Thirty-seven participants from both districts in Costa Rica attended a Cross Cultural Orientation Sept. 7-9 at the Poas Church of the Nazarene.
Sixteen volunteers, including district and field leaders as well as missionaries, helped make the event possible. Regional Nazarene Missions International Coordinator Ana Maria Crocker shared in several sessions. Pastor Filipe Flores, Costa Rica North District Superintendent Rev. Johnny Calvo, and Costa Rica Central District Superintedent Rev. Sirlene Bustos all shared the Word of God.
Nazarene Global Mission coordinators at the district and field levels organized the event. Nelson Vega serves through Global Mission in the Central District, Estafania Amador in the North District, and Freya Galinda serves in Mesoamerica Central Field.
“To see happy faces and people believing that they can do a little more. To see them wanting to answer a call with conviction- it’s priceless. I feel very satisfied with what we gained. I know that God used me and considered me a part of his plan, and that’s the most comforting thing a person can feel. Even though he does not need me, He decided to let me be a part, and that’s an indescribable feeling . . .” said Nelson Vega about the CCO.
Below are a few snippets of testimonies that the participants shared. You can read the full testimonies on the Costa Rica Global Mission Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/costaricaMG/
Christopher Quinto, Los Ángeles: It was an experience where I rediscovered my call, I got excited again like the first time, I rediscovered that “The sky is the limit,” now I believe in my abilities and virtues, it challenged me to not stay still, to me this was the impulse that I was lacking to move forward and not give up before the obstacles…
Xavier Yadir Diaz Chavez, Cañas Dulces Church of the Nazarene: A lot of things happened during this camp, but the one that marked me the most was that God clarified a thousand of doubts that I had, I never thought that I could be so sure of where I am, from where God has brought me. My life is sealed with God’s name and that will never change, the best is starting so let’s prepare ourselves for unimaginable things in our lives.
Daniela Solano, Tibas Church of the Nazarene: As a pastor’s kid for a long time I took responsibilities in the church only because “there was no one else to do it,” but it was not something that I could see as a calling. A few months ago I began to ask God to take control of my life and to show me what He wanted me to do…During the CCO I was able to see how God for a long time had been working in my life, I could see how I missed a lot of details, because my call to missions had been there the whole time. To see the full picture of the little confirmations that God had been planting in my life was what made me say during this camp “Here I am, send me”…
Danah Webb Leandro, Desamparados Church of the Nazarene: I can say that every workshop, every activity, every devotion, every word I heard and hug I received during these three days marked my life and created in me a Christian reality totally different than the one I had when I came. This camp gave me a new vision, a new purpose, it filled me with strength and hope; it gave me a new calling and a new direction to work with my NYI, my church, my community and my country, and why not? To go further! I don’t have words to describe these three days, what I can say is that this has been one of God’s greatest gifts for my life.
Source: Nelson Vega, Costa Rica Central District Global Mission; and Estefania Amador, Costa Rica North District Global Mission
