Los Ángeles Church of the Nazarene in San José, Costa Rica, joined forces with the Saprissa Soccer School to hold a Christmas party where families could have fun and listen to the message of Jesus. 

Roughly 400 children and parents from the school and surrounding community attended the celebration, which was full of surprises and testimonies of transformed lives. The celebration was held at the facilities of the Nazarene Seminary of the Americas (SENDAS). It was a joyful atmosphere as families participated in different recreational activities, including a mechanical bull, inflatable games, and a visit from the Saprissa mascot.

They listened to motivational words from Allan Alemán, former professional soccer player and member of the Costa Rican national team. In addition, Carlos Gabriel Salazar, a Nazarene missionary, shared his story about how God transformed his life and saved him from violence, vices, and gangs.

“It was a great joy to enjoy a day with my friends; I loved the mechanical bull and the gladiator,” said Josué García Velásquez, one of the children of the community. "Thanks to Pastor Andrés for thinking of us and sharing God's blessings with so many children."

The idea for the event was born in the heart of the Los Ángeles Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries leadership team. They wanted to celebrate Christmas with families from the community and soccer and share the message of God's love with them. After talking with the school coach, they worked for several months to put the plan into action.

Deportivo Saprissa is one of the biggest professional soccer teams in Costa Rica. The team has soccer schools in different areas of the country, one of them being the Saprissa Soccer School in Alto de Guadalupe, a nearby neighborhood of San José.

The relationship between the Los Angeles Church and this soccer school began years ago when the pastor of the church, Andrés Fernández, met with the coach of the soccer school, Adrián Solera. From that moment, they began to work together to be a blessing to the nearly 200 families that are part of the school.

Thanks to this association, the students’ parents can receive free devotionals and messages from Fernández and other professionals who discuss topics like nutrition for athletes, suicide prevention in adolescents, and more. These talks are held on the first Monday of each month, and it is estimated that about 100 families connect each month.

"In the midst of so many difficulties that families are going through and with so many preconceived ideas regarding the church, it is essential that faith communities find creative ways to show God's love," Fernández said.

Fernández appreciates the generosity of the Saprissa Soccer School and the efforts of the church members, who mobilized to gather the resources necessary to carry out the Christmas activity.

“If we really become the arms of Christ to embrace them (people), God will do the rest,” he said. “We just have to do our job and love people."

--Church of the Nazarene Mesoamerica