Welcome Patricia!

Last Wednesday, CLM received a new girl. Patricia is 9 years old and had previously been in the government group home with her three brothers. Due to several attempts at running away, she was brought to CLM. Please pray for her continual adaptation and for dealing with the deep pain of being separated from her mother and brothers. Also pray for her mother to recover from her addiction and lifestyle so she can provide a better life for her children.

A Prayer Request

No word yet on the visa or our house...yet we are confident that He will complete what He has begun. We covet your prayers as we wait on Him.

In Colossians 1:9-12, Paul models this prayer: "We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what He wants to do in your lives, and we ask Him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with His glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people." Thank you for partnering in prayer with us!

Bake Sale Blessing!

Last week, I was so blessed by the third grade students at my school! (These are students that I would have had in my class this year if I hadn't resigned to leave for Brazil.) Two of them had the idea of having a bake sale during parent-teacher conferences to raise money for CLM. Rebecca and Payton (along with their younger brother, Logan and their parents) talked with other students and hung up flyers around the community to advertise. They raised almost $300! I was so impressed with their genuine concern for children that they will probably never meet.

A Ministry Opportunity

Last night, we had the privilege of joining a friend of ours who ministers at the Total Living Center at 9th and Harrison in Canton. (Thanks for inviting us, Christina!) TLC provides those in need with a hot lunch every day and dinner three days a week. The gospel is preached, an altar call for salvation and healing is offered, and gifts and groceries are generously given at each service. They also have a free clinic and offer free legal services. We were humbled by the obvious basic needs of those who live right here in our community. It was truly an eye-opener of the mission field in our own backyard.

Pastor Bartow and his wife, Mary started this ministry 15 years ago--AFTER retiring from the pastorate. He is now 82 years old! The gospel message to feed the poor and heal the sick is lived out each day through their genuine love and obedience. Pastor Bartow told us that it's the only church he knows that gives more each week than they get in the offering plate! We would definitely recommend that you check this great ministry out for yourself.

Wet Cement

"The spirit of a little child is a lot like wet cement. When a child is young, it takes little effort to make an impression that can last a lifetime."

I was sharing tonight with my friend, Stacey about how I believe our MDs ("missionary dogs") are going to make a lasting impression on the kids at CLM. I have learned many spiritual lessons from Maggie and Mocha. Most importantly, is the tangible expression of unconditional love. It doesn't matter how I look or what I've done--they greet me with wags and kisses, and a look that screams, "I have the best mom in the whole world!" If I've been gone for only a few minutes or a few weeks, their reaction is the same--uninhibited, genuine excitement that we are together again. They don't care what I'm doing, they just want to spend time with me--the closer the better. (Isn't that God's desire of us?) I think about how comforting they are to me and I know their impact on the children will even be greater. Please pray for their travel experience and adjustment to Brazilian wildlife (porcupines, tarantulas, and scorpions...oh my!)

Dear Lord, help me to be the person my dog thinks I am!

Future World-changers

We just had the privilege of hearing Fred Markert of YWAM speak at our church. He has been involved with spreading the Gospel all over the world and his passion is inspiring future missionaries. We actually heard him speak two years ago at a conference in Colorado right before our first trip to Brazil. He talked about how physical circumstances are a reflection of the spiritual realm. I believe that those words were a precursor to what God had in store for us at CLM. Mike and I received prophetic words for the kids that would have seemed impossible because of their situation. One was for a 15-year-old boy who had been physically abused by his parents in his first few years of life. God said that he was a mighty warrior--how appropriate that God would speak strength and power into a boy who had known so much fear! The next day, that scared little boy asked Jesus into his heart!

