New year for youth!

As with any group of people in this year 2011 it has been a great year, and a year of challenges for our youth group in our church Arbol de Vida. We work alongside our pastor Olger and his wife Guiselle. Although we don't work directly with the youth our children Mary and James are a part of the group so we are directly involved!
The kids have had a lot of great moments this year, many new youth coming to CHRIST and now the group is steady at 25 each Sunday morning and even Wednesday evenings for prayer night, the adults are outnumbered by the youth many times!
PRAY for this group as they surge into the New Year 2012, that they will affirm their faith in GOD and keep walking daily knowing JESUS is with them each step of the way.
Sometimes they will tell me they are unhappy or that life is just depressing,but with GODS help they can overcome learning the same as we are, that step by step when we stay close to JESUS is when we are the happiest, safest, and growing knowing JESUS is there with us!
Thank you so much for your prayers and support of our ministry. If you'd like to make a last minute donation to count this year you can send a check to Global Outreach P.O. Box 1 Tupelo, MS 38802 made out to Global Outreach for Franklin and Evelyn Turner if it is postmarked by Dec 31 it still counts for this years taxes as with any gift it is 100% to our account and is tax deductible! You can also give online at www.globaloutreach.org
Thank you for being there praying for us and giving to make this mission possible!

 

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

CHRISTmas one year ago!

Thank you for your payers and support of our ministry here in Costa Rica! We were able to be a part of a baptism that took place last Christmas! What a blessing, this young man Manuel is growing in CHRIST and is now starting to serve in our church!

 

 

 

We were starting to dig postholes for our house base posts! Now I am sitting in my house enjoying time with the kids! What a blessings, thank you so much to each of you who came to help out last year and looking forward to seeing each f you this coming year! Many blessings this CHRISTmas!

 

 

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

James 6th grade graduation!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Youth, what age are we talking about?

This is Sunday evening, and seems like we just had Monday, where did last week go, and what about the weekend! WOW!
This has been a busy weekend, maybe thats why it flew by so quickly!
Mary spent the night Thurs & Friday nights at Maria Amables house. They have been friends since we got here to Costa Rica!
Saturday morning I had my bible class, so James and I left the house around 7am. I left James in Tabarcia to play with friends, and went to class from 8-2.
Franklin worked here at camp in the shop, then in the evening joined us for an awesome church service! Our youth group at church have been growing in the LORD, so they were in charge of the service Saturday night. Was wonderful, those of you who have met Dalberth, he is 23 now, he was in charge of leading the service, master of ceremonies of sorts. They started with music as they usually do; all but 2 of the 7 people playing and singing were youth, Mary at the keyboard and Maria Amable at the drums!
Here the youth group ranges from 16-30something! Hence the headlines! Hehehe! Anyways back to the service, after wonderful praise and worship several of the youth took up the offering, 2 sang a special song. 4 young people gave a short version of their testimony! What testimonies!

And the theme throughout, although they hadn't even planned it that way, each had to get together what they were going to say but not share it until the service, the theme throughout was how the church had brought them the love that had been missing in their life! WOW! GOD is so good! As each of them finished telling about how JESUS had changed their life, Dalberth asked the Father or Mother to come up to give their child a hug, what a special time! Looking forward to great things to come! Alltogether there were around 30 youth in the service, we adults were outnumbered! What a blessing! Our pastor Olger has always worked hard to draw the youth in, and help them get on their feet, helping them study, helping them find jobs, and teaching them the WORD OF GOD!
Hope to see these kids strong for JESUS throughout their lives, living, giving, loving without holding back, without thinking about how they look or who is watching, GOD give them strength and a strong LOVE for JESUS CHRIST to last forver! Amen!
JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Thank you Ms. Nancy!

Today you will be remebered in many way at your memorial service, beautiful memories of your selfless life, always giving, and loving without boundries!

This picture was taken a few days after ms. Nancy came here to work with us. She lives here at the camp with us in the beginning while she found a house in town to live in.

She came up to see our new house, full of joy for us although she didn't have a house yet! Now she has a more beautiful mansion, in heaven, no rent to pay, no electricity to worry about, the water is crystal clear and free! Praise the LORD!

