Saturday, December 22, 2007

letter page 1

Sorry it wouldn't work

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

        Only a few days left until christmas. I hope you're all ready! Well for us it doesn't seem like it's that time of year yet. We have been very busy since the last time I wrote. I have been filling out paperwork for SI, now that I am officially on staff, and we spent many long hours trying to get our Christmas and support letter out. It would have been a simple task but Erin and I decided to make the big jump and buy our first computer. We got an apple laptop which will be just what we need in Costa Rica. I am hoping to learn how to edit video so I can send out some video updates to you all instead of just e-mails. Anyways, we have had to re-enter all of the addresses and transfer all of our info from the PC that we had to this apple. Before this we have only had hand-me-down computers that weren't very good and our info is spread out on many CDs and hard drives. I won't do that again. I'm an apple man now.
         For those of you who didn't get our letter and would like to receive letters in the future e-mail your mailing address to us @ jerinjanzen@att.net and we will make sure to add you to our mailing list.  I will try to post or letter for those of you who didn't get it. 
MERRY CHRISTMAS we wish you all a blessed holiday season,
Jeremy, Erin, Ella, and Judah














Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Finally!!

Hello all of you who check in periodically!! Sorry, it has almost been a month since you've heard from us. We have just been plugging away at life. I finally had my interview with Jeff and Tracy Dixon this last week and guess what?!?! I got hired!!!! I am now on staff @ SI! We don't know if our account is set up yet but Jeff told me we're on board, (good thing cause I was really nervous) and I should get a conformation E-mail soon.
Well that's it for now. I will be updating you all again after thanksgiving. Hopefully I can tell you exactly what our gaols are for this coming year financially and just an over all timeline.
May Christ bless you all,
the Janzens

Friday, October 26, 2007

Not much going on here

Well , it has been quite a while since our last post but not much has been going on. As I wrote in the last post I went to L.A. for more training with The Gas Co. and it was very uneventfull. I was trained to walk leak survey. The entire job consists of walking over every Gas main and service with a machine that sucks air up into it and measures the amount of methane gas present. If I find any indications I call for a crew to come investigate or just write up some papers to document it. I end up walking from six to eight miles every day and also end up very, very bored. Some of my coworkers think that I am being punished by our management for my decision to move to Costa Rica and leave the company. I haven't decided where i stand on the issue but I know that God can still teach me something through this extremely boring job.
Other than that, we appreciate all of you who continue to support us in prayer and with finances. We are still going to need to see a miracle if we are to move next June. It seems impossible in my mind but nothing is too big for God. I am just waiting for one of my references to send in his form and then I'll be interviewed and hired, then we can hopefully begin receiving financial contributions through S.I. For all of you that are planning on supporting us we would appreciate you to begin as soon as possible or the beginning of the year. all of the moneys received before our departure will go towards our moving costs and schooling. We need about $10,000- 15,000 for that .
Well, we gotta run. God bless you all,
Jeremy and the Janzens

Saturday, September 15, 2007

S.I. Banquet!!

I want to start by thanking all of you that came to the S.I. banquet. I had a really nice time and i hope the rest of you did to. I also want to apologize to those of you who did not get an invitation, I feel so bad about that. Next time I will make sure to write on the blog about it. Anyways, we had a great time. The food was great and I felt it was very informing. Everyone at our table was very exited about possibly going to Costa Rica possibly on a men's trip or some other outreach. It would really be awesome to get a lot of people we know down there to see what we do first hand.
I wish i could summarize the evening for you all but there's no way i could tell you everything that happened. the testimonies and the video presentation were very emotional and moving. S.I. has really touched a lot of people over the years. we are very excited for what God is doing with S.I. and with us.
We also had a few more people commit to support us and that is just a continual blessing. It will be quite costly to move to Costa Rica and it's not much cheaper to live there. I am continually overwhelmed by people and their generosity. Gods blessings don't always come straight from Him, sometimes He uses you and I. my faith has continually grown through this process and I am so grateful that he uses you to help the process.
I am sorry this update is a whole week after the event but I have been in L.A. for training for the Gas Co. It wasn't much fun but I'm back now and i may never have to go there again.
Thanks for reading and God bless you all,
Jeremy and the rest of the Janzens

Thursday, September 6, 2007

We have info!!

This last Sunday we had a meeting at the Dixons. (They're the family we'll be moving to Costa Rica with) We were able to spend time with them and two other women who are also considering going with us, Krysta and Cailah. We ate dinner and spent time talking about everything we could think of relating to Costa Rica. Jeff Dixon is on staff with Students International, S.I., so he knows more than the rest of us. He has estimated their cost of living at $3500 per month. plus the one time cost of $20,000 for schooling, moving, and a car. (Cars are about 40% more in C.R.) We figure our expenses will probably be just a little less than theirs because we don't need a house with an office. We are estimating around $3000 per month although it may be a little more to begin because of language school and some missionary training we have to complete. Over all we are pretty excited to know a bit more. We asked when we need to move down there and it all depends on when we raise enough support. I have heard that some missionaries spend two or three years raising support, I hope that's not our situation. God willing, we will move with the Dixon's around June but otherwise we'll be going whenever the Lord provides the money.
I appreciate all of you putting up with my last post. the one about golf. Sorry for those of you who do not golf, I was a little excited about my game. Erin, Jeff, and Tracey (Dixon) have all told me I shouldn't have put that on here so again I apologize. But for those who want to hear about my golf you'll have to e-mail me. (I'm expecting lots of e-mails:))
thanks again for all of you who are supporting us in prayer or financially. We appreciate it greatly and we know that you are spreading Jesus as much as we are.
Jeremy

