Strengthening the Church and Sending Workers in Costa Rica
Dear brothers and sisters,
Thank you for your faithful partnership in the gospel. Your support over the years has not been wasted. By God’s grace, it has helped sustain real work, real people, and real progress here in Costa Rica. We are grateful for your prayers, your generosity, and your continued confidence in this ministry.
At present, our work is moving forward on three main fronts: strengthening the church in Heredia and sending workers into new fields, equipping leaders through EBI Online, and continuing the patient work of discipleship in Turrúcares.
1. Strengthening the Church in Heredia and Sending Workers
A major part of my work continues to be with the church of Christ in Heredia, where I serve as one of the leaders and share much of the preaching and teaching. I work closely with Kenneth Matarrita, a gifted teacher whom the church supports. Years ago, I encouraged the church to invest in him, and that has proven to be a wise decision. Kenneth has earned the respect of the congregation and now helps organize the teaching plan for the entire year.
Our teaching in Heredia is aimed at something very specific: leadership formation. We do not want believers to remain dependent on one local work. We want them to grow in faith, maturity, and readiness to respond when the Lord calls them to serve where they live.
That emphasis is bearing fruit. As we reported last year, the congregation in Ciudad Colón continues meeting each Sunday as an independent work about an hour from Heredia. And now, on March 15, 2026, another new work began in San Pablo de Heredia, near the campus of the National University. That first meeting as an independent congregation had 60 people in attendance.
This new work is being led by Didier Rojas, his wife Ericka Chaves, and their daughter Yuliana, together with others who were formally sent out by the church in Heredia. In one sense, Heredia lost precious members. In a better sense, the Lord gained workers for a new field. We give Him the glory for that. Both Ciudad Colón and San Pablo grew out of willing, spontaneous decisions by members who sensed the Lord’s call to serve beyond Heredia.
Another part of this first front is a Monday night discipleship gathering that I lead for about 15 to 25 disciples. It is not a traditional worship service. It is a time of shared food, fellowship, and participatory learning. We focus on foundational matters such as identity in Christ, spiritual disciplines, and evangelism. This week, for example, we were studying biblical fasting—what it is, why it matters, and how to practice it faithfully.
Roxana continues to lead the children’s Bible teaching efforts in Heredia. She coordinates 15 teachers and assistants who rotate throughout the year, serving different age groups. At present, these classes serve about 25 children and 15 young people. She also meets with the teachers twice a year to help them improve their methods and materials. This ministry goes beyond Sunday itself and includes special activities that strengthen fellowship and care for the children and their families.
Part of a special annual activity that helps care for and encourage the children.
We are also grateful for major progress in the Heredia building project. For many years the church had saved toward this goal, and in the Lord’s timing He raised up Juan Carlos Hernández to help carry the project forward. He stepped away from his secular job for a period of three months so he could devote himself to coordinating builders, workers, and technical help. The church had already saved $40,000 over a ten-year period, but more was needed. Through generous gifts from sister congregations in the United States and additional giving from local members, the work is now almost complete, with only the painting still remaining.
The meeting space now has a much better appearance and includes an auditorium with room for about 120 people, a kitchen, bathrooms, a courtyard, and six classrooms for children and youth. This has been a major step forward for the church in 2025 and into 2026.
Teaching continues in the improved meeting space in Heredia.
This front also includes a weekly Bible study with the family of Xinia Morales, whose son Gabriel passed away two months ago. During his illness, the church stayed near the family in prayer and care, and now we continue walking with them in grief. Through that relationship, Xinia’s daughter Andrea, along with her two children, has asked for preparation for baptism. We have already completed four study sessions together, and we are encouraged by the direction this is taking.
A weekly Bible study with Xinia’s family has opened the door to deeper discipleship.
Discipleship Across Generations and Church Fellowship
Healthy churches are built not only through preaching and teaching, but also through fellowship, service, and shared life. Alongside formal teaching, the church in Heredia continues to grow through relationships, mutual care, and opportunities for members to serve one another in practical ways.
2. Equipping Leaders Through EBI Online
The second front of the work is EBI Online, a teaching effort carried out through Zoom and WhatsApp in cooperation with Rocky Castleberry, who lives in Costa Rica.
This ministry serves church leaders in several countries. One especially valuable co-worker in this effort is Juan Carlos García of Nicaragua, a Baxter Institute graduate and a leader in Managua. He is an excellent teacher and often helps carry the teaching load.
My role in this work is heavily focused on developing content for the classes. So far, we have taught full courses on Christ-Centered Evangelism and Jesus the Christ. Participants receive the material beforehand so they can come ready with questions and comments. The live sessions function more like guided panels and serious discussion than one-way lectures.
In addition to those who join live by Zoom, about 30 Cuban brothers from different provinces receive the class content through WhatsApp. These men are eager to learn and to be better equipped for evangelistic work and for the strengthening of local congregations. According to Rocky’s reports, they are seeing dozens of baptisms each month and are growing in their ability to function as indigenous, self-sustaining, and self-organized churches. We thank God for the reach of this ministry beyond Costa Rica.
3. Patient Work in Turrúcares
The third front is the ongoing work in Turrúcares, about an hour from Heredia, where we have been serving since January 2025. We meet there each Thursday night with a group of about 15 people.
This work has developed largely through the family network of Nelcy Sánchez, a member in Heredia who lives in Turrúcares. Her husband Felipe, their son Juan José, and other family members have formed part of the core group. In recent months, others have also joined. During the adult study time, Roxana teaches the children, while several brothers and sisters from Heredia travel with us each week to support the work.
This ministry has required more than weekly teaching. It has involved patient shepherding, prayer, and care through real family hardships. In one especially delicate situation, we were able to give careful emotional and spiritual support to a woman going through deep pain after a personal loss. We mention that discreetly, but it matters, because this is the kind of quiet ministry that often prepares the soil for lasting spiritual growth.
The work in Turrúcares is still developing. We have prayed and fasted, asking the Lord to show us clearly what He wants done there. We have not grown weary, because we believe the Holy Spirit is still at work, forming Christ in hearts. Our hope is that, in time, this group will also become a healthy and autonomous local church.
4. Current Needs and Looking Ahead
Lord willing, we plan to continue laboring in these same three fronts. We hope to see stronger leadership in Heredia, continued stability in Ciudad Colón and San Pablo, more people reached in the Heredia area, more leaders equipped through EBI Online in several countries, and the gradual establishment of a faithful local church in Turrúcares.
By God’s grace, we are doing well in health and still have strength for the work. The Lord has also allowed me to keep working on two books based on the teaching content we are using in these participatory learning settings, and we hope those may be ready for publication in the coming months.
- continued maturity and leadership development in Heredia,
- strength and stability for the new work in San Pablo,
- continued growth in Ciudad Colón,
- wisdom and fruit through EBI Online,
- discernment, patience, and spiritual breakthrough in Turrúcares,
- and provision for the vehicle and technology needs mentioned above.
Thank you again for standing with us. Your support continues to matter. It is helping strengthen the church, train leaders, send workers, and open new doors for the gospel.
With gratitude in Christ,
Carlos and Roxana Ulate
