Talking Torah Ministries is a not for profit, grass roots based, Torah teaching ministry to the Spanish speaking peoples of Costa Rica.

July 6, 2011 / by jgilbert / 1 Comment / Filed under Updates

We invest much time and money into helping people with their daily needs as well as teaching them the scriptures without the traditions added by men of old. Currently we are ministering in several areas to help the local people of Sabalito. It is our desire to live here for as long as the Costa Rican government will allow us to serve the local people with blessings spiritually and physically.

Here is a list of our current projects.

1) Daily and weekly teachings in the scriptures focusing on solid families, productive fathers and mothers as well as the young people growing up learning how to show respect and care for those around them.

2) We minister to the sick and needy in the local community without any requirement for joining our ministry. The only thing that we ask of those that we help is that they in turn help those around them as they can.

3) We have a small farm that we provide food for the local people who are not able to support their families with proper nutrition. Our crop are designed to support 6 needy families with small children and elderly that live with them in their houses. Current crops are Corn (sweet and tortilla), Beans (several varieties), Zucchini, Potatoes, Cucumber, Tomatoe, Chayote, Chili, Tequisqe, Yukka, Oranges, Mandarina, Limon, Mora, Mango, Starfruit, Passionfruit, Water Apples, Banana and other fruits and vegetables.

4) We also raise goats for meat and milk. Providing these items for the families in need on a daily basis. Our current herd is six, but are expecting more to come soon.

5) We also raise chickens for meat and for eggs. Currently we are raising 35 hens that produce several dozen eggs per day. We are just completing the area to raise chicken for meat. We are housing 30 chickens in this new area.

6) We are also working with those in need with home repairs such as rebuilding roofs or walls to protect from the wind and rain.

We have been in the Sabalito area for the last year and have seen a lot of good come of the work here. We have made some very good friends and are learning the language so that we can integrate better into this community. Since this is a not for profit ministry we operate without asking for any money from those that we help. The result is a true caring effort to build bridges for peace between two brother peoples who speak different languages.

We are truly blessed to be able to live with and help those of this community.

For more information, or to assist us in our work, please contact us at;

June Ministry Update

June 6, 2011 / by jgilbert / Make A Comment / Filed under Updates

Shalom Alechim everyone, welcome to another ministry update; June 2011…

Enclosed are our Praise and prayer requests and updates for you.

Praise Report

• The local/public Pesach event was a great success. We had a lot of people show up and I was blessed by being able to stand with Joel Sanchez once again (he has been in Limon a great deal this year) to minister to the folks. The crowd was around 45 with an even mix of English and Spanish speaking people. We had this event on the Erev Shabbat a couple of days prior to Pesach in order to teach the people what and why they are to memorialize this feast in our homes. I don’t know if many of the newcomers had their own event at home, but we have sure had a lot of new interest and excitement in the group since Pesach.
• The local group of people here that meet on a regular basis has increased and the spirit is strong. Several of the other American Torah families are moving down to Limon in the coming months and are gone for long stretches now in order to prepare their new dwellings. But the remaining crowd that will be left behind have been growing strong and the spirit is sweet.
• We have had three new families coming some lately. The Wives and children come and we teach and learn languages together on Friday evenings. Afterward we teach some of the prayers over the Kiddush and some songs. They haven’t picked up much of the Hebrew yet… but they are getting the Shabbat Shalom song down pretty good. J
• In the past several months we have added five goats to our family and are currently at 27 laying hens with some brand new baby chicks that we watched hatch this morning.
• There is a local family here by the name of Dixon who are a wonderful family and have been working with the animals. Their children come up on most mornings and evenings to help milking and mucking. They also have several ministries to the needy that have been in operation for years. Their sites can be seen @ www.thedixonhomestead.com
• The gardens are doing great and we have just seen a large area planted for the community. The two differing corn and bean plants should provide a great deal of food for the community for the next season.
• The global ministry has been growing strong as well. With new listeners in China, Korea, Bahran and Indonesia. Not to mention the new listeners that have been listening to us here in the states. I have also heard of some new listeners that are currently living at the pleasure of the king (in prison, so to speak). Our hardy handshake and warm embrace goes out to all our new and old listeners. We are honoured that you choose to walk with us in the weekly radio and recorded programming.
• Currently our global ministry consists of a weekly Podcast (that is carried by several internet as well as AM/FM stations), a weekly news program aired on Friday afternoon in Salem, Oregon as well as the internet, a weekly Torah Teacher’s roundtable program where several leaders come together to discuss the weekly Torah Portion (Echad is the underlying message with this program since each leader is at a different place in their understanding, this is a good program to demonstrate to the world how we should act with each other) and a weekly live call in show on Tuesday mornings, and finally the weekly Shabbat Paltalk room that is open from 8:00am till 5:00pm each Shabbat  (Mountain time). The Paltalk room is still one of our most enjoyable times since we are able to get immediate feedback through the many great questions and comments during the live programming. All the programming is recorded and is available upon request or can be downloaded at  http://TalkingTorah.Podbean.com/,http://www.waytozion.org/teachings/Jeff/jeff.htm or www.HebrewNationRadio.com (search for Jeff Gilbert to find).
• We visited Portland and Salem Oregon recently for a conference with several other teachers. It was a well attended event with many new and excited faces. I met some very good people and made some great new friends. I am hoping to be able to return later this year for their Torah for Women conference with my wife Lisa.
• During our Salem trip we were blessed to meet a family from Costa Rica/Guatemala who blessed me in many ways. Their presence made the whole trip even more special than it already was. It is our desire to be echad with them and the whole Salem/Portland crew forever.
• The land that we are currently renting (thanks to the generosity of those who are able to support financially) is providing very well for us and the other families round about us. We are tryng to buy this property or have a coop of people buying with us. If you are interested in what we are doing here we would like to speak with you.

