Bill Maher's final comment from Religulous

I just saw the Youtube clip of Bill Maher's final comment from Religulous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIZWDyMLGIQ
I had been interested in seeing the whole thing, even though I knew I was going to disagree. Now, it seems that he is just on this same old bandwagon to destroy religion -- nothing new. It is a combination of Feuerbach (God is the invention of people who "need" him), Marx (Religion is the opiate of the masses and is all about power and control of others), war arguments (Religion must be bad because of all the violence it has produced) and personal arrogance ("No one knows for sure what happens after death because I don't know..."). Admittedly, Bill Maher has very cool and disturbing images to add to these arguments, but I didn't see anything else new. His closing call is to abandon religion...it seems, even, suppress religion. I wondered if he wants to suppress it by force (He calls on atheists to "rise up"). What kind of religion is Bill Maher trying to create?
I don't care for John Hick's conclusion to comparative religions (they all must be right) nor Bill Maher's conclusion (they all must be wrong). Can we get a little balance, please?

Cook weekly appendix: Car Praise

Thank you all for praying...

We just got a call from the dealership and our car is ready...

Matt and Andy just left to go get it.

God is good all the time... And ... all the time God is good.

What a nice Christmas present.

Cindy, for us both

Cook Weekly-le 22 dec 2008

I'm sending this again, since I see that the attachment didn't go through. Cindy :-)

Merry Christmas

Dear friends and family:

Our weekly is a pdf file. Let us know if you can't open it and we'll send it to you in a different format.

Cindy and Holly had a great time today visiting an orphanage. I've attached a photo of Holly and a new friend.

Please pray that the workers who need to finish the paper work on our car will go back to work and stop striking. No, we still don't have our car. Please pray that it will happen soon.

Thanks again for partnering with us.
Cindy,

FATEAC Team (this is our new field name now, like it?)

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Cook Weekly-le 22 dec 2008

Merry Christmas

Dear friends and family:

Our weekly is a pdf file. Let us know if you can't open it and we'll send it to you in a different format.

Cindy and Holly had a great time today visiting an orphanage. I've attached a photo of Holly and a new friend.

Please pray that the workers who need to finish the paper work on our car will go back to work and stop striking. No, we still don't have our car. Please pray that it will happen soon.

Thanks again for partnering with us.
Cindy,

FATEAC Team (this is our new field name now, like it?)

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  - Our significant financial need, at this point, is still to purchase a car in Abidjan,.  Click here.  ("Matt Cook Vehicle special")<https://www.cmalliance.org/give/onlinegiving.jsp?project=43-46-05005&projectName=Approved+Special&projectDesc=Vehicle+Matthew+Cook&projectNumber=43-46-05005

Cook Weekly - le 15 decembre 2008

So many of you were impressed with Walker's Wanderings last week. So, I'm trying a new thing with a summary of what our work team did. Hope you enjoy it. Cindy Cook

COOK Weekly - 8 decembre 2008

We're going to make this brief since we're heavily involved in two workteams right now. We're having a great time with both, but feeling a bit overwhelmed by the end of each day. Pray for our strength and health.

Also, for those of you who can download this letter, it's a great testimony of how our kids at Dakar Academy are having an impact on their part of the world. Holly is in the middle of the first (top) picture holding the "good news" soccer ball. I'm so proud of her.

Have a great week and thanks for your prayers. Our children are home in 10 days!!! We're so anxious to have them back where we can see them, literally, not just with a webcam!!! Love, Cindy

Cook Weekly - le 1 decembre

Dear friends and family:

We started out Saturday, mid morning hoping to spend the day looking for a car.  Being a 3rd world developing country, there are always sewage pipes that need repaired here and it's not uncommon to have to go through parts of roads that are covered in "water". Today we went through one of those areas near our home and got our right front tire stuck in a hole. Matt had to get out of the car and wade through it to get our car pushed out. Being the gentlemen that he is, he let me do the driving. :-) Wish I'd had my camera as he and 5 other African men pushed the mission car out of the water. We went back home, got him cleaned up again (and disinfected) and headed back out.
This week we've found 2 Toyota Corolla's (in which we're interested) on the market for a good price; at least good for here. The one is a 2007, the other a 2006. We're trying to figure out which one is the "winner" based on our mechanic's opinion; and will hopefully buy one or the other this week. Thank you for your prayers and financial help in all this. We are still not quite able to pay for it all, but the mission is willing to loan us some to make up the difference until the rest comes in.

I also had this week a wonderful opportunity to visit 4 homes of FATEAC wives who've recently had babies. 6 of the FATEAC teacher's (all women this time) went from house to house congratulating all of these families. (One of them had twins...adorable!) We then presented them with a gift of soap and money to be used for their newest arrivals.

Keep praying.
Love, Cindy

COOK Weekly - 24 novembre 2008

We thought we were ready for our return to Africa, but we aren't.  We're good on the emotional shock; good on the reunion with old friends, good on the work load, good even on the heat.  We were not prepared for sticker shock when trying to purchase a car.  The reason for the shock is a 40% tax imposed by the government for importing.  It would be great to get the one year old corolla which we found (except we need another $17k).  Instead it's likely we'll buy a new Hyundai Getz.  We only need $7k more for that.  Africa is hard on cars (and everything else), but we need something that will last a good long time.

