Pray with Costa Rica, March 8, 2026

Lectionary Selection: John 4:5-42

Prayers for Costa Rica

God of all peoples, races, and cultures, we give thanks for the rich diversity of Costa Rica:
for its Indigenous peoples, for the Afro-Caribbean communities, for mestizo populations, and for immigrants from many nations who now call this land home.

Amid this diversity, we acknowledge the challenges that persist. We lift before you the Afro-Caribbean population of the Atlantic Coast, who continue to face the weight of historic discrimination, insufficient government investment, and high levels of poverty and violence.

We give thanks for the Christian denominations that have joined hands to serve their communities, and for the many individual and collective initiatives that accompany the people of the region with commitment and hope. We are grateful for the wisdom of elders,
who keep culture, memory, and community alive through tradition, celebration, and worship,
and for the resilience of young people who persevere amid profound challenges.

We pray especially for the students and graduates of the Universidad Bíblica Latinoamericana
who serve these communities and congregations with faith, justice, and compassion.

Grant us all eyes to see and ears to hear, hearts willing to learn from one another,
and spirits ready to celebrate the human diversity present in our own communities and countries. Amen.

Mission Moment from Costa Rica

The Fundamentals of Pastoral Care course at the Latin American Biblical University (UBL) became a transformative experience for one student, Sergio Montealegre, who embodied his faith through a concrete act of community restoration. As his final project, Sergio chose to accompany the renewal of an Afro-descendant faith community in Limón, on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, where an abandoned temple symbolized years of social fragmentation, poverty, migration, and institutional neglect.

Inspired by his formation at UBL and a deep pastoral commitment, Sergio traveled weekly from San José to Limón to visit families, listen to their stories, and rebuild relationships. This process went far beyond the physical rehabilitation of the church building and involved sustained efforts of community reconnection, social organization, and spiritual revitalization. Over time, participation increased, bonds were strengthened, and a renewed sense of belonging and collective life took root. The journey culminated in a joyful community celebration, with the church of Río Hondo once again filled, marking a new beginning for this community of faith.

In the same region, UBL faculty and students also facilitated workshops for church youth focused on the prevention of gender-based violence, a pressing concern in an area marked by violence and femicides. Through reflection on their own contexts and cultural norms, the participants explored ways to identify gender violence and promote nurturing, nonviolent relationships.

Together, these experiences reflect UBL’s commitment to forming students for ministries of social transformation. They also underscore the vital role of Global Ministries and partner organizations, whose support of the scholarship fund makes possible this theological formation and its concrete impact in marginalized communities.

Written by Edwin Mora, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs,
professor of Practical Theology, and Elisabeth Cook, Rector.

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