Casa de Amor - House of Love

A group of seven men standing in the shallow water of a beach, with some smiling and interacting with each other. The sky is partly cloudy, with a few island formations visible in the distance.

Transforming Lives Through Christ

Help the men of Casa de Amor, a men’s recovery facility in Costa Rica that is changing lives through the power of Jesus Christ.

This home provides a safe and faith-centered place for men to rebuild their lives — but it is in desperate need of essentials such as walls, ceilings, floors, food, and clothing. The program is completely free to participants and receives no government assistance, relying entirely on God’s provision through generous partners like you.

A Program of Transformation

Casa de Amor houses 20–30 men at a time for periods of six months or longer. The men take part in a structured three-phase recovery journey, each phase lasting two months.

Through counseling, education, structure, and spiritual growth, they learn to live clean, sober, and purposeful lives by trusting in God.

The house serves a vulnerable population — men carrying deep trauma and challenges that stem from substance abuse and brokenness. Casa de Amor provides not only guidance and faith, but also basic needs such as clothing, hygiene items, and food.
Every month, the house serves over 2,300 meals to the men in residence!

Empowering Men Through Skills and Service

With your support, Cross to the Mountain Ministries is partnering with Casa de Amor to provide skills training while performing much-needed renovations. This hands-on work equips the men with valuable skills they can use to support themselves after completing the program — giving them both confidence and opportunity for a new start.

Answered Prayers and Ongoing Needs

Thanks to recent donations, we were able to cover four months of rent for Casa de Amor! The ministry had no funds available through December, and after prayer and faithful requests for help, God provided — covering rent through February.

Just months ago, the house was on the brink of closing after 20 years of serving thousands of men. Today, it continues only through your prayers and financial support.

How You Can Help

Please join us in prayer that God would continue to sustain and expand this vital ministry.
Your donations and intercession play a pivotal role in the transformation of lives

THEREFORE, IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATION. THE OLD HAS PASSSED AWAY; BEHOLD, THE NEW HAS COME.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17

DONATE TODAY
  • A cluttered kitchen with a blue wall, tiled counter, and various appliances including a refrigerator, rice cooker, and chopping board, with pots and dishes on the counter.

    Inside Kitchen Area

  • Two men working in a small grocery or convenience store with older appliances and shelves filled with snacks. One man is crouched down, working on an electrical device, while the other stands nearby watching.

    Inside Kitchen Area (repaired with donations from CMM)

  • A spacious kitchen with five people, some in casual clothes and one in a neon yellow shirt, engaging in various activities. The kitchen has a large metal prep table in the center, a white refrigerator, a stove, and open shelving with dishes. The ceiling is partially open, revealing the roof structure, and the walls are painted light green and blue.

    Cooking Class

  • A dirty, stained stove with four burners, some rust, and a metal pipe running underneath. There is a pot connected to a gas line and a blue valve near the bottom left. The stove is against a stained wall and on a tiled floor.

    Gas Stove (before repairs)

  • A black outdoor gas stove with two burners connected by a red pipe, positioned on an uneven ground with surrounding greenery and flower plants.

    Gas Stove (after repairs from CMM donations)

  • Outdoor scene with a black cooking pot on a grill over an open flame, filled with stew containing chopped vegetables, surrounded by dirt, leaves, and roots.

    Outside Kitchen Exterior

  • Two men relaxing in chairs and a young man cooking outdoors under a blue tarp, with trees and outdoor storage items in the background.

    Outdoor Cooking Classes

  • A bright room with blue walls and multiple tables and chairs arranged for seating. Several people are seated and engaged, with large windows letting in natural light. Ceiling fans and blue hexagonal ceiling fixtures are visible.

    Spiritual Fitness Area

  • A cluttered backyard with various exercise equipment, laundry machines, and laundry inside the space, surrounded by trees and a chain-link fence.

    Physical Fitness Area

  • A dormitory room with multiple metal bunk beds, some with mattresses and pillows, and others with blankets. The room has blue walls, tiled floor, ceiling fans, and a window with curtains allowing natural light.

