Merry Christmas!

Good Morning to you!
This is a bright sunny morning here in Costa Rica!
My desk is this tiny table on wheels that sits right inside our double front doors. Wash is on the line and the birds are singing at the top of their lungs!
The view is breath taking! I hope to never ever take for granted I have eyes to see and ears to hear the sounds around me, and a nose to smell the flowering trees and lazy smoke rising from the brush piles the guys are burning as they clear land of tall grass and brush!
If we stop to count our blessings it is hard to be down on where GOD has us right now! GOD is so good, He is always there for us, always surprising us with things we wouldn't have chosen but He chooses because He knows what's best!


Pray you also will take a closer look at your surroundings, and even though it doesn't look like there is an out and you didn't think this is what life should be; count your blessings, little to big, there are a lot of them!


We had a team of 22 here with us from Fredonia Baptist Church in November. They came with the vision to build Cabin JOY and do a children's camp here at the camp & training center. GOD worked in the whole week, it rained every day while they were here but GOD used every minute and they were successful in their work GOD had called them to do! Cabin Joy has walls and a roof, there were 60+ children, parents and teachers who came for Saturday Camp day wonderful time of JOY and fun as the kids heard the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST, and enjoyed running and playing here at the camp center!
They finished off their Camp with a last lesson about how JESUS raised from the dead, we prayed with the kids for Salvation, and they signed their names on a wooden cross made by the team. Sunday morning in Sunday School the team had crafts and snacks for all the kids!
Franklin and I continued the work on Cabin JOY as we said goodbye to the Fredonia team. We finished the roof, and framing the bathroom walls etc Now Cabin JOY is ready for electric, wallboard, ceiling, and siding!


Mary came down to spend a few weeks with us! We are enjoying being together as a family and sending time with our church family, having Mary play piano and hearing how GOD has helped her develop her musical skills more to play for the LORD is a JOY!


James has taken off from classes to have time to spend with Mary! They had 2 youth parties this past weekend at our church Arbol de Vida, and today they have friends coming over to spend the night with them!


This past week we had Bill and Brenda Lemus here with us from FLA. they came with the vision of possibly starting a Bible College here in our church, Life Christian University! We are very exited about this! They met with our Pastor Olger and Guisel his wife and the leaders of our church to share the vision and pray together how GOD will lead us to work together to form and disciple GODS people!


Pray with us that GOD will provide and lead in this vision alongside Taller del Maestro Global Outreach Camp & Training Center, and Arbol de Vida church here in Costa Rica!
Thank you for your support and prayers for us as we minster here in Costa Rica in JESUS NAME!
JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Rainy Season 2014

Good Morning from Costa Rica!
Ok so the heading says it all! We are in the middle of a very rainy season all across Costa Rica right now! The sun is usually out bright for a few hours or maybe even just an hour in the mornings then clouds and rain the rest of the day!
Yesterday started out nice and bright sun shiny! We are working on Cabin JOY by the way this cabin has the right name! It has been difficult to keep our JOY throughout this past 2 months! We actually were able to work on dry ground the first part of September and got the foundation poured for JOY!
We had rented the cement mixer for a month, now it will soon be 2 months and the floor isn't poured yet!
So yesterday morning the 2 guys who help us Jon and Luis and Franklin and I worked on installing drain tile around Cabin JOY and filling it all in. The mound of dirt in the middle needed spreading out so it is now packed down inside the footer and soggy soggy soggy!


