2012-06-03

Cook's Short Order Update

Genesis 1:26 "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' "

Leadership Training Week at Camp David of the Ozarks is done. This was such a sweet time of fellowship and training with the Leadership team, getting to know personalities and such. Really were stretched and blessed!

Tomorrow, all the Support Staff (Michelle's and my main responsibility), Counselors, and Volunteers for the summer will arrive for another intense week of training, relating, planning, working; you get the idea. That's about 60 new people this week. We're really excited and nervous about this phase of the summer!

  ONLY FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

For those who follow us on Facebook, soon we will be migrating from our current Facebook Group, Friends of the Cook Family, to a Facebook Page by the same title. The main difference is that it will look more like a personal profile and You will "Like" it instead of waiting on us to approve your request. We think it will look more like "home".

Hope to see you there!

Thanks for sticking with us and praying for us. We love you,

Bruce

for Michelle (my lovely best friend), Bryan (21), Nate (20), Caleb (16), Kaitie (13), Seth (9)

2012-05-28

Cook's Short Order Update

Genesis 1:25 "And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the ground after its kind: and God saw that it was good." You know, we like the "beasts of the earth" that God has created. We have one named Bunker. What a fun-loving God!

Two things...
1. Thank you to all who have sacrificed something to keep our country free (and all who have let a son or daughter, mother, father go to serve). We appreciate you!

2. We move to Camp David of the Ozarks today to begin summer training. We've posted a new album of the Camp here.

Please pray for us as we begin this summer ministry.

Congratulations to Kaitie!! She's 13!!!

Thanks for sticking with us and praying for us. We love you,
Bruce

2012-05-16

Cook's Short Order Update


Genesis 1:24 "And God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so." That is just so cool!

Things are winding up for our summer at Camp David of the Ozarks. Bruce is writing devotions from James 1 for the Support Staff. His goal is to make it applicable on a daily basis for the circumstances the Support Staff will encounter. Pray for God's leading.

We have all been working hard on making the farm house "home". Here's a link to a growing album of photos. What an amazing provision this house has been. Thank you, God!!

Michelle is winding up a rather unique year of home school. Thankfully, God has led us all the way.

We are very glad to have Nate home from his first year at college! Wow, what a year of growth and learning this has been for him. On the way we spent some time with Bryan and our two families in Indiana. Good trip. "Thank you!" to our Mt Tabor church family for warming our hearts again! You guys are special.

We will be launching a new Facebook Page soon and doing away with the "Friends of the Cook Family" group. We'll keep you posted on when that takes place.

Please pray as we step out in faith that God goes before us in our desire to serve with the incredible staff at Camp David.

Thanks for sticking with us and praying for us. We love you,

Bruce

for Michelle (my lovely best friend), Bryan (21), Nate (20), Caleb (16), Kaitie (12), Seth (9)

2012-04-20

Cook's Short Order Update

Genesis 1:23 "And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day." What an amazing time to be around!

Happy Birthday to Nate a couple weeks ago, March 30! We are so proud of this young man. We love you son!

It seems God has chosen now for the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics to be in effect in our home. You know, the Law that states (very simply) that things are deteriorating. Take that, evolutionists! It is a law, not a theory or an hypothesis.

So, as I was saying, our weed eater, lawn mower, stove, and fridge have all decided to prove this law true. That said, I was able to fix the fridge (change water filter), the weed eater - 2 times, and broke again, get a part for the mower (jury is still out on this). The stove, however, is recommended for the recycle pile. "It will cost more to fix than to buy a new one." Crazy that such a small part (gas valve) could be so expensive.

So a few days ago we went stove shopping, just to look. As we were ready to leave Lowe's, Michelle noticed one on clearance, because the previous owners decided they didn't like the color. Well, happens that Michelle would rather have this color than others we were looking at. Absolutely nothing wrong with it, cheaper than even their sale items, free delivery, and already converted to LP.

So even in the midst of disorder, God shows up as the God of order and plan. Thank You, God! Pray that the grass will grow slowly, at least in our yard, until we are able to get a mower running. :)

We are getting involved with Camp David in various ways (writing devotionals, planning songs, and just being their for various visits. Our prayer is that God will allow us to be a blessing to this ministry and this staff and kids this summer.