Pray for wisdom and resources.

Matt & Cindy Cook
Republic of Cote d'Ivoire

• Our significant financial need, at this point, is help to purchase a car in Abidjan,.  Click here.  ("Matt Cook Vehicle special")  Please let us know if you are making a donation so we'll make a better decision on the car.
  

COOK Weekly - 15 novembre 2008

Greetings from sunny & sandy Dakar. We've had a great week attending teachers meetings, catching up on sleep and accompanying our kids to school events. Holly, this week, has started being a statistician for the boys varsity basketball team. Both Andy and Holly are trying out for the spring musical and are working hard to learn the audition songs.
Thanks for praying for a wonderful week with the kids.  It has been just that.  We're encouraged to see them settle into life in Dakar (and the dorms).  Thank you for continuing to pray for them to excel academically even without us around to coax and coach.
Matt & Cindy Cook
Cote d'Ivoire

COOK Weekly - 10 novembre 2008

Greetings from Dakar, Senegal. It's been great these last 3 days to be with Holly and Andy once again. We've had special times alone with each of them, been to Secret Beach with friends, had meals with friends and started to plan our week of meetings with teachers and dorm parents. Much of Monday and Tuesday are dedicated to this already.

The highlight of our weekend was Holly's play. She had a main role in Bone- Chillers! We were very pleased with her performance as Eloise and the performances of all 12 of the HS participants.

Thank you for your prayers that have brought us this far.

Serving Him together,
Matt and Cindy Cook
RCI Missionaries with the CMA

COOK Weekly - 03 novembre 2008

It's our 24th wedding anniversary today!!!!!!

Even though our possessions are strewn over 6 cities on 4 continents at least we are renting a space on this world which we will call home.  As of November 1, we have officially started renting a house in Abidjan into which we'll move when we finally get there. 

Our meetings these two weeks of the World Evangelical Alliance - Theological Commission; then the World Evangelical Alliance - General Assembly; Now the World Evangelical Alliance - Missions Commission have been very good for learning, networking, informing others what we're going at FATEAC and in the world.  We're encouraged by the developments in missions and theology that means the church is thinking and growing.  We're excited to be part of it.  (More details would be generally boring to the majority of readers, but if you want to know more, just ask.)

Thanks for your prayers - Keep praying for us to rest this week: we leave Thailand Tuesday evening to arrive in Paris Wednesday morning; We leave Paris Wednesday evening to arrive in Dakar Thursday morning.  I don't expect us to accomplish anything this week except get our bodies from one place to another.

Blessings,
Matt & Cindy Cook
On our way to Africa (finally)

COOK Weekly - 20 octobre 2008

On the road again...

We leave Tuesday for Bangkok, Thailand.  Please pray for safe and convenient travels.  Pray especially for the meetings with the World Evangelical Alliance in which Matt will be involved.  Pray also for peace along the Thai border.

This will be two weeks of meetings for Matt, but Cindy hopes to catch up on some reading and to some touring while in Thailand. Elephant ride anyone?!
Thanks for your prayers this week and next (as we don't expect to write a weekly prayer notice).

Blessings,
Matt & Cindy Cook

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COOK weekly - 13 octobre 2008

We're starting our last week in Paris.  Thank God, with us, for this time to rework our french skills which are the lifeline to communicating as a teacher.  Thank God, also, that we're getting closer to a "stable" life, whatever that means. After having interacted these last two weeks with the 3 major seminaries in Paris (Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox) I'm all the more pleased with the level of teaching and the quality of students at FATEAC.

A special thanks to Keith Ellenberger, Jeter Livingston, Daniel Keita and JP Schultz for their part in getting our belongings from Dakar to Abidjan.
Pray for our colds to pass quickly so that we don't have to fly with stuffy noses!
Thank God for the tuition money that has come in for this years first year CMA students. Some still are waiting for food and housing money.

Thanks for your prayers,
Matt & Cindy Cook
Côte d'Ivoire (eventually)

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COOK Weekly - 06 octobre 2008

I, Matt, am involved in a ministry which we haven't talked about much: The World Evangelical Alliance--theological commission. I am involved in this group, having organized several to discuss contextualization-- that's the reason I was in Oxford in August.  Contextualization means living out the Christian faith in different cultures.  This group of the WEA is in the midst of writing a book together on the topic.  Cindy and I both will be going to Bangkok, Thailand, later this month for more meetings and conferences on these topics.

Pray for wisdom to help the world-wide church live more faithfully to Jesus Christ in their local context.
Pray that God handle the many logistics necessary in bringing this book to fruition.
Pray for safety as we travel to Bangkok and back in a couple of weeks (you'll hear more about this trip as we're making it).

For those of you who have prayed for our luggage to make it to Bamako, it arrived this week. A bit smelly and water damaged, but all in all we praise Him that it has all arrived safely. Now we're looking into a way to get our things from Bamako to Abidjan. Thank you for your prayers.

