Costa Rica

Damaris Estrada

Damaris has been with Christ For the City International for over 25 years, with a passion and heart for women’s ministry. Each day she travels more than 2 hours by bus, carrying all her supplies, to meet and minister to the hurting and impoverishes women of Pavas, La Carpio, Tirrases and others in Costa Rica. Damaris ministers to women living in poverty, many of whom can not provide for their families, are single mothers, or are living in situations of domestic abuse.

Damaris runs “the art house” which teaches women art and craft skills, including sewing, embroidery, clothes making, crochet, painting and other arts as vocational skills. Along with the skills training, she provides food for the women who often come hungry (an expense which comes out of her own support), as well as prayer and Bible teaching. Through her ministry she has multiplied her program to several locations, and 13 shops have come about as a result of her training.

“Many times we have to stop class to take a lady outside to pray for her. Many times they ask for something to eat, as they have nothing in the house. Many are under domestic violence situations,” shares Damaris, “this is not so much about teaching as it is about loving.”

In addition to personal support, Damaris is in need of resources to sow and make crafts, as well as sowing machines.

Fernando Bolanos

Fernando Bolanos Guevara has developed “Impulso Vital,” [Vital Impulse] a ministry that serves high school students living in extreme poverty and high-risk communities. The goal of the ministry is to prevent students from dropping out of school, by working to prevent student pregnancies, helping students deal with the situations of their daily life through discipleship and pastoral counseling, and assisting them to finish their studies.

Jessica Carter

Jessica is helping sustain and create recreational and sports programs in the community of La Carpio. These programs will not only include the physical aspect of being healthy but also have a major component of spiritual emphasis. She is excited to be a part of transforming La Carpio by transforming one life at a time. She will also help lead short term teams. “I am excited to be a part of CFCI, and the amazing ways God is using us to transform Costa Rica”.

Cristian Leon

Christian Leon grew up in a poor family in the community of Pavas, growing up to be a dangerous and well known drug dealer within the area. At the age of 18 he was met by God in a powerful way, and has been pastoring for 15 years, 7 of which have been back in the Pavas region.

Now, he heads up a number of incredible ministries within the area. He evangelizes gang members, has a pastoral training and a pastoral unity ministry, he leads a church, feeds around 250 street people and hungry children every week, organizes mercy ministry, health programs and counseling to those in need, hosts concerts, crusades and rallies and organises ‘extreme’ camps for gang members where they see radical lives changed (such as the mass exchange of weapons for Bibles). He also hosts a morning radio show, mentors a large amount of people, and works part-time as an uber driver to support his family and ministries.

The Parsons Family

The Parsons family lives and works in San Jose Costa Rica.

Amy is a full time homeschool teacher of 4, and Michael is the Youth Director for AMCA international youth group.

AMCA is an international youth group consisting of 30-50 youth, located in San Jose Costa Rica made up of missionary kids, international students, and Costa Rican students in middle school and high school. The aim of AMCA is to disciple the students and support missionary families in their endeavors to advance the Kingdom. The transition for many youth and families into the foreign mission field is a very difficult process. AMCA exists to help with that transition, to give students a welcoming place where they can belong, and to come along side them and work with their families to build strong and healthy communities and relationships in this new phase of their life.

The healthier the missionary family, the more they are able to do on the mission field.

The Parsons family thanks you for your support and for your prayers!

Susan Grosser

Susan Grosser has served with Christ for the City since 1988 when she and Sara Bautista began the ministries in Pavas, a poor community on the outskirts of San Jose. From there they moved to La Carpio in 1995 to begin the ministries there. Presently she works as nurse at the Carpio Christian Clinic, helps with programs for children, leads women’s Bible studies, and helps and mentors refugees from Nicaragua.

Sara Bautista

Sara is currently in Costa Rica serving in the areas of leading Bible studies and tutoring programs.

Marielos Ramirez

Marielos has been serving with Christ For the City International in Costa Rica since 2000. She works in the area of La Carpio, the largest slum in Central America. At just over 1 mile squared, La Carpio is home to almost 40,000 people, half of which are children. The poverty and overcrowding in the area have led to a wide range of social issues including sexual abuse and incest for up to 90% of the female children, and an equally high percentage of the male.

Marielos is a psychologist who works with the girls at risk in La Carpio, mentoring them with programs and therapy. In 2015, she also began the “Las Gradas” ministry within the slum, which has around 60 children who come for games, Bible studies, song and snacks each week.

Henry & Jahaira Castillo

Henry, Jahaira, and their son Aaron have served with CFCI for 9 years.

Henry is a psychologist, and Jahaira is trained in business administration. Henry is a licensed pastor under the Evangelical Alliance in Costa Rica, and has studied missions at FEDEMEC in Costa Rica.

They have had ministries: in prison, with drug addicts, sports, children and youth. They have led short-term trips to Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, Uruguay and Argentina. As church leaders, they preach, teach, counsel and host mission teams. Their main focus in all of these things is discipleship.

They are now establishing a CFCI base in Chile to further the Kingdom there, just as they did in Costa Rica.

Their vision is to have a constant flow of groups and individuals coming to Chile to bring the gospel; and also to take local mission teams from Chile to other countries.

Egle Frugone

Dr. Egle Frugone has been serving the community of La Carpio in Costa Rica for more than 20 years. La Carpio is the largest slum in Central America and is home to 40,000 people; many of whom are illegal immigrants who do not have access to Government healthcare programs. The clinic in La Carpio began more than 20 years ago in a tiny space without running water or electricity to meet the huge health needs of the population, and has since grown into a two story building in the center of the slum; where she and her team see patients every day for general consults, dentistry, gynecology and pathology.

In addition to her continuing ministry within La Carpio, Egle has led medical outreach clinics to the Gyuymi Indian population for over 15 years. Three times per year she takes a team to an extremely remote area to conduct a service, do medical clinics, children’s ministry, evangelism, women’s ministry, and crafts among other things.