I am praying for you this morning...

How bright is your light these days? Is it a flicker? Is it still trying to start? Does it reflect and illuminate God's love to everyone around you?

I've heard it said that sometimes the only Bible some people will read, is the life and example we live.

Think about that. What kind of example is your life to others? Do others see Jesus in you, and me?

Keep your light shining, with humility and sincerity.

"Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven."
–Matthew 5:16

Dear Friends,
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
May the peace, joy, and love of Christ's birth fill your heart and home this Christmas season. Wishing you a blessed and Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with God's grace.

An Abundance of Gratitude and Shared Blessings
Words cannot truly express the depth of our thanks. Ray and I want to extend our deepest, most sincere gratitude to each one of you for your faithful and unwavering support throughout this past year. Because of your incredible generosity and prayer-ful partnership, the ministries here in Costa Rica are doing well!

Here is a glimpse of the impact your love has made:
The children’s home is growing and has now begun construction on its third house! To date we have had the privilege of ministering to over 160 children. The clinic is expanding its capacity and will be welcoming a full-time doctor starting in January. We are overjoyed to be building two new churches and a parsonage in the country's northeastern sector, wonderfully supported by dedicated mission teams from churches in the States. Enrollment at both the Methodist school and seminary is up, a fantastic sign of growing faith and education!

Looking Ahead to 2026
As we look forward to the coming year and all the exciting new work it will bring, we also want to share a practical challenge. Our personal vehicles, which are essential for the daily ministry, are getting quite old. Ray drives a 2006 Tundra, and Lidia has a 2007 Sequoia. We truly love our Toyotas—they are workhorses that stand up to the ruggedness of the Costa Rican roads, and parts are easy to find. However, we have now reached the point where the yearly maintenance and repair costs are exceeding the cars' value. We are prayerfully moving forward to begin a Car Replacement Fund. The wonderful folks at the Methodist Church in Uvalde are assisting us by receiving and setting aside financial gifts for this specific purpose. Gifts for that purpose can be designated “Zirkel Car Fund.”

Family News and Continued Prayer Requests
Our family is doing well. Sarah is just days away from graduating with both of her master’s degrees! (MDIV & MBA) Please continue to pray with us for God to open the right door for her future career, as she is actively seeking employment. Emma begins her final semester in her master’s program in January and will start working part-time in a hospital Emergency Room in College Station. We are so proud of her dedication!

Ray’s recent health issues have persisted, and he has undergone a variety of medical exams at Houston Methodist. (A few more to go!) While he is feeling somewhat better, the mystery of the "good days and bad days" continues. We ask each of you to please keep praying for a clear diagnosis and complete healing as we place this fully in God’s hands.

As the year ends, we want to thank you for your incredible generosity and investment in our lives and ministry. We are grateful for each one and look forward to seeing many of you in the States over the holidays or in Costa Rica during 2026.

Praying your Christmas season is richly filled with the peace, love, and profound joy found only in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

With Deepest Love and Gratitude,
Ray and Lidia

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We’re grateful to be featured in a recent article highlighting the partnership between Light on the Hill and the San Antonio Food Bank, where nearly 36,000 pounds of food were distributed to families across the Hill Country.


We praise God for the hands and hearts in our ministry who continue to serve others with love and compassion.

Last Saturday volunteers from KFUMC, St John Lutheran Church in Boerne, and Firth Lutheran Church in Floresville worked together to correct drainage problems at a house that flooded on July 4th.

The St John’s Lutheran Church (Boerne) volunteers have been working with KFUMC’s Emergency Response Team regularly for six weeks, and last weekend they brought supplies for our ERT trailer!  


Thank you so much to the St John’s congregation for the tool belts, batteries, battery chargers, step ladder, and personal protection supplies.  We are so blessed to have the chance to meet and work with these servants! 

Donate warm clothes to help a neighbor this winter.

Dear Church Family,

​We are grateful that our Mustard Seed Food Pantry can help our neighbors throughout the year with food assistance, but especially during the most recent government shutdown. Thousands of families in Kerr County are affected by the suspension of SNAP benefits.

During the month of November, we will be collecting non-perishable food donations in the lobby area at Kerrville First United Methodist Church. Shopping baskets will be available for you to drop off your donations throughout the week and on Sunday mornings.

Some food items that are needed are canned chicken, canned chili, canned stew, macaroni and cheese boxes, canned spaghetti sauce, beans and rice.

If you want to give a monetary donation, please make your check out to KFUMC and put Mustard Seed in the memo or you can give electronically through the KFUMC website. Just go to GIVE, then click on Give Online and scroll on down to Mustard Seed Ministries.

Thank you for your generosity!

Beth Palmer

​Trunk or Treat was spooktacular! Between the cool trunks, creative costumes, and plenty of candy, our community came together for a night full of laughter, love, and a little spooky fun!

Thank you to all who helped make Trunk or Treat so super sweet!

Saturday was a day filled with fun at our Harvest Festival!

We loved spending time with our community this past weekend—playing games, dancing to DJ David, enjoying hayrides, getting our faces painted, sharing food, and so much more. What a wonderful way to celebrate the new season and spread the Lord’s love throughout our community.

A huge thank-you to everyone who helped make this event possible. What a truly blessed day of faith, fellowship, and friends!

River Trail Cleanup - UGRA.org
​UGRA is sponsoring a post-flood river trail and park cleanup on Nov 15 from 8 AM to 12 PM.

The KFUMC ERT is putting together a team to work on this project and we would love to have you participate. If you decide to join us, please register for the event, select Group A which covers Tranquility Island, and let Ray or David know. Thanks!

Each group has a limited number of slots so please register as soon as possible.

Ray: [email protected]
David: [email protected]

Don't Miss Out on Harvest Festival This Saturday!

Come join us on Saturday, November 1 from 10am-2pm for the
Harvest Fest at Light on the Hill!

Live music, food, fun and games, hayrides, petting zoo, face painting, and connections to local resources.
This is a free event for our entire community!

What a Great Outpouring of Support!
What a great outpouring of support for our community at the San Antonio Food Bank's Kerr County MEGA Food Pantry at Light on the Hill!

Hundreds of unpaid servant showed up to share 37,000 pounds of food with our community on Monday!

Thank you, God, for giving us everything we need each and every day.
Amen.

This is our mission statement. Sounds simple, but living out this mantra takes daily intention. The good news? We don't have to do it alone. Together, we can embody this mission and make a lasting impact.

First, love God. Well, that seems like a no-brainer. But loving God is more than just an emotion. It involves a surrender of oneself to God's will and a commitment to living according to His teachings. This includes obeying His commandments, prioritizing His word, and actively engaging in worship and service. Loving God is about aligning one's life with God's purposes and demonstrating love for Him through actions and a transformed life. 

Second, love others. This means that we are to treat others with kindness and compassion, recognizing the inherent value and dignity of all individuals. If we truly love God, then we must love every one of His children, even the ones who think and act differently than us. Don't we want everyone to know how much they are loved by God? The way we treat others is a reflection of Christ's love. 
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Finally, make a difference. There are many ways to make a difference in the world and impact those around us. Making a difference as a follower of Christ essentially involves a holistic approach. It is about living out our faith, demonstrating God's love through our actions, serving those in need, and sharing the hope and transformation found in Christ. 
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Together, with God's help, we can live out our mission, both near and far!