Costa Rica is a very beautiful country. It is known as the ¡°Central American Switzerland¡± and was the filming location for the movie ¡°Jurassic Park.¡± It is the best country for ecotourism, it was a pioneer of army-less countries and the country with the highest happiness index in the whole world.

The work of God in Costa Rica began in 2002. God gave me Mark 10:45, ¡°For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many¡± as my key verse for both my marriage as well as the mission. Before two months had passed since I arrived to Costa Rica, M. Lidia fell ill of acute nephritis and the doctors said that she had to practice dialysis her whole life or opt for a kidney transplant. But God healed her through the dialysis of the Holy Spirit!

We decided to consecrate out lives to the mission in Costa Rica. As time passed, I couldn¡¯t find a way to resolve my problem of economic instability. Thus, I came to the conclusion that I wasn¡¯t only making my wife suffer but also my son as I was acting daringly. Ironically, due to this transformation, my way of thinking began to change. I realized that it is normal to suffer like this in the missionary work. And so, holding tight to Mark 10:45, I decided that I would receive suffering positively. God helped me accept this for the faith that I should suffer until death so that this suffering could act as a fertilizer and the offshoots of the evangelizing work could be opened and give much fruit.

After gaining experience for a year and a half, I opened a shop of used cars. However, during two weeks, not a single car was sold. When I was very worried, a client came in and bought a car. Incredibly, his name was Jesus. Two years later, I began to sell only part-time so that I could serve the sheep with more time.

Although in 2007, we had the first conference and, historically, all the sheep attended, I felt inexplicably disillusioned by the repeated failure in the mission to make disciples. But I believed that our end was God¢¥s beginning and I took the direction of being an independent servant of God¡¯s word. Before sending the sheep, God trained me to be the outstanding servant of God¡¯s word.

In 2008, the five sheep participated in the winter conference. From the first day, the word of God worked greatly in the hearts of the sheep and all of them accepted Jesus as their personal savior. But as time passed, they lost their spiritual wish and finally, only brother Ernesto remained. Brother Ernesto participated in the Sunday worship service and the reunion of discipleship program absolutely. This gave us great comfort and spiritual strength. Finally, brother Ernesto culminated the discipleship program and we had a ceremony of the declaration of disciple.

Last year, due to the global economic crisis, the market was very slow and it looked almost impossible for the market of used vehicles to recover. I took the decision to concentrate in the ministry of the word and consecrate my life by preparing the Sunday worship service message instead of being worried about something that I couldn¡¯t even solve. While I meditated in the word and preached the message, God¡¯s unlimited grace captured my heart. I was able to leave behind preoccupation and anxiety and praise God with tears of repentance and emotion.

When it seemed all the doors were shut because of the material problem, God opened the door of heaven and sent the manna of the heaven using the people who prayed for the mission in Costa Rica. When I challenged the financial mission again, God guided me to a new buyer who bought cars from me every month faithfully and, incredibly, his name was also Jesus. He is the second man who is called Jesus who I have found in my missionary life in Costa Rica.

After the visit to Korea in 2008, the autism symptom in Pablo Jr. improved greatly. Although it was still very hard for him due to the lack of communication and socialization ability, he was able to adapt little by little to the atmosphere in school and his partners esteemed him greatly because he almost always gets 100 points in his exams.

This year, it was very hard to invite the sheep to the bible study because very few of them had spiritual wish to listen to the word of God. Despite our fight and effort, only three sisters, Angelica, Paola and Emma were faithful to their Bible study and precisely these three sisters participated in the winter conference. They believed and accepted the great love of God who carried in Jesus the sin of us all. They took the decision to serve God as their true husband and true object of adoration. Furthermore, brother Ernesto was raised as the first shepherd in UBF Costa Rica to take care of the Costa Rican sheep. It has always been difficult for him to get close to other people but it wasn¡¯t hard for him to get to know God because God loved him and received him just as he was. He too loved God and His word.

Thank God for raising Shepherd Ernesto as father of faith and the three sisters as candidates to women of faith. Although it looked slow in my eyes, God is working faithfully and without stop in Costa Rica. And so, for the mission of God in Costa Rica, today there is more hope than yesterday and tomorrow there will more hope than today. I pray to God so that I may serve many Costa Rican youth and give my life for them. Amen.