To our financial partners... Para los contribuyentes financieros...

We have been working with Torchbearers to once again be able to provide a means by which donors could send a donation with credit card to us. We think we finally have it!

If you are an alumnus or have seen the impact that the Lord has done in somebody's life through Portantorchas, please consider contributing financially and encouraging others to do so. Donations are the main factor that allow us to provide the Bible School experience to many young people who otherwise could not afford it, and to supply the finances for other capital expenditures.

If you are willing and able to send a donation, thank you very much. You can go to the Torchbearers website and follow the instructions. Category is Ministry Location, and recepients is Costa Rica. Or you can go to this site and press Donate. Follow the paypal instructions, and your donation will be received.

Thank you for your patience and for accompanying us in different ways in this ministry.

Blessings in Him,
Marco

Hemos estado trabajando con Torchbearers para una vez más tener la posibilidad de proveer un medio mediante el cual donantes puedan enviarnos una donación con tarjeta de crédito. Creemos finalmente haberlo logrado.

Si usted es un egresado de Portantorchas o ha visto el impacto que el Señor ha hecho en la vida de alguien por medio de el ministerio de Portantorchas, por favor considere contribuir financieramente y motivar a otros a que lo hagan. Las donaciones son la principal fuente que nos permite proveerle a muchos jóvenes que de otra manera no podrían, la oportunidad de venir a la Escuela Bíblica, y para suplir las necesidades de otros gastos capitales.

Si usted está dispuesto y tiene la posibilidad de enviarnos una donación, muchísimas gracias. Pueden ir al sitio de Torcbearers y seguir las instrucciones. La Categoría es "Ministry Location" y el recipiente es "Costa Rica" o puede ir a este sitio y presionar Donate. Sigan las instrucciones de pay pal y su donación será recibida.

Gracias por su paciencia y por acompañarnos en muchas maneras en este ministerio.

Bendiciones en Cristo,
Marco

Rediscovering Christ!

Here is a message by Major Ian Thomas. Founder of Torchbeaerers International, of which Portantorchas is a member.

Bocas del Toro, Panamá.

Because of immigration laws, US, Canadian and European students can't remain in Costa Rica for three months without getting a visa for them. The cost of the visa is over $500 each. Otherwise, we can have them leave the country, spend a four day weekend in Bocas del Toro, Panama in the fall... truly tropical paradise, or Granada, Nicaragua a historical colonial city in the spring
for close to $400. So which do you think our students prefer, traveling to another country or paying immigration in order to stay here?

This week their off to Bocas del Toro. Please keep them in your prayers, that the Lord will continue to provide us with safety in travels.

Hongos Ostra.

Como muchos que han estado siguiendo las noticias de Portantorchas bien saben, estamos constantemente buscando maneras de suplementar nuestros ingresos para continuar nuestras operaciones, y proveer de becas para nuestros estudiantes.

Presentemente cuento cinco intentos: Pastoras navideñas, centros de llamadas, árboles de Navidad, peces Koi, y ahora hongos. Muchos han hecho grandes bromas de que estamos creciendo hongos, pero les aseguro que son hongos ostra para propósitos culinarios. Un viejo compañero del colegio se me acercó porque el tenía los compradores de hongos pero no los productores. Yo al contrario tenía un invernadero para producir, pero no tenía ningún producto. Me pareció una excelente alianza. Ayer cultivamos nuestros primeros hongos, en una fase experimental. De lo que se nos dice, podremos estar produciendo varias toneladas al mes. Todavía no hemos acordado un precio, debido a que estamos en las primeras semanas de un experimento. Necesitábamos saber si crecerían en nuestro ambiente.

Por favor, ore con nosotros para que esto sea una manera exitosa de suplementar nuestros ingresos.

Esto me recuerda que muchos nos han contactado acerca de enviar donaciones vía PayPal. Desafortunadamente PayPal nos informó que no podremos seguir recibiendo donaciones con ellos por no estar incorporados en EEUU. Estamos buscando maneras de recibir donaciones con tarjeta de crédito. Presentemente, sólo estamos capacitados de recibirlas directamente por medio de cheques o giros bancarios internacionales, o por donaciones a Torchbearers a P.O. Box 2620, Estes Park, CO 80517. Deben especificar que es para Portantorchas.

Últimamente nos hemos visto muy motivados, al ver más y más personas comprometidas con nuestro ministerio tanto financieramente como por oración, a veces con una donación de $10 mensuales y otras con más. Seguiremos haciendo esfuerzos, que si son la voluntad de Dios nos ayudarán a alcanzar las metas que tenemos, pero esas siempre serán una pequeña fracción de lo que se puede lograr por sus contribuciones. Mientras ora por nosotros, por favor considere una donación para becas, para necesidades del equipo de trabajo, para mejoras en las instalaciones, o sencillamente para el crecimiento y la expansión del ministerio de Portantorchas. La verdad es que necesitamos finanzas para alcanzar todas estas.

En Cristo,

Marco

Oyster Mushrooms!

As many who have been following up on Portantorchas for the past years know, we are constantly looking for alternative ways to supplement our income in order to continue operations, and provide scholarships for our students.

