Women Connect: Surrendered Hearts — Karen Franck

Ponder

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. —Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭(English Standard Version)

One of my favorite passages. So simple, yet often…so hard.

When life crashes in around us. Or when things seem to be going along rather smoothly. When the current news cycle brings you angst. Or you celebrate what you're hearing. No matter…we must put our trust in HIM. Acknowledge HIM. And know that HE desires to guide us (despite our surroundings). To make our paths straight. With surrendered hearts - so much peace comes from knowing HE'S TRUSTWORTHY.

I can't wait for you to meet Karen. Speaking of trusting God…

Meet

Nearly a half a century ago, Karen met Bob where they both worked, at Litehouse Foods in Idaho. Karen set up and maintained the quality control system. Bob was the fix-it and general maintenance guy. Together they worked to keep the plant in compliance with FDA regulations. Within a year of meeting, they were married!

Their lives were full…normal, but extremely busy over the next eighteen years. Litehouse grew fast and successful beyond everyone's expectations.

Close to thirty years ago, Bob + Karen Franck discovered a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They never looked back. With their newfound love and desire to follow Jesus, His precious Holy Spirit placed within both of them an insatiable appetite for God's Word. They found a home church and grew in their walk with Jesus.

They both nurtured a deep desire to serve Jesus with their unique gifts but were unsure of where to apply them. A visiting missionary shared with their church about the wide open field of volunteering for work projects at schools, churches and other places of ministry across the nation.

The volunteers would provide their own housing and food, and the project place provided a parking site with RV hookups. (The Francks had a motorhome.) Projects included small-to-medium-size churches with building code compliance issues, new church builds, and remodeling. Other projects included Christian camps, schools/colleges, Teen Challenge facilities, and similar places.

Approved sites were generally too small to afford materials and labor…so the volunteers essentially provided free labor. Knowing ministries would save millions of dollars plus souls would be brought to Christ…well, it was a WIN-WIN for Bob + Karen. What better way to serve Him than using their skill sets for His glory?! They were beyond excited to embark on this new adventure.

But, of course, those pesky issues of current employment and steady income were going to be obstacles! 😳

Bob prayed for God to help him fulfill this fresh dream. He felt he was to share his newly discovered passion with Litehouse Foods' owners, Doug and Edward Hawkins. After sharing his volunteering dream, Edward asked Bob what he needed from them. Bob's answer was 'a paycheck'!

Their response blew him away. Doug and Edward responded with 'YES!' The caveat was that Bob would need to put in three months each year working for Litehouse. Then, when he reached retirement age and collected Social Security, his paycheck and benefits would continue without working for them...as long as they remained in the ministry. God provides in amazing ways! (Makes me want to stock my refrigerator with Litehouse dressing! :)

Let's get an inside peek from Karen. What did their 'all-in' volunteering commitment look like?

"It's obvious if you have any construction skills, all of them were needed. Many women helped with sanding, sheetrock, nailing and texturing. Painting is done by everyone too, but I was one to actually paint murals on classroom walls for kids and adults. Also, many women skilled in sewing made new curtains, table runners and tablecloths. Grounds work was possible around established churches and camps...anything from mowing to weeding to get ready for camp season. I've done it all...including cooking for a crowd of volunteers!

"And if your situation lends to lighter work, pushing a broom and cleaning up after the construction day was always happening. Sometimes we were even asked to give our testimony in a church service, or speak our hearts on a Sunday evening. One time a new person came in and listened… she gave her heart to Jesus that very evening. You never know what God will do!

"Bob and I worked on many church projects during our twenty years in MAPS (Mission America Placement Services...now Church Mobilization).

"We have traveled across our nation to projects that few people wanted to work because of location and/or amenities. We worked on them because God wanted us there. And when possible we stayed til the work was completed. The church folks needed their building!

"We averaged two to three work sites a year. I figure we did 32 churches, four Bible camps, four Teen Challenges and a couple colleges. Some of these two or three times. We travelled from the Northwest to the West Coast to the MidWest and Deep South. Never got to the East Coast/New England because we had to return each summer to Litehouse in Sandpoint, Idaho, fulfilling our work agreement.

"Over the years we developed many friendships. Some are still going strong. We found that many pastors are stretched to extremes. Adding a building project and related fundraising were daunting, and any support we could give them was greatly appreciated. Even simply sharing a meal in our RV together was cherished. And we became safe people outside the church body with whom they could share their concerns, without judgment.

"These were special occasions for us, and we received great blessings from God by simply sharing lives. No pastor should be on an island to themselves. Volunteering is the gift we give back to God that He uses to shower blessings on His weary, frontline soldiers...pastors, elders and church members alike. God told us, 'My people need you too. Not just the unsaved.' What joy seeing a newly lit fire in their souls to continue on in God's work."

Bob lost his leg to cancer sarcoma when he was 24 years old. There was a one-percent survival rate, but God had a plan for his life, and he never let it slow him down. God called him to this serving ministry when he was 55 years old.

Karen continues, "No matter what your volunteering venue, you are saying 'yes, God…send me'. And if you're serious in your heart, He will send you to where you can be most effective, already giving you what you need to do the job. Just listen to the quiet voice of His Spirit.

"Volunteering doesn't mean you will have an easy time. Over our twenty years on the road together, we saw many actual miracles happen. Many times a total stranger would suddenly show up with a check for the exact amount needed to buy the materials to keep going. They would say God told them to give, and the individuals weren't necessarily even Christians! Then they'd go on their way.

"Other times we'd break down in the worst of situations, and God would show Bob what to do. A short time later we were back on the road. When you serve God with a smile, He smiles on you. When the time came for us to retire from this traveling ministry, God provided the funds for us to build a log home on our own land. Our bodies may be broken with age, but we still serve our small community as best we can. Doing a little does just as much good for God as doing a lot. The key word is doing what God puts before you."

Thankful

for people with servant hearts like Bob + Karen. Wes + I consider their friendship such a joy. These two are the real deal! We love them dearly.

And thankful for the plethora of places where people can volunteer. This is our relatively small list, but might be helpful if you're exploring places to serve.

I am also so thankful for the first webinar YES! did last week. I was not involved so I can unabashedly say…great job to all the presenters + moderator. There was a wealth of information offered in engaging younger leaders in older adult ministry. If you haven't already watched/listened, I think you'd appreciate it. (It's one hour, 3 min + 36 sec 🙂.)

Heart

Don't be shy. Hopefully, there is someone you know who could use a copy of God's Word. We would love to send a Bible to you…to give to them. A gift from you. Please let us know if we can help you in sharing God's precious message of love.

judy popineau wick