Escucha nuestra Oración oh Dios! (Hear our prayers, oh Lord)

Eight years.

That is how long it took for the Multipurpose Building at the Methodist Children’s Home of Costa Rica to be conceptualized, constructed, and completed. During these eight years, there have been numerous prayers, meetings, calls to action, volunteers, and donations from multiple organizations around the world that have all prayerfully assisted in the manifestation of this edifice.

The Children’s Home, which previously consisted of an admin building and two residential facilities, rests on sprawling acreage on a backdrop of lush topography overlooking San José. But now as you walk through the large wooden gates of “Hogar Metodista,” you see the Multipurpose Building. While the building itself is impressive in scale, there is a calling card that makes your eyes linger a little longer: a colorful mural with Jesus surrounded by children and animals. Simple in design, yet so vibrant that it feels alive. The meaning, the feeling, and the intention are clear—it is here, at this place, where you feel the presence of God.

It is palpable.

The original intent of the Multipurpose Building was to be a gathering place for sharing the word of God through Bible studies, services, professional development, community engagement, and fun. The building boasts a huge gymnasium, large kitchen, extensive wraparound balconies, attic space, and multiple meeting areas and rooms.

But when the pandemic hit, God revealed another purpose for this building—a school for the youth residing at the home. Meeting rooms transformed into dedicated classroom spaces and communication areas for the youth to learn. To this day, the majority of the youth at Hogar Metodista attends school in this new facility with the support of the Methodist school, allowing them a sense of comfort and a safe space to learn, grow, and thrive.

The success of this project is rooted in community and mired in sacrifice. For HPUMC, this project is rooted in our DNA. In the fall of 2014, the initial group of HPUMC mission trip participants arrived to begin work on this project. Their primary task was digging trenches three feet wide and 6-10 feet deep and then pouring concrete for what would eventually become the foundational walls for the building. For nearly a decade, work continued on the building, even through the pandemic. Now the vision is complete.

To commemorate this hard work, HPUMC congregants and staff journeyed to Costa Rica in March 2022 to prepare for the dedication ceremony. For three days, a myriad of projects were completed—most notably the paving of the driveway and repainting of the walls and buildings. As the team toiled throughout the week, stories and perspectives were shared on what this journey was like for some and how new and impactful it was for others. This trip's participants included some who labored on the building for years and others who were coming along for the first time. In the end, each participant left the dedication ceremony feeling equally grateful for every prayer, every donation, and every brick laid.