Prayer Requests

• We are praying that Yah will send to us the funds needed to buy the land we are on, or would send to us those would like to buy with shares with us. The land can be sold as a whole or divided up. So, if you or someone that you know is interested in being a part of this then please let me know.
• We are preparing to receive several new families coming down to live here from the states. We are praying for their safe travels and their future with us. May their time here in Costa Rica be filled with Joy and Life.
• We are also asking for prayer concerning the people here in our local area. We are asking Yah to open doors for us and to give us His words to speak.
• We are also, continuing, to ask Yah for the gift of languages. We have seen our language skills change almost overnight here and we are praying that Yah will continue to bless us with the gift of languages and that we may be wonderfully used by Him here and abroad.
• We are praying for a family in the States. We are trying to bring some funds to them to help them during a terrible patch of drought in their house and we are hoping to be able to relieve some of their immediate burdens. If you can help us financially with this then please contact us for more info.
• We are also praying for our friends here in our local area who are preparing to move to Limon. We are asking Yah to bless them and give them the desires of their heart and to use them greatly in their new area of ministry.
• We are meeting with the local christian pastor this week to discuss several items. We are praying that Yah will bless this meeting and allow us to develop a stronger relationship with our brothers.
• And as it seems to always be.. We are asking for funds to help with the daily work here and also to replenish the funds to help the poor/needy/widows and fatherless. Currently we fund a majority of our works out of our savings and augment it from the funds/prayers that arrive from those who are walking with us. We would really like to get the funds to a level to allow us to handle several needs that are lingering in the background. For example, we are looking to provide funds for a family to get a vehicle to offset the need to walk many miles to and from work (mostly in the rain during the next 7 months). Also to help with some housing needs of another family to repair their house so that it is rain tight. Currently their home has a lot of water in it when it rains (which it will do now for the next 7 months). Also would like to complete the project that we started a couple of months ago with the purchase of the remaining bedding that is needed with another family. All of these things are outside of our current abilities and we are waiting on Yah to direct us in how to handle them.

Thank you all for your prayers and your support in the past and for those who will in the future. Great is the Elohim of Israel, Great is His Name Yahweh and Great is His mighty House.

Shalom…

February Ministry Update

February 25, 2011 / by jgilbert / 1 Comment / Filed under Updates

We wanted to let everyone, who supports this ministry, know of our Blessings.

Praise in Costa Rica:

• We are hosting a family on the property at no cost, allowing them to have access to land for planting and for animals.
• We are supporting a local Costa Rican family with finances and other support during a medical crisis in the family.
• We are aiding an American family with financial and land support giving them the ability to provide for themselves on a very limited income.
• We are teaching and counseling several families, locally, with the goal of restoration of their House.
• Our land, garden and our animals have been used to bless our own table, but also the table of several local families.
• A great, albeit small, group of people in this local area who have a heart to care for each other.
• So far all offerings are being used with none stored up. Read more