December 6, 1997

Dear Brethren:

It is hard to believe that it has been three months since Joey and I returned from San Isidro, Costa Rica. During this time our family has moved from Pekin, Indiana to Henderson, Tennessee. Debbie has accepted a position as Dorm Supervisor with Freed-Hardeman University and I am the University’s night security officer. I am starting school again this coming January, majoring in Bible. Also, I am preaching for the Sardis Church of Christ in Sardis, Tennessee, about 40 minutes from here. Anyway, as you can imagine we have been terribly busy and I have failed to get this report out until now. Please forgive me.

By your wonderful generosity, Joey and I boarded a plane in Louisville, Kentucky bound for Central America. This was Joey’s first time on a large aircraft and he was very nervous, especially during takeoff. His face was pale and his breathing was shortened and rapid. For the first time in his eighteen years of life Joey was scared. Our trip included a brief stop in Atlanta, an eight-hour layover in Miami and an overnight stay in San Jose, Costa Rica. The next day we loaded into mini-buses and traveled four to five hours over the mountains to San Isidro. At one point on the trip over the mountains the road had been blown away by a Hurricane the year before and never replaced, but that didn’t stop the travelers…just our hearts. Finally we reached San Isidro.

The Mt. Pleasant Church of Christ in Valdosta, Georgia sponsored this campaign. Some of the workers had traveled to San Isidro the day before and now they formed our welcoming committee. Since their arrival they had been organizing the team’s plan of action. All total there were twenty-two North Americans. They came from all over the states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, and Indiana.

After our initial team meeting we went straight to work. By nightfall Joey and I, with the help of our translator, had conducted two Bible studies. But nightfall didn’t stop us. We went to San Isidro’s town square park where we passed out brochures while local preachers proclaimed the gospel to the masses. This took place right in front of the town Catholic church building about an hour or so after their "mass" was completed. There were still thousands of people in the square area. This activity would be repeated several times during the course of the campaign.

I was so impressed with Joey. His three years of high school Spanish classes really paid off. Within a day Joey seemed to speak the language as well as the translators. The people fell in love with him right a way and he with them. Joey worked tirelessly. He was involved in countless Bible studies. Joey seldom wanted to take time out for lunch or a break. As I suspected, he was finally able to see the world from a different perspective than an ordinary high school graduate. Now, he was seeing people, nice people, people with families, lost and dying in their sins. This was the change for which I had prayed.

Four days we labored, taught and pleaded for the souls of men. None seemed to respond. A sense of despair and gloom came over the team. We were planting the seed of God. We returned time and again to water the seed. However, it seemed God was not yet ready to give an increase. We prayed earnestly and waited on God’s wisdom. During the day we knocked doors from house to house looking for truth seekers with which to share the gospel. At night we conducted a series of gospel meetings and a Vacation Bible School. Finally, two days before we were scheduled to leave God gave our efforts and his seed an increase.

We left Costa Rica with a prayer on our lips and tears in our eyes. Behind us we left an encouraged church, over two hundred Bible studies, five Christians who were restored, and seven newly born children of God. Beside me on the plane Joey sat silently. He was unafraid of the perils of flight, instead he pondered the lost world and their need for the Savior. He was thinking about his brethren he was leaving behind, and he was thinking of his role in helping to reach the lost regardless of where they live.

As I reflect on the days and nights in Costa Rica I thank God for the opportunities we were presented with and the blessings you bestowed upon Joey and me. I can’t thank you enough, nor can I thank God enough. I know that in the future the opportunity for foreign missions will come up again and I hope you will look favorably on helping in those endeavors as well. Until then, may God give us the strength and courage to share his saving message with those around us everyday. To him be all the glory.

Your brothers in Christ,

John and Joey Mustain