As we worked we needed rock to fill in the drainage ditch. So we gathered rocks from around the construction on the closet hillsides, filling the back hoe bucket and dumping them in the sides of JOY!
As we worked I picked up a rock with a tiny snake under it! So we smashed it and kept going! We were moving some wood and a scorpion is on the side of a piece of wood I picked up! GOD is good and has kept us safe! Every time we have been in danger GODS hand just moves us right out of the way! GODS the best Father ever, HE really cares for us and keeps u safe every minute of every day! Exciting, never a dull moment!
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Okay, so that was only half our day!
At noon we came in ate a chicken salad sandwich and headed out to San Jose to pick up wood that had just arrived the past 2 days. We had to go over to Bethlehem, close to the airport. This is about an hour trip, took 2 hours because of traffic!
So we load the majority of the wood 2x8s, 2x10s and other sizes of wood for JOY! We get to the top of the Quitirrisi mountain and car side swipes our trailer! It is raining and dark, so we kept going, looked like he was fine!
As we crossed the mountain just getting ready to come down the other side we heard a noise, and pulled off, sure enough the idler pulley had come off, and the timing belt was off! Not going anywhere!
It has almost stopped raining thankfully by then, and we are in a spot that had plenty of room to pull the trailer and truck off safely! For those of you who have been here to Costa Rica know this is a miracle!
So we called the tow truck, we had just passed him as we were coming this way he was on his way to San Jose! So he had another truck coming in, they both reloaded, the first truck took our truck and hooked the trailer to the tow truck, and the other tow truck took the other cars! It is pitch dark, cars whizzing by and drizzling rain! Yes it was an experience!
Our pastor Olger and Guiselle his wife and 2 youth from our church Ricardo and Carlos came to see if they could help reload, thinking we'd have to unload into his truck! It is hard to find anyone who has a hitch and a vehicle big enough to hook to the trailer and pull it!


Thankfully the tow truck did have a hitch, and an hour after we broke down, loaded to the gills with wood both on the truck and trailer, Franklin was on his way in the tow truck, and I rode with our pastor. The Tow truck man kept the truck on the tow truck and the trailer at his house! Another miracle, no one has that much room at their home! He carried the truck to the mechanic this morning!
We had a taxi bring us home, well almost home!
We get down to the new road entrance and there is a small mudslide, so the taxi has a machete and they cut limbs enough for us to pass through! We get just inside the gate; another mudslide! This on had huge boulders, so there was no moving it! So we walked to last 1/4 mile to the house!
We were thankful to be home safely and GOD had provided marvelously all along the way! What a mighty GOD we serve!
Pray for Franklin today as he looks for the parts in San Jose and fixes the truck, to be able to bring our supplies home and get ready to build JOY!


JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Sisters

I had been talking to my sisters Emma & Kenosha since May about coming to visit Costa Rica! They had set September tentatively to come. Then as life happens and time got closer they both thought it seemed impossible! Emma had points on a credit card that would work for purchasing their tickets.
Then all of a sudden as time got really close they both decided to go ahead and make their plans and they came September 10-18!
James Birthday was September 12; Kenosha came prepared to celebrate with cake, frosting and candles for the BIG 16!
In our family the tradition is the birthday boy or girl gets put under the table, and then everyone sings Happy Birthday! So the morning of September 12 came, James got up and of course, right under the table he went! Funny thing is they could hardly handle him so they took the plastic card table and set it over him! They had also brought zebra cakes which is one of his favorite snacks he loves and misses from the US!
My sisters were able to take in the fruit and market day in Puriscal, that was fun, seeing all the local vendors talking you into buying their wares! They tried peyibyes the fruit that grows on the trees here in our yard and they also tried eating mamones they look like little red or yellow porcupine fruits! They are like a large concord grape inside.
They had their first empanada, mmmmm!
Then Monday September 15 was Costa Rican independence day! We were traveling that day to see the volcano so we stopped by to walk through the parade, Ox carts, school children, marching bands, semis and fire-trucks made up a several block line marching right through the middle of town!  Exciting times!
When we got to La fortuna the mountain that has the active volcano, Arenal, was completely clear! They got tons of pictures, enjoying the majestic views of the mountain! They took in the Hot springs and enjoyed sister time talking and laughing till our sides hurt! They loved the rice and beans and different dishes they had never seen before!
By evening almost dark the volcano went into the thick clouds, and for the net 12 hours we were there was invisible again! We were just really thankful GOD had given us the grand opportunity to see the volcano and enjoy the beauty of HIS creation!
As we arrived back home James was calling rent! We played numerous games of monopoly and enjoyed the family time together!
The last day my sisters were here they helped unload and plane wood to be made into church benches soon! We were thankful for their help, saved Franklin several hours of work getting the wood ready for building benches!
Thank you again for your prayers and support as we minister here in Costa Rica in the Name of JESUS!
JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Visionaries; Youth missionaries!

