Nicholas
Sometime last year, in 2025, my brother and I had a conversation in which he expressed an interest in coming to Costa Rica to serve in international ministry, learn Spanish, and spend time with his family (mainly Eliana; who can blame him?). Well that possibility became a reality, and we had the blessing of receiving my brother during his summer break from the end of May until the start of August.
During his time here in Costa Rica, he enrolled at ILE, the institute where we serve at and where we had learned Spanish years back. Additionally, he accompanied us in our ministry by shadowing and observing what we did. He went to La Carpio with me, was present for many of my discipleship groups with the La Carpio youth, and participated in other Bible study groups and activities we host in our house. We also got to celebrate his 20th birthday with him, and my parents flew in to surprise him!
Below are a few photos from our time with him:
A Tuesday night dinner with the missionary-students. It is always a weekly highlight for us.
Us with the Friday night discipleship group.
We did a hike called Las Tres Cruces (The Three Crosses) on Fathers’ Day. The main photo for this blog features the third and final cross at the top of the mountain.
The Truth About Porn
Over the summer, I had the privilege of leading an Entrenamiento (training) in our local Costa Rica church that was based around my book, The Truth About Porn. Seven men and seven women ranging from their 20s to their 50s participated in this 5-week group, and it was a blessed time as we talked about the harmful effects of pornography, practical ways to combat such an issue, and the hope of freedom that lies in Jesus Christ. Tears were shed, confessions were made, and hope was ignited in the hearts of the group as they felt more equipped to educate others on this issue and more inspired in believing that one can find freedom from pornography consumption.
In addition to the group, our local pastors invited me to record three episodes with them on their podcast called Levanta, where we got to discuss my book material yet again. It was a blessing to get to expound on this topic, as pornography is still a taboo topic among the Church in the USA and Costa Rica despite its prevalence and damage. If you would like to listen to the podcast episodes, just click one of the links below to start listening to the first episode (they are in Spanish!).
Click here to listen to the first episode on YouTube.
Click here to listen to the first episode on Apple Podcasts.
Click here to listen to the first episode on Spotify.
In the studio recording episodes for Levanta with our two pastors.
La Carpio
In July, during Costa Rica's 2-week vacation, we got to take the La Carpio Youth Group to the movies to see Toy Story 5. As a parent, it is crazy to me to be taking younger generations to see a movie franchise that I grew up on when I was a kid! It was a fun time, especially because for some of the teenagers, it was their first time going to a movie theater.
One of the hardest parts of leaving La Carpio is saying goodbye to the youth with whom we have built relationships with. For us, we built a close bond with the boys and young men that I have discipled for the past few years. There was Adrian, who I only had begun discipling this year, and yet I always enjoyed my time with him. He blossomed from a quiet and more timid teenager to a bold socializer. More importantly, I got to witness him grow in his faith in Jesus.
Then there was the Friday night discipleship group: Eddie, Brayan, Benjamin, and John. I had been discipling most of them one on one for approximately the past 2 years, and we started our group discipleship last year. Friday nights became a favorite for Hannah and I, as they would be mixed with laughter, fun, deep conversations, and heartfelt moments. While none of us are perfect and we all are still walking with Jesus, I witnessed each of them grow and produce fruit reflective of the life of Jesus, and for that, I am grateful and hopeful for each of their futures.
My last day in La Carpio was Saturday, August 29th, and it was a good final day with the youth. I shared my goodbyes with many of them, and some of them multiple times. One teenage boy who has not always given the ministry the easiest time asked me, “Chris, are you going to forget us?” I assured him that would not happen, and although he recognizes he does not walk with Jesus, he prayed and had some sweet words to share in his prayer. We may plant the seed and water it, but ultimately it is up to God to make it grow.
Final day with La Carpio youth.