s the support that counts! Besides that school has been pretty boring. What has been fun is getting involved with the church youth group. Christmas was kinda boring as well we just “relaxed” which means my parents slept while I did nothing. I did get a new watch and I keep telling my parents the time, by the way here it is 3:44! And I am really excited because I am getting new glasses since my prescription has changed and they are scratched up and old. I am also excited because we are going to the mountain on new year’s to see the gorgeous fireworks that light up the night sky threw out the city! Well I hope you and your family have a wonderful new year and may God bless you!

Carmelinda 13 years old 

The Big Move

The latest news is that we have moved. We found a perfect house two blocks from the national university. It's a five bedroom house, two baths, sun room, office, kitchen, a huge living room and a small dining room. We have two small lawn areas, almost big enough for the dogs. DeLynn takes Fred (our dog) on walks now to give them both some exercise! 

There are several reasons DeLynn and I moved. First, we are moving into a new field of ministry. We are starting a ministry with university students and so in looking for a place we wanted it to be close to the university. 

At the beginning of next year, we will be starting a Bible Study with university students using the ALPHA program. We will specifically be using the course ALPHA campus. ALPHA Campus has been tailored especially for college 

students and other young adults. The ALPHA course covers the basics of. It answers questions like: Who is Jesus? and Why did he die? The Alpha course lasts eight weeks, with a day or weekend getaway in the middle. Each week, guests gather for about two hours. They share an informal meal, sing a few songs, listen to a talk on how Christianity approaches the question at hand, and then gather into small groups for discussion. The talks each week act as a springboard for small group discussions.

To help us with this venture, a VIDA220 team of two guys and three girls have been assigned to us. They have been busy with surveying the area, prayer walking, and getting acquainted with the ALPHA program. We are praying that God sends us more workers to help us in this field.

We are extremely excited about starting this new adventure. It’s a calling on our lives that God has had on us for some time, but now that He’s giving us the green light. We are leaving it up to God as to what he does with this, but our prayer is to start a University church. Please keep us in prayer as we move into this new area of ministry.

The other reason we moved was to be close to El Nido, the new ministry Gloria is going to be involved with; more on this later in the newsletter.

VidaNet Base

Just recently, DeLynn was looking for a place to house our VIDA220 team, when he came upon a property just two blocks from our house. It used to be a small Japanese school. When he saw it he immediately thought it might be good for a base. Since we closed the other base in the mountains, we have not found one to replace it, until we saw this! We are grateful that the owner is giving it to us for $1,000 a month for 10 months. At the end of those 10 months, our hope and prayer is to the buy the property. The property is valued at $550,000.00 and she is asking, $300,000.00. The property is large enough for offices, staff housing, it has an apartment for a custodial couple or small family, storage, housing for smaller teams, dining room, kitchen, Vineyard church plant and a house for El Nido. We know this is a God thing and are amazed at His timing.

New Heredia Base 

El Nido

200 pounds of literature are coming this way! What a blessing for El Nido to be able to receive this. This will enable us to share God’s love to so many women that need Him.

At the beginning of November, I, along with our VIDA220 team, was privileged to attend a Crisis Pregnancy training course that was offered by an organization called Beautiful Feet International. And even though I have worked at a Crisis Pregnancy Center already many years ago, the information was so helpful. We all came away ready and excited to start!

While some of the representatives from Beautiful Feet International were visiting Costa Rica, I was able to sit down with them and share my testimony and my calling to start a Pregnancy Center in Heredia, as well, as dream about future centers. I have decided to join with Beautiful Feet International as an organization that will help me get started as well as provide accountability and encouragement for the ministry.

Melissa (Director of Beautiful Feet) and I

Since my new adventure has started, I have enjoyed sitting back and just letting and watching God work. I heard God telling me from the beginning that this will all happen in HIS timing. I just have to be patient. So I have purposed in my mind not to run ahead.

One of the most miraculous things that has just happened is that God has given El Nido its own place! Plans were to share space in our home. We were going to divide our home so that El Nido could have a couple of rooms and share the living room as a waiting room, but God saw things differently. The new base Vida Net will be renting has a house that is perfect for El Nido. So now, El Nido, will have three consultation rooms (where one of them will hold an ultrasound machine being donated), a waiting room, an area for children to play while they wait for their mothers, an office for myself, a baby boutique, two bathrooms and a receptionist office! I am SO happy.

There is a team coming from Ohio at the end of January that is coming to help me get El Nido ready to open. The house will need to be painted and a few repairs will need to be done, but other than that, it will be ready to move in.

Here are some prayer requests regarding El Nido:

1.       That my donations from the States would all be able to get here. I cannot start with what I have because I don’t have enough.

2.      I will find the volunteers needed, especially those who will do the counseling.

3.       That God would continue to provide financially for El Nido.

4.       Creativity as to how to attract women to the Center.

 Partnering

As mentioned before, a VIDA220 team is helping us for the next 5 months. They have been with us a month already. Liz Swagart, who is the leader of the team, is from Plain City, Ohio. Elena Vachon is from Glendora, California. Elena used to live in Ohio and her and her family used to attend the Spanish church my father, Elam Staffer is associate pastor of. John Winston is from South Bend, Indiana. Dina Molina is from Shiroles, Talamanca. Jose Luis is from Carbon, Talamanca.

We have enjoyed our interaction with this team. Pray for them as they learn to live with each other (it’s like being married to each other!) and as God speaks into their lives and as they learn more about themselves and God while ministering to others.

VIDA220 students 

Prayer Requests:

1.       We are currently raising money for our family. Please pray we can raise the sufficient amount to cover our costs.

2.       Pray for our new endeavors, that God would take control of it all.

3.       We are also continuing to raise money for the ministry. Pray God continues to provide for all our costs; VIDA220, El Nido, PVM, Base Heredia and Base Talamanca.

4.       Pray that God provides more workers for our new church plant.