As we have prayed about CLM and our role there over the past few months, I have said over and over that I believe the children at CLM are going to become missionaries themselves. When we spoke to Fred at the end of the service, I was elated by his words of confirmation about this very thing. I had mentioned that we had spent time in India and the Middle East and with the need for missionaries there so great, it seemed ironic that we would be called to Brazil (the second largest Christian country in the world!). He immediately said, "Oh no--not at all! You are going to be raising world-changers! People from Latin and South America are the best people to minister to Muslims. Those children are going to be missionaries!" Please pray for the future missionaries at CLM as you remember to pray for us.

Baruch

We've added some beautiful pictures of some of our "kids" along the sidebar. They are from our first trip in '04 and I can't believe how much they have changed. Valdecleia, Rosenilda, Franciele, Elielton, Lucilene, and Anderson are just a few of the children who captured our hearts. Our trips to CLM have shown me how much God adores the poor and the outcast--it felt like He was loving each of them directly through Mike and me. I also sensed God's pleasure and approval stronger than I had ever experienced before.

The word for blessing in Hebrew is "baruch." It literally means being hunted down and pursued by the favor of the Lord. I believe that God's favor was so evident at CLM because these precious children are so close to His heart! I pray that His favor will also find you as you seek His call for your life.

Fields of the Fatherless

My dear friend, Kendra, recently gave me the book, "Fields of the Fatherless," by C. Thomas Davis. Her youngest daughter, Lauren, was born in China and spent her first year of life in an orphanage. After opening their hearts and homes to this beautiful little girl, Steve and Kendra and their oldest daughter, Haley have been changed forever. They are now very actively involved with encouraging others to adopt because of the abundant joy and fulfillment they have experienced.

The book shared some startling statistics: "There are more than 70 million orphans in the world. At least 35,000 children under the age of five die every day as a result of malnutrition or starvation, and there are at least one million children currently suffering under the oppression of forced prostitution. At least 100 million children are involved in child labor, and 1.5 million children are currently affected by AIDS."

Did you know that Scripture mentions the importance of caring for these children more than 60 times? Much of what the author shares about his experience matches exactly how Mike and I felt during our time in Brazil. I look forward to sharing more about the book in my next post. Thanks Kendra for this special gift!

The Missions Festival

Last night was our missions festival at church--and we had such a wonderful time! Hundreds of people attended and by the looks of it, everyone enjoyed themselves. There were lots of booths with games and activities to call attention to the work God is doing around the world. (And, as always, the free homemade ice cream was a hit!) We were blessed by the number of people that stopped by our booth to ask about CLM and "our kids" in Brazil. The children had fun beading bracelets in the colors of the Brazilian flag--although we had a few mishaps while trying to tie some of them! We asked them to remember to pray specifically for salvation, restoration, and an abundance of hope to be poured out over each child in the CLM family.

A Divine Appointment

On October 18th, our church is having a missions festival to bring awareness to the various outreaches that we support. Mike and I thought it would be fun to have the children that visit our booth make bracelets with beads in the colors of the Brazilian flag. Each color would be a reminder of how they could pray for the children at CLM. Well, we were at Wal-mart today and another customer asked us what we were looking for. I told her that we were looking for some type of twine or elastic to make bracelets. She suggested that we try Pat Catan's, a local craft store. I went on to say that we were making prayer bracelets for our missions festival at church. She immediately said that she wanted to support our cause! She explained that she lost her 20-year-old daughter to congestive heart failure and each year tried to do something in her memory. We talked for the next 15 minutes about the orphanage in Brazil, the tragic losses that she had experienced, and the grace that Jesus gives us each day. She shared with me that she is on a donor list for a heart transplant. We exchanged hugs and email addresses, knowing that God's hand had brought us together. Please join with us as we pray for Nancy. May you also encounter God in a unique and surprising way today!

Thanks Aunt Mel!

Maggie and Mocha wanted to send a special thank you to their Aunt Mel for their bandanas! We had to take a trip to the vet today to remove Maggie's stitches and their surprise was in the mailbox when we returned. Melody said her company may even use our dogs for advertising the bandanas! Our "MDs" might be famous! Click on the flashing badge below on the right to check out our flickr page for more CUTE pics of our pups.

