MT 19:14 Ministries

05/27/2026

Dear Friends and Supporters,

We have been given an incredible opportunity to invest in the future of children and families in Costa Rica through the training and development of our teaching staff serving in La Carpio and surrounding communities.

This July, Dr. Mike Shackleford and his wife, Shelby Shackleford, have graciously agreed to take four days out of their busy lives to travel to Costa Rica and pour into our untrained teachers and leaders. Their willingness to serve is a tremendous blessing and answer to prayer.

Shelby Shackleford has served as a kindergarten teacher in Tennessee for 38 years. She has a remarkable gift for reaching students at every level and creating engaging, student-centered learning environments. Her teaching combines creativity, structure, hands-on learning, music, art, play, and student responsibility in ways that help children thrive academically and emotionally.

Dr. Mike Shackleford has dedicated more than 43 years to education as a teacher, principal, college professor, professional learning leader, and school developer in multiple countries. He has trained educators nationally and internationally and is passionate about helping schools create environments where students are truly at the center of learning. His experience in leadership, instruction, assessment, and teacher development will be invaluable to our staff.

The impact of this visit cannot be overstated. In just four days, the education and effectiveness of our teaching staff will move forward light years. These trainings will not only strengthen our classrooms but will directly affect the lives of the children and families we serve for years to come.

We are currently raising support to help cover the travel expenses for Dr. Mike and Shelby’s trip to Costa Rica. If you would like to partner with us in bringing this life-changing training to our school and community, we would be deeply grateful for your support.

Every gift, large or small, helps make this possible.

If you feel led to contribute, support can be sent through Zelle via Bank of America.

More than anything, we ask for your prayers — that God would use this time to strengthen our teachers, encourage our leaders, and ultimately bring hope, excellence, and Christ-centered education to the precious children we serve.

Thank you for believing in this mission and helping us invest in the next generation. Can you consider helping here and pass this along to all of your peeps.

Thank you Dom Vecchio and Rick Tayfel once again for your help

Zelle
[email protected]

Donate on website
https://matt1914.com/seeds-of-light -e326-4915-8e96-e8b390986d72

With gratitude,

John

05/10/2026

Yesterday was one of the most powerful and humbling experiences I have ever witnessed. It all started when one of our leaders, Genesis, began speaking to the children about the pure love of Jesus Christ — how He willingly went to the cross, endured brutal punishment, and ultimately temporary death so that we would not have to suffer eternal separation from God in a place where all hope is gone and only despair with the devil remains.

As she spoke about the mercy, grace, and sacrifice of Jesus, the atmosphere completely changed. One by one, the children began to cry. Many of them fell under deep conviction, openly repenting and pouring their hearts out to God. There was no pressure, no emotional manipulation — just the genuine presence of the Holy Spirit moving powerfully among them.

Watching these young hearts encounter the love of Christ in such a real way was overwhelming. Some prayed quietly, others wept openly, and many began confessing things they had been carrying inside. You could feel the peace, love, and holiness of God filling the room.

What we witnessed was not religion or routine. It was Acts chapter 2 coming alive before our eyes — hearts being pierced, lives being changed, and people responding to the truth of Jesus with repentance and surrender.

I will never forget seeing these little seeds encounter the living God in such a personal and powerful way.

04/27/2026

I’m very excited to say thank you, thank you, thank you to my friends and fellow Longhollow Church members Maureen and Catherine Maloof and their organization “Uniforms for Hope” who bought all new school uniforms for the children of which we will have 60 Lord willing in the new school starting soon. The girls now will have pretty dark blue dresses ( Pictures coming soon). I have to get them some shorts for the girls to wear underneath it until our teaching staff could teach our little ladies how to sit and conduct there selves with a dress which could be a challenge since our youngest are only three years old. But I am so grateful for the mother and daughter Team for financially covering the uniforms.

Me llena de entusiasmo dar las gracias —¡gracias, gracias y mil gracias!— a mis amigas y compañeras de la iglesia Longhollow, Maureen y Catherine Maloof, y a su organización «Uniforms for Hope», quienes han adquirido uniformes escolares completamente nuevos para los niños; si Dios lo permite, contaremos con 60 alumnos en la nueva escuela que abrirá sus puertas muy pronto. Ahora, las niñas lucirán unos preciosos vestidos de color azul oscuro (¡pronto compartiremos las fotos!). Debo conseguirles unos pantalones cortos para que los usen debajo de los vestidos, al menos hasta que nuestro equipo docente logre enseñar a nuestras pequeñas damitas a sentarse y a comportarse adecuadamente con esta prenda, lo cual podría suponer un desafío, dado que las más pequeñas tienen apenas tres años de edad. No obstante, estoy inmensamente agradecida con este equipo de madre e hija por haber cubierto económicamente el costo de los uniformes.

04/27/2026

I’m incredibly grateful to the Lord for the amazing people He has placed in my life through this ministry—people who are truly making an impact in the lives of the children of La Carpio. It’s such a blessing to be part of what God is doing!

