Five Years in Costa Rica
Why Costa Rica? Why just five years? Well, when Servant Leaders approached us with the opportunity to serve at Roca Viva Church and to help mentor and mobilize Latin American church planters, it felt like God was aligning several things in our lives. Ever since our first date, we have known that God would one day direct us to the foreign mission field and have been praying for His leading. Even though we have had this desire to serve together as a family in a foreign context, we’ve loved our ministry at Parkside and haven’t wanted to leave.
The reason for going to Costa Rica is because the opportunity to serve is in there. Roca Viva is an incredible group of believers eager to see the Gospel spread not just in their own country but around the world. They have been looking for someone to partner with them to interject energy and creative direction into their work. Costa Rica also serves as a strategic geographic location for the rest of Latin America and will allow the work there to serve as a training ground for future works throughout this region of the world.
Furthermore, Costa Rica is a great fit because Eddie is already fluent in Spanish and Sara is well underway in the language. Eddie lived in Costa Rica for a year and that is how he already knows Roca Viva and the pastors there. Also, we honeymooned in Costa Rica, not in a resort, but we rented a car and drove the country staying in Airbnbs to enjoy authentic Costa Rica. Click here to learn a little more about life in Costa Rica and things that we are excited for. We love Latin America and have always hoped that God would open a door for us to serve alongside a group of people we love so much.
We are embarking on a five-year project with a high level of intentionality. First, Latin America will quickly pass the United States in its missionary sending ability. For the most part, they do not need pioneering or parenting missionaries, but rather strategic partners to come alongside them for specific tasks. Five years is a good benchmark to help Roca Viva begin church planting and mentoring new Latin American missionaries. Second, we believe that the United States is growing in its need for missionaries. While we are excited to serve in Costa Rica and love Latin America, we know that our long-term ministry is best served in planting churches in the United States. It is our desire to learn from this experience and to return to the U.S. to continue reaching our own country with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
After our five years in Costa Rica, we aren’t sure where the Holy Spirit will be leading us, but we are ready to go just like we are ready to go now. We hope that you will pray for us, but most importantly pray for Roca Viva and the churches of Latin America as they grow their missionary endeavors to reach the world with the good news of Jesus Christ.