    Rest Area for Phases 1 & 2

  • A small, cluttered room with a bunk bed, a desk with a computer, and a person lying on the lower bunk, all in a run-down building with colorful, peeling walls.

    Rest Area for Phase 3

  • A bright blue house with a red roof, a small window, and a black door, surrounded by greenery. In front, a red SUV with a spare tire mounted on the back is parked on a dirt driveway. There is a satellite dish on the roof and a basketball hoop nearby.

    Main House

Casa de Amor - House of Love

Transforming the lives of men through Jesus Christ

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:

The old is gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Group of smiling people gathered in a room with blue walls, celebrating a birthday with a cake that has a colorful design and a birthday candle on top, and various party items on the table.
Group of people gathered on a sandy beach, surrounded by trees and tropical foliage, with the ocean visible in the background.
Two men standing together indoors, one with a beard and wearing a pink shirt holding cash, and the other with short gray hair and a mustache, giving a thumbs up, with a blue wall and colorful artwork in the background.

House of Love - The Beginning

Meet the Men

  • A man with a beard and long dark hair, wearing an orange polo shirt, standing outdoors with his hands on his hips, with other people in the background.

    Jimmy Vargas

    FOUNDER/DIRECTOR

    Age: 40 yrs old

    Time at Casa: Director of Casa since 2005

    Jimmy’s Testimony

    I originally lived in San Jose, Costa Rica. I grew up in a very poor family with 7 siblings. I started using drugs at 13. I began with marijuana and then it escalated to crack cocaine. I was using crack by using it from a can. I hit rock bottom and was living on the streets. I got very tired of this lifestyle, and I left that life in 2002!

    I joined a Christian program and God changed my life! I met a great woman and we were married that same year. I was given the opportunity to study in that program. I started a service in 2003 and by 2005 I had the opportunity to go to the teams to start my project. I called it the “Love House”. I am still currently serving at “Casa de Amor”. We serve a very vulnerable population. People with disorders and traumas associated with the abuse of psychoactive substances. We serve users from Day 1 covering their basic needs – showering, dressing, medications, psychotherapeutic orientation and dissipated health. All of this in a span of months! We currently serve 2,352 plates of food per month. We have gone through many difficult situations to sustain the mystery that only God’s Hand can sustain.

    Today, I have 23 years of sobriety, 4 children and a beautiful wife. My life is different. I am happy without drugs!

  • A young man in a red chef's jacket standing behind a table with several plates of food, holding two plates with rice and cooked vegetables, in a kitchen with shelves of dishes and utensils in the background.

    Aaron Arauz Rojas

    PHASE 2

    Age: 21 years old

    Time at Casa: 3 months & 21 days

    What brought you to Casa?

    Lost the control of my life and leaving everything that I love behind? The desire to change and leave the past behind.

    What are objectives when leaving the program?

    To keep myself in peace and keep peace in my family. I want to keep studying and start to work.

    How is your life working now?

    I feel blessed and happy being here.

    How is God working in your life?

    He has shown Himself to me in many different ways. He is using people to teach me more about Him.

  • A young man with dark hair, wearing a black polo shirt and a black cap with yellow and purple embroidery, stands in front of a colorful botanical poster on a blue wall.

    Bruce Salazar

    PHASE 2

    Age: 23 years old

    Time at Casa: 3 months

    What brought you to Casa?

    Lost the control of my life and leaving everything that I love behind? I lost control of my life. I left everything that I loved: God, family and people who were important to me.

    What are objectives when leaving the program?

    To have a relationship with God. To stay on the path of goodness, to grow spiritually and never look back.

    How is your life working now?

    I feel peace in my heart and my mind. I see things that I wasn’t able to see before and I feel happy about that.

    How is God working in your life?

    He spoke to me through my brothers. He is putting good people in my way that shows me how to be a better person.

Video Testimonials

Seket’s Story

Cesar’s Story

Kenneth’s Story

Johnny’s Story