Costa Rica

Making Dreams a Reality

Mrs. Maria Elena Jara Villalobos, known as Nenita, has participated in the microfinance site since February 2022 in sewing classes. Her husband passed away in 2021, which caused her to fall into depression and she just wanted to die. Her daughter-in-law Diana told her about SI and told Heydi...

Life Changing Work

Students International is a relational ministry, and one of the great joys and privileges of our staff is walking alongside participants as they grow and mature. Many of you who have served in our Tutoring Center or Sports Ministry sites might remember a girl full of life, energy...

Are We Really Making an Impact?

This week’s newsletter comes from our field director in Costa Rica, Jeff Dixon. I find in my role as field director it can be easy to be consumed with emergencies, challenges we face, and the things that need to be fixed or improved in our ministry. It can...

An Unforgettable Summer

The summer months have a buzz to them as teams come to serve alongside our staff on their 9 and 13-day outreaches. There are increased activities like morning devotional times and afternoons and evenings filled with exploring culture, calling, and scripture. Each summer we have a team of...

God is Moving Through Generations

Today’s encouraging story comes from our sites in Costa Rica. We have known Ana for almost 10 years. She started attending a microfinance group in 2014 and noticed something different about the SI staff people. “When my sister passed away, they [SI staff members Cindy & Diana] came...

God Doesn't Always Work in the Way We Would Expect

In the Boys and Girls Club SI staff member Juan Centeno has dreamed about having a small group of community members that would come to learn woodworking. As we have emerged from the pandemic the dream has become a reality, but it looks a little different than anticipated....

College is on the Horizon

Chato was a little boy when he started coming to the Tutoring Center in Los Guido. He confesses he was not very interested in studying, and gave Tara and Jose, our former teachers, a hard time. He loved the games, the trips, and the fun activities they had...

Full House

With the start of the Costa Rican school year in February, our regular programs, classes, and workshops have also started. In our Training Center, which is also home to The Creative Arts Workshop, Women’s School Work, and our offices… we now have a problem. We are out of...

Meet our New Staff Member, Grettel

A friend invited Grettel to go to the exercise program that had started in the community center. Needing to do something active she agreed to go. Little did she know that going to work out would lead to becoming a part of a community of women. A community...

God is Good Even in the Midst of a Disaster

There is massive flooding happening in Costa Rica right now. Desamparados has experienced more rain recently than they have in the last several years. Some say more than the last 100 years! This has caused flooding and damage around the area and has affected many of the participants in Ministry Sites....