A Lifetime of Faith, Obedience, and Service

Honoring the Missionary and Pastoral Legacy of Mauricio and Francisca Castro

From the streets of El Salvador to the mountains of Costa Rica, one family’s response to God’s calling has become a lifetime of ministry.

For more than three decades, Mauricio Antonio Castro Chacareno and Francisca Guadalupe Linares Orellana have dedicated their lives to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, serving communities in need, strengthening churches, and raising a family rooted in faith.

Their story is not one of fame, recognition, or financial success. It is a testimony of obedience, sacrifice, perseverance, and the faithfulness of God.

Today, we have the privilege of recognizing, honoring, and supporting this remarkable couple whose commitment to the Great Commission continues to impact lives in Costa Rica and beyond.

A Calling That Began With a Simple Prayer

Mauricio was born in San Salvador, El Salvador, in 1958. Before coming to Christ at the age of 22, his life had been marked by struggles with alcohol and drugs.

His encounter with Jesus changed the direction of his life.

As a young believer, he began praying a simple but powerful prayer:

“Úsame, oh Dios. Si tú abres una puerta, yo iré y no me detendré.”

“Use me, O God. If You open a door, I will go, and I will not stop.”

At the time, Mauricio could not have imagined where that prayer would lead him.

Francisca, born in 1967 in Ciudad Delgado, El Salvador, had also experienced hardship from an early age. As a young girl, she helped care for her grandparents, who suffered serious illnesses. At 14, she began attending a Pentecostal church, where she committed her life to Christ.

The two married while still young and began building a family together.

Although Francisca did not initially describe herself as having a personal calling to missionary ministry, she faithfully embraced the vision alongside her husband. Together, they would discover that serving God was not simply an individual calling but a shared commitment that would shape their marriage, their children, and their future.

Leaving Everything to Follow God’s Calling

In May 1990, Mauricio and Francisca joined the international missionary ministry Cristo es la Respuesta (Christ Is the Answer).

They left behind the security of a home, stable employment, and a familiar way of life to enter full-time missionary service.

Their new home was a small tent, approximately two by five meters.

With two young children, Nahum and Jocabed, they began a life of traveling from community to community, living in temporary camps and sharing the Gospel throughout El Salvador.

Their missionary work required tremendous sacrifice.

The ministry traveled with buses, trailers, tents, sound equipment, and a large meeting tent capable of accommodating approximately 500 people.

Their days were filled with prayer, Bible study, evangelism, worship services, and the physical labor required to move and maintain an entire missionary camp.

Mauricio served as a mechanic, electrician, welder, sound technician, and maintenance worker. He also participated in preaching and discipleship.

For approximately seven to eight years, their service was carried out without regular financial compensation.

Yet their mission remained clear:

“Todo esfuerzo es válido, una persona para Cristo.”

“Every effort is worthwhile if one person comes to Christ.”

They preached in parks, markets, buses, streets, and communities throughout the country, often in difficult circumstances.

For them, ministry was not confined to a church building. Wherever people could be reached with the Gospel, there was an opportunity to serve.

From El Salvador to Costa Rica

Their missionary journey eventually expanded into Nicaragua, where they helped establish and support the work of Cristo es la Respuesta.

While serving there, Mauricio began to envision extending the ministry into Costa Rica.

That vision required patience. It took approximately three years before the opportunity to move forward became possible.

On November 26, 1996, the Castro family arrived in Costa Rica to begin another chapter of missionary service.

With the support and ministerial relationships they developed through the Assemblies of God, they continued evangelistic outreach, first in Alajuela and later in Guanacaste.

They brought with them the same passion that had characterized their work in El Salvador: reaching communities, establishing ministry wherever possible, and proclaiming the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Their journey was not without challenges. Financial uncertainty, difficult living conditions, ministry transitions, and personal sacrifices were all part of their experience.

But they continued serving.

From Missionaries to Pastors

After years of traveling evangelism, another transition awaited them.

On March 1, 2000, Mauricio began pastoral ministry at Iglesia Bíblica Shalom in San Isidro de Aguas Claras de Upala, Costa Rica.

The transition from missionary evangelism to pastoral leadership required a new understanding of ministry.