Thanks for your prayers.
Matt & Cindy Cook

P.S. we talked to all three of our children last night on Skype and it was wonderful.  Thank you for continuing to pray for them: Elysia in Ohio; Holly and Andy in Dakar
P.P.S. For more information about the WEA- thoelogical commission, http://www.worldevangelicals.org/commissions/tc/

P.P.P.S.

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COOK Weekly - 29 septembre 2008

FATEAC needs more partners like you who care about what is happening there and are willing to make a difference.

Queen's Herald Gospel Church, one of the churches in which Matt preached last year, Pastored by Stanley Kwong, is bringing about 10 people to FATEAC in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire in order to pray for, do some manuel labor for, help out, etc. for 10 days just before Christmas. We're excited to have them come and be a part of our ministry there. Please pray for this team as they make preparations: buy tickets, get shots, raise money, etc.

Thanks for your prayers and partnerships with us,
Matt & Cindy Cook

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Cook Weekly - 22 septembre 2008

Getting things from one place to another is never easy in Africa.
Right now - this week - all of our worldly belongings (which is in boxes adding up to 5 cubic meters) are traveling by truck from Dakar, Senegal to Bamako, Mali.  After that, we have to find a way to get them from Bamako to Abidjan.  Here are appropriate ways to pray for us this week:
(1) Pray that thieves will leave the truck alone.
(2) Pray for safety - that the truck doesn't wreck.
(3) Pray that the bribes extorted by the border guards are not too large.
(4) Pray that our things ride well - that they don't get bounced around and broken up in travel.

Thanks for your prayers on a VERY timely issue this week.
Blessings,
Matt & Cindy Cook

Cook Weekly - 15 sept 2008

Dear friends and family:

We visited a church this morning that we'd like to introduce to you. There is a picture of the pastor and his wife below.
Pastor Pablo and his wife Eve are from Spain. They are pastoring a church in a suburb of Paris. They were very kind and generous to us, inviting us for lunch after church.
We'd like you to pray for them and their church as they minister in difficult circumstances. They have 5 children aging 11-34.

We were very pleased with our kids' progress reports from school as they have reached midterms for this quarter. Keep praying for them as they get busier and have to shuffle so many activities with school. Pray also that they will not get the flu that is going around.

Love,

Cindy,
CMA missionary to Cote d'Ivoire studying in France

Cook Weekly - 8 sept 2008

Dear friends and family:

Thanks for your prayers for Andy. He seems to be doing much better with homesickness, but we still have the problem of tiredness. Both kids are not getting their normal quota of sleep; this of course effects everything else they do. We're not sure what to do about it. Holly's headaches are also getting worse. Pray that God will heal her from this.

School is going well for Matt and me. Matt's school is a bit overwhelming as he is tackling mass quantities of new vocabulary and expressions. We feel that even with certain constraints, we are right where we need to be. Pray that God will give us the capacity to memorize and remember all the grammar and vocab that we need to know for the near future. Pray that we will then have the foresight to write down everything else so that we can learn it later.

In His service, Cindy

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Theology by Africans for the world

Even as I've been saying: African leaders will be influencing world Christianity. This is an exciting development in the world of Christian publishing...

Cook Weekly - 1 sept 2008

Dear friends and family:

Norbert and Luci Clément, church planters in Poiters, France and president of the CMA in France, graciously hosted us in their house for most of last week.  Pray for grace and wisdom in their ministry.  The church has about 50 regular attenders! This is a pretty large church for France. They are going to start remodeling the interior of their church building in order to enlarge the sanctuary area in September.  As president of the national church, he is participating this week in the funeral of a French missionary (sent out by France).  Pray that God comforts that missionary's family (wife and 5  children).

We are now settled into our apartment here at Cindy's (my) language school. We were originally to have one-room at the school, sharing a bathroom and kitchen with others; we have all this in one place now. God is good. I'm 10 minutes walking distance from Les Cédres.   Matt on the other hand is one hour with walking and train into Paris from his school. He will leave around 8 am each morning and arrive home about 6PM. This starts Monday for him. I start on Tues.  Pray for diligence in our studies and quick learning to make good improvements in our language skills.

Pray also for Andy as he's pretty homesick. 

Cindy Cook,
CMA missionary to Côte d'Ivoire

France telephone numbers:
Cindy - 33-06-06-42-46-57
Matt - 33-06-06-43-46-53

COOK Weekly - 25 août 2008

Parents (even Missionary parents) are ultimately responsible for helping their children mature to a place of functional adults.

I don't have any statistics, but if a missionary's child is struggling or improperly cared for, that hinders or stops the ministry on the field. That is why we're grateful for and want you to pray for two things this week.

One, Dakar Academy where our two younger children are living and attending.
(click the web address to see more about the school) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48_MSxcvP4Y&feature=related

Two, our chlidren's dorm parents: Andy has Dave and Michelle Walker; Holly has J.P. and Judy Schultz (http://www.cmalliance.org/im/mlocator/missy.jsp?m=34848). These dorm parents are having a wonderful ministry in our family's life and, by extension, in all of Africa.

