Latest Update
Summer 2016
Well, here we are again bringing some bright from His light and wanting to catch you all up on COGO mission whereabouts. We know time is of the essence, but with Him being the essence of time itself, we have not been negligent of our labor in Him while knowing the order of His steps with us.
Over this recent year, we had a shift from our interim pastorate in Painted Post, NY to a new grassroots church work in Corning, NY that presently meets in the YMCA building every Sunday morning. This great group of saints known as Devotion House Ministries, have a real heart for entertaining the Lord's presence and bringing forth the issuing of His heart as the Spirit gives utterance. The word confirmed in the midst has made for some profound times with excitement for His future manifestations among us.
Notwithstanding, Elese and I continue to hold our post, not only locally, but from the platform given to us all by God that is on a world scale. While having been more stateside this year, we continue to have our ear on the progress of our joint-labor with brethren in Kenya and Bulgaria.
Bishop Joseph Mutua from Nairobi, Kenya who ministers among many of the tribes of that nation joined us this Spring bringing a weighty word to our congregation while inviting us to come to where he goes, and much of that is in the “bush.” Elese and I and our comrades to the field, Geoff and Tess Pollack, will be joining him at the end of November into December along with having time with Pastor Jackson Kenanda in the Maasai region of Narok, Kenya. *A Spring 2017 small team trip is also in the works!
As most of you know, we have been constructing a Bible School / Church with Pastor Jackson for the last few years in conjunction with World Outreach Ministry Foundation (WOMF). To give you a brief synopsis of all that has gone into this work since 2013: the land was purchased, cleared, fenced, a 600' well drilled, electricity brought in, footers dug, concrete foundation poured, walls of cut-stone laid up, framing built for cisterns, housing constructed for the Pastor and family, etc... This has all been done through the faithfulness of saints who have heard God and entered into this, His labor, to address this harvest field among the Maasai people of Ewaso Ngiro, Kenya.
With now needing to add the roof to the facility, we are in the final stage for completing this great labor. A week ago, we had a simple cost breakdown for the roof given us: $81/per roof truss, $56/per 10' iron roof sheet. Each of these material costs also include the labor for installation. We know many trusses and sheets will be needed considering the size of the building and the estimated cost of $15,000. However, many hands make light work. *Please consider buying one of these materials as an investment into more than a building, but the housing of a people that will be discipled and propagating the gospel to an entire region of Kenya and beyond for years to come, as the Lord tarries.
As a testimonial sideline to all that's been shared, last summer we had the opportunity to meet a wonderful family named, Truesdale, in the front yard of my in-law's cottage on Big Pond, PA. This family had occupied our cottage more than fifty years ago and desired to see it again as a walk down memory lane from many fond childhood summers.
Now at this same time, Elese and I were at a bit of an impasse on continuing to try and raise further funding for the above project. Our fund raising had come to a bit of a standstill and there was better financial help coming from our West Coast co-workers, WOMF. Being at the end of ourselves, we were in the throes of letting WOMF finish the funding and thought it to be wisdom to only handle the spiritual ministry on the ground. However, the Lord thought differently!
Having struck up a fast friendship with the Truesdales, they returned to the cottage a few weeks later with more family. This time one of the family members took a fall which precipitated me praying for them (fortunately, there was no lasting injury). However, it opened a door of fellowship in the Lord with one of the sons, Jeff, a brother in Christ, who lives in Gaithersburg, MD. In this back-n-forth fellowship, the two of us found amazing similarities to our God-paths from times past; people, places and ministry, etc. we both knew. At the end of our time together, we left each other our business cards. Only days later, Elese and I were amazed by a sizable sum of money sent us for the Kenya project through the church of our brother, Jeff Truesdale. We gratefully acknowledged our appreciation to Jeff, his pastor, Erik Sheffer, and the congregation of Christ Community Church that so generously released such a gift without knowing us personally. A short time after, COGO received yet another financial blessing from Christ Community Church of Damascus, MD. Of course, this divine coordination of people, places and provision restored an immediate wind in our sails to keep sowing to the heavens and among the saints even further. “Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey” (Isaiah 32:20).
To close out this story-line, Elese and I had a wonderful time of food and fellowship with Pastor Sheffer and his family as well as Jeff and Siri Truesdale at their homes on Mother's Day. This was during a southern ministry trip we took in May. Pastor “Shef” gave us both the honor of sharing our hearts with the congregation that morning and our call as the Church to go from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. Do you hear the call for missions yourself?
Incidentally, Pastor Shef's wife's name is Jerusha and one of their son's name is Jotham! How wonderfully coincidental since those are the names of two of our children! May we all seek to know and experience such intricate planning God has willed for us to walk in.
For previous updates, please click here: COGO Archive