Thankful for our pastor Olger

 

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

More Rocks...

Thats right, more rocks!
Franklin, Jon, & Bolivar have been working 2 days now filling up a crossing in the new road with rocks. It has a spring right in the road, and stays mushy to where you can't cross so Franklin is hoping this will help!


What do missionaries do? Sometimes glorious work, proclaiming the Gospel message to many people, or giving food to someone who's hungry, and seeing the smiles on their faces makes it worth the hour walk up hill! But sometimes missionaries do stuff that most wouldn't count as mission work.
Like picking up rocks!
We had a young man come help here at the camp from Oklahoma. We were in the process of picking up rocks around the camp center to build a retaining wall. After about an hour of that the young man looks at Franklin and says, "You know picking up rocks is about the lowest job you can be given!"
He's no longer a missionary. It's not for everyone! It's not glorious work all the time. I am sure you could say that about your life, it's not a box o chocolates all the time! Sometime theres rocks, big ones or a tiny one in your shoe, that feels like a boulder!
I think of these times as the sandpaper that GOD uses to smooth out our life, how would we be thankful for the sun if it didn't rain for days? How would we be thankful for a nice smooth yard with green grass if we didn't cut it, and pick up the rocks!
May I always use my strength to do the will of GOD!
Have a blessed day! Hope this encourages you to keep picking up the rocks in your path and building castles with them! Retaining walls to hold back the forces of evil,
If GOD is with us who can be against us!

 

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Thankful...

Good Evening!
James and I  walked up the hill this morning around 8am to go to church! We've enjoyed each others company and enjoyed meeting with our brothers and sisters in Christ today and worship our LORD JESUS together today!
This is something we take for granted. I guess we know that in other parts of the world today Christians were tortured and some even put to death for praising JESUS as their Savior!

This walking up the hill each day right now makes me realize until we look situations like these in the face we don't take them very seriously! James and I have gotten some forced exercise the past week or so each time we get ready to leave the house we have to plan around the rain, the mud, the kind of clothing we wear, planning for that 300 meter trek up the mountain! You don't wear heels and you make sure you don't forget anything of utmost importance, because if you do, you'd have to walk that 300 meters again! Now 300 meters is about the equivalent of 300 yards, not very far but steep doesn't even do it justice!

So when I think of our brothers and sisters in other places who are going through severe trials for their faith and knowing they stand fast for JESUS, why would I complain! Why is a little walk in the mud every time I leave my home to go somewhere a hard thing!
I am thankful to have that van at the top of the hill when I walk up, I can get in a drive on from there! My health allows me to walk, maybe this is GODS way of telling me I'm ok, maybe I need to get in better shape, what I am going through right now is nothing compared to HIS glory! I will always try to be thankful in every situation, and live the rest of my life to glorify JESUS my LORD!


JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

My walk this morning at Camp Taller del Maestro!

I love to wake up early to see the sun breaking acorss the mountainside and the fog going away a wift at a time! This was my view at the pig pen! Lulu is doing wonderful! She squeals and grunts as soon as shee sees someone outside, or hears that we're up!

This is coming back down from Cabin Hope close to the tire swing!

Both these are standing on the lot for Cabin Hope. The view is breath taking! It is amazing to see the wispy clouds way out there and the ant line walking across and birds just singing away and other wise complete silence! Looking forward to each person who will be sleeping here at Cabin Hope and enjoying what I see this morning for the next 100 years! I pray that GOD will raise up people who love JESUS more than anything in life, and love the work GOD has started here at Camp Taller Del Maestro through our hands! All glory to GOD and praises to JESUS for allowing us to be a small part of HIS work in the lives of the people of Costa Rica for the Nations of the World!

 

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Closed, now open!