• Our significant financial need, at this point, is resources to help us purchase a car and motorcycle in Abidjan,. Click here. ("Matt Cook Vehicle special")

Cook Weekly - 18 aout 2008

Dieu est grand! God is great!

It was with sad, but content heart that I said Good-bye to the kids this week. They are in such good hands and I know that they are in the best place possible for our current situation. Thank you all for your prayers for flights and settling them in. It was a hectic 3 days in Dakar getting medications arranged for Holly, unpacking their suitcases, talking with teachers and staff and boarding parents.

Matt came from Oxford, We met in in Paris and continued on to Poitiers, France.  At Church this morning, I played the piano with the worship team at the last minute and Matt preached, something he knew about for weeks.  After church, we started our (informal) French language study over dinner with church members.  We'll be writing more, in future weeks, about Dakar Academy and Matt's conference in Oxford and the important contribution they both have.

Thanks again for walking with us through these times of change. Love, Cindy
Matt & Cindy Cook
Missionaries to Cote d'Ivoire (but currently in France)

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cook update

Dear friends and family:

I see that many of you have written. Thanks for your prayers and
support. We arrived safely to Dakar finally last night after 2 very
long days. I knew that we were in trouble from the get-go, but God has
his plan and reasons for all this too! After waiting 8 hours in
Columbus for our flight, we went to Atlanta. Because of this delay we
missed our flight to Dakar. We ended up taking a flight to Paris from
Atlanta with Delta. We had only 1 hour to get our ticket, get to the
International terminal and then board. We then spent several hours in
Paris waiting for the flight to Dakar. Upon arrival we learned that
none of our luggage had come with us. Thankfully it has just arrived,
delivered too, from the Dakar airport. Hallelujah, it's all over, for
this leg at least.

The kids had a good nights sleep and are about to finish their 1st day
of school. I've been in meetings all day or I'd of written you all
sooner. I have several errands to run tomorrow getting piano teachers
lined up for the kids, medicines lined up (ordered), meet with a few
of the teachers, etc. So, keep praying that I'll find nice taxi
drivers and have success in all these things.

Thank you again for all you prayers! Love, Cindy

Cindy/Holly/Andy travel

Thank you for your prayers. The flight from Columbus to Atlanta was
even later than scheduled. They landed in Atlanta AFTER their
connecting flight took off. So they were re-routed with Air France
through Paris. (We didn't even know that was an option.) That means
everyone still gets a good night's sleep tonight before school starts!
Good News!

Matt

Cindy/Holly/Andy flight- update

They are getting on Air France. That means that they will travel through Paris instead of straight to Dakar. Since they missed their original flight, they would have been delayed 24 hours. This way they are only delayed 18 hours. Thankful for small blessings.

Cook: prayer for Cindy/Holly/Andy travel

Cindy, Holly, and Andy have a travel problem which needs your prayers
today, Monday, August 11:

There flight from Columbus to Atlanta is delayed. As things stand
now, they will have 25 minutes in Atlanta to get from one gate to
another in order to get their flight to Dakar (that means that their
flight to Dakar will start to board BEFORE they even arrive at the
Atlanta airport). Pray that (1) the Columbus-Atlanta flight will run
early; (2) the Atlanta-Dakar flight will leave late, (3) they run fast
and energetically from one gate to the other, (4) their baggage goes
as fast from one plane to the next.

If they miss the Dakar flight they have to (1) take all their baggage
our of the airport system and recheck it tomorrow, (2) get a hotel for
the night, (3) arrive at Dakar on the very day that the children are
suppossed to start school.

Thank you for your prayers as we return to the mission field in Africa.
Matt Cook

Family portrait

Here is that famly portrait of which I wrote several weeks ago.

Professors at FATEAC: 2008-2009

Pretty exciting to see! (I'll add the country of origen to this official list.

Some I don't know well, so I'll speculate that they are from Cote d'Ivoire).

We have 76 graduates in the field at this point!

1. S. ANDRIA, Théologie systématique (Madegascar)

2. M. COOK, Théologie systématique (USA)

3. I. COULIBALY, Ancien Testament (Cote d'Ivoire)

4. C. GOPROU, Traduction biblique (Cote d'Ivoire?)

5. R. HARRISON, Nouveau Testament (USA)

6. J. LIVINGSTON, Missiologie, Education, Histoire de l’Eglise (USA)

7. I. KEITA, Doyen, Théologie pratique (Guinea)

8. T. KOUADIO, Grec (Cote d'Ivoire)

9. C. KOUASSI, Directeur académique, Histoire de l’Eglise (Cote d'Ivoire)

10. S. SORO, Théologie pratique (Cote d'Ivoire?)

11. D. TSHISUNGU, Nouveau Testament (Congo)

12. C. WUESTHOFF, Grec, Traduction biblique (Germany)

13. L. ZOGBO, Traduction biblique (USA)

Cook weekly - 4 aout 2008

Dear friends and family:

It was great today to be with our Family in Christ at Millersburg, OH,
where we lived 5 years just prior to going overseas. We had a brief,
but enjoyable time there.

We are getting ready to return in 6 short days. These last few days
are packed with family times, visiting friends, a couple of sewing
projects, packing, re-packing, last few items to purchase, buying a
car for Lys, returning our car to the Missionary Wheels, etc.

