Thank you for your prayers concerning the purchase of land. Trans World Radio (TWR) was able to purchase about 1.3 acres (5400 square meters) of land here in Parakou for houses and an office. Over the next couple of months as TWR builds a wall and works on getting the title deed to land we will truly find out if we are caught in a land dispute. (This may sound a bit strange to some of you who are use to American land deals where title companies, banks, surveyors and appraisers scrutinize the purchase. One of the realities of developing nations is that this type of infrastructure with double and triple checks does not exist. Hence making land purchases without disputes much more difficult.)

Between August 13 and August 19, the new TWR International Director for Africa, Emmanuel Ebennah, will visit Benin for the first time (this is my boss’s boss). The TWR Staff in Benin, Donna and I will be meeting Emmanuel for the first time.

Joining Emmanuel in Benin will be the leader of TWR’s Global Leadership Team, Werner Kromer (who answers directly to the president of TWR) and the TWR Regional Director for West Africa, Abdoulaye Sanhgo (a peer to my boss). We will be working on TWR’s non-government organization (NGO) status, the shortwave license, planning for the shortwave and meeting with TWR Benin (the local Beninese board of directors).

Please pray for unity, clarity and that God would go before us, especially as we meet with government officials concerning TWR’s NGO status and shortwave license. Most of these meetings will take place in Cotonou (six hours from were we live) so I will be away from my family much of this time. Pray for Donna and the kids during my absence. In addition to all of this the Kennedy family leaves on August 12 for a six-week furlough in the UK, Nehemiah leaves for boarding school on August 25 and a new short-term worker arrives on September 3. Pray that we would find our rest in God and that God will give us wisdom to distinguish between the important and the eternal.

In my last prayer blog I asked you to pray for our colleague who was stuck in Ghana with a visa issue. Praise be to God that after a month in Ghana he received his visa and is now back in Benin.

One of the things that we have been working on is purchasing land in Parakou so we can build an office and houses. By God’s grace we are very close to purchasing this land. Please pray that all of the details of this transaction would be handled correctly to help eliminate (or at least reduce) future problems. (Land disputes are a common part of life in Benin.)

We are also working toward having a shortwave transmitter in Benin. Right now we are working on some of the planning details. Pray for wisdom as we work through these details.

The day I wrote the last prayer blog Micah Joy came down with Malaria.  She responded well to the treatment.  This is something that is constantly looming over us.  Most of the time Malaria if treated quickly is not too serious but it can quickly become serious.  Please pray for protection and wisdom.

I would appreciate your prayers that I do not get trapped in the tyranny of the urgent but that I would use my time wisely.

Praise be to God for our safe travels and that all our luggage made it to Benin with us (a truly miraculous feat since we only had 35 minutes to change planes in Casablanca). We have been in Benin just over a week and it is great to be back. While we were away from Benin we changed houses (our old landlord doubled the rent) so this last week has been busy with un-packing and settling into a new house.

It is never easy to say good-bye to family and friends, pack up, travel internationally, un-pack from traveling, un-pack from moving and re-settle. However, God’s sustaining presence has aided us and there has been great joy in our reunion with friends and colleagues here in Benin. Donna has posted a very nice blog about this on the family blog, www.cox-net.com/family_blog.

One of my key colleagues here in Benin, needed a United Kingdom (UK) visa. Since there is not a UK embassy here in Benin he went to Ghana to get his visa. As usual he turned in his passport to the UK embassy, what was supposed to take a couple of days has turned into two and half weeks of waiting. Given that the embassy has his passport he is stuck in Ghana until the embassy returns his passport. Please pray for his visa and passport to be returned quickly.

Also pray for wisdom as we return to the work here in Benin. TWR is pursuing a shortwave license here in Benin, more than likely we will be very involved in this process. Praise God the broadcast has worked without us for five months. Over the next couple of weeks we need to get to speed on what has happened in our absence.

Praises

• Safe and uneventful travel for both our bags and us
• Joyous reunion with friends and colleagues
• Successful broadcasting without us

Prayer Request

• Our colleague seeking a visa in Ghana
• Shortwave license
• Our evaluation of last five months and wisdom on what to change

I have been in Canada taking a conversational French course since April 27 while Donna and the kids have split their time between my mom in New Mexico and Donna’s parents in Texas. Between May 14 and 18 I was able to visit my wife and kids in Dallas. My French course will finish in three weeks and I will be re-united with my family.

While it has not been easy to be away from my family for an extended period of time God has aided us during this time. We would greatly covet your prayers these last three weeks that God’s grace would abound to our marriage and family while we are apart and that everyone (especially our children) would finish this season strong.

