While in Denver last week for Midwinter Conference of the Covenant, Ron and I rented a car so we could go visit friends in the area. One family, the Carlsons, live just about an hour from Denver. All of the 7 children have graduated from Rain Forest International School. We’d hoped to see the 4 who now live together in the family home while their parents continue ministry with Mission Aviation Fellowship in DRCongo.

However, RFIS did such a good job preparing these students for the next steps in life, that 2 of them were not home! No, they are back in Africa with Samaritan’s Purse. One is doing an internship in agronomy and husbandry in Niger, the other is at a new Ebola Treatment Center in DRCongo.

We did get to see the 2 youngest, both working their way through college by doing construction jobs. Ron had taught them both in his construction classes. On this day they were working on a pole barn, in pretty cold temps. I’ll bet climbing trees in Africa helped prepare Caleb for this job almost as much as the construction classes did! And yes, those are bare ankles. At least he has shoes on!

Tim moved the platform from which Caleb was working.

And that gave him time to fill Ron in on the details of the project.

What a joy to watch RFIS graduates in their next phase of life. These boys (as did their brothers before them) are putting their construction skills to work, putting themselves through college.

We are so proud of them and the many students who have moved on from RFIS to study, and then to serve in ways similar to these 4 Carlson kids.