Prayer Update - 5/12/07

Hello, praying friends!

So many of you prayed for us as I took off for Romania and Egypt in April. Thank you! The trip to Romania was an amazing time as we were able to gather with all our Every Generation Ministries leaders from the different countries to pray and plan and share together. So many languages, and yet God was able to help us communicate and envision His directions for the future of the ministry world-wide! The children's workers conference just prior in Bucharest was a special time, too. How exciting to see teachers who have received very little training connect with God's children's ministry model found in Deuteronomy 6! Many had walked several miles to attend - and in pouring rain, too! One teacher shared how much it meant to receive encouragement and support because her church leaders were still growing in their ability to appreciate and value children's ministry.

In Egypt, between ministry meetings, I had the privilege of riding a horse through the sand to see the Pyramids in Cairo - thrilling! But even more exciting than this was the view of children's workers in Alexandria who were hungry for help to reach the children in their churches. Many could not read or write, but were longing for instruction in children's ministry methods and principles. Every break was filled with questions and conversations about children's ministry issues - all done through an Arabic translator! What a blessing to know you were with me through prayer as I met each challenge along this journey.

We realized recently that we've had guests in our home the large majority of the time since January. We're so thankful for the large home God has provided for us during this season. It appears that our house will not be available for us to rent past the end of our lease in July, so we've started the search for a new place. We're looking forward to experiencing God's perfect provision! Julie has been used of the Lord in this hospitality ministry but has also been active in the EGM office, assisting our president, Daniel Watts, with a number of projects. She's been very active in the recruitment and placement of new staff members, in communicating with American churches who want to learn about EGM and in supporting our staff relationally both here in the US and around the world.

Julie and I spent a few minutes reflecting recently on things that are personal burdens on our hearts in these days. May I share a few with you and ask you to pray with us?

1. Our son, Aaron's girlfriend, Yaneth, has recently presented us with a new grandson, Noah James Cox, born April 30. He is precious!

We so much want to be a positive influence in his life and are trusting the Lord to use this little one to bring Aaron back to a close relationship with God. We're praying Noah will "walk with God" as the biblical Noah did. The circumstances of Noah's birth do not take away the value God has placed on his little life, but they do present a challenge to us as we seek to navigate the relationships and connect with Noah, all the while maintaining our testimony in the situation. Special care is needed but the Lord can help us. Will you pray about it with us?

2. We have been attending a new church for the last month - Calvary Chapel of the Temecula Valley - and have enjoyed very much the teaching, fellowship and worship. Is this God's choice as our new church home? We don't know, but we'd love for Him to reveal this to us so we can settle and "connect" in fellowship and service. This is a BIG need for all of us.

3. Our housing situation (as described above) is a concern to us and is always on our minds even though we're determined not to worry about it. We've also determined that it is time to say goodbye to our 1998 Crown Victoria as the repair expenses are going out of control and need to find a replacement vehicle. God has already chosen out next home and vehicle. We're looking forward to His clear guidance as you pray for us.

4. We are in need of some destressing and recharging. We have a chance to take a little trip next week that would make it possible for the 3 of us to spend time together and just plain RELAX. A friend of EGM has made this trip possible and we are so thankful. It comes at a wonderful time. Please pray for God's Spirit to rejuvenate and refresh us.

Thank you so much for lifting our needs to the Lord. We are so thankful for God's provision of a team like you to stand with us as we seek to do our part in seeing children transformed in Christ through His church around the world. Please let us know how we can pray for you, as well!

Joe (for Julie and Jonathan)

Prayer Update 3/25/07

Dear Prayer Partners,

This afternoon, I feel so blessed to be able to email you from Oradea, Romania! I really need your prayers at this time, so even though you just got a newsletter from Julie and me, I thought I'd send along this prayer reminder email.

HEALTH ISSUES: Almost 2 weeks ago, I had a minor surgical procedure called "somnoplasty" done on my nasal passages. This was done to help with my chronic sinus infections over the last several years. The simple procedure went well, with the exception of a strange reaction to the anesthetic. However, following the surgery, I immediately got sick with a coughing/fever thing. It was so frustrating because I was trying to prepare for the trip I am now on, but was so ill, I could barely sit up to work at the computer at times. Beginning early this week, I slowly improved and was able to get on the airplane to Bucharest, Romania on Wednesday morning. I am feeling much better than I was, but still am still not 100%, so please pray for me in this area as international travel can be taxing under even the best circumstances.