Good Morning from Costa Rica!

We are back home after 10 wonderful days in Haiti! We were with David and Judy Heady, they have been our mentors and friends for 20 years almost and we were so glad to have the opportunity to go minister alongside of them!

Franklin went to Haiti in 2000 and GOD confirmed our call into foreign missions on that mission trip!

You see when we were called into foreign missions in our church Glennville Baptist in 1997, and we tried every avenue to go into foreign missions, but until a friend Danny Richeson introduced Franklin to a taste of real missions in Haiti GOD allowed us to finally answer that call through Global Outreach!

Many of you all have been with us through thick and thin in our ministry and we thank you very much for that! GOD is good and HE has called each of us to GO! into all the world, whether we PRAY,GIVE, or GO in person, GOD needs each of us!  

David and Judy have a wonderful ministry there in Haiti!! They have a school where they teach Kindergarten to several rooms of kids I think in all the sponsorship program there are 300+ kids! This sponsorship program was born from that mission trip Franklin and that group took in 2000. Becky Ivy has raised money since that time for the children to be able to go to school a privilege in Haiti! We take school for granted, not everyone "gets" to go to school!

We were able to go paint one day Jiude one of the Haitian workers & Judy & I painted the kitchen and James and Franklin painted the office, and Mary and 2 other girls who were there on mission painted chalk boards.

Then a team of 6 people came in from Louisville, they did a Music/Bible school for 82 children ages 2-21 at El Bethel Orphanage so Mary and I helped every day on that 6 hours per day. James went one day and Franklin went the last day as we finished up. Mary got to put some of her skills to use teaching the kids to play the recorder-flute. Was wonderful I have video I will try to upload soon.

Wednesday James and Franklin went with the well drilling crew up on the mountain. As the Haitian people gathered around to see if GOD would bless them with water, James got to help set up the rig, clean and glue the pipes, and run to drill rig, the little time James was running the rig, they hit water!

This was such a prayer answered! The rig they drill with now they set up and drill a well in one day where it used to take weeks to get anything done!

So this said I think James is hooked! He is already talking about his mission trip next year! Exciting stuff!

It has been one of the highlights of Franklins and my life to see our kids excited about missions, even tho they grew up here on the mission field they have now had a new mission experience and they are looking beyond now to a bright future, serving JESUS wherever HE leads!

We stayed in a team house David and Judy have, it has 2 apartments upstairs with enough room to sleep 4-6 each room with a bathroom each. Then downstairs they have 4 team rooms with 6 people in each with a bathroom in each one. There's a kitchen set up in the middle, with a screen porch all along the front where we shared our meals! They even have Wifi now there in the team house to help teams stay connected to home while they minister in the name of JESUS!! Thanks to our friends from Owensboro, Henry and Lorell Crabtree they also have hot-cold water in the showers! So it is a wonderful place to stay while you minister in the Name of JESUS! It was 102-110 degrees every day in the 90s at nights! There's fans but you feel like you never cool off, I never even used a top sheet much less blanket!

They have their house and 4 other staff families living there right now. It was wonderful meeting fellow missionaries to encourage each other mutually! As it is with every team we host here in Costa Rica, we received by far more than we could ever give!

WOW! GOD is good! Our children were able to interact and share time with the other youth missionaries! Especially James and Braxton Todd! They are about 6 months different in age and loved spending time together they speak the same kid language, being both youth missionaries! 

Children of missionaries hear the call of GOD to ministry through their parents call from GOD! So they are as much missionaries as we are, not just MKs as they get labeled a lot, mission kids!

I believe they need new terminology, youth missionaries!

While we were there in Haiti we also took a trip into Port au Prince the capital! It was a great day we went to small souvenir places where they fabricate metal souvenirs, they burn and cut 50 gallon barrels, they with a sharp pick/chisel and hammer they make beautiful artwork! Just amazing!

