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