JULY 2026 – OCTOBER 2026
“A faithful friend is a reliable source of support; whoever finds one has a treasure. A faithful friend is priceless; his value is incalculable.”
Eccl. 6:14–15
It's hard to explain exactly what Ignis Mundi is. It's a mission, it's a place, it's a way of life, it's a family, it's social action, it's service…
Lately, we have been working hard to define who we are through our programs and projects. And that’s fine, because love also translates into concrete actions: service is the face of mercy that becomes tangible through sports, mental health, education, art, music…
But there is something intangible that runs through the entire Ignis Mundi, something without which nothing else would make sense: the strength of bonds.
When night falls, our doors close. However, we missionaries are still there. Because we are much more than social or pastoral workers: we are friends, neighbors, and part of the same community.
People see us at the Mission Center, but they also run into us at the supermarket, at the medical center, on the streets, at church… We’re part of their community.
From this daily coexistence emerges a web of relationships that forms a genuine network of support and solidarity—one that is difficult to put into words. It’s not just about interacting as equals, without looking down on anyone, but about sharing life as it comes: power outages, broken plumbing, parties, celebrations, and so many little things that make up everyday life.
We turn to them for advice on where to shop, which hairdresser to go to, where to go for a walk nearby, or how to handle this or that. Because trust is also built when you can ask for help and let others help you.
Our children have participated in the programs alongside theirs, and we cheer on the games from the stands—sometimes as supervisors and parents, other times as missionaries, and always as neighbors.
We visit their homes and let ourselves be touched by their hospitality: a coffee drizzled with syrup, tortillas lovingly patted flat. We visit the sick and pray with them; we serve as godparents to their children; they invite us to their birthdays, weddings, and graduations. We get to know their lives and their surroundings just as a friend would, but with a perspective that is especially open to understanding, embracing, supporting, admiring, and walking alongside them.
And all that journey we’ve shared together bears fruit that nourishes the mission, giving it meaning and depth: FRIENDSHIP.
A friendship that builds and strengthens, that helps us grow, that gives us confidence, and fills us with peace.
When we talk about poverty or situations of vulnerability, we often look for quantifiable solutions—solutions that can be measured and that are effective in the short term.
However, situations of poverty and exclusion rarely have a single cause. Behind them, we often find stories of generations marked by a lack of opportunities, weakened family and social structures, violence, chaos, and, all too often, profound loneliness. We are not talking only about material deprivation, but also about the absence of healthy relationships, role models, and support networks that help people move forward and build new possibilities for their lives.
Loneliness is one of the great pandemics of our time.
And anyone who has experienced it knows that having someone close by—someone who listens, who cares, and who is there for you—can be invaluable.
That is why it is so important to us that everyone who comes to our Center feels loved. Because when a person stops feeling alone and abandoned, when they discover they have a place to turn to and people they can count on, the door to real change begins to open.
We've seen this firsthand as friendships develop among the participants themselves. People who meet in a workshop or while playing a sport, who are shy at first but gradually gain confidence. Until one day, that friendship extends beyond the doors of Ignis Mundi and becomes a part of their lives.
“Finally, I have someone to call if I get sick orsomething happens to me.”
Perhaps that phrase sums up what we want to build better than many explanations.
Our center doesn't just offer workshops, sports, and training. It also stays open during the day so people can come by, hang out, play, take a walk, or simply spend some time together. In the afternoons, the café opens and becomes a gathering place where people can have coffee, chat, and enjoy each other's company.
Sometimes, some people come—as they themselves say— “because I feel lonely at home; I’d rather come here, where I know there’ll be someone to talk to.”
MOMENTS OF ENCOUNTER
Along those same lines, we encourage the celebration of special events: Costa Rica Day, Mother’s and Father’s Day, Advent and Christmas, Love and Friendship Day, and the Day of the Dead… These are times when the community comes together to celebrate, share, and enjoy a healthy, family-oriented environment.
Likewise, all of our groups and workshops have their own moments of connection: coffee breaks, time to chat, birthday celebrations… These small moments aren’t just an afterthought to the activities—they’re an integral part of them. Because we know that trust and affection are also built during those seemingly simple moments.
KAIRÓS
On a spiritual level, we meet every Wednesday at Kairos, and what happens there is truly wonderful. It fills with children and young people who may not yet know much about the faith or fully understand what is being shared and celebrated, but who come because they feel at ease there, because they find a place where they are welcomed.
There are also people who come because they need rest, who are seeking comfort, or who find in communal prayer a source of strength that sustains them amid their difficulties. Even those who cannot attend send us their intentions, and this creates a sense of communion that is hard to explain.
They open their hearts to us, show us their wounds, and confide their concerns to us with admirable faith and trust.
After each Kairos, we share Agape. Every week, a missionary family opens the doors of their home and invites everyone to dinner. Seniors, families, young people, and children: about 100 people gather every Wednesday to share a meal, chat, and play…
A large family gathered around the table and the altar.