Yesterday morning we left the house about 11:30 to go take James to drum lessons and go pick up some wood for Cabin Hope. We stopped at the county courthouse to see what all we needed to process the permits for Cabin Hope. We were told we'd need original documents from the National Register in Zapote, other side of San Jose. So we dropped James off and as quickly as we could, like driving through an obstacle course, the main hiway into that part of town is closed. So driving around back roads that our pastor Olger has taught Franklin to drive through!!! we finally get to Zapote with 30 minutes to spare before they close for the weekend! We were able to get all the documents we needed, and back on the obstacle course!
Around some of the Rotundas in the center of San Jose there are man-holes with no cover and nothing to stop you from taking out a front end of your car! Thankfully GOD protected us and we got safely to pick up the wood. This is now 4:30pm and they are also about to close for the weekend! By the way, Friday isn't a very good day to get a lot done! Needless to say we got loaded up and on our way. We hadn't eaten since morning so we stopped at KFC for a bite to eat before making the trek across the mountain in the pouring rain!

As we were eating I was checking facebook and started seeing posts from friends here in the Puriscal area about the road being closed because of a huge mudslide! So I start chatting with Joarline, a friend from Tabarcia. She lets me know that her husband was called in to drive the extra busses needed, and didn't know how long the road would be closed! We had packed our coffee thermos so we stopped by the grocery for a chocolate, and sat there waiting to hear news about the road.
About 30 minutes later Joarline posted the news on faebook from the official road company, the road home would be closed for the night, to try clear the mud and trees and open it for tomorrow! What to do!? We had 2600 lbs of wood in the white van, and no way to get home! So we made a stop at walmart, got a few necesities to spend the night and got a room, in hopes that tomorrow the road would be clear!  

This is the crew working on the road today as we passed by coming home! Praise the LORD we are home safe and sound! The wood is unloaded and we're ready for another round on Monday!
We know that many of you have been praying for us and we thank you for that! It is wonderful to know that as we work here in Costa Rica, many of you dedicate a little time each day to ask GODS favor for us! Thank you thank you!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Cousins are lots of fun!

Good morning! We are back to Costa Rica, and ready to get back to work on the building of the camp center! We have been reminiscing what a wonderful time we spent together with many of you and our family! James and Mary loved spending time with their cousins playing dice and visiting!

We got to go to an orchard while we were in the states. This may seem minor to many of you as this is something you did maybe as a class outing or with family as a tradition every year!
We had been many years ago but our kids didn't remember ever going! They loved being able t walk through the corn maze, pick out a pumpkin and even pick an apple off the tree and eat it right there! What a blessing! This is something they can't do here in Costa Rica, apples don't grow here!

These are my sister Emmas kids with our at the corn maze!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Friends forever!

This is when a group from Plymouth Congregational church Oshkosh Wisconsin was working with the children in Pozos. The friendships made on a mission trip will never be forgotten, not only by the team members but also the children and families they work with in Costa Rica! It is a shared blessing by all! Thank you for giving to make their mission possible as well as the ongoing work at the camp center in Costa Rica.

We have been working with our church Arbol de Vida for over 9 years now and every moment has been a great memory! They have helped us through hard times and happy times, just as Solomon wisely said, there are times for every season under the sun! Our time with our Pastors Olger and Guiselle have been very special and we cherish our friendship with them and look forward to spending eternity together with them and those we can bring with us, celebrating our LORD JESUS forever!

This baptism was held this year, these new Christians have just gone through a discipleship weekend and are excited and refreshed to live for JESUS!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Beautiful feet

We quote this scripture a lot, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news, proclaims peace, brings glad tidings of good things who brings salvation Isaiah 52:7
This scripture is quoted in Romans 10, as the writer talks about how we can come to salvaion in the LORD JESUS CHRIST! What an awesome thing to know our Creator to know HE loves us and that no matter how busy things get around us and those we need sometimes don't have time for us, GOD always has time and wants to know our every little prayer!
GOD already knows every prayer even every thought before it is formed, but HE still wants to hear from us and what we want to say is of utmost importance to GOD.
So as I contemplated this scripture and realized how awesome and great our GOD is, and how much time HE has for me, i should dedicat that same amount of time as I share about our great GOD, not taking for granted even the smallest of opportunities around me to be those "beautiful feet" telling the good news of JESUS LOVE!

