Many of you will remember, we fasted and prayed in February for some critical issues in Benin. As of yet, the Lord has not answered many of our prayers so we believe that a second time has come for intense prayer thanking and praising God for the fantastic things He has done and impassioned prayer against the spiritual forces of darkness. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses” 2 Corinthians 10:3-4. If the balance on some key issues in Benin is to be tipped it will be tipped by spiritual means like prayer and fasting. To this end we are asking for God’s people to join us in fasting and prayer the week of 19 – 23 September. Below are the items for which to pray and to praise God:

Prayers and Praises (Grey smaller print represents additional information)

Shortwave License: Pray that the final office in the Benin government that has to approve the short wave license would do so in a way that is favorable. Also pray that the details of the license will grant TWR the flexibility needed. Praise God with us that the other office in the Benin government responsible for granting the license has responded favorably to TWR. Additional Information: The broadcast schedule of the AM transmitter in Benin is full. Right now if we want to add another ministry it would require dropping current programming. As you can see from the Progress of the Gospel Map  (Red – Unreached People Groups, Yellow – Formative and Green – Established) Benin is strategically located.  Increasing our ministry capacity is critical. Map from: Joshua Project, Progress of the Gospel by People Group Map [map on-line] (accessed 16 Jan 2011); available from http://www.joshuaproject.net/great-commission-maps.php

Benin Staffing Needs: Pray that God would provide the right people at the right time. There is an immediate and urgent need for a Broadcast Engineer and a Mechanic & Maintenance Person. In addition we are looking for an administrative assistant. Praise God that there is a small, but effective team in Benin. Pray for protection, spiritual growth, skill development and ongoing discipleship. Additional Information: The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. There is a tremendous potential for harvest here in Benin and more harvesters are essential.

Broadcasting on AM since 2008: Praise God that since February 2008 TWR has been broadcasting from Benin using AM. Additional Information: There are a potential of 190 million people who can hear the gospel and biblical teaching on this transmitter.

Non-Government Organization (NGO) Status: Pray for God’s wisdom as we move forward with this complicated process. Dr. Mbennah is planning on being in Benin during this week of fasting and prayer. Pray that the Lord will grant success. Additional Information: NGO Status is equivalent to a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the USA. This status will give TWR important tax benefits.

Title Deed for Parakou compound: Praise God that the mayor’s office has completed and announced a survey that allows us to proceed to the next steps. Pray for God‘s favor and wisdom as we proceed. Additional Information: TWR has purchased 1.3 acres in Parakou for  housing and an office.

Title Deed for Broadcasting site:
Praise God that this important document is complete. Additional Information: The broadcasting site is located 26 kilometers (as a crow flies) from Parakou.

Two failures at Broadcasting site: The FTP computer crashed and the UPS failed. Praise be to God that temporary solutions were quickly implemented and that no airtime was lost due to these two failures. Please pray for these to items to be repaired and returned to service.

Eric and Martha Cherry: Eric and Martha are missionaries in northern Benin amongst an unreached people group. On August 25 Christopher, their 10-year-old son died of malaria. Please pray that God would be gloried through this tragedy and that He would use Christopher’s death to further His kingdom in northern Benin. (See our prayer blog for more reflections on the Cherry family and Christopher’s death www.cox-net.com/prayer_blog/?p=293) Additional Information: The entire Cherry family had been struggling with the flu so when Christopher got sick they presumed he also had the flu. When he did not improve but got worse they took him to the hospital. The hospital discovered Christopher had Malaria and started treating him. The next morning on August 25, despite the hospital’s best efforts, Christopher died. Later that day Christopher’s body was transported to where the family lives in Northern Benin and the next morning he was buried on the Cherry family’s new property.

We realize that not everyone will be able to fast for an entire week, although we would ask you to seek God as to how much and what type of fasting you would do as we pray against the spiritual forces of darkness and thank God for what He has done.

If you have never fasted before, we highly recommend that you try this important spiritual discipline, whether with us the week of 19 – 23 September or another time. Campus Crusade for Christ has produced a simple guide to fasting that can be found at: http://www.ccci.org/training-and-growth/devotional-life/personal-guide-to-fasting/index.htm

The other day I drove up to visit Eric and Martha Cherry, my dear friends who lost their son, Christopher, to Malaria. As it turns out, the whole family had been struggling with the flu so when Christopher got sick they presumed he also had the flu. When he did not improve but got worse they took him to the hospital. The hospital discovered Christopher had Malaria and started treating him. The next morning on August 25, despite the hospital’s best efforts, Christopher died. Later that day Christopher’s body was transported to where the family lives in Northern Benin and the next morning he was buried on the Cherry family’s new property.

As I interacted with Eric and Martha I saw a beautiful grace in the midst of their terrible loss and profound mourning. The characteristic graciousness, concern and care to, and for others that mark the Cherry family beautifully poured out of their lives in midst of their own intense pain. They were in no way trying to gloss over their pain but were fully leaning into the pain of their loss and at the same time letting God’s grace bestow joy, kindness and graciousness. I truly do not have the words to describe the loveliness I saw in the midst of heartache.