Maggie on the Mend

Thanks for your prayers for our little girl, Maggie. She had a very successful surgery on Tuesday evening to repair a partial tear of the cruciate in her stifle. (Do I sound like a vet?!) In human terms, it was an ACL rupture in her hind leg that eventually would have caused lameness. Our first consultation was rather discouraging because it was going to cost $1300 and leave our little athlete without any unleashed activity for 12 weeks. After talking to another veterinarian (who happens to be a believer active in missions to Brazil and Africa), we decided to have the procedure done at his clinic--and saved over $500! (Now I'm starting to sound like a Geico commercial!) We are thankful that we were able to take care of this now before leaving for Brazil--and are confident that God's timing is perfect. Please continue to pray for a quick and complete recovery--and that Mocha doesn't get too jealous of her sister's extra attention!

Chosen Possessions

When we went to Syria in August of 2001, we knew that it was only for a year. We sold our house but put most of our stuff in storage. I remember unpacking boxes and wondering, "Why in the world did we keep this?" I realized that many of our "precious" things weren't so valuable after all.

Now, in preparation to leave for Brazil for an indefinite amount of time, we are faced again with the decision of what to take, what to store, and what to sell. We have opted with the latter for the most part, and are currently sitting in a fairly empty house. The few things that remain(our bed, washer and dryer)are already sold but the new owners have graciously allowed us to use them until we leave!

This morning as I read James 1:18, God reminded me again that I was His chosen possession. It was a timely scripture since I have been contemplating my own belongings and their value. If God had a huge cosmic "garage sale," His children would be the only thing tucked away as "keepers!" There are many beautiful places and awesome things in the world--but I am His chosen possession! He chose me even before I chose Him! WOW--that's worth smiling about! Thank You, JESUS--because of You, my value will never depreciate!

Simplicity

Ok. You are probably asking yourself, "Why would I shave my head?" Sit back and let me give you my thoughts on the subject. I truly believe that there is no one in the world quite like a missionary. We believe in a God we cannot see and hear his voice but not with our ear. We believe he tells us to leave our families, friends and homes to go to a people we do not know. With an incredible amount of faith, we go to lay down our lives in the service of our Lord in the hopes that an unknown people may come to know his love -- all along hearing a small voice in the back of our minds saying things like, "Am I crazy, what am I doing?" Along this journey a missionary has his/her life sifted right before their eyes. They begin to see the insignificant things in their life stripped away so they are left with those things that truly matter. Things like family and friends, the very things we are leaving. So, back to my original question, "Why would I shave my head?" For me it has become an outward sign, all be it a pretty significant one, of my journey to "simplify" my life. It's more eye catching than a Christian t-shirt and less painful than a tattoo. I would also like to share with you some additional benefits to having a shaved head.
1. I save ten minutes per day getting ready which means I just gained 60 hours of free time per year.
2. I save about $200 per year on hair products and haircuts.
3. My hats fit better.
4. I am more aerodynamic.
5. I either look younger or tougher. You choose.
6. The glare from my head can blind people.
7. People think I can sing like Chris from American Idol.
8. I never have a bad hair-day.
9. It's easier to paint my face for sporting events.
10. THE BEST ONE IS...Mary loves it!

If you think that I am over simplifying the issue...I suppose that's the point.

Reflections from MTI

I just realized that I skipped from arriving in Colorado to the Roadrunner fiasco with no mention of the incredible things that happened at MTI! Allow me to digress--since I don't feel like trying to figure out right now how to juxtapose these last two entries!