We got home around 10pm last night we got the airport at 7pm but had to get our luggage, have a taxi take us to the hotel where we were able to leave our van, then stopped to get groceries, then on home! Miguel had stayed here while we were gone, so he came up to visit a little last night! We are thankful for Miguel and Bitinia, they have been awesome support to us here in Costa Rica as we minister in the Name of JESUS!

Now Franklin took Miguel and James to the bus, Miguel is going home and James is going to Tabarcia to see his friends! He hasn't seen them in 2 weeks now! He's happy to be back home! We start school Monday LORD willing!

Thank you for your prayers for us! Today we will be starting to level the spot for Cabin JOY! Thank you to each of you who have given to this Cabin JOY project! every gift no matter the size is a blessing and GOD multiplies!

 If you'd still like to give you can send your donation to Global Outreach marked for Franklin Turner Costa Rica for Cabin JOY. The address is Global Outreach P.O. Box 1 Tupelo, MS 38802. You can also give on line donations at www.globaloutreach.org find our name in the list of missionaries and click the donate button!

Thank you in advance for all your love, prayers and support as we minister to the people of Costa Rica! Missionaries will be prepared from among the people of Costa Rica to GO into all the world to Preach & Baptize in the Name of JESUS CHRIST!  Thank you for being a part of this call!

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Turners on Mission to Haiti!

Good Morning from Haiti!
Just a short note while we wait on our flight out of Port Au Prince Haiti this morning! Our family came on a mission trip to Haiti for 10 days.
This started back in March with James having a desire to go on a mission trip!
After checking into some options of where James could go on mission, and him being only 15 we weren't comfortable sending him with another mission.
So we started looing into the possibility of coming to Haiti.
This is where Franklin came in January 2000 and our mission call was confirmed! So 13 years later we were able to come visit as a family!
We were able to be involved in several things going on here at the Global Outreach Campus in Haiti.
A team from Louisville KY was here doing a Bible/Music school so we helped out.
Mary was able to put her skills to work that she has been learning at Blue Mountain College! She taught a class of teens who are just learning to use recorders!


James was able to help out with painting, and on Wednesday he and Franklin went with the well drilling crew up the mountain! they set up and started drilling with crowds of people around waiting to see if they would be blessed with water for their villiage!
James was able to work the drilling rig and as he worked it they hit water!
What a blessing for James this was a prayer answered as he came on this mission trip!
We count it a privilege to work alongside David and Judy Heady as they continue to serve here in Haiti where they started ministry over 30 years ago!


Thank you for your prayers for our ministry as we continue to serve our LORD JESUS in Costa Rica!
JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Summer ministry!

Good Afternoon!
Hope and JOY to each of you who read this!
I guess it rained somewhere as we had a beautiful bright rainbow visible for quite a little while from here at the house!
We have had gorgeous weather here the past few days dry and sunny! This is unusual for Puriscal as this is about middle way through the rainy season and usually rains every afternoon! I am hoping it holds out for the She SEEKS JESUS womens conference coming up in 2 weeks here at the camp & training center!


There are 13 ladies coming from 4 different states to participate and 4 countries will be represented! WOW! GOD is good!


James finished his homeschool 8th grade program in June and we have ordered the materials for him to start 9th grade. He was worried when he heard we were ordering his books, he's not ready to go back to school yet! I haven't told him but I set his date for beginning on Sept1 so he still has almost 2 months of free time! He spent the day with his best friend Ellioth today. He and Ellioth have been friends since we arrived here in Costa Rica! Praise the LORD for friends!


We had 3 teams since I last blogged, seems like it is easy to push writing back to last with so much to do!
First week in June we had a team of 15 doctors and students here with us from Fellowship of Christian Optometrists from UAB. they served in 3 different communities and gave out eye glasses to many people who read their Bible for the very first time, what a blessing! We take our sight for granted for sure! They also had sun glasses to give out and the kids especially all loved wearing their new shades!


We had a team of 13 youth and leaders come from East Heights Baptist church. They held a youth retreat, they shared the retreat with 14 youth from our church Arbol de Vida! What a blessing! Many of these youth had never been to a camp before and was a great experience. They were here 2 days, one night over night. Some of the youth had never been away from home for a night! They built a campfire and roasted marshmallows, played on a home made slip and slide and studied the WORD OF GOD together! Even though they didn't speak the same language they loved each other and shared a wonderful weekend!


