Casa Mint Women's Program
Casa Mint is a non-profit ministry of the Great Commission Church in Costa Rica.
The church began working 8 years ago in poverty-stricken communities. We focused on women who did sex work.
We help women stop the use of psychoactive substances, stop living a life of prostitution, help reunite them with relatives, and search for dignified employment and a new perspective of themselves.
In the last 2 years we have provided individual psychotherapeutic follow-up for 43 women. In addition, we have provided food aid and recently an educational program we developed is helping women start their own small business. We call this program "Emprende”.
Our big goal for the future is to open a "Comprehensive Care Center for Women". This is a transitional home for young and middle-aged women coming out of substance abuse rehab who have nowhere else to go. We also plan to establish a permanent stay house for elderly women who need a home to live with dignity until their death.
We continue to trust in the Lord and His guidance for these programs.
Please read the following stories by women who have benefitted from the love and guidance shown them by Carol, Miriam, pastor Gomez and their peers in the Casa Mint program.
​
Join us in Loving Our Neighbors
Marta Patricia's Story
I had a difficult childhood. My family sent me to live with an aunt in Honduras. She beat me, burned me, and cut me. After a few years of this mistreatment, my aunt's neighbor called my family and told them that they needed to pick me up if they wanted to see me alive. I went back home to my parents. I expected things to get better. I was wrong. My father started touching me more and more until one day he sexually abused me. I told my mom, but she did not believe me and sent me to San Jose to live alone. My life got even worse. I worked for families as a maid. I hated it. I felt abandoned by my mother.
This is when I discovered alcohol. I was underage, but I started drinking “guaro” and could not stop. I was not able to deal with anything unless I drank. I was fired from jobs because I would drink Monday to Sunday. I started working at bars, where men would buy drinks for me. I became an alcoholic.
Eventually the money I spent on alcohol exceeded my income. I ended up on the streets. I was in my twenties now living under bridges, in parks, or under coffee plants. Men took advantage of me, raped me, and beat me up.
I met a guy. We got married, but I did not love him and he did not love me. I married him because I wanted to stop living on the streets. Of course, our marriage did not work out. We had a daughter whom he took from me when we separated. I started drinking again and hit rock bottom.
I joined an AA group. I was passionate about my recovery. I tried hard to stop drinking but trials in my life kept coming. After six months in AA, my son was murdered during a robbery. It was the most painful experience in my life. Even though I was going to AA meetings I did not know the Lord. I was bitter and hated the world. I could not process the death of my son.
While I was going through this my mother went into a coma. This is when I met Carol Ma. In the following week my mother died. Carol visited me and invited me into the Casa Mint program.
I met pastor Gomez. He and Carol walked with me and taught me how to make piñatas and sell them. They helped me go to Nicaragua and to find out who I am and helped me get legal paperwork for the first time in my life. Without the help of pastor Gomez and Carol I would not have met my Lord Jesus Christ. They have also helped me work through my past through counseling with Miriam, a therapist.
My life now looks different. I have learned to love others and to love God. I am a different person. I am now 59 years old. I have been a part of Casa Mint for the past 8 years. I am married and am continuing to heal and learn.
Wendy's Story
I have had a difficult life. My mother was an alcoholic. She spent most of her days under the influence of alcohol. My father was a hard worker and was responsible. But he did not have time to spend with me. My sister and me were sexually abused in our home with my mother present. But she did nothing about it. I remember my dad coming home to feed us when she hadn’t. He cooked and cleaned and washed clothes. He spent nights looking for my mother who was often drunk and passed out.
When my mother died my sister and me moved to live with our grandmother. My grandmother’s husband started sexually abusing me.
This is when I started smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol. I was 12 years old.
When I was old enough, I got a job at a bar. I started trying more drugs. I left home to live with a “friend”. He drank and used drugs every day and I started doing the same thing. I was desperate for attention, care, and acceptance.
At 16 I tried crack. All hell broke loose. I spent my days with drug dealers. Once I was hospitalized due to an overdose of crack. I stole from people. I didn't care about anything.
During this time I got pregnant with my first child. My life stabilized for two years, but then I lost my partner. I started using drugs again, working at bars and my life spiraled downward.
I hit rock bottom one night. I was sent to the hospital after throwing up blood. My lungs where so damaged from smoking crack. When I was released from the hospital I went to rehab. I stayed in rehab for three years, serving and working at a pastor’s home. I gave devotionals and shared my testimony. I started going to church. I met a guy at church and we got married.
My life was great at this point. We had a home with everything that we needed. I had a second daughter and for five years everything was going well. After I got pregnant with my third child,. my husband started to use drugs. I eventually joined him. We lost everything we had been building together.
We had to send the children to their grandparents. We moved to San Jose hoping to get good jobs, but we didn't get good jobs. As soon as we arrived at San Jose my husband left me. I was pregnant with my fourth child.
I was now on the streets, alone and pregnant. I slept under coffee plants in the park. This suffering lasted 7 years. During this time I had multiple partners that used me, beat me, and burned me.
I had two more children while using drugs. My last partner was my best friend. He is the only person that stood up for me, took care of me and even remembered my birthday. I lived with him 5 years.
When I got pregnant with a beautiful little girl I decided to go back to rehab. This time I went to a place called “El Pesebre”.
That is where I met Carol. She welcomed me with so much love. I joined Casa Mint and their programs where I met Miriam. She helped me understand my life better and face it with more maturity and responsibility. I no longer use substances, I am clean. With the help of Casa Mint I have been able to go through hard situations like the death of my husband without going back to abusing drugs.
Now I live with my daughter and oldest son. One day at a time I am trusting in God’s for encouragement and strength.
Dunia's Story
I am 61 years old. I come from a very dysfunctional family. I spent half of my life submerged in drugs and alcohol. That led me to live on the streets of the red zone in San Jose, Costa Rica.
I hit rock bottom when my daughter died from alcohol overdose. That day I felt that I had two paths open. I could choose to change my life and reach out for help or continue to destroy it.
I chose the path of healing through the power of the Lord. He put in my path pastor Gomez and Carol Ma from Casa Mint. They, as angels sent by the Lord helped me out and gave me occupational therapy and spiritual support. I also joined AA.
Today I am a woman that is filled with thanksgiving, transformed with the love of God and the love of these people. I am part of the group therapy in Casa Mint and continue my meetings with AA. I also am a volunteer for a program helping people who live on the street. This has all been a huge blessing for me. I am now working on my relationships with my children and raising my 6-year-old grandson who was my late daughter’s son.
I know I now have the biggest treasure in my life: Jesus Christ.