Monday, April 28, 2014
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
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
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
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
Monday, April 7, 2014
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
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
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