By Jairo Bonilla, ChangeMaker in Costa Rica

Our Vision: A church planted in every unreached field inside and outside Costa Rica, satisfying the spiritual need of families and committed to the Great Commission.

Our Mission: We will develop the planting of autonomous and reproducible churches through small groups in which the gospel is proclaimed and disciples of Jesus Christ grow.

What is the limit of the missionary call in making disciples? How far can we go when the nets of the gospel are spread?

To answer this question, pastors and leaders of the association of churches in Costa Rica came to the conclusion through meetings, missionary activities, and conferences that the reach of the gospel in other nations compared to our country is very limited and, in some cases, people do not have any option to hear the gospel.

For example, some countries do not have the opportunities that exist in Costa Rica in terms of having the gospel at their disposal in areas such as freedom of worship, sound doctrinal churches, fellowship with and testimony of other believers, or by electronic means such as the internet, radio, or tv, and perhaps one of the most important limitations is lacking a Bible in their heart language.

Understanding all these limitations has made us question the scope of our responsibility in the missionary call and how far to extend the fishing nets of the gospel.

Our local churches have come together to respond to the cross-cultural missionary call, assuming the responsibility of sending and supporting missionaries in countries where throwing the net is a pressing need, regions where the gospel has not yet been preached or where the opportunities to make disciples are very limited. 

PERU

It was in Peru that the first missionary project was undertaken in conjunction with the BMA. In the community of Chupaca in the Peruvian Andean Highlands at an altitude of more than 3,300 meters, animistic worship of “Pachamama” or “mother earth” prevails, along with a strong religious syncretism with occult practices, so pastors and missionaries are not well received. It is in this community that, thanks to this missionary effort, a Baptist church planted in the community exists for the glory of God. Missionary Gerson Orellana and his family have returned to Costa Rica from Peru after twelve years of hard missionary work, and today they are preparing to start a new project in the neighboring country of Panama and thus continue spreading the gospel network.

MOZAMBIQUE

When it seemed impossible to think of a country on the African continent, the opportunity opened up to extend the gospel network in Mozambique, where the barriers of language, culture, and distance have been overcome. To date, new believers have been baptized in the Morrumbala district, 1,400 kilometers from the capital, where there are no roads, nor basic services such as drinking water, electricity, and internet. Bibles have also been delivered to the Tsonga and Lomwe ethnic groups on the border with Malawi, groups that testify to having the testimony of Jesus Christ through the scriptures in their hands for the first time. The first Baptist church has been planted in the capital, Maputo, and a school has been developed where children learn about Jesus Christ.

TURKEY

More than 84 million people live in Turkey, and of this population it is estimated that .5 percent are Christian, which includes Catholicism and other non-evangelical confessions. Reading this statistic and having empathy for the sad spiritual condition of millions of people in this Muslim country put Turkey on the missionary map of one of our local churches. Just two years ago this church sent the first missionary couple to this country. Although it is a long-term missionary project, a very difficult undertaking due to the required resources, and a risky task for safety, through perseverance, God’s provision, and God’s faithfulness, much progress has been seen both in learning the language and in establishing relations with Turks on the part of our missionaries.

PANAMA

Our missionary past and present are in Costa Rica, Peru, Mozambique and Turkey; however, Panama is in sight this year as a field to continue extending the gospel network, a country where a new challenge will be undertaken in the missionary calling for the partner churches in Costa Rica in collaboration with the BMA.