Here are our next contacts for all of us. If any of you don't have
them, please make note of these changes. All of these changes will be
taking place over the next 2 weeks. We don't have phone numbers yet
for France, but when we do, we'll post them. We love you all and thank
you for your constant prayers and support!!! I know that sounds glib,
but we really do mean it!

Matt and Cindy Cook:
(you can always use mccook@emmanuel.org for quick replies)
Ecole de langue des Cèdres
17 voie de Wissous
MASSY 91300
France

Elysia:
996 Taylor Road
Mansfield, OH 44903
(419) 709-0873
(this is our permanent stateside address also, being my parent's address)

Holly (221.832.44.57) and Andy (221.832.59.34) at boarding school:
Dakar Academy
BP 3189, Route des Maristes
Dakar, Senegal
W. Africa

Beulah Beach

It was great to be at Beulah Beach (Vermillion, Ohio) for a couple of days this week and relax and spend time with old and new friends.

Fwd: Cook Weekly - 21 juillet 2008

We took a family portrait this week. This is important to us because we're going to be living in three different countries very soon: Elysia will stay in America (attending college); Holly and Andy will live in Senegal (where their school is located); and we parents will live first in France (for 2 months) and then in Côte d'Ivoire (where the seminary is located in which we teach). Pray for strong family ties in spite of this locational separation.

Sunukjian Preaching Book

An influence on my preaching has published a book which I hope will include the insights of his lectures: Don Sunukjian, click here

Cook Weekly - 14 juillet 2008

Thank you for your prayers this week as we traveled to California to visit Matt's brother's family. We had a great time with them. (Picture above)

This week cars are very much on our minds. Elysia is hoping to upgrade from her 24 year old car to something in which she will have more confidence. We are alsp beginning to think about what kind of car we need to get in Africa. The road to the seminary is never in great shape and we need to have access to the seminary even during rainy season when it is in terrible shape (mud, holes, etc.) A small sedan is cheaper, but a 4 wheel drive would handle the mud. We need to get something fairly new because we won't have a budget for car repairs. Thanks to all of you who have already given to our "Matt Cook Vehicle Special".

Pray for wisdom for both Lys and us as we look for cars here AND there.

• If you want to invest to help us purchase a car and motorcycle in Abidjan,. Click here. ("Matt Cook Vehicle special")

Disneyland

Disneyland is both a world apart (imaginative) and so much like our own (all about consumption). Nonetheless, it was great being with family - we actually had two wheel chairs: Austin (nephew) had sprained his toe pretty badly while at the ocean the previous day; Cindy (wife!) is still not at full capacity after her surgery.

We have returned to life in Ohio now.

Cook Weekly - 07 juillet 2008

We have written about the dropping giving to the Great Commission Fund, but let us talk about one of the results of that financial problem.  The budget figures are out for next financial year and they have cut off the possibility of giving scholarships to any new CMA students studying at FATEAC.  In fact, those funds are not even sufficient this year to cover the students we already have here.  (We do have a small amount of reserves that will cover our current commitments.)  But we have no funds to scholarship new students.  Our budget comes from the GCF and this year it provide 70% of the student's total expenses—the other 30% is to be provided by the sending church.

If you would like to sponsor a student (4 year commitment) -- individually, as a small group, as a church -- this would be the amount.  We would match you up with a specific student and his family.

If I understood a recent communication from the admissions committee, there are 8 CMA families academically prepared to enter FATEAC this fall (even though I don't know the breakdown on family size, most come with at least 1 child).  Please let Laura Livingston (and me) know if you would like to sponsor a future leader for the church in Africa.

FAMILY SIZE     DONATION NEEDED per year (we admit that these figures are subject to change as the dollar value changes)
single                     $4,385                              ($366/month)
 
married                   $5,425                              ($452/month)
0 children
 
married                   $6,765                              ($564/month)
1-3 children
 
married                   $8,250                              ($688/month)
4-6 children

 

Cook Weekly - 30 juin 2008

Dear friends and family:
We've arrived safely in OH. We packed up both Elysia's and our cars to the brim and headed west last Wed. to OH after saying many teary good-byes to our friends in Nyack.

Andy had left the week before in order to attend camp at Beulah Beach. He had a great time and I've attached a picture of him backpacking in PA, which is where the camp took them for the majority of the week.

We had a great week getting settled in Mansfield and celebrating both Matt's and Elysia's birthdays. Yesterday, Elysia's birthday, we attended Mansfield's Bicentennial Parade and a concert in the early evening by the Ohio State Alumni Marching Band. Afterwards we had a bonfire at the Cook farm with some family members. Another picture is there for your pleasure.

Thanks for your prayers as we start our 6 mos. of transition back to Africa.

Alliance Financial Realities

From the Office of the President of the Christian and Missionary Alliance

June 27, 2008

Dear Friends,

In recent weeks you may have heard me communicate several "chilling realities" facing the Alliance. One of these "realities" is our financial challenge. We are confronted—like so many other groups—with an ailing economy. In my interactions with leaders of other denominations, it is evident that we are not alone in this challenge. Additionally, the devaluation of the dollar has had a devastating effect on the cost of doing missions. You've also heard that our legacy giving has been far under expectations this past year. Because of that, we have changed the way we budget so that we will not be held hostage by this uncertain source of income.

