Cox Family News

So what exactly is a debrief?

coxnews — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:04:54 +0000

Tomorrow is the last day of our Debrief and Renewal (DAR) retreat outside of Colorado Springs. And it’s also the day we start the rest of our ten week furlough road trip to the west. It has been a rich and rewarding week for all of us. Tabby and I have really enjoyed the time to process and reflect with the skillful counselors here at the retreat. Jack and Lily have had a ball doing their own debrief as well as tobogganing across the snow covered hills. Today I wanted to share a little about the debriefing itself. The DAR retreat, hosted by MTI, is designed to help missionaries with transitioning between the home culture (the USA) and the host culture (Ethiopia). The aim is to equip us with practical tools to process our past and to help us develop habits to maintain spiritual and emotional health as we traverse the US by mini-van, sleeping in a different bed every night, in order to share what God is doing in Ethiopia. I have included a little video clip for an illustration. I hope it’s as helpful in your understanding as it has been to our own.

Blessings, Trent

Trying something new

coxnews — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:57:13 +0000

We are trying our hand at video-blogging while we are in the US and have the internet speed needed for it. In the next blog I’ll tell you more about our debriefing at MTI and hopefully get some footage from the trip out west. Thanks for partnering with us. Trent

Still awake…

coxnews — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:33:23 +0000

Going through my photos and just found this one…Jack and Lily enjoying their first fall with cousin Suzie.

Unfortunately I didn’t get even one good Christmas photo. How sad is that??

Notes from Florida…

coxnews — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:07:24 +0000

Today is the first day I’ve been away from my kids – ever. Well, that’s not entirely true…Jack has had a couple sleep overs with his cousins, but aside from that..nada.

Well, that all changed when we sent them to stay at my sister’s house.

And then flew to Florida. On my birthday.

I know. I’m crazy. My babies are in TX and I’m in FL – way too many miles away. What was I thinking??

I’ve talked to them on the phone. No tears yet, but they’re a little unsettled. Pray that they continue to have a wonderful time with their cousins and do well in our absence.

“Why are you in Florida?” you ask.

Well, several reasons, I guess. The main reason is that we will be attending the NAVC (North American Veterinary Conference) in Orlando Jan 14-18. We are required to get so many hours of continuing education to maintain our license, and large conferences like these allow one to get all their CE hours at one time. We will also be sharing at a couple vet functions during the conference. And since we were coming to Florida anyway, we decided to tie in a visit to ECHO, a place we’ve wanted to visit for a while. We’ll talk there too. Along the way, we are meeting supporters and visiting friends and, believe it or not, family, for as I write, I am sitting in the living room of Trent’s Aunt Lois, whom I had never met. She has opened her home to us and we are delighted to be here with her.

Well, it’s now midnight and I must retire. Can’t believe it’s that late. Can’t believe I’m not more tired than I am. Definitely one of the benefits of being childless…

Latest Outreach Report

coxnews — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:36:33 +0000

Here is the report on the latest outreach to the tribes of the South Omo. The outreach was led by Mr. Bark Fahnestock, our replacement while on furlough. Thank you all so much for praying for this work. God Bless you all and May you enjoyed a God-saturated New Year. Trent
On Tuesday, December 13, 2011, Marcus Lehmann and Helimission flew Markos, Maala, Daniel, the 11th grade Nyangatom lad in Jinka (he and Maala had come to Alduba the previous evening), and Bark to western Ethiopia. The purpose of the trip was to locate Taposa and, using Ben Skaggs’ CPG material, share the gospel with them. Trent and Marcus had suggested the focus be where they had previously done outreach—a place called Lobatulia (or Lorumor). To our surprise, we discovered the people in this area are all Nyangatom, that the Taposa are evidently not in Ethiopia at this time of year (at least not in this area), having taken their cattle further west into the Sudan. The initial landing was to the south end of a series of villages, separated from one another by a kilometer or two. Some 25 adults, mostly women, came out of this southern-most village to greet us. The older men among them recommended we camp a short distance further north. We moved the helicopter and set up camp under a pair of trees. A group of older men with an assortment of automatic weapons sat in the shade with us for several hours. We used the opportunity to explain why we had come—to tell them about God and the salvation He offered. Markos spoke to them about that. The men responded with evident appreciation and explained that we were very welcome, that there were three things they hoped we would bring to them. First, was truth about God. Second, they needed medicine for their cattle, and thirdly, they wanted school for their children. They spoke about the treatment that had been provided earlier for their cattle and hoped the doctor would come again. We assured them that he would. We encouraged them to pray about these needs and offered to pray right then with them about these matters. They thought that was good. They then gave us their blessings, asking God to bless our trip, our teaching, our health, the helicopter, and a half dozen other things. The leader would pronounce the blessing on each of these, at which all the rest would repeat it. That evening we trekked back to original village where Daniel, Markos and Maala spoke to a small gathering, again mostly women. We stumbled back to the campsite in the dark without getting lost or breaking a leg, and ended our day.

The next morning we visited another small village to the east. The three or four people there suggested we go on further to a larger village. There, a number of men (some were among the men who had come to our campsite yesterday) and women gathered under a tree to listen to us. Markos, Maala and I spoke with Daniel interpreting our Amharic. When we finished they all applauded! Two women stood up and told us that this is what they needed to know and wanted us to come back, spend time with them, and tell them more because, as they said, “We may know how God created Adam and then woman from his rib and how they sinned and all of us are sinners; but we don’t know anything else about what God does, but we do trust Him. We need to know what He says.” They also mentioned medicine and teaching for their children. On the way out of that village we stopped and prayed for a young mother and her sick infant.

