A prayer request that's hard to share

Dear Praying Friends,

It's not easy to admit weakness. It's much more fun to write to you and ask for prayer for the next great ministry adventure. But today, I'm just plain weak and I need you to stand with me in prayer. As you know, I was in a pretty serious car accident during my last trip to Ukraine and Belarus. I was just so thankful to be alive afterwards! God literally saved my life and I will never stop praising Him for that. During the days after the car accident, I wrote off any physical symptoms, chalking them up to the trauma.

The day after I got back, I began to have more severe flu-like symptoms and was VERY sick for several days. The doctor called it a virus and told me I couldn't fly to St. Louis according to schedule. So, we postponed and shortened our trip to St. Louis, but I was able to travel even though I had to have a wheelchair in the airport part of the time. I even improved some while I was there and the Lord strengthened me for the meetings that He arranged for us.

Unfortunately, after I got back to California, I began to experience real fatigue as well as muscle weakness and soreness on a daily basis. Thinking it was just that I needed time to get over the virus, I just rested alot and waited. However, it's been a month now and I'm still having real problems with fatigue. I start off pretty good in the morning, but after just a few hours of work, I begin to have trouble thinking clearly, lose all energy and even have trouble speaking clearly at times. At that point, I just MUST go and rest. Blood work shows levels in the normal range. Of course, everyone I talk to has an idea of what this could be. I am asking God for healing and for wisdom to know from HIM what to do next.

I'm scheduled to leave for Romania and Egypt on June 7 and would very much like to make the trip since the national Christian leaders have gone to a lot of trouble to prepare for me and the team of Americans traveling with me. I realize this is all a loving gift from God and I want to get from Him what He wants for me through this. I really HAVE just rested and rested, but progress is very slow and it's confusing when we don't know what we are dealing with. I keep hoping I'll wake up tomorrow feeling good again.

When I asked you to be a part of my prayer team, I asked if you would be willing just to stop and pray when you got an email from me. I sure hope I can count on those prayers today. Please pray for Julie, too. This hasn't been easy on her, either.

Wow! Do we ever appreciate you!!

Joe

Cox Newsletter - May 2008

Click on the newsletter for a larger view