Currently I count five attempts: Poinsettias, call-centers, Christmas tress, Koi fish, and now mushrooms. I know... we are bombarded with jokes on the fact that we are growing mushrooms, but we assure everybody, they are culinary oyster mushrooms. An old classmate of mine approached me because he has the contacts to buy oyster mushrooms, but he needed a greenhouse in which to produce them. I have an empty greenhouse, but no products to produce in them. It seemed to be a perfect alliance. Yesterday we cultivated our first, in an experimental stage. From what we are told we can be producing a few tons a month. We still haven't agreed to a price since it's the first few weeks of experiment. We needed to see if they would grow in our environment.

Please pray with us, that this may be a successful way of supplementing our income.

This reminds me, some have contacted us to see about donating via paypal. Unfortunately PayPal informed us that we would not be allowed to receive donations anymore since we are not incoorporated in the US. We are trying to see if through Torchbearers we can receive credit card donations. Currently our only way to receive donations is through checks mailed directly to us (which our banks only accept US checks in American Dollars), or donations sent to Torchbearers at P.O. Box 2620, Estes Park, CO 80517. You must specify that it is for Portantorchas.

Lately we have been encouraged to see an increase in people committed to our ministry both financially and in prayer, sometimes by just donating $10 a month. Sometimes by donating more. We are making efforts, that if are in the Lord's will, will help us reach our necessary goals, but these are only a small percentage of what can be achieved through your contributions. As you pray for us, please consider donating for scholarships, for staff needs, for facility improvements, or simply for the growth and expansion of Portantorchas ministry. The reality is that we need finances to be able to achieve all these.

In Him,
Marco

We have peace with God...

This term, we have started a new change, that would perhaps be relevant only to those whom have been with us in the past. We are beginning Bible classes during the first month of Portantorchas, along with the language classes (Spanish and English), and the Leadership classes for the returning students. It can now be said that Portantorchas begins the first day of the term, and not that we have two beginnings, as we used to in the past.

As far as Bible classes, I am teaching Romans and Tom is teaching Mark. I must say that I have abused my position as Director for many years, and elected to teach those courses that I really enjoy teaching. Romans is a book that although very difficult to condense into two classes is crucial for our understanding and our Christian walk.

After sharing the "bad news" of our hopeless state of lostness, due to our sinfulness and God's justice, we get to a beautiful summary in Romans 5 of what the good news in Jesus Christ is. "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."

I illustrate this from an experience I had while opening a business for a group of investors in Costa Rica. This particular company had an owner, and had a general manager. Perhaps because I am not as lovely as I assume I am, the manager began to lose his patience with me often on the phone, and I was becoming used to getting an earful, every time I talked to him. On one ocassion, he called to request dropping something that we had spent a couple of months working on, and starting from scratch under the premise that this would speed things up. Upon disagreeing with him, once again he yelled at me, and told me simply to obey. He assured me this was the owners wish, and that I would be wise to obey without questioning the decision.

Upon hanging up, and within one or two minutes, I received a call from the owner. I was sure I was going to be treated in the same manner and with the same tone. Upon asking me for my opinion, I couldn't lie, and shared what I had shared before with the general manager. I simply got "I agree with you. It was just an idea." When I asked him to please respond in writing to this, I received the response that I feel helps explain why I got into this long story in the first place.

"Why do you want it in writing?"
"Just to avoid having problems later."
"Why would you have problems? Don't you know that I'm the owner, and that you and I have no problems? The only person you should worry about is me."
"I'm glad to hear that you and I are o.k."
"I never said we were o.k."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I misunderstood."
"I said, we have no problems. That is better than o.k."
"That's great to hear. Do you mind still sending that in writing?"

I still laugh at this interaction, as the owner of the company did at that moment. But my point is deeper. When Paul tells me that because of my faith in Christ, I have peace with God, it means that He and I have no problems at all. That's better than o.k. I don't have to be watching my back to see if God is waiting to catch me doing something wrong so that He can punish me. I don't have to worry that the pain or suffering I may endure is in any way related to some sin that made God angry at me. I don't have to worry that one day He may dismiss me from His purpose. No. He and I are cool. We have no problems whatsoever. Sure, I've got problems. I've got sins. Paul will talk about those in Chapters 6-8, but first he needs me to know that I am at peace with God, and God is at peace with me.

This to me summarizes very quickly that wonderful news.

A new semester.

Blessings friends and supporters of Portantorchas.

On Monday, August 3rd we began a new semester at Portantorchas. As mentioned in a previous message, we have some 32 students from various countries, including two married couples. We are very glad and thankful to our Lord for every individual that He has brought, and we eagerly anticipate what He is going to teach us this year. As I explained to many of them, one of my greatest joys is seeing the friendships and relationships that are formed here, many of which become a lifelong emotional and spiritual support.

This year, we have been blessed with the help of some of our alumni. Eugenia and Fresia continue to support Paola in Spanish classes. Hannah has come from the US to help Tom with the English classes. For the leadership group, due to Freddy's departure (which I ought to write about later, that you may be praying for his next endeavours) I have asked the group of Lideres Creativos to join us and speak on leadership, while I continue to teach the Spiritual Disciplines course.

Please continue to pray for us and for our students. Our greatest prayer request is that the Lord be glorified in this place, in the life of our students and our staff. As Paul says, "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." Eph. 4:12-13

We thank you very much for this support, and the financial support of many of you. Particulary, I ask you to pray for the financial support of many of our students. There are some who are trustign that the Lord will provide the needed finances to continue this term with us, and there are some who are trusting that the Lord will provide for their monthly expenses. Also we have some staff whose financial support has diminished and are also trusting that the Lord will supply their needs through other people. If you would like to be part of that support please contact me directly.

Sincerely in Him,

Marco