Partners in Ministry

First United Methodist Church has been a "Partner in Ministry" to the Ray Zirkel family in Costa Rica and to the Bob King Ministries.

Zirkel Ministry
In 1995, the Zirkels were invited by Dr. Luis Palomo, Bishop, to minister with the Methodist Church in costa Rica.  Ray is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and serves as a professor at the Evangelical Methodist Seminary.  In addition, Ray is a member of the Board of Director of the Methodist High School and Elementary School.  Ray teaches a class in church history at the Methodist Seminary in San Jose'.  The goal of the course is quite amibtious and requires a great deal of reading.  He also helps to plant and develop local congregations.

Ray and his wife, Lidia, are currently working with the child welfare agency in Costa Rica and the Methodist Church to build an orphanage in San Jose.

The Zirkels host fifteen to twenty Volunteer-in-Mission teams each year who work on a variety of church-related projects.

FUMC has been blessed to participate in this vital mission by sending teams to assist in the building of a Methodist Children's Home and the Children's Worship Center in La Guaria, Puerto Viejo.

Teams travel to Costa Rica in the summer and spend ten days to two weeks completing walls, roofing, and constructing bathrooms, a sanctuary, and Sunday School rooms.  Vacation Bible School is shared with the area children.

FUMC helps to support the Zirkel ministry with special offerings.  In addition, several individual Sunday School classes and the United Methodist Women send financial support.  Rev. Zirkel and his family - Lidia and their two girls, Sarah and Emma - visit the states from December - February each year speaking at many churches in the south and southwest.  Both Ray and Lidia have presented programs outlining their mission work and Ray has preached during worship services.


The mailing address of the Zirkel family is:
J.B.C. SJO #1441
P.O. Box 025240
Miami, FL  33102

The Zirkel's e-mail address in Costa Rica is:  rzirkel@racsa.co.cr.  His web site address is www.zirkelcostarica.com.

Financial support may be sent to:
FUMC
Gardys Johnson
301 North High St
Uvalde, TX  78801-4613


Bob King Ministries
Information coming soon