We were able to go up in the light house in Pensacola FLA. It was great to be able to get up so high and see all around us! What a blessing those who went before us building these wonderful buildings and places for us to enjoy now but served before and even now as a nessecity to keep us safe!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Light house

We were able to visit the light house in Pensacola, it is awesome! I have always loved light houses and it was wonderful to walk up thos 177 steps, thinking of the men and women who served as thelight house keepers, all those years ago, carrying fuel to keep that lamp burning!
May we never take our Salvation for granted, or our freedom for granted! Thank you JESUS, and thank you to the ones who have gone before us, keeping our great country free!
 

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Soccer camp!

HIGH POWER! A team of youth and leaders were with us the first week of July hosting a soccer camp for 40 kids from Pozos!
 

They taught the kids songs in English and learned a little Spanish, but mostof all shared the Love of JESUS CHRIST!

Some of the team members were able to go share at the Bible study in Pozos, what a blessing!

 

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Camping in Costa Rica!

This is a shot of the conference building from the level above it. Up behind to the left of the conference building is where cabin Hope will be built. We have applied for needed permits and waiting for the arquitect to finish the plans. Here in Costa Rica in order to be legal with the governent you have to have an arquitect draw up the plans even for a small building, and apply for permits with the health ministry! So we are in this process for Cabin Hope!
This cabin will host 16-24 people, and will be wheel chair accesible! It will have 2 bathrooms inside it and a porch on the front overlooking the mountainside!

As I swung the camera around to the front of the conference building you can see another project we are working on. A playground! We are excited to have this part of the property cleaned off and grass seed sown, to get ready to put a playground here for children who come to camp to enjoy and play under the great trees GOD placed here year and years before!

 

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Ready set for teams!

It is always exciting to get ready for teams who come to help out here at the camp center! We enjoy having them with us and it encourages us to keep serving our LORD JESUS! This is the inside of the conference building where teams stay. The rooms where the bunks are right now will son be transformed into meeting rooms for conferences when the cabins are ready!

Thank you for folowing us and helping us by praing for us and giving to make this mission possible! We are excited to be coming to see many of you this summer! We will spend several months traveling and speaking in churches and groups, sharing the vision GOD has given us for this camp center located in the jungles of Costa Rica! You can write us at turnerefmj@gmail.com or our facebook is Evelyn Turner.
May the LORD richly bless you today!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Wedding day!

These couples ceberated a day together, vowing to love each other for better or for worse! We traveled to the lawyers office to make theri committment legal, and then to their house to celebrate with neighbors and family members! They have been living together and now that they have accepted JESUS as their Saviour they want to do things right. One of these is to get married, in obedience to GODS word! Praise the LORD!

 

 

 

 

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Midnight at the cabin...

This is midnight our little pup! He loves running and sniffing!
He walked with me to take some pictures of Franklin working on new cabin lots!

This is where cabin #1 will sit, what a view! We are excited about clearing more land seems to be a slow process but we know it will come together in GODS time!

Franklin has worked this week putting in culverts and moving trees in order to clear more land. He has cleared sots for cabin 2-3-4! There is more land ready to be cleared where he is working right behind the Conference center, back from where the campfire is.
It will be a short walk for campers to come for breakfast and meetings! We can't wait to see youth hiking through the woods and children playing with sticks running learning about what a wonderful created them in HIS image!
And how JESUS loves them! What a wonderful story!

What a great place to hear the Gospel for the very first time, Camp Taller del Maestro! Thank you for your prayers!
If you'd like to make a donation towards building these cabins you can give at www.globaloutreach.org! Thank you for visiting us! May the LORD richly bless you today and always!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Puppies!

We had 5 new puppies in March and what a joy to James!
He has enjoyed playing with them, and now he found homes for all of them except for Mdnight the black one he is keeping him! Midnight is a cute dog and already learning commands at 7 weeks old! They say dog is mans best friend, I believe it, Midnight and James are buddies! Thank you for your prayers for our ministry, we are working hard at getting this camp center prepared for campers! We hope to open to the public in July next year LORD willing!
We know GOD has called us to build this camp center, thank you for coming along wih us and giving and praying for us as we work and also thank you for coming! What a blessing to have so many people GOD has called surrounding us as we walk by faith! Thank you JESUS!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

On mission...