Last week we had a youth team come do Bible school in 3 different communities. They were in Pozos for 2 days, Saripiqui 2 days and finished out at our church Sunday Morning, they did crafts and balloon figures and face painting at our church Arbol de Vida! The children loved their time together and asked when they'd be back! The Spanish/English barrier comes down when Christ is presented and the love of JESUS opens doors to share together! This group was able to take the LORDS SUPPER together with our church and was just a wonderful time of praising GOD together in all languages!


If you would like to come on a mission trip you can email us at turnerefmj@gmail.com or contact Ms Carolyn Roye our teams coordinator at Global Outreach at 662-842-4615.


Thank you for your prayers for our ministry! Looking forward to great things GOD will do in these next few months as we continue to serve JESUS, sharing HIS love here in Costa Rica!


JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Did you know...

Good afternoon!
This has been a whirlwind time for us! Seems like when we think we have this mission thing figured out GOD throws a curve ball to see if we're awake!
We have served in our church since arriving here in Costa Rica in July 2004. We love our Pastor Olger and his wife Guiselle. They have seen us at our worst and still believe in us and help us out of every jam! GOD has really put them in our lives and we are so thankful for them! We have been able to grow spiritually with the help of our church.


When we shared the vision of the Camp & Training Center with our pastor and the church I think they must have thought we'd lost our mind! But now seeing GOD working in us and the Camp & Training Center appearing out of the Hand of GOD it has helped their faith and ours!


Now this past week GOD gave us another challenge!
We are blessed to still work alongside our church and this week we have started a new ministry with the youth group! We will meet with them on Friday nights for youth night at our church! We work with them for 3 hours from 5-8pm. We had 12 kids ages 11-20 this past week! We had a great time with them we took Ms Roses Popcorn popper and had juice and popcorn! We played board games and sat and chatted them. We had a short Bible study on the Romans Road, and when it was time to go home they weren't ready!


Please pray for this ministry as we work with the people GOD gives us and share the love of JESUS here in Costa Rica!
JESUS will be back soon to bring us home with HIM to Heaven lets prepare and share with those around us so they can also go with us to our Home Sweet Home in Heaven together!
JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

What do you celebrate?

Good afternoon from Costa Rica!
This has been a great week so far, we have had visitors off and on all week! Monday Afternoon Vilma and her son Carlos and his friend Christian came to spend the night. We have been friends with Vilma and her husband for sometime now and she is one of the leaders in our church.  Her husband Eleizer still hasn't made that commitment to GOD, we are praying for his salvation! pray with us for this family!


Vilma started coming to our church with her son to Bible School then to Sunday School. She asked JESUS in her heart and was baptized 4 years ago. She has been faithful to GOD and the church and is wanting to learn more about the Bible! That was one of the first things she said when she came, "I want to read the Bible together while I am there at your house!"


So while the boys played Legos here on the porch, Franklin Vilma and I read Romans 8 together and it answered some questions she had about predestination. We are predestined be children of GOD and to worship GOD, and HE has made room for all of us in Heaven, it is our choice whether or not we follow JESUS and go to Heaven. GOD has done everything HE can, and HE won't force us to choose HIM, GOD has given us a free will.
So this weekend as we celebrate our risen Saviour JESUS CHRIST, let's remember it isn't about you & me; it's about HIM! JESUS gave HIS life on the cross for our sins so we can be clean and come before our great and TRUE GOD, clean and ready to receive our inheritance along with our big brother JESUS! What a privilege to be a part of the family of GOD!
JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

International church!

Our pastor has said on many occasions that he doesn't have a problem with English, he doesn't understand a word! :)
Yesterday we were more international than usual! There were people from Nicaragua, the US, and Venezuela praising the LORD together at Arbol de Vida church in Tabarcia!!
What a wonderful GOD we serve, knowing HE leads us even when we don't recognize that HE is in control!
Our pastor Olger started pastoring here at Arbol de Vida about 13 years ago. When he came on at our church it was made up of about 20 members, many very hurt and hardened by things that had happened in past years.