Praises:

• While being apart has been difficult, God has sustained us.
• Nehemiah’s acceptance into RVA

Keep in Prayer:

• The team in Benin as they keep up the broadcasting
• Wisdom as TWR makes cuts because of the worldwide economic situation
• Our final preparations for returning to Benin at the end of June

Thanks for your prayers — Paul

The problem with studying any subject is that the more you study the more you realize how little you know about the subject. This is how I feel about French. Since I have arrived in the province of Quebec I have realized how much further I need to be in French. However, by God’s grace, I am making progress.

• Praise God for some good meetings that happened this month in Benin.
• Praise God that Nehemiah has a provisional acceptance to Rift Valley Academy (Kenya) for boarding school in August of this year.
• Praise God I am making headway in French

• Pray for team in Benin as they work on solidifying the operation in Benin and seeking a shortwave license for Benin.
• Pray for our family as I am in Canada while Donna and the kids are in the States.
• Pray for our final preparations to return to Africa at the end of June.

Recently my wife and I were at a forum and had the honor of seeing Susan Sandager do a Corrie ten Boom dramatization. (Corrie ten Boom was a Christian woman who hid Jews in her home during the Holocaust; while Corrie died in 1983 her memory lives on in Susan’s dramatization.) We had the further honor of spending some one on one time with Susan. During this time Susan shared with us her burden to reach the Jewish people and how God had clearly told her: “You Love … I’ll Save.” God revealed to Susan that her job was to love Jewish people and His job was to save. This short saying “You Love … I’ll Save” is a great reminder for all of us that our job is to love and share with those around us; God’s job is to save. (You can learn more about Susan Sandager at www.sandagerpresentations.com.)

On April 28 Paul starts his two month French course in Sherbrooke, Quebec while Donna and the kids will split the two months between New Mexico and Texas.

Praises:

• Great meetings with churches and individuals
• Safety in travel to date (Paul was 400 miles from Sherbrooke at the time of this post)
• Paul’s mom continues to recover

Prayer:

• That we all would show the love of Christ to those around us
• There are some key meetings in Benin during the week of April 27
• That Hausa broadcasts from Benin would impact the Hausa listeners (The Hausa people group represent 24 million unreached people)
• Paul, Donna and the kids as they are separated during Paul’s French studies

A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9

The last two months have been very unexpected. My mom has been in and out of the hospital and is in rehab as I write. Praise be to God that she is improving and regaining her strength, but her medical problems were not in my plan. In reality, my plan was for Grandma to get lots grandkid time and for Donna and I to have time to work on visiting people, paperwork (yes missionaries also have to do paperwork), raising support for the project, being in better touch with family and friends, etc…. While my mom’s health issues were not in my plan, I am very grateful that I was here in the States and able to help. All of this was no surprise to God, in actuality; He directed my steps.

My response needs to be that of faithfulness and obedience as the Lord directs my steps. My response needs to be a continued death to self and a continued surrender to the Spirit so that the fruit of the Spirit abounds to my life and my source of strength is in Him who directs my steps. My response needs to be a willingness to let go of my plans (i.e. the long to-do list) and embrace His direction (even if that means not getting everything checked off).

Please pray for the following:

• The team in Benin as they carry on with the work
• The needed funding for TWR
• More people to work both in Benin (and worldwide) with TWR
• My mom’s continued recovery
• The last bit of time I have with my family before I go to language school in Canada.

The last several weeks have been a roller coaster ride with my (Paul) mom’s health. She has been in the hospital a total of 17 days (11 days the first time plus 7 and counting the second time). Six different specialists have seen her; she has had numerous tests and still no definitive diagnosis or prognosis. While she is doing better at the time of this writing (Mar. 17, 10:10AM) this has been a reminder for me that Christian hope is not in the wonders of medical technology but in the eternal life for those who believe in Christ.

I would covet your prayers for the following:

• God’s healing for my mom
• God’s peace and rest while dealing with medical uncertainties
• Provision for the needed workers and funds for TWR Benin (and TWR worldwide)
• Balance between home assignment responsibilities and caring for my mom

The last several weeks have been very busy with lots of travel and this week we have tried to unbury from emails and paper work. The real test has been remembering that God is sovereign over our to-do list. We can trust Him with what is accomplished and not accomplished and we can rest in the fact that His work will be completed in His time.

• Pray that we will rest in God and trust Him with our to-do list.
• Pray that the Lord will raise up more people to pray (maybe even send this blog to a friend).
• Pray that the Lord will raise up more people to work in Benin and with TWR worldwide.
• Pray that the Lord will raise up the needed funds for the broadcasts from Benin (around 300,000).