For years, their primary focus had been reaching people with the Gospel. Now they were called not only to evangelize but also to disciple believers, care for families, teach Scripture, and walk alongside a congregation through life’s challenges.

Mauricio continued his theological preparation, studying at Seminario ESEPA between 2002 and 2008 and earning a pastoral diploma.

Over the years, their pastoral service included:

• Templo Bíblico Shalom: 2000–2013.

• Iglesia Bíblica Buen Pastor, Fortuna de Bagaces: 2015–2016.

• Templo Bíblico Libertad, Cañas, Guanacaste: 2016–present.

Even while pastoring, they continued participating in missionary outreach.

Their ministry reached remote mountain communities and extended beyond Costa Rica, including repeated outreach to Colón, Nicaragua, where they helped bring food, clothing, toys, and encouragement to families and children.

Mauricio also spent four months serving at the Casa del Águila orphanage in Limatambo, Cusco, Peru, helping train young people in practical skills such as welding, mechanics, and electricity while participating in evangelistic outreach.

Their lives demonstrated that ministry involves both proclaiming the Gospel and meeting practical needs.

A Family That Became Their Greatest Legacy

One of the most meaningful aspects of their story is the role their family has played throughout their ministry.

Their children, Nahum and Jocabed, grew up surrounded by missionary life. They experienced the challenges of traveling, living in camps, and depending on God’s provision.

Francisca carried significant responsibilities at home, particularly during periods when Mauricio traveled for weeks to preach in remote communities.

Together, they navigated the challenges of providing food, education, health care, and stability while remaining committed to their calling.

Through those years, their faith was tested repeatedly.

Yet when Mauricio reflects on the greatest fruit of his ministry, he does not first point to the number of places visited, churches served, or sermons preached.

He points to his family.

A family that remains united, loves God, and continues serving Him.

Their legacy reminds us that a lifetime of ministry is not measured only by what happens behind a pulpit, but also by the faithfulness demonstrated at home and passed from one generation to the next.

Honoring Those Who Have Faithfully Served

Today, Mauricio and Francisca continue serving at Templo Bíblico Libertad in Cañas, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Their story represents decades of quiet faithfulness, often away from recognition and without the comforts many take for granted.

They have served through seasons of uncertainty, financial sacrifice, difficult transitions, and changing responsibilities.

They have preached the Gospel, strengthened congregations, cared for families, helped develop communities, and invested in future generations.

Their lifetime of service reminds us that the work of God’s Kingdom is often carried forward by ordinary people who continually choose to say yes to an extraordinary calling.

When asked to summarize his ministry through one biblical truth, Mauricio pointed to Isaiah 6:8:

“Heme aquí, envíame a mí.”

“Here am I. Send me!”

Those words are more than a Scripture passage in their story. They reflect the life that Mauricio and Francisca have lived together.

Why We Support Their Ministry

We believe that honoring faithful servants of God involves more than acknowledging what they have accomplished in the past.

It also means standing alongside them in the work they continue doing today.

Our support for Mauricio, Francisca, and Templo Bíblico Libertad is an expression of gratitude for their decades of faithful ministry and a commitment to helping the Gospel continue reaching families and communities.

Through prayer, partnership, encouragement, and practical assistance, we have the opportunity to strengthen a ministry that has already given so much to others.

We do not simply honor their history. We stand with their mission.

As Scripture reminds us:

“For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.” — Hebrews 6:10 (NASB 1995)

To Mauricio and Francisca: thank you for answering the call, for the sacrifices made along the way, and for continuing to serve with faithfulness.

May your testimony encourage future generations to trust God, walk in obedience, and never underestimate what He can accomplish through a willing heart.

Their journey began with a prayer: “Use me, Lord.”

Their lifetime of service is a testimony of what can happen when that prayer becomes a way of life.

Partner With This Ministry

Join us in honoring and supporting the ongoing work of Mauricio and Francisca Castro and the congregation of Templo Bíblico Libertad in Costa Rica.

Through prayer, encouragement, and financial partnership, we can help strengthen their continued work of evangelism, discipleship, and service to their community.

Pray for the Castro family. Support the mission. Help carry the Gospel forward.