The concepts we were taught and experienced during the three weeks of our training were life-changing to say the least. Before we left, I had been studying in Hebrews and had spent much time reflecting on the passage in 12:5 that encourages us to "endure hardship as discipline." Not a very feel-good scripture but one that I thought I had learned much about during the past two years while my mom was sick. I have come to know that God allows turmoil in our life for many reasons but mainly because He loves us and wants us to trust Him more. When "life is good," there obviously isn't as great a need to cling to Christ like we do when our world seems to be falling apart. During our time at MTI, I was reminded of this EVERY day! We heard true stories from missionaries who have walked through the "valley of weeping" and can attest that He redeemed every tear they shed. The three concepts that I've reviewed over and over in my head are 1) God is God, 2) God is good, and 3) God isn't always safe but He is faithful. I think I was okay with the first two but the third one...? This one took some soul-searching and and some digging up of fears I had hidden away for "safe"-keeping. Our instructor reminded us of an excerpt from The Chronicles of Narnia when the children ask if Aslan is safe, and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver tell them, "Of course He's not safe--He's a lion!" God is going to allow ugly things to happen, knowing that when we trust in Him, He will turn them into something beautiful.

Connected at Last

Upon returning from Colorado after being "wireless" for three weeks, we have been suffering from internet withdrawal. We met so many wonderful people with wonderful stories and wonderful blogs--and the library is not the most conducive location for reflective perusals of our new friends' journal entries! We had thought we would soon be leaving for Cincy to stay with the fam before travelling to Brazil but alas, God's timing is always better than our timing. After much contemplation(and several unfulfilling visits to the library), we decided to take the plunge. Yesterday was the BIG day--or should I say the extremely long and frustrating day??? The Roadrunner guy was supposed to come between 8am and 10am--early, yes, we know. We wanted to get it out of the way so we would have the rest of the day to do whatever. WELL, at 11:30 (no one in sight) we call and are told that the technician should be knocking on the door any second. Oh, naive Cochrans--we wait until about 12:30pm and call again. We are connected with an automated service that tells us they will return our call in 55 minutes. We are told that we would have service within a half hour. The Cochrans--slightly skeptical at this point--wait until about 3:30 before calling again, at which time we are assured that someone would arrive in about 45 minutes--we are the next on the list. (Weren't we the FIRST on the list???) At 4:55pm, a young man apologetically arrives, explaining that two people called off work that morning and he had to cover for them. We had an enjoyable chat with Brandon who gave us his phone number when he left because of his interest in the possibility of renting our house while we are in Brazil!

As I sit and enjoy our high-speed connection today, I wonder about expectation. How so many times in my life I have grasped on to what I think would be the "best" scenario for a particular situation. How many times I've looked so eagerly ahead to the final result that I've missed out on the process and what God wanted to show me. We were so frustrated yesterday because things didn't work out exactly as we had anticipated. I'm reminded that I should be grateful when plans change because God's hand has manipulated them for His glory--not for my selfish gain. He alone knows what is best for us!

The Training

We arrived yesterday in Colorado to attend MTI--Mission Training International. There are 38 adults and 23 children here that will soon be sent out to 23 different countries around the world! We have been blessed by their stories and amazed at God's unique way of bringing us together. We have met so many people that are connected with Brazil and are excited to begin networking with them. There is even a woman here who is from the same state where CLM is located! We also talked with a woman who taught us about BLOGS--what a great way to share our journey with all of you! :) She has been called to teach in an orphanage in Jamaica and we were blessed to see beautiful pictures of her "kids." Many others have shared their stories and the wonderful way that God is leading them to share the love of Christ with a lost and dying world. We've only been here a few hours and we are already amazed at all that has happened in such a short time--and we will be here for three weeks!

The Call

After visiting CLM in 2004 on a short-term missions trip, we knew it was different than any of our other overseas experiences. The children captured our hearts and God did an amazing work in our lives. We returned the following summer and realized that God was calling us to minister as full-time missionaries. We have spent this past year applying for our visa, selling everything we own, praying for the children, studying Portuguese. . .and waiting for God's perfect timing. We are hoping to receive our visa in early September and be in Brazil by November 1st to begin an intensive language program. Please pray for us!