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY # 1: Your prayers and gifts have made it possible once again for me to be in Romania for two wonderful events. The first event was completed this weekend - a children's worker's conference in Bucharest. About 45 children's workers gathered for the 2-day training conference. What a blessing to be with them. About 5 of the attendees were teachers I had met when I was in Romania last October, so that was a real blessing to see them "coming back for more" and really IMPLEMENTING what they have learned. For many who attended, it was their first exposure to training on true transformational Bible teaching in children's ministry. Some were discouraged because they had received NO encouragement from their church leaders. Many were looking for curriculum resources - a need we hope to meet in the near future. One pastor who came even said he plans to use some of the principles as he prepares sermons for adults. Imagine that!

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY #2: My second goal while here in Romania is to host the first ever International Director's Summit - a week long meeting of our directors from around the world. All our Every Generation Ministries countries will be represented and we feel this is a critical time to bring the international team together as we move toward to the future. I believe this time will be a landmark event for us and will positively impact our future growth and development of the ministry. One of the major topics will be the International Curriculum Initiative, EGM's answer to the worldwide call from children's workers for culturally relevant children's ministry curriculum. Please pray for relationships to develop and for God's wisdom to prevail as we work through several thorny issues.

UPCOMING TRAVEL: I will arrive back in California on April 2nd and will be traveling to Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt April 8-15 for board meetings, staff development and a children's worker's conference. Our family enjoyed having all of February and most of March together at home and we were able to host lots of folks in our home during that time. However, it is never easy to say goodbye. In the true Christian spirit of sharing, I gave my cold (or whatever it was) to Julie and Jon so they were sick when I left. We are always counting on your prayers for ALL of us (Joe, Julie and Jonathan) when I am away on ministry trips.

With love and appreciation for your partnership in ministry,

Joe

PS: Our conference is being held in a humble little hotel called Vila Elim. It's very clean and comfortable and perfect for our needs. We meet and eat in the dining room. Amazingly the price is only $26 dollars per room per day (USD) including 3 meals for all who stay! One of the local church members owns it and is giving us a special price because they believe in EGM's ministry. If you're interested in seeing what a Romanian hotel looks like, check this link:

http://www.tourismguide.ro/tgr/pensiunea_vila_elim_baile_1_mai_1004.php

Cox Newsletter - March 2007 (part 1)

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Cox Newsletter - March 2007 (part 2)

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Prayer Update - 1/21/07

Dear Praying Friends:

I’m writing to you today from the airport in Amsterdam, on my way to Cairo. It’s hard to believe that I am typing those words to you, but it’s true.

Later today, I will begin three days of meetings with our Every Generation Ministries staff and board in Egypt to conduct board training, do strategic planning and participate in their board meeting. I’m really looking forward to meeting these precious people whom I’ve been praying for and serving (but haven’t met) since joining the EGM team. God is doing some phenomenal things among children’s workers in Egyptian churches. I’m excited to see it first hand! We are looking to expand our ministry significantly in a number of Middle East countries over the course of the next few years. Your prayers make all the difference!

Here are some prayer needs. I’m so thankful I can count on you to REALLY pray for these needs!

Pray for Julie and Jonathan while I am away. Julie will be leaving on Tuesday to represent EGM at the Children’s Pastors Conference in Orlando, Florida. I’ll join her part way through the conference and we’ll return together on the 29th. (Confused? See itinerary below.) Jonathan is staying with his good friend, Todd. Pray for Julie as she represents EGM at the conference. We are focusing to a large extent on the task of recruitment for some key ministry positions. Pray we connect with the people God has called to serve with EGM.

Pray for me as I am exposed to the unique culture of Egypt for the first time. God has been so faithful in this area in the past, I know I can count on Him. Please pray for great relationships to begin as I will be representing EGM on the Egypt board and will travel there quarterly until a Middle East regional director of God's choosing is called.

Pray for safety for the Egyptian EGM team members. Even being seen with us as American Christians opens them up for increased persecution at times.

Pray for my coworker, John Chapman, as he transitions from Middle East regional director to being deployed by EGM to Peru.


Our Itinerary (Please follow us with your prayers each day!)

Sat, January 20 - Joe leaves for Cairo via Amsterdam

Sun, January 21 - Joe conducts Board Orientation for Egypt board members

Mon, January 22 - Joe leads strategic planning training and exercise with Egypt board and staff. Julie departs for Orlando Children’s Pastors Conference

January 23-27 - Children’s Pastors Conference

Thu, January 25 - Joe travels from Cairo to Orlando

Sun, January 28 - Joe and Julie travel from Orlando to California


We love and appreciate each of you!

Joe (for the Coxes)

Prayer Update - 10/27/06

Hello, praying friends.

I'm in Budapest, Hungary today, participating in a training course for those who lead our children's ministry training conferences here in Hungary. This morning 9 Hungarian children's ministry leaders will gather in the EGM Hungary office for the 2 day training event. I just completed my time in Romania where I participated in a conference for children's workers. I can't begin to tell you in words what it meant to hear their hearts to reach the children and learn the incredible difficulty under which some of them are doing ministry.