While some serve dinner, others wash the dishes, still others chat, and the children play freely in the garden, amid laughter and joy…
A little piece of heaven on earth.
FIRE AND THE HALF-YEAR CAMP
Recently, we have also launched two activities that are particularly meaningful for our children and young people. Among other goals, both aim to help them discover the value of friendship, learn to build healthy relationships, and understand the importance of caring for those who are part of their lives. We want them to begin weaving that network of trust and support among themselves, always accompanied by the missionaries.
We’ve been talking about FUEGO since our last newsletter, perhaps focusing more on its educational and academic support aspects. However, there’s something that has been developing session after session and has become one of its most beautiful outcomes: the excitement with which the boys and girls look forward to each day.
We’re thrilled to see how much fun they’re having, how they’re becoming more open and confident, how they encourage one another to participate, and even how, during registration, the young people themselves ask if they can join FUEGO or what they need to do to participate.
Little by little, a sense of belonging, friendship, and family is taking root in them—a feeling that fills us with joy and encourages us to continue investing in this cross-curricular approach: teaching values, strengthening relationships, and creating spaces where they can explore the topics that concern and interest them, appropriate for their age.
All teenagers who participate in any of Ignis Mundi’s activities—sports, art, music, Impulsa…—also take part in FUEGO, an event we hold one Saturday every two months. At first, we had to emphasize that it was a requirement; now they’re the ones who remind us of the dates.
And in July, during the mid-year school break, we held our two-week camp, which was attended by 70 boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 12.
Like FUEGO, the camp combines fun and social activities with an educational component. Above all, it is an opportunity to spend quality time with the children, get to know them better, and help them grow.
“A Home for the World” was this year’s theme. Building on this theme, we explored the importance of being a home for others, starting by discovering the value of who each person is and what they can contribute: within their family, among their friends, and in their community.
We talked about the importance of caring for others, treating each other well, using words that build others up, and creating safe and welcoming environments.
Every day, we combine learning activities with games, sports, and creative activities. As our final project, we build a small wooden house, a symbol of each child’s commitment to making Ignis Mundi their home as well and to becoming a home for others.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made a financial contribution and helped us pay for the camp supplies and snacks. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to make this experience a reality for so many children.
TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Along these same lines, throughout the year we have held several training sessions for our team members, with the goal of helping them get to know and embrace the spirit of Ignis Mundi, understand our vision and mission, and, at the same time, strengthen the bonds among themselves. We want those who are part of this project not only to share a common task, but also to live out and build a true community that radiates God’s love.
IGNIS MUNDI IS FAMILY, IT'S FRIENDSHIP, IT'S A HOME.
We would like not only the residents of Los Guido to feel this way, but also all of you who, from afar, support us with your resources, your prayers, your ideas, your advice, your help in spreading the word, and so many other forms of collaboration—without which none of this would be possible.
Companies, foundations, anonymous donors, family members, and friends: you are all part of this vast network that sustains and helps our mission grow.
Because Ignis Mundi isn't built solely on projects, activities, or resources. It's built on people who come together, who recognize one another, who care for one another, and who decide to walk together.
And perhaps that is, ultimately, the most important thing we can offer: that no one who comes to Ignis Mundi feels like a stranger, but instead finds a place where they belong and people with whom to share their lives.
May everyone who meets a missionary feel loved.
“Love is the fire that lights up the world”
[ ABOUT US ]
THE SAGUÉ DIEZ FAMILY
We are Gloria and Lucas, a Spanish couple who embarked on a mission in Costa Rica in 2023 with our son José and Diego on the way. Seven months ago, Belén, the youngest member of our family, was born.
We both had a powerful encounter with God when we were young—each of us on our own—and that experience left such a deep mark on us that we couldn’t keep it to ourselves: we had to share that gift of knowing we were loved completely. When we were dating, between seminary sessions, we would go on missions throughout Spain, to Chile, Ethiopia… We got married in Madrid in 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic, and shortly after, José arrived. As our family grew, we realized that mission work was a calling for us, and what greater gift could there be than to live it out in community? That’s how God gave us the grace to leave behind our jobs, family, friends, and comforts, to place our smallness at God’s service—a smallness that He is causing to flourish through our “Yes.”
Gloria runs the mission center’s charity café, offering a warm welcome and the joy of creating a home for those in need. Lucas handles the technical side—the systems, data, and app that keep everything running smoothly—working behind the scenes. And above all, the two of us live our lives by opening the doors of our home: our children grow up surrounded by neighbors, volunteers, and missionaries from all over the world who come together to radiate and be inspired by the beauty of this place that seeks to love those most in need.
What surprises us most about this life is how God's love ceases to be just an idea and becomes something tangible—something that transforms even the deepest human misery, beginning with our own hearts.