And so it begins...

Dear Friends & Family,

I am preparing to embark on a new journey that I want to share with you all in hopes that you would like to be a part of what God has in store. I’m looking to move down to Costa Rica in late 2008 with an organization called Students International.
The mission of Students International is: “Bringing students and the poor together cross-culturally to encounter God, share the Good News, disciple and serve others in occupational ministries.” Each SI base has a number of different sites that are focused on ministering in different ways to different people. Some of these sites include: medical, sports, art, social work, construction and others. In this way, ministry can be more specific, yet diversified.
I will be heading down to Costa Rica with a team of people and we will be working to start up a new SI base in the greater San Jose area in Costa Rica. This team will include: Jeff and Tracey Dixon, along with their two children, Olivia and Sawyer, Jeremy and Erin Janzen with their children, Ella and Judah, and my good friend, Krysta Williams. The first few months there will be spent in language school and making more contacts and connections for ministry. After language school, I will be moving into an apartment with Krysta and begin to serve in ministry sites. We don’t yet know the areas of ministry we will be focusing on in the beginning, but during this time we hope that God will continue to create divine appointments and guide us in the direction He wants us to go. The sites we are currently looking into may be: education, social work and sports. We also look forward to continuing with the relationships we already have established. After becoming relatively established, we will be hosting teams of people that wish to come and serve in Costa Rica on short-term trips, as well as semester programs for college students. Those coming to serve will be staying in homes with Costa Rican families. As full time staff, however, I will be living in an apartment in the community that we will be ministering to. I know that there are a lot of “unknowns” yet, but as a team, as well as individually, we have all been praying for what God wants to do in and through us in Costa Rica. We are sure that God has called us to Costa Rica for His purposes and we are committed to seeking out His plans and following through with obedience to what He calls us to. Although we may not know many specific channels of how we will be ministering in Costa Rica, we are excited and willing to learn and pursue the areas of service where it is most needed.
I would love and be privileged to receive support from you for this journey and path on which God has placed me. There are a number of ways in which you can give your support. There is a great need for prayer support. Being bathed in prayer is very important to me, in order to continue to be guided by God, for maintaining physical and spiritual strength, and to combat spiritual forces that will be working against us.
Another way in which you can support me is by either coming to Costa Rica on a short-term trip or bringing a team down with you to serve. We will be working down there full time, but groups that come down are a huge part of the ministry, as well. They give a lot more helping hands to finish projects faster and help to create a larger area of ministry, reaching people that we may not have been able to reach, being fewer in number. I, personally, have a huge part of my heart reserved for missions and another huge part for youth and students. In working with SI, I will be able to combine these two passions, serving God to the fullest of my ability.
One more way in which you can lend your support is financially. We have projected that my cost of living will be about $2,000 per month. SI has asked for at least a two-year commitment to the ministry in Costa Rica. I will also need a lump sum of $10,000 for initial costs and start up expenses. This money will cover the training required by SI at a missionary training school (MTI), airfare to Colorado for this training, airfare to Costa Rica, Language school and moving/furnishing for our new home. I don’t know what God has in store for me after these two years, I may stay in Costa Rica, but I may be led elsewhere. As for now, my projected goal for serving in Costa Rica is two years, and in following that my goal for raising support will be for two years.
I would very much appreciate any type of support that you are able or would like to give. If you would like to contact me, personally, you may e-mail me at: cailahpritch@gmail.com. I will also be posting continual updates at www.cailahpritch.blogspot.com. To learn more about SI in general, visit their website at www.stint.com. Thank you for everything and I’m very much looking forward to beginning this new journey with you all! God bless!

Con cariño,


Cailah Pritchard