“What’s an oreo?”

coxnews — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:22:16 +0000

This has to be my favorite quote from Jack since landing in Texas last month. Runner up is, “This is the best food ever!” which he exclaimed while eating a Sonic grilled cheese sandwich. I mean honestly, of all the things my kids do without, American processed and artificially colored sliced cheese was not one I counted on them missing. PLEASE. Or how about, “what’s the white stuff?” as he looked at a fish laying on a bed of ice at the Pike Place Market in Seattle. I’m sure the people around us where thinking “poor kid,” or “education these days,” as they shook their heads in wonder. Oh the homeschool challenges when you live in the tropics Needless to say, I seized the opportunity and quickly launched into a lesson on the properties of water.

We just returned from a wonderful 10 days at our CVM home office in Seattle. It was great seeing everyone again and being able to share in person what we’ve been up to and what we envision for the future. There was lots of laughter too – vets are just alot of fun, what else can I say?

Now we’re back in Texas enjoying Christmas lights, time with family and getting ready for Christmas. It’s a special time of year to be home, and even though it is technically Jack’s second American Christmas, it might as well be his first since four years have passed and he was under 2 at the time. So it’s really new for both of them and it’s fun watching them try to process it all.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas…

Click to view slideshow.

Guess who’s stateside??

coxnews — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:14:28 +0000

That’s right…the Coxes have arrived…and only 6 days after leaving Alduba

Though our arrival found us hanging on by a pretty thin thread after a pretty horrendous 24 hours of travel, we have since had a decent night sleep and feel pretty normal, for the moment anyway. I’m sure the jetlag will set in this afternoon

More later…

a change in plans…

coxnews — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:09:12 +0000

Thanks to the Ethiopian Immigration office and our inability to get an extension on Lily’s visa (despite the fact that all the rest of the family received their extension last month relatively easily), we have had to change our plans. Nothing like a futile day at the immigration office resulting in a complete disruption of your plans to make you oh so ready to leave. Thankfully we were able to change our tickets and will be leaving here on Wed. night, one day before Lily’s visa runs out

So as you can imagine, we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to get all our ducks in a row (or should I say chicks?) before heading out, not to mention packing – again. Thankfully, our dear friends, Dawn and Steve Bryan (SIM Ethiopia Director) volunteered to take the kids so we can get our stuff done.

God knows, though, and we are filled with great peace. We have been wrestling with the feeling that we were needed at home for the last couple of weeks, so we are actually relieved that this has made the decision for us and that we will soon be home to help care for my mother who is recovering from a knee replacement and heart complications that had her in ICU for a week. PTL she is much better and has been receiving great care from her sister, her daughter, and her church.

What’s that quality we always say is most valuable on the mission field??? Oh, yeah, now I remember, flexibility

Addis Ababa…

coxnews — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:42:05 +0000

With a great sense of relief, we arrived in Addis Ababa this evening, so glad that we managed to not hit any of the 1,500 pedestrians we passed walking on the road between Soddo and here. The whole trip I kept reminding myself that I would soon be driving in America, a place where going for a drive can even be considered enjoyable! It was almost more than I could imagine as I clutched the steering wheel for 8 hours, dodging people, animals and pot holes. I can hardly wait to drive on an open stretch of US highway: using cruise control, driving with one hand on the wheel, listening to music and never seeing a person walking on the road, much less fearing they’re going to bolt across in front of me… Again, so glad to be here – safely. Now if I can just get hubby here to rub my aching shoulders

the long goodbye…

coxnews — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 18:22:47 +0000

Seems like we’ve been getting ready for this day for quite a while now. And I guess we have…meetings, goodbyes, handovers, repairs, packing, paperwork, more meetings, more goodbyes.

But we finally did it. With both joy and sorrow we left Alduba a little after 10:00 this morning. It took us a while to get away as Trent had to fix a flat tire on our truck while I did the last minute packing and cleaning, broken up by two tearful goodbyes with friends – the last in a succession of goodbyes that have been spread out over the last 2 weeks. It’s always sad to leave loved ones, no matter which continent.

Our drive up here to Arba Minch was nothing short of spectacular. We have been receiving record rainfall in Bannaland – not good for the road, but certainly good for the crops. Everything is lo lush. We passed field after field of corn, and it was a good feeling to leave knowing that there is plenty to eat. Continuing north and east, we were pleased to see that the rains had been well spread throughout our region. The sun broke through large cotton ball clouds as we drove up the valley between Konso and Arba Minch, highlighting the beautiful patchwork of dark greens, light greens, and rich browns covering the mountain sides, like some masterful quilt. Several times I was struck with the desire to stop and take a picture, as if seeing it all again for the first time. A lovely farewell indeed. How good it does our hearts to know that hunger will not oppress the Southwest as it has the Southeast.

We’re in Arba Minch now, a town that sits on a plateau above two lakes. The kids are both asleep and Trent and I are catching up on emails. We have a long drive tomorrow to Addis. Keep us in your prayers. We’re both driving – Trent in our vehicle with the kids and I in another vehicle that we’ve been babysitting for another missionary. It’s not something I enjoy as driving here is quite stressful.

Just two more weeks before we leave Ethiopia…see you all soon!

Tabby