| Dear Ministry Partners, |
|
July 2009 |
Hey guys, I’m sorry but
just have a minute to write this morning because we’re on our way out the door
to reward our students for having completed 40 weeks of intense Bible courses in
less than a year. The end of those Bible courses mark, not only, the end of much
hard work, but also a new beginning, it’s time to appoint pastors.
We have decided to
postpone, just a little, the installation of Pierre and Roger because the fact
that Tammy and I have decided to stick it out until November of this year,
making this term a full 3 years, gives us just a little more time to prepare
them for ordination and to help them settle into their new positions before
making the transition official.
As much as I was really
looking forward to just coasting a little while I think staying close just a
little while longer will have a more positive long-term result.
The fact that the weight
of our formal study has been lifted, for this term anyway, has provoked me to
entertain some ideas that Tammy considers complete lunacy, and she may not be
totally wrong. I do have a couple of guys available, though they’re not really
well seasoned, who are anxious to start churches and we already have a couple of
sites where we have determined that churches could be started right away. The
two sites are Bazolai, a village maybe 3 or 4 miles from Tinsuka, and Titao, a
small city about 15 miles from Babo.
It’s strange how we
long so much to get something finished so that we can rest only to find
ourselves already thinking about how to load ourselves down again the morning
after classes have finished. The problem here is that there is so much to be
done and so few church planters (There’s plenty of social work going on!) that
it’s hard to justify even focusing on what we’ve already started. That being the
case, we need your prayers for wisdom and patience and trust in the Sovereign
God who we know has a plan for all of this.
As I said I’m about to
walk out the door so I’m going to have to say goodbye for July, but thank you so
much for your faithfulness in both praying and giving and please know that
churches, though not perfect churches, are being established that will carry on
the work we leave behind.
Also please pray for us
as we will soon be starting our countdown to a real Christmas with our son and
other family soon. We’re actually going to get to shop for gifts this year!
May the Lord bless you and your work until He comes.
Partners,
John & Tammy Cooley |