First Quarter 2025, Pictures

Teaching the ladies in Turrúcares

 

Kenneth Matarrita

Didier Rojas

Juan Carlos Hernández

Meeting in Communal Hall nearby

Renovation Progress

First Quarter 2025

 

First Quarter of 2025 Report

🌱 Mission Work in Turrúcares

For the first three months of this year, Roxana and I have been working with a small group that meets in the town of Turrúcares, located in the province of Alajuela, about an hour's drive from Heredia. This mission began in mid-January and continues to this day. The group consists of immigrants from Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, and Costa Rica.

We meet every Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. I have been responsible for teaching the adults, while Roxana has been leading the children’s group. The members of this group arrived in Costa Rica over the past few months, some having been here for a couple of years. Many of them have found jobs and some have started their own small businesses.

The group has been very receptive to God’s Word. There is a genuine desire to learn and grow in faith. Our long-term goal is to help them become organized as a local church. We’re praying that, over time, God’s Word will continue to open their hearts and minds, allowing them to understand the work He is doing in their lives. Once they mature in their faith, we hope they will be able to function independently as a self-sustaining congregation.

I have been blessed to have the assistance of Victor Araya, a recent graduate of the Baxter Institute in Honduras, and his wife. The work has been especially interesting due to the diversity within the group, and we’ve encountered different levels of receptivity to the message of the Gospel.

Gustavo, a man from Peru, has taken a leadership role among the men in the group. He opened a car upholstery workshop nearly a year ago, which has provided employment for several of the group members. Nelcy, a Colombian woman, has emerged as the spiritual leader among the women. She is a strong, faithful believer and is considered the matriarch of the group.

Turrúcares is located in a rural area of Alajuela, along the main highway that leads to the Pacific coast. The area has a strong Catholic presence, but there is little evangelical activity. We are hopeful that, through our work, we can plant a new Christian community that will be self-sustaining, self-governing, and self-propagating. 🙏

🩺 Health Update

On a personal note, I wanted to share an update regarding my health. As many of you know, I had been preparing for the possibility of surgery due to a growing mass in my left kidney. Your prayers and support have meant so much to me throughout this process.

I’m happy to report some good news: my most recent ultrasound, taken on April 2nd, shows that the size of the mass has not increased. In fact, it has slightly decreased, from 28 mm in January to 27 mm now. While it’s a small change, it’s an encouraging sign, and we’re praying that it continues to move in the right direction.

I wanted to share this update with you because you’ve been with me through this journey. Your prayers have lifted me up, and I am truly grateful for each one of you. 💖

Thank you for continuing to keep me in your prayers as we move forward in both the mission and in my health. 🌟

🏠 The Church in Heredia

The church in Heredia continues to grow as a self-sustaining, self-organizing, and self-propagating congregation. It was founded in 1996 by Freddy Astorga, who passed away in 2005. I took over leadership after Freddy’s death, stepping into a role more like a missionary than a local preacher. My focus was to allow others in the church to rise up and use their gifts for God’s work.

One of the key leaders is Kenneth, who started as a young boy with a passion for teaching. Today, he is a theologian and a licensed psychologist, and he serves as one of the church’s main teachers. Didier Rojas, who joined the church in 2012, is another important leader. Didier has taken charge of the youth group and is involved in strengthening marriages and families within the church. He essentially functions as one of the church elders.

Juan Carlos Hernández, another leader, has played a crucial role in the renovation of the church building. The church has been using the same building since 2002, but due to growth, it needed significant updates. Juan Carlos has dedicated the last two months to supervising the renovation work. Despite working for an online company, he has committed several hours each day to this project. The church had raised about $40,000 for the renovation. Juan Carlos managed the entire process, hiring a construction company, obtaining the necessary permits, and contracting an architect to design the plans. The project is moving forward well, and the church is currently meeting in a nearby communal hall while the renovation takes place. There are several communal halls in the area that are used for community activities, and we have been utilizing one of these for our Sunday meetings.

The new building will include classrooms for children and youth, and the auditorium will have a seating capacity of 150 people. We are excited about this progress and the opportunities it will bring for the church to grow further. 🙌

💧 David Zúñiga: A New Member in Christ

David Zúñiga is a 19-year-old student at the University of Costa Rica in San Pedro, Montes de Oca. He is originally from Sarapiquí, a canton north of Heredia. David became a member of the Church of Christ three weeks ago when I had the privilege of baptizing him.

David’s journey to Christ began when he was about 15 years old. During the pandemic, some brothers from Ecuador began to evangelize him online. They contacted me to help guide him further. At that time, David was still quite young, and I needed permission from his mother to baptize him, which delayed things. However, David remained very interested in baptism.

About a month and a half ago, after completing his first year of university, David reached out to me again, expressing his desire to be baptized. He had been studying physics, and with his heart fully dedicated to the Lord, he traveled from San Pedro to Heredia, where I baptized him.

Since his baptism, David has been attending our meetings in Heredia and continues to study the Bible with me. As a student, he often has many questions, and I’ve been happy to provide biblical answers. It’s always a joy to see how satisfied and encouraged he is when he finds answers in Scripture. 📖

We thank and praise God for David, who is now a member of the young adults group at the Church of Christ in Heredia. His sincerity and devotion to the Lord are a true blessing to our congregation. 🙏

Thank you for your prayers and continued support! ❤️