Cox Prayer Update Dec 04, 2007

Dear Supporters,

I want to make a special announcement. Our home church, Ferndale Baptist Church, has had some changes, and the deacons have decided that it would be better if we were to find another home church. As I understand things, they will continue supporting us, but they have cut a lot of their staff. As I understand it Ferndale does not now have the church office personnel that the deacons deemed necessary to provide the services of sponsoring church for us (handling donations and sending them to us, etc).

I have asked Pastor James Thomas of Orlando Bible Church to be our home church, and they will begin receiving donations for us starting as of immediately.

Orlando Bible Church
Pastor James Thomas
407 894-0208
4405 East Colonial Dr.
Orlando, FL 32803
JThomas026 (at sign) cfl.rr.com

Please start sending all donations including December 2007 donations to this address. Please change your records to reflect this as our home church. Also please note that I will be sending out regular letters via the US postal system in December to all of our supporters to confirm this.

I wanted to just let you know the kind of people who will now be our home church. Back in 2002, we had a meeting in another church in Orlando which didn't take us on for support nor were they really interested in us (we had to pay our own hotel and meals). Leaving the hotel that Monday morning, we had transmission problems and took our van into a transmission place in Orlando. We just had a new transmission put in back in Indiana the week before, but it wasn't right. The transmission place in Orlando said it would take a few days, so we got a hotel room and left the car with him. What we didn't know was that they were not to find another transmission of that type for weeks.

I figured a week, but not a month or more. We had meetings every weekend lined up, and from Orlando we returned to Indiana for 2 weeks, and then up to North Dakota. So I got a hotel room close to the mechanic and saw Orlando Bible Church about a half mile from the hotel. Wednesday night we walked to the church for prayer meeting. I chose that hotel so that we could attend the closest church for the time we were there. Pastor Thomas took us out to eat and back home after church. I explained our situation, and he was extremely help. Sunday came, and he picked us up, took us out to eat, and took us back and forth to the hotel. Although I had no previous contact with him, he asked me to preach Sunday night and present our ministry. I think I preached about 3 or 4 times for them, and in their school once. Every time he gave us a generous love offering to help with our hotel bills. They picked us up, and we even spent several days with Pastor Thomas in his home washing our clothes and relaxing. They are great people, and know the biblical concept well of hospitality. If I remember right they paid for all of our hotel bill.

When the second week rolled around and the mechanic was talking about 2-3 weeks more to get the new transmission IF THEY COULD FIND ONE, pastor Thomas gave me the keys to his Honda Accord and said "David, take your family home." I didn't want to do that, because I would generate expenses going up and coming back. He said "don't worry about it, just keep the Accord until your car is fixed, and go to your meetings in North Dakota." I said I was going to put some miles on it if I did that. He said that was fine. I think I had his car for 2.5 months more or less, before mine was ready.

I really praise God for men of God who are willing to help with such types of sacrifices, and are discerning and compassionate of people's situations. God placed them exactly in our path, and God provided for us greatly through them. Pastor Thomas is a great pastor, and has been a dear friend. Their church took us on for support the month following our first visit with them. Amazing how God connects us with caring, good churches and people who help us in the ministry of getting out the word of God, and in ways that we least expect it.

Please pray for us as we make this transition.

In Christ,
David and Tule Cox