We will be living in a motor home this summer. We'll get pix out soon. Expenses at the camp will be covered but we'll still have utilities at the farm house.

Thanks for sticking with us and praying for us. We love you,

Bruce

for Michelle (my lovely best friend), Bryan (21), Nate (20), Caleb (16), Kaitie (12), Seth (9)

2012-03-25

Cook's Short Order Update


Genesis 1:22 "God  blessed them,saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.'"


We have an exciting announcement!! We will be serving with Camp David of the Ozarks this summer for two months. Ben, the Camp Director, has asked us to be the Support Staff Leader. Michelle and I get to pour into the lives of 9 or so teenagers that come to Camp David to help make camp possible. From morning briefings, to chores, to devotions, to worship, to coming along side these precious kids and helping them grow in Christ, we are very excited about this opportunity!

Please pray that:

1 - we will be who these young servants need

2 - God will meet our financial/spiritual/emotional needs

3 - God will use this time to stretch and grow us as a family and individuals

Camp David of the Ozarks ministers to kids of prisoners, giving them an opportunity to experience God's unconditional love for 5 short days. If you would like to learn more about this wonderful ministry check it out at Camp David of the Ozarks.

We will be sending out a prayer letter in the next few weeks so be watching your mailbox and inbox. Wow, this is exciting stuff!

We love you,

Bruce

for Michelle (my lovely best friend), Bryan (21), Nate (19), Caleb (16), Kaitie (12), Seth (9)

2012-03-11

Cook's Short Order Update

Genesis 1:21 "God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good." I think "great sea monsters" sound really cool! Just glad I don't share a home with them!!

Getting settled into the farm home. We will post pix on facebook when we finally get an internet connection.

Last week was really rough. Both Michelle and I caught a nasty flu bug that lasted all week. I was out of work all but Friday. Seth had it the week before and ran some high temps. We're all doing much better now.

Taking Nate back to the airport to return him to ABC. Even though we were sick we enjoyed a really sweet time as family last week.

God has provided a job for the time being. I am doing painting at a battery recycling plant not far from our house. I have only worked there a couple weeks and I don't think I will ever forget the smell of lead in the air. Not sure I see the benefit of recycling with all the junk I see oozing out of places. Yes, I wear a respirator, but it can only do so much. I'm told it's quite an efficient process. K. I'll take their word for it.

1. Pray for Nate to finish well for his first year in college.
2. Pray as Bruce works on air brakes, school bus, and combination endorsements for his CDL. This will help provide many work options.
3. Pray as we seek what God wants for us this summer and beyond.

2012-02-13

Cook's Short Order Update
Genesis 1:20 "Then God said, 'Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.'" Aren't you glad He made swarms of creatures in the water for us to catch and eat?

This update will center around a couple who has been a blessing to us and needs our prayers. Ben and Grace Smith direct the ministry at Camp David of the Ozarks, 30 minutes from Rolla, MO. We know them through our home school group, as missionaries of New Harmony Church, and Christian camp functions.

Ben and Grace invited us to accompany them to the Christian Camp and Conference Association Ozark Sectional in Roach, MO last week. Their desire was to provide an atmosphere of encouragement for us.  Through the small group prayer times, General Session messages, informal chats, God renewed our desire to serve in full-time ministry, and He provided a time of refreshment for our spirits.

But what also came from this time was a realization that the Smiths need our prayers. Camp David of the Ozarks is heading into their 9th summer session, and, until recently, Ben and Grace have been the staff. They have directed, recruited, planned, fund-raised, implemented, organized, cooked, facilitated most everything that happens at camp (of course, with the help of of many support staff, cooks, counselors, volunteers, and donors). Still, they have sacrificed much and God has honored their labor.

So we are not asking prayer for us in this update. We are asking prayer for Ben and Grace Smith. They need wisdom, discernment, and God's plan, but most of all they need God's provision of supernatural endurance.

So will you pray for this dear missionary family, that God will sustain them while He continues to grow His work at CDO? Also, on February 23 they will host their "Banquet for Hope". This is a fundraiser dinner that seeks to raise monies to provide scholarships for children of prison inmates to attend camp. Pray that God will provide much funding through this venue.

You can visit this ministry from your laptop at Camp David of the Ozarks.