Return to Costa Rica

We pray that this finds you doing very well and that you are coping well with all of the restrictions placed on you due to the COVID-19 or coronavirus. We want you to know that we have been praying Psalm 91 over you and we are grateful for your love, prayers, and financial support. This virus has put us all into uncharted waters, but remember that God is with us and He will get us through this crisis. Let’s keep our eyes focused on Him.

Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Psalms 121:1-2 (AMP) I will lift up my eyes to the hills ( of Jerusalem) - From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

We arrived safely in Costa Rica on February 24 and we were able to get right to work. Our mom in prison talked to us and said that her son was sick and asked if we would come get him and take him to the clinic for a blood test. We of course said yes and immediately went to the prison. When we got his blood work results, back it showed that he was allergic to dust mites. This is hard to control in a prison, but we are happy to report that he is doing much better now.

We have been back to the prison 2 more times and have had some very good visits with him and his mom. She is very happy that we are here. She also wants to say “thank you” to all of you that have been praying for her and her family. She is very grateful.

About a week ago, we purchased a used car. We are very grateful to have a car because it makes the trip to and from the prison much shorter. Also, with the virus hitting hard here in Costa Rica we are grateful that we no longer have to use public transportation. 

COVID-19/ the novel coronavirus in Costa Rica

The first person to test positive for the virus was on March 6, and unfortunately this person was an American from New York. Currently, there are 113 confirmed cases and there have been 2 deaths from the virus. The number of cases have took a dramatic increase the last 3 days. Most days it was no more than 2-5 new cases a day, but Wednesday and Thursday have seen an increase of around 18 new cases a day. Today we have seen an increase of 26 new cases. This is the biggest daily increase yet. This may not sound like much, but Costa Rica is only the size of West Virginia.

Costa Rica has taken action and is not allowing sporting events, concerts etc. It has also closed all bars and schools and is asking everyone to stay home when possible. The borders are also now closed to non residents until April 12 (we are allowed to stay in the country and our visas do not run out until May 24). Grocery stores, pharmacies, bakeries etc are open, but have been asked to limit their capacity by 50%. The prisons were limiting visitors to 1 per inmate, but just announced today that they would be closing the prisons to all visitors.

We would like to ask you to remember Costa Rica and the world in your prayers. Many Costa Ricans rely on tourism to make their living and with no tourists coming in they can no longer make a living. Also, most Costa Ricans and people from other countries do not have the financial resources to stock up on supplies like they see the Americans doing on TV. Even if they did have the financial resources, they would have no where to store the extras because they use much smaller refrigerators then we do in America. Also, please remember the missionaries that are serving overseas. They could use your prayers. Along with your prayers, how about emailing a missionary a note of encouragement? A great way to find missionaries is to do a google search of missionary agencies and then go to one of their websites and they usually show a list of all of their missionaries.

Finally, we want to end with that God is our source for everything. We are completely trusting Him with everything and we are at peace. We are so thankful that He is with us and He is guiding us everyday. We love each and every one of you and are praying for you.

Psalms 118:24(NKJV) This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Jeremiah 17:7-8(NIV) But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes, its leaves are always green, it has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

With God ALL things are possible. Matt 19:26

Love and Blessings,
John & Cindy Thalheimer

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