Sunday in Costa Rica

This morning started with a great service at Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva, San Jose. With more than 24 gringos and another 6 Salvadorans, there was standing room only! Pastor Steve Kern from our church in San Salvador preached in English (yea!)

After church we went to TerraMall for lunch at the food court. First time we've seen a Taco Bell since we left. Of course, we had to eat there even though we never ate there when we lived in Lee's Summit.

I've attached several pictures of the Virgin of Los Angeles Basilica in Cartago, Costa Rica. We visited this church because Pastor Rodolfo wanted us to understand the religious culture of the country and the many rituals associated with it. Here's the story of this church which was constructed in 1639: the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels is consecrated to the Virgin of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, a small representation of the Virgin Mary carrying the infant Jesus, said to have been discovered by a peasant girl in Cartago. The story goes that the little girl found the small statue on a rock and took it home. The next morning she found that the statue was not there but back at the rock, so she took it to the priest and he locked it in a small box. The next morning the statue was back at the rock. During the construction, the church was destroyed by earthquakes so many times, it was finally decided to move it to the location were the statue was found and they were able to finish construction. Many people think that the earthquakes were signs that the Lady of Los Ángeles wanted the basilica built there. The original statue is kept in a golden shell inside the basilica. An official decree declared the Virgin of the Angels the official patron of Costa Rica. In August the Basilica is the object of extensive pilgrimage and visitation by about 1.5 million believers throughout the country, many of whom join in the celebrated 22-kilometer walk to the basilica during the Romería. Though many people start the pilgrimage from locations all over Costa Rica, some, as a demonstration of their piety, choose to crawl the 22 kilometers on their hands and knees.

Additionally, there is a fountain which is believed to have healing power. Visitors wash themselves and drink the water from the rock on which the statue was found. Scientists have since found this water to be safe to drink even though no filtration or chemicals are used to purify the water. (We witnessed many people drinking the water or washing with it; there is even a vendor selling plastic bottles that people purchase to take some of the water home with them.)

The basilica is open all day long and there were many people there today, some were praying, others were just there to take pictures. Another tradition there is for people who are sick to bring small silver medals shaped like body parts, where the shape represents the body part the person is concerned about. The medals are left in front of the statute in hope that they will be cured. After a time, these medals are collected and stored in a "museum-like" room in the basement of the church.

I've attached several pictures--it is a beautiful building, but it is not the "church." Believers, as the body of Christ, are the church and we are to be about our Father's business. Please pray for the team this week as we share the gospel with the people of Costa Rica.