Saturday, August 25, 2007

just life and golf

So it's been a while since we updated you all... not much going on. Yesterday my dad and I went golfing, his treat, because i didn't have to pay i decided to buy my first pair of golf shoes. They were half off and had a great two year water proof warranty. We played the lakes to the valley at valley oaks in Visalia. On the front nine I started with a bogey after four shots to the green and a one putt from seven ft. out. Then i birdied the second with a great second shot within 40 yards of the front of the green, pitched it within four feet and one putted again. Third hole I parred with a one putt and fourth also. Fifth had a great drive, great second shot, and two putted from 20ft. On the sixth i had a great drive just off the fairway. We both saw where it went but there was no bounce and we never found the ball. That's the first time I've lost a ball in the fairway. Anyways, I dropped one and hit it within 10 ft. and two putted for par. Parred the 7th with a nice 60ft two putt, then double bogeyed the 8th and bogeyed the ninth. That's a 40!!! back nine wasn't so great. but i shot a 44 with a par on the second and a birdy on the 9th. all in all i was excited. To bad golf is so expensiveI might actually be good at this game, HA. Anyways thanks for checking in.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

just an aplication:)

Wow. I've had to begin the S.I. application, wow it's a bear. there are 24 essay questions. the funny thing is, I've never had to fill out an application before. even the Gas Co. I just took a test and i was in. It's an experience I could have done without but God is good. things are well, not much has changed but i am getting more excited and nervous. be praying with us, we appreciate it.
thanks a lot,
Jeremy

Saturday, August 4, 2007

The journey begins!!

It has been five years since our first trip to Costa Rica. We went in 2002 with Masters Commission and fell in love. I came back and immediately began looking for real estate to buy. We were young and had no kids and I thought it would be great to "just go". Erin however, with her wisdom said, "Absolutely not!" I still loved Costa Rica and had dreams of living there and having family come down for summers and things like that, but that was it for me. I went to Borders and purchased a map of the country and a couple books and struggled to hold on to my dreams.
In 2003 we bought a house, and in 2005 we had Ella. It has been great. She is such a joy to us. We worked hard at remodeling the house, I got a full time job with The Gas Co., and we live a comfortable life.
One day in 2005 a friend jokingly asked us if we would move to Costa Rica if they started a mission base there with SI. We laughed, and I said yes. Erin said no, but my mind started working again. Later someone asked us again and we began praying. We didn't hear anything so we kinda let it go. Then again in 2006 our friends Jeff and Tracey Dixon asked us to pray. We again did and this time even Erin said she couldn't just dismiss it. We prayed and prayed but heard nothing. We had Judah in February of this year and that distracted us for a while but the thought was still there. We were actively pursuing an answer from God.
I had been planning to go to Costa Rica in June of 2007, but in March Jeff flippantly said, "Hey wanna go to Costa Rica with me in a week?" I said yes and went. I had a great time. We went south almost to the border of Panama to a reservation called Talamanca. We stayed there in Shiroles, a small town on property owned by a church. There are missionaries there full time working with the locals. We worked up in the rain forest putting in collection boxes and purification facilities on fresh water springs. It was a lot of fun. It really ignited something inside me to go back again. I came back and we began praying again. Still we heard nothing.
In May, the last kid from youth group that was going to go with us in June, backed out. I was bummed and needed to fill two spots, then it hit me... we should take my family!! So we did. We express ordered the kids passports, did a hurry up fund raise and were able to get it done.
We had an awesome time. I spent a week without the family in Shiroles and they came down with my sister in law after that. (Thanks Malinda!) We spent a week in San Jose, the capital, meeting local missionaries and church representatives and trying to get an idea of how it would all work, where we would be, etc. Then we spent a week out on the west coast relaxing and trying to get an idea of what God was doing.
We came back with a definite desire, Erin and I both, to move down there soon. We think that the opportunity is amazing for our family and I love the idea of my kids having the experience. We don't know exactly how it will look or what we will do specifically but we want to walk towards this door before us and knock. We will need for God to guide us in preparing, in fund raising, and give us that assurance that we are doing what is right by Him and for our kids.
So here we are... we are excited, and kinda unclear about the next few steps but we have a peace about this. We know whatever we do, God will use all things for the good of those who love Him. He has a plan for us, not to harm us but to give us hope and a future.
Thank you so much for enduring this really long blog. Hopefully the next ones will be more direct. If you want updates e-mailed to you please send me your email address at jerinjanzen@att.net Thanks