Francisco Bustos is the Pastor of Iglesia Bautista Higuito (Higuito Baptist Church) in Higuito, Costa Rica which is a suburb on the south side of San Jose, Costa Rica's capital city.
Recent Updates: Bustos Update 2026 June
Francisco is pastor of Higuito Baptist Church in Higuito, Costa Rica. Higuito is located on the southern edge of the San Jose metropolitan area. He has been serving at this church since 2003, first as a Sunday School teacher and helping in youth ministry, as well as in music ministry, and since 2015, as pastor. Francisco is one of three Costa Rican pastors who partnered with Grace Bible Church to establish Academia Ministerial Cristiana (AMC). In addition to pastoring the Higuito church, Francisco serves on the board of AMC and shares the load of teaching the courses.
This year, Higuito Baptist Church began four small group home meetings each week. Francisco leads one of the home groups and 3 more men from the church agreed to each host and lead other small groups. These men are growing in their spiritual lives and are using the abilities that God has given them to teach and care for those in their groups. Praise the Lord. The church is also planning a 3 day youth camp in July as an outreach. Pray for good attendance and for the spirit to open minds and hearts to His Word.
The Bustos children are doing well in school - Samuel (4th grade), Samantha (3rd grade), Daniel (1st grade), and Daniela (kindergarten). Francisco and Carolina especially praise God for Daniel's teachers patience and persistence with him and for his progress in school, given that he is diagnosed on the autism spectrum.
As a child, Francisco attended a Pentecostal church with his parents, but by age 13, his parents left the church for Mormonism and as a teen, Francisco completely rejected God for a time. In his late teens, a coworker persistently invited him to church. When he finally gave in and went, the pastor’s message brought sincere conviction to Franciso. His conscience showed him his need for Christ who could remove the anger, rebellion, and misery that dominated his life. This transformation brought Franciso the desire to read the scriptures and know his Savior more and to be with other Christians. In 2003, he began serving as a children’s Sunday School teacher. As he saw other needs in the church, he began serving there also. By 2015, the congregation ordained him as a pastor in the church and he has remained in ministry there since that time. Francisco married his wife, Carolina, in 2013. They have 4 young children, Samuel (2016), Samantha (2018), Daniel (2019), Daniela (2021), and also care for Carolina's younger sister Gabriela (who was born with Cerebral Palsy).
Prayer Items:
- For local youth to hear the gospel through the July evangelistic sports camp
- For encouragement, courage, commitment and spiritual maturity for the men leading small groups.
- For God to give wisdom in the small groups that they might know how to bring neighbors into the small groups.
- For the salvation of their children, that they may each come to know Jesus and live for Him.
- For wisdom and diligence for Francisco as he continues his online studies at SEPE/MEDA Seminary.
- For God to provide a vehicle to replace their existing car which has reached its end of life.