I thought I'd share a few photos with you so you can see what it is you're praying for. You are all so precious to me. I wish I could have had you along. The pictures are:


1. Some of the precious children's ministry leaders enjoying a workshop I led on how to really love children through the problems they face and help them share their feelings through the process, this was a completely revolutionary idea to most of them, I later found out.




2. My translator, Alex, and I sharing in the first large group session about foundations of effective children's ministry work.



3. They loved the crafts I brought over for them so another workshop leader could show the teachers how to use crafts to teach the truths of God's Word.

4. The required group picture - all participants and conference speakers.

5. The team that led the conference - a mixture of Romanian national leaders and EGM staff from the USA. By the time the conference was completed, we'd forgotten which was which! Praise the Lord for the opportunity to serve alongside such quality people. The lady in the black on the back row shared so many wonderful stories of serving the Lord under the years of communism - questioning by the police, smuggling Bibles, imprisonment of many friends, etc. We were praising the Lord for the privilege of having this conference in freedom!


Thanks so much for sending me here to these faithful children's ministry leaders! I return to the States on October 29/30 and will leave again for Chile on November 1. This is a fruitful but heavy time of ministry and Julie and I are both feeling the wear and tear! Thanks for lifting us up in prayer!!

Appreciating you as never before,

Joe Cox

Prayer Update - 10/13/06

Hello, faithful prayer partners!

If you’re in a big hurry, here are a few specific prayer needs. If you have time, check out the letter below to get more info. We appreciate you so much!

-Joe, Julie and Jon


Abbreviated Prayer Requests (more info below)

1. Pray for the three dinners in November where EGM friends will be introduced to the International Curriculum Project.

2. Pray for the whole family as Joe travels October 16-November 5 to Romania,Hungary and Chile.

3. Pray for us to find a church home in the Murrieta area.

We have new California cell phone numbers! Please make a note of them and give us a call at…

Joe 951-795-1279

Julie 951-795-1579

Jon 951-795-1318

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Dear Praying Friends,

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers for our family and the ministry of Every Generation Ministries! Do you know that your prayer ministry makes a difference? It does! It encourages us so much to know you will receive this prayer email and immediately talk to the Lord on our behalf. God bless you for your part in seeing churches around the world equipped to effectively ministry to children.

Special thanks to those who so faithfully lifted us before the Lord during our “wedding season.” We’re thankful to see both of our daughters married to neat, Christian guys and feel the weddings brought honor to the Lord. Immediately following Elisabeth’s wedding September 23, we headed back to California for our first-ever EGM International Ministries Staff Summit, held at the “Cox Conference Center!” Our regional leaders and ministry reps met together for 8 days – what a sweet gathering! God really bonded our hearts together and gave us all an increased vision for His work among children around the world. Joe led the meetings while Julie participated between playing hostess and preparing meals for the gang.

On Saturday, October 7, Julie and I headed south of the border to Ensenada, a Mexican city just about 3 hours south of Murrieta, to meet Mexican Christian leaders who are excited about EGM’s plans for expansion to Mexico. It was great to hear one pastor’s heart for the children. During a tour of his humble church facility, he got down on his knee and said (in Spanish), “This is how I tell our children’s ministry leaders to meet the children. It’s our first step in saying we are here for them.” It reminded me of Matthew 18:4,5 where Jesus reminds us to humbly receive the children. Thank you, Lord for this visual reminder!

One need that comes up again and again is the need for curriculum resources. EGM has begun the process of addressing this need with an international curriculum initiative which will be introduced to donors and friends of EGM at three dinners November 2, 17 and 30. Please pray for God to stir the hearts of those will give the over $100,000.00 needed to make the project a reality for children’s workers around the world who have no curriculum to use as they seek to have excellent children’s ministry in their churches.

I’m on the road again starting Monday. Please remember to pray for Julie and Jon while I’m away and follow me with your prayers!

10/16 - Depart for Budapest, Hungary

10/17 - Drive to Cluj, Romania

10/18-21 - Romania Children’s Worker’s Conference

10/22-24 - Meet with Romanian EGM Staff

10/25 - Travel back to Budapest

10/26-29 - Training event for those who lead the training conferences

10/30 - Travel to US

11/1 - Travel to Santiago, Chile

11/2-3 - Chile EGM Board Training

11/4 - Pastor’s Conference

11/5 - Travel to US

As I journey, please know that I take you with me in my heart and often describe you to those I’m reaching. It always touches them to know I have a team of faithful prayer warriors like you behind me.

Joe (for the Cox Family)


PS: Please feel free to forward this information to those you think will appreciate having it. If you need to be removed from our list at any time, we understand and will do so – no questions asked and no hard feelings.