Ms Nancy was determined not to be a burden on anyone and loved to help where she could! She washed dishes and cooked for several teams while looking for her house to live in.

I hope to be an example of love and strive to better each day as Ms. Nancy has given us example!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Quiet...

Today is quiet around here, James had fun day with his class at school today and Mary went to pick up her tests from last week, then her one class where they learning etiquet are going to eat at a restaurant for lunch.

Thank you so much for your prayers for us! I am thankful for each of you today! GOD hasn't brought us together for no reason! HE gave us to each other, to mutually serve JESUS, working with what we have to give to others, first of all the gift of eternal Life in JESUS CHRIST by faith in HIS NAME.

Then the gift of bible teaching, the gift of a smile, the gift of food when they are hungry, the gift of encouragement when they are down and out. These are all things we have been able to do and continue, because of your prayers and support of our ministry here in Costa Rica.

If we don't give, then who will? GOD has called us to this place, and HE has called you to stand with us, thank you for being faithful to your part in this ministry.

Thank you to those of you who have come! We are thankful, GOD has sent many wonderful people here to help out this past year. If you haven't made plans to come down to Costa Rica on a mission trip please let us know if you have a desire to serve. You don't need specific gifts, the one thing that will help you as you serve is a willing heart and flexibilty,knowing that if you set aside a week of your time, GOD will use you in mighty ways as only HE can!

Our call is to build a camp and training center. What will this camp center do? GOD has called us to build a place for HIS people to come be prepared to go out and preach the gospel to the nations! Missions is different than what I had ever imagined it is. Each mission is different, as each of us is different.

GOD using ordinary people to do extraordinary kingdom work!

The cool thing is that GOD uses each of us at full capacity, ever wonder why GOD didn't call you to be a math teacher, or asrtonaut? GOD gives each of us gifts, then puts us to the test to see if we will use what HE has given us to serve HIM! Imagine, your talent you hadn't even thought of, might just be where GOD has made you strong to serve JESUS!

Each of us is called to do our part, bringing people to JESUS for healing and restoration, ready to serve HIM wherever we are, whoever we are around! Thank you for your faithfullness to JESUS, look forward to hearing how GOD is working in your life! Blessings in JESUS, Evelyn

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Mary's music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gSjUlISPRs&feature=player_embedded

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Talk to GOD for a friend!

Many of you are already praying; but in case you haven't gotten the updates, our friend Ms Nancy Cox is in ICU here in Costa Rica. She had blood clots in her lung and caused complications to her heart. She had 5 respiratory arrests and 10 cardiac arrests! The Dr's got her stabilized and she has been in ICU unit of Clinica Biblica since Monday November 7. Her Sister Sarah came to Costa Rica to be with Nancy for a few days last week. Carey her son came in Saturday and leaves out today.

We went to the hospital last night to see Nancy. She is improving little by little. There were less tubes and machines connected to her and she breathes easily now where in the beginning she had trouble getting her breath even with ventilator! She can also open her eyes to show us she hears us. We have been talking to her each time we go see her in hopes that she hears and can be encouraged to keep fighting for her life!

She will be flown to TN on Friday tomorrow morning. We had originally been told she'd fly today, but they had to make all the connections and they are preparing her to fly tomorrow LORD willing.

Please pray for her safe return to the states, for Carey as he flies today, and all her family as they await her full recovery. Ms Nancy has been a huge help to us and we are very thankful to have been a part of her life! Thank you for your prayers and support of the ministry here. Blessings in JESUS,

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Where would I stay and what would I do on a team in Costa Rica?

This is a picture of the bunk beds teams stay in these bedrooms while they are working with the people of Costa Rica!

This is the living area, we hope to tile this part of the building this year. If your team is interested in helping with this project let us know! our email is turnerefmj@gmail.com

Teams host backyard bible clubs and work with children in many different communities here surrounding the camp center.

Teams help build, you don't have to be skilled to use your hands for GODs glory!

We will be building a pole building and starting construction on a dorm for campers this next year 2012, come be a part of GODS WORK!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

What do teams do in Costa Rica?