At the end of May, revenues were at only 81.2 percent of budget, which has resulted in a shortfall of nearly $700,000 from what is necessary. Although the response to the Great Commission Sunday offering has been good, it was far short of the amount necessary to offset the deficit. Regrettably, we do not anticipate that the trend will change in the near future.

We have sought God's guidance and wisdom in making decisions necessary to guide our denomination through these troubled times. While we remain hopeful of a financial turnaround, the realities of what we currently are facing have forced the Board of Directors to closely examine the situation. As a result, the Board, at its meeting on June 26, 2008, took the following actions to control expenses:

1. All salary and cost-of-living increases for National Office employees and district superintendents scheduled for July 1, 2008, will be deferred until our financial position improves.
2. Our budget for fiscal year 2009 included a 3 percent allowance increase for missionaries on home assignment. Regrettably, this increase also must be deferred.
3. Unless our financial position takes a dramatic upward turn in the next two months, we will be forced to implement a 10 percent salary and allowance reduction for all personnel paid out of the Great Commission Fund. This will happen September 1, 2008.
4. Only mission-critical travel will be allowed.

You also should know that other cuts already have been made or are in the process of being made. More than 30 National Office and missionary positions have been cut or will not be filled—20 in International Ministries, 6 in Church Ministries, and 4.5 in support areas. These are primarily the result of retirements, attrition, and combining positions. Additionally, Church Ministries has cut more than $900,000 from its budget. International Ministries reduced its budget by nearly $1.1 million, cutting overseas field operating budgets by 30–40 percent. Another $477,000 was cut from ministry support offices.

While the weight of this financial burden threatens to hold us back, I am confident of God's mighty power as our limitless Provider. This has been repeatedly demonstrated in our history. I recently read a portion of the C&MA Annual Report from 1933, where H. M. Shuman reflects back on his first eight years as the C&MA's fourth president:

From the human standpoint, the outlook for the future is not encouraging. Threatening clouds are hanging low over the horizon today . . . The foundations of society are being shaken . . . We must remember that the early Christian church worked in the midst of world conditions equally distressing, though different . . . Their inspiration and encouragement came not from their surroundings, but from the presence of the living One.

Our situation today seems strikingly similar. Yet, look what God has done in our midst since these words were penned: He has grown us to an international body of more than 20,000 churches in 81 nations, with an inclusive membership of nearly 5 million believers!

We are at a critical time in The Alliance, and our dependence upon God and His direction is as essential as ever. In our country and around the world, the opportunity for reaching people for Christ remains wide open. The Alliance is blessed with skilled and dedicated servants (both official workers and laypeople) who stand poised to reach the last unevangelized corners of our neighborhoods and the nations.

Because of the situation we now find ourselves in, I respectfully ask for the following help:

1. Join me in regular prayer and fasting for the next two months. My specific requests are for God's mighty supply, wisdom for National Office administration in making the needed financial adjustments and for the all the people impacted by the current financial situation.
2. Join me in telling our Alliance friends of this situation and assuring them that administration is diligently working to match expenses to revenues. By positive communication, you will help me in being "part of the solution."
3. Join me in assuring our Alliance people that we are repositioning ourselves to prepare the ground for improved health and fruitful ministry in the United States and the world.

Thank you for your faithful service, and for enduring the hardships we face together as servants of our Master. "May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance" (2 Thessalonians 3:5).

Living the Call Together,

Gary M. Benedict
President

cook weekly - 16 juin 2008

Travel and Speaking Schedule

If you're in Ohio, and if we haven't yet connected with you this year come to one of the following events. If you can't, then gather some friends at your house on a weekday, give us a call and we'll show up to talk about our life and work in Africa. Here is our current schedule for this summer and major points of transition once we leave the states.

June 25 - travel to Ohio (Leaving Nyack)
June 29 - Heartland Alliance Church - Run/Walk/Bike for Senegal, Lexington, Ohio
July 1-6 - In California with Family
July 9 - Picnic with Bucyrus Alliance Church, Ohio
July 13 - Sunday Morning: First Alliance Church, Mansfield, Ohio
July 18 - Central District of the CMA Banquet
July 26 - Stow Alliance Church, 10a.m., Ohio
July 26 - Rolling Acres Alliance Church, 5:30p.m., Ohio
July 27 - New Life Fellowship Picnic, 6p.m. Fredricktown, Ohio
August 11 - Depart from the U.S.A.


Keep praying for us...
August 11 - Cindy, Holly, Andy to Dakar to get the kids established in boarding school
August 11 - Matt to Oxford, England for a conference on Contextual Evangelical theology
August 16 - Matt & Cindy meet in Poitiers, France to fill in for a pastor for 2 weeks
August 28 - We move to Massy, France to review French for almost 2 months.
October 22 - to Bangkok, Thailand to participate in the World Evangelical Alliance General Assembly
November 6 - to Dakar, Senegal (to finish out Cindy's return ticket and visit the kids and get our personal belongings shipped to Abidjan)
November 15ish - move to Abidjan (finally)

(November 30 - presidential elections in Cote d'Ivoire - Pray for no rioting!)