These rooms are where teams stay when they come to work here at Taller Del Maestro Costa Rica! We are excited about how GOD is moving here in Costa Rica! We started a bible study with our church in January and it has been growing! The people in the community are seeing the difference in the lives of the ones who have given their life to JESUS! He accepts us as we are where we are without reservation! JESUS just wants us 100%
He then starts to show us areas little by little that need changing! One by one those old habits are replaced with new ones that build us up and help us to live for JESUS daily. We are thankful for teams who have come and far each of you who have supported the work we do here in Costa Rica!
Thank you!
We look forward to see how GOD will change the lives of the people around us and use the camp center as a springboard to send out messengers into Costa Rican neighborhoods, the farthest out in the bush. Then on to the neighboring countries of Nicaragua and Panama, and to the ends of the earth, convinced of the love of JESUS, the gospel burning in their hearts and spilling into each life discipling and showing the love of JESUS to each person.

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Traditions!

This is James, Stephanie, Rachel, Giselle, and Merlin coloring eggs.

One of the things I remember doing with Mom and my brothers and sisters is coloring eggs! Mom would always buy a pkg of egg dye and we'd get out the coffee cups and vinegar to color eggs! While I was in the MS I purchased several egg dye kits, they aren't sold in Costa Rica to my knowledge. So Sunday afternoon Giselle and Merlin came and we introduced our tradition to them! What fun! Even adults can have fun in the smallest ways, OK coloring eggs is a little juvenile but we had a blast!
They turned out beautiful too!
Sometimes the smallest things are the most fun there was very little cost involved, and we were able to spend time together laughing and enjoying each others company!
James said he didn't remember ever coloring Easter eggs so this was good for James!
JESUS while he was here on earth took part in lots of different activities and traditions that the Jewish people passed down through the generations. I am sure JESUS enjoyed spending time laughing and celebrating these family traditions.
We shouldn't get too stuck on our traditions, and it should never get in the way of serving GOD.

While in the temple one day JESUS saw the traditional booths where the people were able to buy and sell the animals and spices and oils they needed for their offering. This was at first probably an innocent tradition, for convenience, the Jewish people didn't have to go anywhere else to buy the things they needed to sacrifice to GOD.
They had a full package deal, come to the temple, buy your doves and sacrifice.
Seems logical and better.

BUT, the reason JESUS got upset, wasn't because it was causing a stink!
JESUS got upset because he saw the vendors taking advantage of the poor, buying and selling in the temple.GODS HOUSE should be a house of PRAYER, not trying to get the best deal on doves! This is a reminder to us that these traditions we celebrate although they are fun we must never forget the real reason for Easter. Our Savior JESUS CHRIST came to earth, and gave HIS precious blood so we could be forgiven of our sins and JESUS gave us eternal life, just by believing by faith that JESUS is the SON OF GOD, and receiving JESUS in our heart. Believe in JESUS today! Then let's keep this tradition in our family, share JESUS with your family and friends, so they can keep this tradition too!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Just over the Horizon...

as we praised the LORD for this beautiful sunset, we know that GOD is with us!
And as I encouraged a young woman Vanessa, at our bible study last night as she cried because of things happening in her family rejection and hopelessness taking over, wanting to take her under. I just hugged her not able to tell her everything was going to be okay, it may not, but the one thing I was encouraged to tell her is that JESUS will be with her no matter what!

We sometimes can't be sure what our future here in earth will hold, but we can be sure of one thing, JESUS knows, and HE is with us each step of the way,
and nothing gets to us that hasn't passed through JESUS first!
Be encouraged today know that JESUS is right beside you every hour of every day and nothing can change that! Not even our own selfish will can take HIS wonderful love for you and me!

When we take that step into eternity, we can be sure JESUS will be there as we step through that darkness of death into eternal life, JESUS will meet us right there on the other side. We will dance with JESUS and our loved ones, we will be known, we will celebrate JESUS forever and ever. No pain no suffering just eternal praise because HE is worthy, JESUS is worthy! As you celebrate Easter week with your family take a moment to remember the sacrifice of JESUS, HIS blood that he freely shed until it was all gone, to wash away our darkest sins.
JESUS gave all; how can we give less!
 

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James