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Whatcha stirrin'?

We are in the middle of rainy season and yes stirring up some good home made soup sure does hit the spot! We have been staying busy even tho right now even to walk out and let the dogs out you need an umbrella and boots! We don't have a rain gauge but I bet we'd have to empty it every hour or so! Today has been a lot less rain it actually was sunny till around 1:30 pm! My jeans and towels dried on the line! Franklin stretched out a wash line on our front porch so I hang up the thickest stuff so it won't take so long in the dryer! I went to pick up James and he fell asleep in the car and 1/2 hour later is still snoozin! They were both very tired this morning, we had a late night at church Sat night and yesterday most of the day we were at church so it takes a lot out of you!

Thank you very much for praying for us and giving to make it possible for us to do the mission GOD has called us to here in Costa Rica! Please pray for the Christians affected in the earthquake in Turkey.

If you would like to give to our ministry you can click on the picture on the side of this page to give on line. Or you can send your check made out to Global Outreach for Franklin & Evelyn Turner to; Global Outreach P.O. Box 1 Tupelo, MS 38802.

Any donation is welcome and we thank the LORD for your support and prayers for us! Many blessings in JESUS, Evelyn

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Sing to the LORD a new song!

This is Mary and the music group from our church. We went to do an outreach activity in the mountains of Quitirrisi. This area is a reserve, and has about 1800 people who live there. Right now there isn't a Christian church that is open in this area. Our pastor takes our youth and they play soccer with the youth in Quitirrisi, and this has opened the door for evangelism! GOD is good, our strategy has to change with the changing times, bringing hope and peace to the lost, and the good news that JESUS has made a way for us to live in HEaven with HIM for eternity.

Step one: Feel the need for a change in your life

Step two: Ask JESUS to forgive you of things you have done in the past

Step three: ask JESUS to come in to your heart, and ask him to write your name in the BOOK of LIFE.

Step four: Pray with your own words talking to GOD just like you talk to a friend. Then get a bible and read, you can start to read in John, it is a good beginning point. Look for a church and tell someone about your desicion to give your life to JESUS! May GOD bless you as you start this new part of your life, all the old things have passed away, behold all things are made new! Amen!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Where you goin?

One of the songs the kids and I have grown to like, plays on the national radio station here in Costa Rica. It simply says, "Where you goin?" Donde vas?

Today I woke up with this question in mind, where am I goin? It is important to have a focus, dream big, and go for it! GOD is a big GOD! HE loves it when we bring our menial requests to HIM, HE wants to hear us, so pray, ask and then get goin!!! Where we go has a lot to do with what we believe! I Believe JESUS died for my sins, and that through HIS sacrificial death, (Ididn't deserve it) we all have eternal life. I look at it this way, JESUS spilled HIS blood on calvary for you and me.

It is like a room with wall to wall presents. Mine has my name on it, yours has your name on it. I can't choose yours and you can't give me mine, I have to come to JESUS, ask HIS forgiveness for my sins, and he opens the door to the room with presents inside. My name is in bold letters, not hard to find, although there are trillions and billions of gifts, just waiting for their owners to open them! JESUS heart is for all humanity to come to HIM. He washes us clean and, the door opens for our free gift of eternal life forever and ever amen!

JESUS did all HE could, have you?

These are just some random pictures I found on our computer, worth looking at! This is a little play house in a corral that is close to the camp. Someone built it with lots of love, and maybe even lived in it! But now it is abandoned. We must keep up the house of our heart, don't abandon the work JESUS has started in you! Keep it clean asking hourly or even minute by minute for forgiveness, for directiont through the HOLY SPIRIT, sweep your house and open for JESUS to come in!

The creek by the camp center. This creek runs fresh water year round and has never gone dry! We thank the LORD for all the water, it is a blessing to drink fresh spring water, right from the ground inside the camp center property!

Praise ye the LORD!

So at the end of this blog there is a small dainty church. Where are you going today? Go to church, seek the LORD while HE is yet to be found. Our days are numbered. The gifts are wrapped, waiting for us to open them, each one of has the gift of eternal life, just waiting to be opened! And many gifts GOD gave us even beforehand, to use to serve JESUS CHRIST daily.

