The Best Citizenship

As missionaries in Costa Rica my family has a permanent residency status. This gives us a few advantages over living here under a tourist visa or any other kind of visa. Things like being able to have a Costa Rican bank account, access to the medical system, and not being required to leave the country every 3 months to renew a visa. It makes living and serving here much easier. The only reason we can have this status is through our youngest daughter Zara. She was born here in San Jose which makes her a Costa Rican citizen. Through my wife and I she is also an American citizen. Having this dual citizenship opens a lot of opportunities for her in the future. She has all the rights and privileges of two different countries. As she grows into an adult and learns about both worlds, she will eventually have the choice of deciding in which she will choose to live. Who knows, she may choose to live in a different country entirely. Since she is only 2 years old right now, she has plenty of time to figure that out. 

     As her parents, it is more of a priority for us that she learns the possibility of having a citizenship that tops any nation in the world. That is citizenship in God’s kingdom through Jesus Christ. While being a citizen of either Costa Rica or the United States carries a ton of perks, they can’t compare to eternal life. Knowing that Jesus gave his life for the forgiveness of our sins giving us a right relationship with God beats anything else that could be offered to us. To have the Holy Spirit guiding and making us better every day prepares us for our eternal future with our Heavenly Father. Our citizenship in heaven is by far the best we could ever have. So as Zara grows, our family will continue to share, teach, and live out our faith so that one day she will make that awesome choice to have the best citizenship ever. So, as you enjoy your special day, I encourage you to take some time to think of your spiritual status. Do you feel like a citizen of God’s kingdom, or do you just have a visa? We are all welcome to join full citizenship status. Let us take advantage of that. God Bless.

Frank H

  ’80 / ’94 San Jose Costa Rica

Doris Jean H

’44 / ’55 Manheim PA