I have talked to others who interacted and helped the Cherry family and all have commented on this beauty and strength of character in the Cherry family. Hospital staff completely blown away that Martha went out of her way after the death of Christopher to say thank you for their efforts. Eric’s deep concern for Christopher’s Beninese friends and his assurance to them that Christopher is in heaven. On and on the stories could go.

The beauty of grace in the lives of the Cherries has deeply impacted me. I hope and pray that my visit to them brought some measure of encouragement. However, the wonderfully beautiful grace of God that poured out of their lives during their own affliction has tremendously encouraged and challenged me. Oh Lord, may I surrender to you so that your grace can pour out rather than my own efforts.

We are friends with a very dear family (parents and four children) who are missionaries in the Northern part of Benin, this morning (August 25, 2011) we learned that their 10-year-old son just died of Malaria. At this point in time, we have limited details about what happened. Please for this family as they mourn the loss of their son and deal with details of an American dying aboard. We are a close missionary community and we are all very, very sad.

We are in Cotonou, the capital, as Donna and the kids fly out for Kenya later tonight. As you remember from the last prayer blog, the kids start school in Kenya next week and from Kenya Donna leaves for the states to spend concentrated time with her father whose is in poor health. Please pray for Donna and the kids as they are leaving Benin when their hearts are with their dear friends.

In addition, on Tuesday there were two critical failures at the Benin Transmitting Site (BTS). We praise God that these failures have yet to cause an off air situation. However, if the temporary solutions are not implemented quickly it could lead to BTS being off air. Pray for timely execution of temporary measures and reparation of the failures.

Three out of five in the Cox household have had malaria in the last few weeks and four out of five have had some type of viral infection. Miriam had the worst of it as she had malaria and the viral infection at the same time. While it has been no fun being sick, we are thankful that the malaria cases and viral infections have been relatively mild. Praise God with us that no one has been really sick and ask God for complete healing of those with lingering maladies.

In general, I perceive myself to have above average intelligence. However, in the past few weeks there was a noteworthy problem due to my very own management stupidity; no one else to blame but myself for inadequate procedures for an important process. God was very gracious to the work of TWR to keep this problem from being too damaging: Praise be to His name. Pray with us for wisdom in ensuring all our processes have simple but adequate procedures that are followed.

Nehemiah and Micah Joy have been home from boarding school so it has been great to have the whole family together and we praise God for the good times and memories. On Wednesday the Cox family leaves for Cotonou and onto various destinations. All the kids will be headed to Kenya and boarding school at Rift Valley Academy (RVA). This will be Miriam’s first semester at RVA so please keep her in your prayers as she adjusts to life in boarding school. Nehemiah will be starting high school and Micah Joy will be starting middle school so pray for them as they adjust to these changes. Donna will be traveling with the kids to RVA for the mandatory new parent/student orientation with Miriam. After which, she will head to the USA to be with her father, whose health is frail, for a few weeks where her time will be focused on her parents.

From time to time in this blog I write very honestly and bluntly about some of my struggles; this is one of those blogs. If reading blatant honesty from a missionary is not your cup of tea please feel free to skip this blog.

The past few weeks I have been pretty jaded and disillusioned with ministry, missionary life and the tasks before me. Life as a missionary is not always a bed of roses and even the best organizations have their moments when everything is not as it should be. So I have my seemingly well-justified reasons for my jadedness and disillusionment (as do all disenchanted people). However, all my well-justified reasons came under the scrutiny of one simple question: Whom do you serve?

This simple question of whom do you serve, shattered all my reasons and justifications for being jaded and disillusioned. If I serve myself when things are not rosy or something is not as it should be, then any unmet demands for change become justification for a jaundiced attitude. On the other hand, if I serve God in the midst of difficulty or less than ideal situations then these items are His responsibility and His command to me is to rejoice in all circumstances.

Please pray for my obedience to rejoice in all circumstances. Also a number of projects seem to be two steps forward then one step back and I am in the midst of negative progress. Pray for faithfulness to the Lord in the tasks at hand. Pray for the faith to trust God to provide the outcomes He desires.

The last three weeks have involved intensive travel. Major event one was helping New Covenant Church with an unreached people group survey. Major event two was numerous key meetings here in Benin.

Praise God that Dr Emmanuel Mbennah (TWR’s International Director for Africa), Rev. Abdoulaye Sangho (TWR’s Area Director for West Africa) and I had a good meeting last week concerning TWR’s shortwave license and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) status. We are thankful that we were able to meet with key government officials and that they are still positive concerning the shortwave license. Pray for God to move powerfully in regards to the shortwave license.

A while back (15 February) I reported that the NGO status process had hit a problem. We praise God that a way forward is ahead of us and that all are in unity on this path. Pray for the many details of execution and new tasks required.

