I arrived in Costa Rica after an overnight “red-eye“ flight to participate in the 2024 Costa Rica Bible School. Brother Alex Alfaro picked me up and took me straight to the ecclesial hall where everyone had gathered to organize before leaving for the campground. It was nice to meet up with some of the Costa Ricans, as well as meet some of the Panamanians for the first time. There was also a pickup filled with luggage in front of the hall. We picked up three of the Panamanians and headed off to Campamento San Fernando, which was quite close to the town of Santa Barbara de Heredia where the ecclesial hall is located. When we arrived, we found that several had arrived earlier, and were busy preparing. The Costa Ricans do a wonderful job involving many from the ecclesia, including the younger brethren and sisters, in the huge task of putting together a Bible school, and it shows in how well coordinated and meaningful the activities are, and how smoothly the weekend goes.

This year, Brother Ian Neblett, from Panama, had been asked to do a series of classes on the topic: Staying the Course Between the Waves of the Truth. He brought with him his wife Nishla, his daughter Nyalayah (15) and his son Neylan (11), and several others from Panama, including Nishla’s parents, Brother and Sister Luis and Vanessa Sobers. Brother Ian’s classes looked at the different aspects of the waves, the challenges that come along in our spiritual lives, and how we can deal with them, how we can rejoice in them, and how they strengthen us spiritually. He also considered the challenges posed by the distractions and temptations of the world.

At the start of the Bible School, we were all given a small notebook and pen personalized with a Bible phrase, a thoughtful gift which encouraged all of us to take notes, and helped us to get more out of the classes. The activities which were programmed throughout the Bible School were fun, supporting the theme of the school, and providing a wonderful opportunity for everyone to get to know each other better, and to deepen our fellowship one with another. The brothers and sisters are very willing to share when asked to do collaborative activities, some of which Brother Ian had prepared to complement his classes, as well as some planned by the Bible School committee to complement the theme of the Bible School. There was a lot of fun and laughter, as well as some very spiritual reflections as we shared with each other. While the adult classes were being held, there were also classes for the teens and for the little ones. The brothers and sisters shared the duty for these classes so no one would miss all of the classes given by Brother Ian. For the teens, four brothers and one sister shared the duty, while for the youth, it was shared by three sisters. On Saturday afternoon, Brother Ronald Santamaria gave a brothers’ class while Sister Nishla Neblett gave a sisters’ class.

The campground was very picturesque, in the hills just above the Central Valley of Costa Rica. The staff prepared food that was tasty and well-prepared. In all there were 58 adults, 4 children, and 7 young people at the Bible School, including 5 young people from El Salvador, and 5 brothers and sisters and 2 young people from Panama. There were also several who attended virtually. As always with these types of events, it was a wonderful opportunity to deepen the bonds of brotherhood among the Spanish-speaking ecclesias. At the end of the Bible School, we packed to go, having enjoyed a wonderfully refreshing spiritual experience.

The day after the Bible School ended, the ecclesia organized a trip to a place called Finca Koki, a fascinating place with many recreational activities. About 25 of us went in a chartered bus and spent the day there, enjoying some of the available activities as we enjoyed each other’s company. We all hiked up to a waterfall, crossing a hanging bridge to get right up to the base of the falls. Several brave souls actually got into the water there. As we got back to the main trail, a tractor with a covered trailer which makes a circuit around the whole of Finca Koki was just arriving. We piled into the trailer just in time, as within a couple of minutes, there was a cloudburst. Unfortunately, I had not brought my raincoat or umbrella having forgotten the cardinal rule of life in Costa Rica–always carry an umbrella. As we were on our way back to the main area, some got out to go tubing down a little river which meanders along the side of the trail. Later they told us how tubing in the rain had been fun but cold. When we arrived back at the main area, we quickly ran for the shelter of the cafeteria. We enjoyed our lunch together, and had more time for fellowship. At the end of a very fun day, we boarded the bus and made our way back to town.

Within the next day or two, the foreign visitors headed back to their homes. All in all, the Bible School and other activities served to deepen the bonds of brotherhood. We look forward to the next time we can be together as a group.

The Costa Rica Ecclesia maintains a presence on Facebook and YouTube, where they preach and post talks and information. If you are interested, you may search “Iglesia Cristadelfiana Costa Rica” on either of those platforms.