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| January 16, 2025 Meeting |
Turrúcares (pronounced too-ROO-kah-res) is a little town on the outskirts of Alajuela, nestled against the backdrop of an animal feed factory. This tight-knit group of fifteen people lives in modest apartments and one large house, tucked away in this peaceful corner. Among them, there’s a young 18-year-old woman from Honduras, a 35-year-old man from Peru, his wife from Colombia, three Venezuelan women, and the rest are from Colombia. They’ve found a common bond not just in their shared experience as immigrants but also in the hope of building something new—something greater than the life they left behind.
Gustavo, the 35-year-old from Peru, is a gifted upholsterer who runs a small workshop in the large house where most of the men in the group work. He has a steady stream of clients looking to have the interiors of their vehicles redone. One of the women in the group works at an ice cream shop in downtown Turrúcares, and another drives for Uber, making ends meet with her small sedan. These are hard-working people, but in their eyes, there’s a hunger for something deeper—a desire for purpose, for belonging, and for knowing Christ.
Among the group, there’s a woman named Nelcy, a fiery and faithful Christian from Colombia who had joined the church in Heredia about two years ago. She was the first in the group to hear the gospel, and she became an unwavering supporter of Christ's work in her family and her community. Nelcy had often told me stories about her family in Turrúcares, promising that one day Roxana and I would come visit and help establish a new congregation. That promise came true on January 16, 2025, when Roxana and I made our first formal visit and set a regular schedule for our meetings—every Thursday at 5:00 pm.
I told the group from the outset that I wasn’t coming in the name of any denomination or established church. I was simply a worker of Christ, sent to share His Word and show them the transformative power of the gospel. I explained that our purpose was not to establish a traditional Sunday worship service, but to invite them to experience the Kingdom of God, to see the reign of Christ in their lives. I emphasized that our goal was to help them grow and mature in their faith so they could eventually form their own local congregation, not one dependent on Roxana and me.
On January 30, 2025, we arrived for our third meeting, eager to continue our work but also uncertain of what the evening might hold. As we walked toward the house, we were immediately drawn into a situation that would shift the course of the evening. Jaime and Johana, two members of the group, were there with their young son, Juan Esteban. The little boy, barely 18 months old, had been playing with other children when he suddenly fell backwards, hitting the back of his head hard on the pavement. He was in pain, groggy, and crying. As I approached them, Juan Esteban, still in his mother’s arms, locked eyes with me. Without hesitation, he reached out his little arms, asking to be held. And so, I did.
For a few moments, he rested his head on my shoulder, quieting a bit, as if seeking comfort. I asked him gently if he would like me to pray for him, but he shook his head. I understood in that moment that what he needed wasn’t a prayer, but the comfort of someone there for him. I returned him to his mother, and we learned that the ambulance was on its way.
But the ambulance was taking longer than expected, and I couldn’t stand by without offering help. I turned to Jaime, offering to drive Juan Esteban to a local doctor for an immediate check-up, reassuring him not to worry about the cost. However, as we spoke, the ambulance finally arrived. While the paramedics prepared to take the child to the hospital in Alajuela, Roxana had already gathered the other children, engaging them in conversation while the adults anxiously waited for the outcome.
At this point, I knew our usual meeting could not go on as planned. The focus had to be on the emergency at hand. As the paramedics took Juan Esteban and his mother away, I invited the remaining adults to gather in a circle on the very spot where the boy had fallen. They brought out chairs, and we gathered, not for a formal meeting, but to pray for the child and trust that God would be with the doctors as they cared for him. As I prayed, I acknowledged the Lord’s presence, recognizing that we could come to Him because of the reconciliation we now have through Jesus Christ. I asked God to guide the doctors at the hospital and to bring healing to Juan Esteban.
When the prayer ended, the group asked me to share a Bible lesson, as we had done in previous meetings. I felt a deep sense of gratitude that they were eager to hear God’s Word, and I knew that the Lord had been preparing their hearts for this moment. I didn’t need to read from Scripture; I simply began to talk about "The Parable of the Sower." Only Nelcy and a few others had a sense of what the parable taught, but they all quickly grasped the message. We discussed the obstacles in the parable that prevent people from bearing fruit: the hardened heart, the shallow heart, and the divided heart. I explained that the good soil represents a pure heart that accepts the Word of God and allows it to transform their lives.
As I spoke, I realized that the hearts of the people before me were already fertile ground. They were ready to hear the truth and open their lives to the transformative power of the gospel. And I could see that, in that moment, the Kingdom of God was already beginning to take root in Turrúcares.
Soon, we received word that Juan Esteban was being cared for at the hospital in Alajuela. I said goodbye to the group, and Jaime, especially grateful, expressed his heartfelt thanks. Nelcy, a bit disappointed that her husband Felipe couldn’t join us, shared how touched she was by the group’s growing sense of faith.
The next afternoon, we learned that Juan Esteban had been kept overnight for observation, and by the morning of January 31, he was released, doing much better.
As the evening ended, Nelcy asked me for advice on how to create a flyer to invite neighbors to future meetings. I saw in her eyes the spark of a new church, one that could grow into something self-sustaining, self-governing, and self-propagating. This church wasn’t born out of tradition but out of a genuine desire to follow Christ and live in His Kingdom.
Please continue to pray for this group in Turrúcares. We are excited to see how God is moving in their lives, and we are grateful for your ongoing support.
In Christ,
Carlos and Roxana Ulate
