A friend whose husband died from cancer just a year ago now posted recently: "If I could turn back time .... But I can't, so I press on."

With hearts still heavy with the loss of our dear daughter Colleen from life with us here on this earth, we do work toward returning to moving forward. Each one of us--Kevin, Tia, Sean, Christina, Katy, Darrin, Tara, Tanner, and even Galen and Tali--all walk this journey in ways just a little different from one another. And so many of Cole's close friends experience the same trauma and loss. Yet all of us find our hope and consolation in the promises of the Lord God; as Colleen had written on the title page of her Bible, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 15:57.

So back to work, ministry, and routine we go, taking both sadness and hope along, and looking toward reaching out and giving of ourselves to those with whom and for whom we work and serve.

Here in Costa Rica, ministry continues at the Instituto de Lengua Española (The Spanish Language Institute). Kevin works with a great team of Costa Ricans and North Americans to maintain the training of missionaries for ministry in Spanish-speaking America. And toward ministries in 2018, they are planning

....the development of a mission training center (that trains in more than just language and culture.

....module classes in Bible training for pastors in the greater San Jose area.

....courses in English-as-a-Second-Language for Costa Ricans as a means for Costa Ricans to be able to minister in more places around the world--some to which North Americans are not welcome.

On the Institute campus, at Sojourn Academy, Tia has been involved with teaching English classes. Her students include both missionary kids (mks) and community kids. While this is a Christian school, with children of missionaries, it is a strong evangelical outreach to the community kids and their parents. Pray that Tia has the right words and the right personal contacts to minister not just to the mind, but also to the heart.

One of the goals of the Sojourn director is to take students on a missions trip this school year. So just as Tia has helped her school in Ohio with trips to Costa Rica, now she helps plan with director Courtenay to share the heart of missions in a deep, practical way.

​With the work toward Malachi Dads (Awana prison ministry), Kevin has been planning with a pastor and his ministry who already have some inroads to the prison. Currently working on relationships with those contacts, we look toward integrating materials and training in 2018. Please pray toward that end.

We have been enjoying participating in church where we ministered when we lived here before. We have enjoyed mother's day activities (August), a Sunday School Open House, and this weekend, the 17th year anniversary of the church. Kevin spends time with Pastor Max in both friendship and in planning.

Please keep us in your prayers in all ways . . .