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)

• To Stop receiving these weekly e-mails: reply "unsubscribe"
• To read this content (and other stuff) on our blog, see http://theo-fateac.blogspot.com  (Perhaps you would like to unsubscribe and ONLY read it on the blog -- your choice)
• Our allowance comes from the Great Commission Fund through your local C&MA church; Or giving online at this web site: click hereI
• If you want to invest in our work (related to teaching at FATEAC - books, helping students, attending conferences, etc., click here.  ("Matt Cook Work Special")
• If you want to invest to help us purchase a car and motorcycle in Abidjan,.  Click here.  ("Matt Cook Vehicle special")
• For ongoing, daily expenses (BIG: washing machine to LITTLE: shoes, and etc. in between), click here   ("Matt Cook outfit fund")

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