Cancer Links

Flip-flops linked to skin cancer

By Urmee Khan
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2117048/Flip-flops-linked-to-skin-cancer.html

If it isn't Red Dye, it's flip-flops.

Cook weekly - 09 juin 08

Dear friends and family:

Thank you for your prayers for Cindy and Holly: Holly's headaches are a bit less, but there's not much change, but Cindy has come through her operation nicely. Still has some pain, but making progress daily.

This week we start the process of tearing apart our apartment in order to prepare for our return to Africa. Pray for the right decisions in dividing our stuff between four destinations (leaving for the next MIR, storing in Ohio, take with us immediately, have sent to Africa in January, go with kids to Dakar, etc). Pray for internal calm in spite of external 'chaos'. God today provided a place for us to store things here in Nyack (at our church) until the work team from ATS can bring them to us next January.

Cook weekly - 2 juin 2008

As always, no matter how diligent we think we're being by seeing Drs right away upon our return from overseas, we still have issues that are pervading just before we leave.

This week, Cindy has a minor surgical procedure scheduled. In one day, out the next, if all goes well. Pray for smooth surgery, quick recovery, effective control of pain, and options to quell the boredom of recovery.

Holly also is battling headaches. So far we've tried several Drs. including G.P., chiropractor, ENT, neurologist, ophthalmologist, etc. Nothing has seemed to take away her headaches. She's now trying a new medication just given to her by the neurologist. She's had an MRI and everything seemed normal. Our last stitch now, besides the new medication, is trying to eliminate different foods from her diet that are known to cause headaches. Please pray for her healing.

Pray we don't overlook any other health issues before we leave in August.

Africa's re-dawn

Dawn's inextricable march, the light arrives, the good news spreads
The son shines, the earth spins, the movement moves east to west

Day blazes, the west, the spread, the power
The son shines, the earth moves, but movement rests and grows within

Hezekiah's 10 steps were fifteen more years; what was dusk is again made dawn
The son shines, from west to east, Africa basks once more

Now the light, the source, the spring,..., the force, the pressure, the fire
The son shines, from dark shores to move the world again.

Cook Weekly - 26 mai 2008

This week we're going to give you an update on the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (RCI, Ivory Coast), where FATEAC is located and where we're moving this summer:

October 2004 over 8000 foreigners (including our family) fled Cote d'Ivoire because of violence against white people.
We haven't lived in the country since then, even though Matt continued to return for short trips from Dakar, Sénégal, and teach at FATEAC until spring '07.

Today, the presidential elections in RCI are set for November 30; outside observers will ensure fairness.
French businessmen are moving back into the country; and the two sides of the war are trying to work out differences.
In general, Côte d'Ivoire is moving toward peace.

However, elections in Africa rarely happen without riots, which can happen before, during and afterward.
Food and gas prices have sparked violence throughout Africa (Ghana has gone so far as to subsidize food prices)

Pray for peace in Cote d'Ivoire; pray for good governance by the national and local authorities; pray that, whether by unrest or by calm, the kingdom of God is advanced; and pray that the elections will really happen and that they will happen peacefully.

Sex Offender Lists are Not Helpful or biblical

I'll admit that I'm almost a foreigner in this country anymore. But what is the point of the sex offender lists? To warn people that there are potentially harmful people in their neighborhood. That assumes that everyone else is ok, right? Then why have parents been telling their children since I was a children not to get in a car with a stranger? The lists must, then, be for checking out your friends and others you would ordinarily trust. That seems weird. Is it that the government thinks we are going to trust people too readily? That hasn't been my experience in America. What good are they, then? I don't see it.
Besides that, these lists assume that (1) a sex offender is not going to repent, and (2) a non-sex-offender is not going to do anything harmful. Do either of these seem sure? On the positive side, is there no change in people? Does grace not operate for sex offenders?
No, I don't see the point.

Cook weekly - 19 mai 2008

We have many familial praises this week to share with you

Elysia drove to Ohio this week by herself. She was tired, but she arrived safely. Praise God!
Elysia's met with the admissions people at Med-Central School of Nursing and found that she is in excellent shape financially for this program. Not only have they considered her as an Ohio resident, but they have given her scholarships that should cover most of her tuition costs!
Matt and Cindy have had more time to relax this week as they is now finished with their responsibilities at ATS and Nyack.
Andy's 5th grade musical was a complete success! Our "little prince" was a real ham! (Andy is in the middle of the picture)

Prayer Requests:

Pray that Elysia finds new friends with similar interests as she settles into Ohio.
Pray that Matt and Cindy make good and wise purchases as they seek to take back to Africa only the bare essentials for the coming 2-4 years.
Pray that we'll have opportunities to be with both family and friends before our departure on August 11th.