So he came on, took the church and started to work for the first year and a half without salary as the offerings were almost non existent. Olger also started praying for help, GOD to send him someone who could work alongside him and Guiselle his wife and be a help to the church. 3 years later we came tot he church for the first time. GOD sent our pastor someone who at the time couldn't understand half of what he said! But through the years Franklin and our Pastor have had a wonderful working relationship, working together, praising he LORD together and standing firm when needed!


So yesterday was no exception!
We got a call from Olger Saturday morning about a lady from Venezuela, Patricia and her daughter Tiffany. They are refugees here from the atrocities their own country is suffering right now. Patricia's boss in December left to go back to Venezuela, leaving her without a job, she was administrator for his business! So they were used to a high end house, all the commodities of life.
Thursday the lady she was renting from, locked her out and wouldn't even let her in to get their clothes, because she owes them 2 months rent!
So she went to the authorities and they made the lady give Patricia her things, but she doesn't have all of their things, some important papers etc. that she had in her apartment, Tiffany's only toys she brought with her in their escape to Costa Rica, and personal items!
So she was brought to our church Friday, and asking for help!
Our pastor and his wife met with them and prayed for them, and Patricia has accepted JESUS as her Savior! Praise the LORD!


Yesterday afternoon our team of leaders from church met to see what we could do. Vilma and I went and looked at apartments with her, the first one we looked at was a dingy place, and as Patricia looked in the bathroom, she burst out in tears! As we left there she said; "animals shouldn't even live in those conditions, and he has renters paying him for that!"
By this time it was 2pm and it was getting ready to rain!
We went to look at another place farther up the mountain, but it was unfurnished and dirty, would need some work, and she needs to move in today! And as we were arriving there to look it started raining and the apartment is on the second floor. The steps going up to the apartment are now a rushing river! No this one won't work either!


Thankfully the very next place we looked at was a wonderful little apartment that a friend of ours has, we will rent it for her for a month or 2 till she gets a job and gets on her feet! It is furnished and even has a fridge and washer!
We helped pay the rent and Vilma gave her groceries, and the church helped give her pillows, towels and things for the kitchen!


Pray for Tiffany she is going back to High School to class this morning, and her biggest fear is changing high schools, because when they came here from Venezuela, she was in 5th grade and although they speak Spanish they pronounce words differently, and she suffered at the hands of the kids. So she is worried that she'll have to change schools and go through that again! They are coming up on Easter week so they will have off most of that week and this week they only have class 3 days, so that will help her a lot to get acclimated!


Thank you for your support and prayers, because of your support we are able to help out Patricia and Tiffany and be there in their lowest times, standing with them in prayer and also giving of what you have given us paying the rent and helping while they are getting settled in!




JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Injustice?

Yesterday James finished his school work around 11 and we helped Franklin in the shop getting doors ready to hang in Cabin Hope. Our hopes are high and it's like we are sitting right on the edge of a great divide, ready for GOD to lay that bridge down so we can open Camp Taller del Maestro for the campers to come running to JESUS!
So at 12:30 James and I left to go to his dentist appointment. He has had braces now for 6 months and the dentist told us he is doing great, his teeth have been moving and they are all in a nice straight line already! "Needs a little more brushing though", he told James!
Then we traveled on to Tabarcia for James drum lessons. He is doing well on drums and they hope to have the presentation soon at a church service!
So while James was at drum lessons I went to our hair dresser to get a haircut. She and I were the only ones in the shop and we talk about a variety of things from our kids to people in general. She told me of an experience that she still was almost in tears over a day or so before. A couple came in to the shop to have their 2 sons hair cut, the boys were around 8 & 13 or so. The boys were not happy about hair cuts and the parents threatening, and the hair dresser in the middle! The oldest went first and he had no say in how his hair was to be cut, so then it was the younger ones turn. He looks at Marlen and says, I'm not going back to school! She tries to make light of it and says, honey, who's been mean to you at school? He said, no, it's nothing at school, I hate the way she wants my hair cut!


