Testimony: “Go Experience” - Costa Rica Mission Trip 2024

By Anita Deer, pastor’s wife, College Heights Baptist Church, Elyria

Editor’s Note: Go Experience is an IMB volunteer pathway designed to provide churches with a short-term mission trip as a gateway opportunity with hands-on ministry experience, pre-trip training, and onsite training.

Early in the morning on September 24, a group of four from College Heights BC, Elyria, boarded a plane bound for San Jose, Costa Rica. 

We were a small group of four–myself, my husband, Pastor Darrell Deer, Darlene Brown, and Bev Alt. We were ready to participate in an IMB “Go Experience” mission trip. 

Upon arriving in San Jose, we met IMB missionary Jeff Herrington, as well as two men from Tennessee who joined our team. 

For a week we worked alongside Iglesia Biblica Bautista de Calle Blancos and its leader, Pastor Sergio. We prayer-walked the University of Costa Rica campus, surveyed communities near the church, and shared our testimonies, the gospel and Bible stories. Darrell preached on Sunday morning.

Looking back on the week, a few things stand out.

Be ready to minister.  We went to Costa Rica because we felt God’s call but we also prepared ourselves physically, spiritually, and intellectually to go. Our mission experience began months prior to the trip.

The IMB requires online training for everyone who participates in a “Go Experience” trip. We trained in culture, safety, different religions, and evangelism. We also had face to face training and debriefings every day with Jeff.

The church in Calle Blancos was prepared to serve too. In their fellowship, Pastor Sergio was prepared and he encouraged his members to participate with us. They went door to door with us, translated for us, served meals to us, prayed and worshiped with us. We became one big team working together.  

Be involved with your local church. We went to Costa Rica with the love, prayers, and support of our church family. We worked with people from another local church. We had the opportunity to see Pastor Sergio lead and love his church who welcomed us with open arms. 

We weren’t created to minister alone. We need each other, and there’s no place better to minister together than the local church. 

Be Supportive of Missions.  Mission involvement is for everyone, not just pastors or missionaries. Missions and discipleship should be ongoing both at home and overseas. 

Jeff and Lori Herrington are the only IMB missionaries in Costa Rica. Their task is huge as they strive to help churches and disciple people. It was a privilege to be invited into their home, share a meal with them, get to know them, and minister with them.

Local churches who support IMB through the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering enable missionaries like Jeff and Lori to do the work they do. 

We saw people come to Jesus, had the opportunity to encourage fellow believers, and be encouraged by them.

Our “Go Experience” trip was a blessing. We saw people come to Jesus, had the opportunity to encourage fellow believers, and be encouraged by them. We returned home with new friends who live and minister in other parts of the world. We are part of the church in Calle Blancos and they are a part of us. We are told in scripture to “go and make disciples.” With God’s help, may this be our focus. 

Please pray for the work in Costa Rica, the Herringtons, and the continuing work of making disciples both here and abroad.  

For more information about “Go Experience” mission trips, visit https://www.imb.org/go-experience/.