As I left home to make my way to the airport, leaving for Costa Rica to participate in their yearly Bible School, I thought about the many times I had done this before. This year marks 40 years since I first met the original members of the Costa Rica Ecclesia in Santa Barbara, and had the blessing of working with them to help them come to a full knowledge of the truth of the Scriptures. The Word of God took hold quickly in Santa Barbara, a small town in the province of Heredia in Costa Rica, and Santa Barbara soon became the location of the second Costa Rican ecclesia, the first being the ecclesia in San Jose. (The two ecclesias continued for a while, and eventually combined leaving just the Santa Barbara Ecclesia.)

This year, the Bible School would be mostly Costa Ricans, with a few from outside the country. In total, about 60 participated, including baptized members and young people. There were about 8 of us from outside the country, including 5 Costa Ricans who now live in the US who were back for a visit, a sister and her grandson from Ecuador, and myself. The theme chosen for the Bible School was Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, a very timely topic in today’s world of trust in everything but God.

Most years, a campground is rented and most of us stay at the camp. However, this year it was decided to use a meeting place called Rancho La Fiesta, which has facilities for day use, but no sleeping quarters. Rancho La Fiesta is located very close to Santa Barbara, where most of the members live, making it convenient to drive back to the houses in the evening to sleep. This also helped to keep the cost of the Bible School down, making it easier for families to attend.

On Thursday evening, there was an introductory activity in the evening at the ecclesial hall to welcome us all to the weekend, during which, Brother Juan Diego Vargas gave a talk on the theme of the weekend, and had us break into groups to answer questions he had prepared. These questions were helpful in orienting everyone and preparing us for the Bible School ahead. Afterwards, we enjoyed a delicious supper of tamales, a tradition at this time of year in Costa Rica and other Latin American countries.

This year, I was asked to do the five main classes and the exhortation, and so I decided to base four classes on one of each of the four phrases from Proverbs 3:5-6, with one additional class as a conclusion to the weekend. There were two main classes on Friday and Saturday each. There were also brothers’ and sisters’ classes on Saturday afternoon given by members of the ecclesia. On Sunday, we had the exhortation and the final main class. There were also many planned activities, such as a team Bible trivia competition, and team games, all of which were fun and a great way to enjoy time together. There was also plenty of time for fellowship and recreation built into the schedule. The meals were catered and served buffet-style, and were very tasty. The Costa Rican brothers and sisters took turns helping to serve the food. This was a nice way to involve everyone. On Saturday evening, the young people put on a very clever skit before we went out to enjoy a bonfire and have snacks and hot chocolate. On Sunday afternoon, the children did a series of skits in which they acted out a Bible Story, and we had to guess what the story was. They all did a great job! We finished the day out with a choral presentation, followed by prizes for the young ones.

As mentioned, there were several visitors from other countries, including a sister from Ecuador and her grandson, a family of three originally from Costa Rica but now living in North Carolina, and a dear sister and her daughter who were in Costa Rica when the Santa Barbara Ecclesia began, but who have lived in the United States for about 20 years. It was wonderful to share time with all these visitors, as well as with all the dear brothers and sisters I have known for so many years. We also had the chance to again hear the story of how the ecclesia began in Santa Barbara. Brother Francisco Ramirez, one of the original brothers from the area, is a wonderful storyteller, and we always enjoy his account of the amazing beginnings of the Santa Barbara Ecclesia. It is always a great reminder of how God reaches those who are searching, and finds a way to reveal the truth to them.

As always, all was well planned and there were many working to make the weekend an uplifting spiritual experience. We all left the Bible School spiritually refreshed. 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.