04-27-08

Today is Sunday, the day of the Costa Rican Church of God Festival that is going to be held at Maranatha de Rodeo a beautiful park in the mountains just outside of San José. Of the nine Church of God congregations in Costa Rica, all but one was present at the festival. This festival is the equivalent of our North American Convention.

We got up this morning and had breakfast before we boarded the bus to go to the park for the festival. Once there we were made to feel right at home. A band was set up on a basketball court, and on the small hill surrounding the court were the names of each of the churches that would be present and also a sign that said “USA.” That’s us. We are so honored to be able to participate in this great event of the church. It began with the band leading us in wonderful time of praise and worship. It was especially exciting to be able to sing along in English on the song “Lord, I Give You My Heart.”

04-25-08

Today is our final day in Las Vueltas. Yesterday, we made good progress on the wall and were able to get the outside of the church painted. The electrician showed up very late and was unable to finished installing the lights, so today he returned to finish the job. Our goal today was to finish the wall with enough time to get cleaned up for church in the evening, and to finish painting the inside of the church building.

The Church of God in the town of Tuqurique began meeting in a horse pasture. Each Sunday they would meet under a temporary roof set up in the pasture and learn about the love of God. People from the surrounding villages would walk to take part in the services; however, when the rainy season came, it was difficult for the people from the surrounding villages to attend. The rains usually came in the afternoon, so going to church in the morning meant that they would have to make the return trip home in the rain. For this reason and because of the distance, the people of Las Vueltas began meeting in homes. Eventually, the home meetings grew into a full-fledged congregation with their own church building. Now the church has reached the point where they have a vision for the new church at the new site. Pastor Noily Hernández wants to reach out to the community through this new facility. She even has a dream of having a football field (soccer to us gringos) next to the property so that the children from the community can play ball near the church.

4-23-08

Costa Rica is bordered on the north by Nicaragua and the south by Panama. This beautiful country covers 19,650 square miles and is divided into eighty-one counties. Nearly one-third of the country is protected in national reserves, and Costa Rica’s 3.9 million people are concentrated in the Central Highlands, where the city of San José rests. In this small land area, there are fifty-one distinct climates, which enables farmers to grow most anything. Heading out of San José to the southeast is the village of Las Vueltas.

What a great question to ask and an even more exciting one to answer! For over sixty years now, CBH, Christians Broadcasting Hope, has been taking a message of hope around the world in the name of Jesus Christ. Few periods of time in that history can match the forward progress that this vital, hope-filled ministry will see over the next twelve months. You can be a part of these historic days in many different ways. Interested in life-changing ministry around the world? Read on!

By Jim Lyon, CBH ViewPoint

It has been my privilege to visit more than fifty countries in this world. I have stood in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower and on the Great Wall of China. I have watched the sunrise over the Taj Mahal and climbed to the feet of the famed statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking Rio de Janeiro. From the spectacle of the African savannah to the sweep of Alaska’s wilderness, I have been moved by the grandeur of God’s creation. But in the whole wide world, there really is nothing like a glimpse of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives or the feel of a breeze sweeping up the hillside from the Sea of Galilee.