The parents by this time are mad and the tension in the room is unbearable, when the dad gets up and jerks the boy by the ear till she said with tears in her eyes says, "I thought he'd jerk it out!" The boy is crying and she is still trying to finish the haircut so they can go on, and she tells the dad, you know you could do harm to his ear, I know as parents we must correct our children but with care, so the dad comes back with, "I will jerk the other ear to match it", more directed to the boy than to Marlen. She said, "I was never so glad when someone left the shop as when they walked out", then went in the other room and cried!" thankfully no one else just her daughter was there at the time, so she was able to recuperate before she had to cut someone else's hair.


I didn't ask if they were Christians, you see as we visit I share Christ with Marlen, as of yet she hasn't confessed JESUS as her Saviour, but the sad thing is many if these things she sees is from parents who go to church, profess Christianity, but leave a different impression on those "In the world around them" What testimony do we have to show JESUS to those around us?


As I thought about this conversation this morning, I asked GOD, why? Why so much injustice, why do you let children suffer, it's not their fault, it's not that they are bad!
BUT, GODS grace and love is sufficient! Let us be peacemakers, loving each other and those less fortunate, teachers who guide out of a heart of love, helping these who are doing wrong, as well as those who wrong has been done to, helping, healing, the LORD showed me my words should be like a healing balm, medicine for the hurting. So today as we go out, if we see injustice, let's don't just turn and look away, the least we can do is say a prayer for them, and if we can give a word of peace and love! It may change the situation and GOD will be glorified!


JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

with Love from Costa Rica!

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ⁵ for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; ⁷ just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. ⁸ For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ Philippians 1:3-8


Just read this scripture and praying and thinking about each of you who have stood with us, as we minister, thank you! GOD is good all the time!
We have been busy about the work here trying to be diligent, because we know the day will come when we can no longer work!
Yesterday James finished school around noon and went to help Franklin a few hours. then we went to town to pay our taxes and check on the insurance. While we were in the municipality building to pay our taxes, I asked the lady where you sign in if the engineer for road work Mr Jorge Pedalta was in. She said no she didn't think he was but that I should sign in and maybe I could wait for him. So


Franklin and I sign in, and about that time mr Jorge walks in! WOW! GOD is good! So we followed him to his office, and sat down to talk to him and he called his assistant  to also join us. We visited and told him we had left a letter back in December for help on the main road coming from Puriscal down here close to the last houses on Bajo Cerdas road. How was that going did they consider helping us this year, what could be done, would they work on the road? He remembered us coming in before and said yes they want to help. So the assistant got out the calendar and wrote down an appointment for April 8 to meet out here at the point we talked about and see what we can do about it and work together to help fix the road for the good of the whole community.


So GOD set up that appointment, it is hard to get an audience with Mr Pedalta because he has a lot of roads to see about the whole county, and this is a small community! BUT GOD has much grace on us and gave us the appointment right there! PRAY for this! Now our road, interior that we had prayed about, it is open and we are able to use it instead of having to ford that he hill! But this a part farther out that needs attention soon! Pray that they will put this as an urgent need, so we won't lose the road that connects us to Pozos and also to be able to go out to Puriscal.
Thank you for your support and prayers for us as we minister here in Costa Rica! GOD bless you as you minister where GOD has you!
JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Walk in missions