Lord willing, I’ll be back on Wednesday, April 29, and we have an exciting few days ahead! On Thursday, April 30, we’ll be hosting a special Bible study and breakfast for mothers, grandmothers, and any fathers who would like to join us. After that, we’ll be diving into English lessons and entrepreneurial training. The kids will also enjoy full days of school on both Thursday and Friday.

We are especially excited to hold our very first church service in the new school building on Saturday, May 2—what a milestone!

Then on May 9, we’ll be welcoming Patrick Murnane, Bob Niemiec, and Mike Shackleford as they come to visit and see the school. Patrick Murnane will also be preaching in Spanish at our 4 PM service in the new building—an incredible opportunity we’re really looking forward to.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support—it truly means so much!

Estoy increíblemente agradecido con el Señor por las personas maravillosas que ha puesto en mi vida a través de este ministerio—personas que realmente están marcando una diferencia en la vida de los niños de La Carpio. ¡Es una gran bendición ser parte de lo que Dios está haciendo!

Si Dios lo permite, regresaré el miércoles 29 de abril, ¡y tenemos varios días muy emocionantes por delante! El jueves 30 de abril tendremos un estudio bíblico especial con desayuno para madres, abuelas y también padres que deseen acompañarnos. Después, continuaremos con clases de inglés y capacitación en emprendimiento. Los niños también tendrán días completos de escuela el jueves y viernes.

Estamos especialmente emocionados de celebrar nuestro primer servicio de iglesia en el nuevo edificio de la escuela el sábado 2 de mayo—¡qué gran logro!

Luego, el 9 de mayo, recibiremos a Patrick Murnane, Bob Niemiec y Mike Shackleford, quienes vendrán a conocer la escuela. Patrick Murnane también estará predicando en español en nuestro servicio de las 4 PM en el nuevo edificio—¡una oportunidad increíble que esperamos con mucha alegría!

Gracias a todos por sus oraciones y apoyo continuo—¡significa muchísimo para nosotros!

04/20/2026

Friends and family,

I’m writing today with a humble request and a hopeful heart.

For the past few years I have been serving as a missionary in La Carpio, Costa Rica, one of the poorest communities in the country. Many of the families here are Nicaraguan refugees who came to Costa Rica seeking safety and a better life for their children.

Unfortunately, education here is extremely limited. The local public school is overcrowded, and because of this many children in our community are only able to attend about four hours of school per week. Imagine trying to learn to read, write, and build a future with only a few hours of school each week.

To help fill this gap, we have started a preschool program for the youngest children. Right now we are able to teach them five hours a day, three days a week, and with God’s help we will soon expand to five days a week. These children are eager to learn and deserve the same opportunities as any child anywhere.

This is where you can help.

We are looking for used laptops or tablets that are still in working condition. With these devices, children and adults here will be able to participate in online education programs, learn basic computer skills, and access educational resources that simply are not available in their community.

Something that might be sitting unused in a drawer or closet could become a life-changing tool for a child or family here.

If you have a used laptop or tablet you would be willing to donate, please send me a message. We will make sure it gets directly into the hands of someone who needs it.

Education gives hope.
Education opens doors.
Education changes lives.

Thank you for caring about these families and for helping us bring opportunity and dignity to this community.

With gratitude and faith,

I leave to go back 4-29-26

John

03/17/2026

Next week I’ll be in the Chicago area visiting friends and family and delivering organic Costa Rican coffee to supporters of Matthew 19:14 Ministries. ☕🇨🇷

While I’m there, I’m also hoping to collect old phones, laptops, iPads, or any smart devices. In the community where I serve, many children can only attend school two hours a day, twice a week because schools are overcrowded and teachers are scarce.

A donated device can give a child access to education from home who might otherwise fall behind.

☕ 100% Organic Costa Rican Arabica Coffee
Medium roast — $15 per half kilo

📍 I’ll be in Elmwood Park and Oak Brook all day Saturday and Sunday.

Please send me a private message if you’d like to purchase coffee or donate a device. Every little bit helps bring education, hope and most importantly Jesus to these kids. 🙏

Learn more:

Join us in nurturing young hearts and minds with love.

03/05/2026

Thank you Adam French and Recovery Refuge for donating the book. 6 inmates got saved yesterday in prison and two guards asked about Jesus today

03/02/2026

This was an amazing story of how God pursues those who want to have a relationship with Him. John 15:16. This is my new friend Timo I met this weekend on a men’s retreat put on by International Church in Ezcazu Costa Rica. Listen to the entire things it’s truly amazing.

02/17/2026

02/10/2026

God is good! Lord willing, our new school will open on April 1, 2026. As we prepare, we’ll be adding 60 more students and are looking for additional teachers to join the mission.

We’re equipping three classrooms with TVs and internet access, which means we can also welcome remote teachers. If you’re a Christ follower who loves children and feel called to teach a class through Zoom (or something similar) once a day or even once a week, we would love to connect with you. We will also have English classes and job skills training for adults if you can help.

Spanish is helpful but not required — we trust the Holy Spirit to bridge any gaps.

Please reach out if you’re interested or want more details