Using Relationships TO Spread THE Gospel

Education Plus (EP), an organization located in San Jose, Costa Rica, brings the Gospel to three main communities through the building of relationships. The staff at EP use those relationships as the foundation for sharing the Gospel and bringing children hope for their futures. EP’s main focus is on the children and bringing them opportunities they may not otherwise have access to. They support these children in different ways: through the distribution of backpacks filled with necessary school supplies, tutoring, vocational programs, Bible clubs, and many other initiatives.

Juan Carlos Ramirez, an elder at a local Reformed church, manages the office and programs at EP. He works closely with the staff to plan the material taught in the Bible clubs, leads a weekly staff Bible Study, and continues going into the communities to nurture the relationships that he has with dozens of people. He is a mentor and a role model to the children and staff.

There are three additional staff members that I want to introduce you to: David, Mariela, and Richard. They work in the three shantytowns visited by EP. They grew up in the shantytowns and are great examples of what EP desires to achieve. The three communities they visit are Alejualita, Los Guillos, and Pavas. In each of these communities, a staff member leads three Bible clubs a week for different age groups. They also constantly develop and nurture their relationships with the children and their families. A focus on the education of the children is big because it plays a major role in their future. With a completed high school education, the job market is bigger and college is possible. Weekly tutoring is offered in each community to help the children with any subject they may be struggling in. EP also has a tutor on staff who goes into each community to offer extra help to the students.

Education Plus also hosts a Bible Camp for the kids every

Education Plus

This project works in marginal urban areas in San Jose, Costa Rica with children and young people at high social risk to prevent drop out from school. 500 children and their families are helped by God’s grace to build a different story than the typical life of drop out, crime, and drugs all too common in these communities. Education Plus provides school supplies, weekly Bible classes, family visits, and summer camps. Budget for 2023: $58,600 CAD / $44,000 USD. year in January. This is a student favorite! There are two weeks of camp, one week for boys and one week for girls. There is room for 66 children to go each week. EP has some requirements for a child to receive an invitation—they must be active in EP’s programs and they must thrive academically and behaviorally. Bible Camp is popular among the students because of the new and exciting things they get to experience, such as ziplining, swimming in the pool, camping, sitting around bonfires, enjoying the fresh mountain air, participating in friendly competitions, and accepting awards.

Education Plus is a growing organization and with the growth comes opportunities. They are currently located in an office where they can offer a few classes. Juan Carlos desires to remodel and add an addition to the office to better support their future plans. Those plans include strengthening the vocational programs they currently offer, adding more program options, finding teachers and volunteers to teach those programs, expanding the kitchen for the cooking classes and staff use, and expanding the shed for the woodshop class and needed storage space. They would also enjoy having the extra space to better accommodate the students who hang out there.

Throughout my time with Education Plus, I was impressed with the importance of relationships in their ministry. It was encouraging to see the people of the community run up to the staff to say hello and hear the shouts of greetings as they walked through the shantytowns. EP has made quite the impact in these places and they continue to nurture these relationships even after children age out of the programs. Their use of relationships to bring the Gospel offers a solid foundation in the growth of the children’s faith. These children are able to see role models of the faith through the staff at Education Plus. W&D

Emily Wallinga is a member of Cornerstone United Reformed Church in Hudsonville, MI, and recently visited Education Plus in Costa Rica with her family.

BY SCOTT DEKORTE