As usual I returned from my travels with many items with which to follow up on. In order to move the NGO status forward there are some new tasks that demand my attention. My next trip for Regional Management Team meetings in South Africa is in less than two weeks. Please pray that God would help me with the new tasks, the many items of follow up and connecting with my family.

In my last blog I told about two major events on the horizon: Bud and Chris’ visit to Benin to survey an unreached people group and Dr Mbennah’s trip to Benin to work on NGO status and shortwave. Since then, Bud, Chris, Donna, Miriam and I have driven over many roads, met with lots people and have surveyed one unreached people group in Benin. While all the travel was exhausting, it was good to meet new friends, see old ones, hear of some progress reaching this people group and dream about how God would glorify Himself among this people group. Thank you so much for your prayers. Please keep Bud and Chris in your prayers as they are still in West Africa surveying other unreached people groups. Please pray that God would speak clearly to New Covenant Church about their involvement with the unreached.

Major event two (Dr. Mbennah’s trip to Benin) is very rapidly approaching. We praise God that some critical meetings are actually on the calendar and another has been promised but not yet booked. Please pray for the logistics of booking this last meeting. Please pray for favor in the eyes of God and man, wisdom as Dr. Mbennah interfaces with people, and for endurance.

Needless to say with major events like this there are lots of logistics. As I write, my vehicle is in a parking lot not wanting to run. Please specifically pray that it can be fixed quickly and easily. In addition, there have been a number of schedule changes due to complications and problems. Please pray for God’s grace and providence to abound and that my confidence would rest in Him.

Tomorrow morning I leave to meet up with Bud and Chris who are pastors from New Covenant Church (NCC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Donna and I helped start this church and it is near and dear to our hearts. NCC is praying about engaging with an unreached people group in West Africa and will survey four unreached people groups in West Africa to see where God might lead. Next week Donna and Miriam will join Bud, Chris and I to help survey one of these people groups in Northern Benin.

Everyone is pretty excited about this trip. Both Donna and I are passionate about unreached people groups so it will be exciting to help with this survey and have fellowship with Bud and Chris at the same time. In addition, Donna, Miriam and I will get to see some dear missionary friends who are living and working among one of these people groups in Northern Benin. Please pray that God would clearly speak to NCC about where, when and how they should engage the unreached. Pray for all the travel and logistics involved with this trip.

The next major event on the horizon is Dr Mbennah’s visit to Benin. He arrives a few days after Bud and Chris leave. As you know from previous blogs he is coming to work on the TWR’s NGO status and a shortwave license for Benin.  The preparation for his trip has already begun. Please pray for the continued preparation of Dr Mbennah’s visit. Pray that God would start even now to move in the hearts of government officials. Pray for all the logistics of the travel and meetings.

Lastly, on a personal note, I would covet your prayers as I have a tendency to lose focus on the beauty of the Savior during busy times like the next three weeks. Pray that God would be all to me.

This morning during my quiet time I read Psalms 62. The first verse struck me as I read it: “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.” Last night I did not sleep well with my task list and all of its uncompleted tasks racing through my mind. Yet as I read this verse I was confronted with the question of whether my soul really finds rest in God alone or if I find some rest in completing a task? Oh Lord, as with the psalmist, may I claim to find rest in You alone.

Many thanks to those who prayed for the advance work that is being done for Dr Mbennah’s trip to Benin. My trip to Cotonou went well and so far by God’s grace the advance planning is going well. Please continue to keep the advance planning and Dr. Mbennah’s trip during the second week of June in your prayers. Two the key items for which many of you fasted and prayed (NGO status and shortwave license) will be the focus of Dr. Mbennah’s trip.

Within a few days of the arrival of Dr. Mbennah our colleagues will return from furlough and two summer interns will arrive. Needless to say it will be a busy time. Pray that everything goes well with all these people arriving.

Later today I travel to Cotonou for meetings on a couple of the issues for which many of you fasted and prayed: NGO status and short wave license. There has already been some fruit from the fasting and praying in these areas. However, much still needs to be done.

To this end and in an effort to move these things forward, Dr Mbennah (the International Director for TWR in Africa) is planning on coming to Benin the second week in June to work on these things.

Pray that while I am in Cotonou the needed advance work for Dr. Mbennah’s trip will be successful and that God would move in the hearts of many for favorable responses to the NGO status and short wave license. As always when I travel please pray for those keeping the home fires burning and for safety on the road.

On another front, I recently had the opportunity for some tele-coaching. One of the things that was surfaced was the need to cut deep into my tasks list and decide which things I should just drop and which tasks need to be done at some other point in time. As I have worked on this I have come to the deeper realization of the need to trust God with His work. He will get done what He desires when He desires it. My job is not to accomplish the tasks but to be faithful. Pray that I would be faithful and have wisdom to cut deep into my tasks list.