"Where you goin?"

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Welcome home Ms. Nancy!

Ms. Nancy came to Costa Rica in February, and has been a blessing to our family as we minister the WORD of GOD to the people of Costa Rica! Nancy helps us with James and Mary when they get out of class early and we can't make it tot own to pick them up. She is also involved in her church in Puriscal where she lives. We are thankful for each person who has come alongside us to serve our LORD JESUS CHRIST beside us. Thank you for your prayers and support of our ministry!

This is what was happening outside Ms. Nancys house the day she moved in a few weeks ago. She had been living in a small apartment, but now she has found a house to live in. BUT, as we brought her furniture to the house she's renting, there were 2 different crews pouring concrete and fixing a drainpipe right infront of the house we were helping her move into! So we had to manuever around all this, yes sometimes it is a circus here! Keeps things interesting!

Ms Nancy in her new kitchen, she is settled in, and is taking spanish class each Monday to try and communicate with each person GOD gives her! To bring them to the feet of JESUS, their lives will be changed from darkness to the light of life in JESUS CHRIST!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

James at school!

James' class was in charge of the "acto civico" for independence day, September 15! One of the class led the ceremony, and several of the kids had poems etc. and these little girls pictured here danced to typical music! James watched!

So After the ceremonies were overwith i snapped a quick picture of James with his wonderful teacher, Ms Dorita! She has been an angel! Please pray for her and for James and his classmates as they finish out the rest of this year together, and move on to high school next year!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Takes teamwork!

GOD has given you a special job, one only you can do!

GODS fingerprints are in your hands, and HE wants to use you to bless others, that is HIS MASTER PLAN!

While some may deem picking up rocks a lowly job, unworthy, no skills involved, no glory, yes there isn't much glory in picking up rocks. BUT it is a necessary thing, if we are to build this Camp Center.

One rock at a time, one piece at a time, this will be a place of restoration and joy to many people. Together we can do this!

Thank you for coming alongside to PRAY, GO and GIVE!

Mixing concrete and passing it a little at a time in buckets to build a wall, there isn't much glory in it, it hurts your back, it makes your arms sore!

BUT it is needed, in order to make the walls strong, in order to build our character!!

If you think about it, many of the menial things you and I do on a daily basis aren't very glorious! But in order to give our Saviour JESUS CHRIST the glory we must; do our homework, cook the meals, pick up rocks, build those walls, do our very best at each small part of the puzzle that belongs to our time and place, so those coming after us can build on what we started!

The finished product is whole families, children through senior citizens, who know JESUS! If they love HIM that's worth more than any glorious job or anything in this life! Amen!

JESUS loves you written on the wall...

These are children at a soup kitchen we visited in June. These children will in a few years be adults, what have we built that these little hands can build on as they grow? Lets be good stewards of our time, lets do this together, PRAYing, GIVing, and GOing, into all the world, starting right where you are this minute reading these lines!

GO with courage and joy in your heart, knowing that even though the world may never know you did what you could, JESUS does, and thats what matters! In the bible many of the people mentioned never knew they would be remembered! But they did what they could for JESUS sake!

If you meet me and forget who I am you have lost nothing, but if you meet JESUS and forget who HE is, you have lost everything!

Have a blessed week in the name of JESUS, strive to go higher, to do more, to listen better, to reach out a touch someone in the LOVE OF JESUS this week!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Happy Birthday JAMES!

James, Happy Birthday! Love you very very much!

Sunday afternoon we had invited James Sunday School class to come celebrate with him! What a day! They ran and played all afternoon, stopping only long enough to wolf down hamburgers then back out to play! There were 7 boys along with James all about 3 months apart in age! What a blessing friends are!

They made a human table, and 3 floor tower! We were thankful to initiate our new home in this way, a place that our children can play with their friends, and we can minister to them in the Name of JESUS!

Mary and some of her friends hid a treasure hunt, and the boys ran all over the camp looking for the clues! In the end they had to come back to the house and the girls had gotten gift bags ready for them with candy and cookies!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James