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2011 Costa Rica Mission Report

First, One-to-One and Winter Conference

We focused on fishing and 1:1 ministry in 2011 as we did year before.  Sister Tatiana began Bible study and was faithful and then she brought her younger sister, Carolina, to Bible study.  In addition, Julie, Yandi, Josue, and Jonathan studied the Bible 1:1 faithfully.  For our winter conference, in addition to our members, Ernesto, Joel, Angelica, Emma and Cindy, Tatiana, Carolina, Julie, and, Jonathan also attended.   Shs. Cristian and Maria from Guadalajara, Mexico, a second gen Sarah Ham and Sh. Silvia from Guatemala, Brother Jonathan and Mariano and second gen In Soo Kim from Nicaragua came and supported the conference sacrificially.  As we prayed, a total of 20 people attended the conference.

Sister Tatiana was bullied when she was younger. Because of the wounds, she built a wall around her from others. At the same time, she was thirsty for human love and attention and suffered from an inferiority complex. But through testimony writing she brought it to Jesus and repented with tears her sin of worshiping men instead of Jesus. She experienced true freedom and the kingdom of God in her heart.  Carolina is Tatiana’s younger sister.  She too confessed and repented of her sin of living to quench her thirst with human recognition. She experienced great joy.  Julie grew up in a broken family. She brought to Jesus her fatalism and scars from abuse at the foot of his cross.  She made a decision to worship Jesus first and become his witness.  Jonathan brought to Jesus his pain and sorrow about his poor family background and being made fun of by friends. He experienced great freedom and decided to live as a witness of Jesus on campus.

Second, the Third Discipleship Program and the New Year Discipleship Conference

After the winter conference, Sisters Tatiana, Carolina, and Julie received discipleship training.  They received 1:1 Bible study training, 12-step Bible study, and writing one testimony faithfully.  In order to be used for the work of God, they also took piano and violin lessons faithfully.  Sister Tatiana led her friend, Alejandra, to Bible study with M. Lidia. Carolina decided on her own to let go of her boyfriend. Since last December, the three disciple candidate sisters, Tatiana, Carolina, July and Sister Alejandra started common life training.

Last month Jan. 14 and 15, 2012, we had the New Year Discipleship Conference.  Eight brothers and sisters attended. Sister Julie could not attend it because she couldn’t get the day off from her work in a hotel.  We studied 2 Timothy 2:1-4.  Each of us decided to grow as a good soldier of Christ and participate in his suffering to preach the gospel.   Tatiana, Carolina, and Ernesto received baptism. Tatiana and Carolina had a ceremony of disciples.  The two sisters had great joy and were full of grace through the baptism and the discipleship ceremony.  Tatiana prays to feed five sheep and Carolina one sheep.  They are full of vision to fill our new center with 1:1 Bible students. Encouraged by them, Sister Alejandra also wants to serve one sheep a month. Brothers Joel and Ernesto who were wandering for a while restored Bible study and Sunday worship service.

Third, Direction and Prayer Topics for 2012

For the last two years, we held on to Acts 19:9-10, “But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.”  We focused on Bible study and discipleship making ministry.  The work of God in Costa Rica was slow like a car that runs at 20 km per hour. Often I was impatient and discouraged.  But when we focused on Bible study and disciple making ministry for two years, God raised a small number of precious disciples of Jesus. They are like early morning dew. I see a vision that they will grow as leaders and protagonists in the gospel ministry in Costa Rica.

Our key verse for 2012 is 2 Timothy 2:3-4, “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs-he wants to please his commanding officer.” There is no army in Costa Rica. So people are not familiar with suffering. But we are soldiers of Christ and are willing to endure hardship for the expansion of God’s kingdom through preaching the gospel.  This is how we can please our commanding officer, Jesus, who called us.  I earnestly pray that God may raise many good soldiers of Christ and lay the foundation of gospel faith in Costa Rica and use us to expand his kingdom.  More specifically, we pray to have 20 1:1 Bible studies weekly and 15 regular Sunday worship attendants this year.