Luke and Laurel Ackerman-Lindholm

Vision

Latin American immigration is a hot topic in the USA today. Imagine, though, if we were 1,500 miles closer. If people only had to go 500 miles instead of 2,000. That’s where Costa Rica finds itself. Due to the presence of gangs and violence in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, many Central Americans in those countries have been forced to flee their homes to pursue safety and opportunity in places such as Costa Rica. As refugees settle into Costa Rican life, they are often rejected and refused work and lodging. When Laurel was 13 years old, she visited Costa Rica for the first time. In the 12 years since that visit, her love for Latin America has grown through visits to Panama, a semester abroad in Peru, and working with Hispanic coworkers. During their courtship, Luke affirmed the call upon Laurel’s heart and agreed to pursue God’s will regarding service in Latin America. Together, Luke and Laurel feel called and equipped by God to explore life in Latin America, to learn from its culture, and to foster community development through business entrepreneurship and microfinance.

Mission

Luke and Laurel will be assisting Fundación Mujer and Casa Adobe in serving the Santa Rosa neighborhood, just 30 minutes outside Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose. Casa Adobe is a Christian community learning to live as citizens of Santa Rosa—caring for creation, building true relationships, and nurturing their faith in a God of love and justice. Fundación Mujer provides services, including working capital, to contribute to the social, economic, productive, and environmental development of business activities for people and grassroots organizations in urban and rural areas in Costa Rica. Luke and Laurel will specifically be supporting Fundación Mujer with its refugee program and Casa Adobe with support programs (such as English classes). Luke and Laurel hope to help refugees create a stable life in Costa Rica, to create relationships with Latin Americans, and most importantly, to both learn more about and continue to share God’s love and grace. On a personal level, Luke and Laurel desire to learn Spanish (Luke) and improve upon Spanish skills (Laurel), explore microfinance and business development in Costa Rica, and discern God’s will for continued work in Latin America.