From June 26 through July 13, 2018, Costa Rica hosted the event “Encounter 2018.” Approximately 500 adults, teens, and adolescents from the USA-Canada Region gathered for this event. SENDAS hosted the various groups who came to participate.
During the two-week event, teams were dispersed to work with different Nazarene churches in Costa Rica toward the goal of impacting local communities where Churches of the Nazarene were located.
Each church put into practice various forms of evangelism including sporting events, the development of “J” programs which was geared toward children teaching them the salvation plan in a creative way using different colored beads to make bracelets, concerts, bonfires, parades, and talent shows. In addition some teams worked in hostels with handicapped people.
From a nursing home, where groups not only spent time with the residents but also cleaned, repaired furniture, and painted; to bathing cows and horses used by the nursing home, the teams shared the love of God in practical ways.
On Friday, July 6 and July 13, the groups all gathered together for one unified worship service on the SENDAS campus. There were 400 people and 780 people respectively, in a time of celebration and a challenging message from former SENDAS president and General Superintendent Emeritus, Dr. Jerry Porter.
“Encounter CR 2018” left each person with an unforgettable experience with the hope of returning again for another Encounter event in the future.