Good Morning!
I have been having trouble with our blog and haven't been able to post pictures! Thank you for keeping us in prayer and for your faithful support of our ministry and daily need here as we minister in Costa Rica!
GOD has been good and much has been happening!
James is doing well in school, he continues his daily lessons in the Abeka program, we are so thankful for his home school!
When we moved to the mission field 14 years ago this wasn't much of a concern because our kids were little and didn't have a need of school. I homeschooled Mary off and on throughout the years we were in Language school then in Belize for 3 years. We were in the states for 9 months in 2003, our oldest son had a very bad accident and my Mother was very sick with cancer and died. So during this time in the states James went to preschool where I worked, then to Kindergarten. Mary was able to go to 4th grade for a few months and got some much needed basics that would help her during the rest of her studies!
Then we moved full time to Costa Rica with the vision to build a camp & Training center. We had lost a lot of the Spanish we'd learned in 2001, and our kids hadn't kept up the Spanish either. So we decided for them to have the language of the people we'd minister to we put them in the public school system. This was a wonderful place for them to spend the next 8 years! Mary & James are both completely bilingual with no accent. Mary was already in 4th grade by this time and it was very hard for her, thankfully GOD provided friends in our church to help her along the way and she is very determined to learn and do well! She graduated in December 2012 from high school, with a fraction of the kids who started out in high school. Many drop out but many got all the way tot he end and didn't pas the last tests to be able to graduate. But Mary did, we praise the LORD for that!
Now Mary has almost finished her first year in college, and is doing well! She was able to take the CLEP test for Spanish and was able to get 12 hours of college Spanish! She is majoring in Spanish education with minor in music, which has been a love of Mary's for her lifetime! She loves art and music, a GOD GIFT for sure!
Now James went to school until 7th grade when he went to high school it just didn't work for him,(they don't have middle school here) so looking for options to continue his studies my sister suggested we look into Abeka. It has been wonderful for James. He misses having friends, but we are thankful he is here at home under our supervision! Many of his friends are now not coming to church and want nothing to do with GOD, therefore causing a rift between them and James. He prays for their salvation and sees what they do and is sad that they don't choose JESUS!
GOD has a plan for each of us and we are thankful for the plan HE has shown us for our family and our children. Thank you for your continued prayers as we seek to serve JESUS and lead our family in GODLY ways, living out what we preach daily! JESUS bless you!


JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Fun weekend!

We are so blessed to serve beside our pastor Ogler and Guiselle his wife! We are always encouraged by their love for each person GOD gives them, even us! They have encouraged us and loved us through thick and thin!
We were able to be at church Saturday Night and Sunday morning for both services! We had not been going on Saturdays and really missed the fellowship! They are our family here and we love time spent at our little church!
This Sunday after church we brought 20 youth and several adult chaperons to have a fun evening here at the camp center! As Rebecca and I finished getting food ready after our arrival here around 2pm, the youth gathered in a circle and prayed together to start their time off! Then off to change into play clothes and they ran and played all afternoon, ate several times! We had nachos for lunch and of course rice & beans! Then they played water fights and other games! Merlin one of the girls who sings in the music group, was running and fell and cut her foot, thank you to teams who have brought bandages etc, we got her bandaged up and she was able to finish her day painting wooden blocks with friends, we save small 2X4s etc from the construction, they painted all types of pictures on the wooden blocks and took them home as a remembrance of their fun afternoon!
They ended the evening eating hotdogs and cake around the campfire and gave testimony of what GOD is doing in their lives! They sang praise songs and then Franklin loaded them all up in the white van and they got back home around 10pm!
The vision for the camp & training center is just that, groups from church all over Costa Rica coming to hold day camps or overnight camps to renew their walk with JESUS, playing and enjoying GODS beautiful creation! Coming away from their regular activities of life to seek our LORD JESUS in prayer and just spending time getting to know GOD and each other!
Thank you for giving to make this vision possible! Thank you for your prayers! As Merlin fell and cried as we fixed her bandages, almost passing out because of the blood, we know that it could have been much worse, and because of your prayers for us and those we love here in Costa Rica she was safe and today she is off to high school! Their return to classes is today! They were all happy to be back in school and looking forward to a prosperous year in the LORD!


JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James

Baptism of NEW believers!

We celebrated a baptism yesterday at our church with 12 new believers being baptized! It is a blessing to see new people come to the saving Knowledge of JESUS CHRIST as their Savior!

Franklin, James and I left the camp center on our way to church Sunday morning when we get a call from Olger our pastor. The pool deflated during the night, half the water flowed all over the sanctuary, and they were running like crazy trying to get the hole patched and water back in the pool in time for church service!
In the picture above Franklin sat during the service holding the patch on and filling the pool with more water and air, trying to keep it inflated till time for the new believers to pass through the water simbolizing their deatht o sin, and ressurection power of JESUS CHRIST!

Success! They were baptized and now ready to walk in newness of life! GOD is good!

 

JESUS BLESS YOU! Franklin Evelyn Mary & James