Thank you for your support in prayer and love,
Cindy and Matt Cook

Africa's Importance

I've been reminding people recently of the ideas of Andrew Walls that Africa will soon be influencing world Christianity. Christians are not the only ones interested in Africa:

• There are conferences to foster the place of Africa in the world: click here
• Stephen Hawking and other leading high-tech entrepreneurs and scientists have backed the £75m plan to create Africa’s first postgraduate centres for advanced maths and physics
• The Gates Foundation is helping East Africa: click here
• Certainly a Christian theologian, Thomas Oden has also initiated the The Center for Early African Christianity in conjunction with his recently published How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind by Thomas Oden.

Africa's return to importance in the American mind (not just fascination this time) is encouraging as we return to Africa.

Genre Savey

Biblical interpretation / life is about knowing in which genre you are functioning. Of course, there are problems between genres (prophetic and apocalyptic) or problems knowing what the characteristics of a genre are (issues with the prophetic genre have sparked more than one debate in dispensationalism)

Same is true in life: Understanding which genre you are in (joking or request) makes a big difference. Sometimes we intentially ride the fence because we want to make the request, insult, instruction, or point but are scared, inhibited, realize we don't have the right, or tactful. So, we make it possible for the listener to interpret as a joke. ("You are really gifted at stacking dirty dishes" could mean "Wash the dishes!") We call people naive if they can't tell the difference between joking and narrative ("Jenny lost three toes in a motorcycle accident over the weekend" when she has never been on a motorcycle). When you frame an utterance with genre rules, you understand it a particular way. When you use other genre rules, you understand it another way. Who picks the genre?

We can use "naive" for someone who doesn't pick the right genre - "right" is defined by the community (in life or biblical interpretation). It isn't just a simple majority nor one with super-delegates. Normally everybody understands the well-established expectations. Only on genre boundary-lines (or other locations of ambiguity) are rhetorically persuasive reasons necessary.

July in Ohio // Resources for the World

We've had a couple of occasions to speak recently to churches in NY. For those of you in Ohio, if you'd like to gather some of your friends together for us to talk with this July, let us know. We'd like to share what God's doing in our lives and how you can be a part of it.

More musings this week as he's taken a course on the emergent church: How can we resource Africans to be true Christ followers?
"Perhaps the test of real sharing within the body of Christ could be whether new heartlands [of Christianity] could get greater access to the stockpiled scholarly resources of the West, not just the leftovers, but the substance." Andrew Walls
Thanks for praying for FATEAC and helping us give Africans access to the theological resources of the west.

Emergent - Tony Jones

I've sat in a course all week with Tony Jones on the Emergent Church. Here is my perspective...
1. I don't see a great deal of fundamental difference between the Emergent movement and what healthy churches have been trying to do for a long time. (Oh, there are differences. It is true.)
2. Tony likes to shock people. This is probably because he has presented his material in many settings where he was attacked or where he needed to shock listeners out of lethargy.
3. This is a contextual theology for the postmodern world that really is not harmful, radical, nor unchristian. Unfortunately, there have been some characterizations of the emergent movement by some Christians which has polarized the field. If we don't listen to each other and each other's nuances, communication quickly deteriorates.
4. The Emergent church is also called the Missional church by some. Each person who gathers comes to worship and the returns to his/her daily mission. That isn't too different from what we hear on many churches. Missional churches are working hard at promoting social justice issues and transforming culture. But, I would like to see more investment in parts of the world that need help developing ecclesial theology (community reflection) for training Christians in what it means to live the Christian life. (I do teach at a theological training institution.)
Those are some of my thoughts.

FATEAC

La Faculté de Théologie Evangélique de l'Alliance Chrétienne is in Abidjan,
Côte d'Ivoire. There are about 70 students from 15 nations and 17 denominations. www.ofateac.org
This is where I teach (normally)

Cook - 5 mai 2008

Even though we won’t leave America for 3 months, we’re clearly focusing more and more on the details for getting back to Africa. Pray that we remember the large (reserving plane flights) and small details (buying antihistamines).

Don't forget that the month of May, your C&MA church has a Great Commission Sunday offering.

Our allowance comes from the Great Commission Fund through your local C&MA church; Or giving online at this web site: click here

Business this week…We will now be posting all these weekly e-mails (as well as other stuff) to a blog; if you would rather just look at the blog (or need to unsubscribe for other reasons), please reply “unsubscribe”. Thanks for your ongoing prayers.

http://theo-fateac.blogspot.com

New Year

Winter long, longing
Cold press, downing
Gray bleak, drowning

Buds peak, spouting
Sun gleam, announcing
Color excite, enlivining

New Day, New Year, New Life

Symbols - Bowing your head

When I was taught to bow my head, I was told that it would keep me from looking around during prayer and not get distracted.

I was in elementary school, in a United Methodist Church. The Assistant Sunday School teacher brought coupons for the local roller skating rink for those children who behaved well. I didn't miss church much. But there was a lot I never did understand - like bowing my head.

I know there are many who don't bow their head and close their eyes in prayer because they, too, don't see the need for that. Without the meaning behind this symbol, I wouldn't either: in approaching the king, one bows in reverence; in trust in what he will do to/with you, you can close your eyes.

I will still encourage very little children to bow their head and close their eyes to keep them controlled; but I want to retain these symbols for myself in approach to a trustworthy king.