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!
------------------------------------------------------------------
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