I can’t believe that today is the last day of school. This year has flown by! The Cooper household has been quite busy as I am sure most of you have. Lauren finished 2nd grade with the very awesome, Mr. DeVigne. She was actually very sad for school to end. She learned so much and grew a foot!! Catherine has her final tests on Tuesday and Wednesday (May 12 & 13). She loved being home schooled this year. I asked her the best part, expecting her to say sleeping a little later or not having to get dressed; when to my surprise she informed me that her stress level was much less than it had been in the past couple of years. She had plenty of time to do her work without it cutting in too much into social time. I was actually very happy to hear this.
I wish I could tell you that our house has sold but it has not. We are, however, getting much more activity in the last few weeks than we have had in the last 9 months which is very encouraging. It has also taught us to trust and rely on God even more so. Selling a house in this economy will take a miracle so we know that when God is ready for us to sell, we will sell. We also continue to progress forward on our fundraising.
We are in the process of getting our quarterly newsletter out and will post here to the blog. There will be much more information of upcoming events and prayer concerns. Until then, please continue to pray for the sale of our home and for financial partners!
Blessings~Lesé
Friday, May 22, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wow, where did the Fall go? We got so busy into our "stuff" that blogging went to the back burner. My apologies to those of you who have been checking. We have another newsletter that will be coming out later this week. We will post it to this site so that if you do not receive it already, you can get more of an update from reading it here on the blog. Because our newsletter is coming out, I will not spend too much time here. I do ask you to continue to pray for the sale of our home and financial partners. Please check back in the next week for our latest newsletter.
Blessings~Lesé
Blessings~Lesé
Saturday, August 16, 2008
End of Summer Update
Can you believe that summer is almost over? School has started back and we are all getting into our routines. After much prayer and research, we decided to home school Catherine this year. She was a part of this decision as well. We looked at many curriculums and decided on The Calvert School. We all are enjoying it and Catherine is motivated to get up and get going by 7:30 each morning.
Lauren is in 2nd grade at Shallowford Falls (SF). She was assigned to the teacher she had been wanting. We debated about going ahead and home schooling her as well, but we have been so happy at SF. Where as Catherine would have been changing schools, Lauren would not so that was a big factor in our decision as well.
Our house went on the market at the end of June. Unfortunately in the Atlanta area, the real estate market is very slow right now. We continue to rely on God and not get frustrated or stressed. Although we would have loved to have been in Costa Rica by August to begin the semester of language school, we realize that it is all in God's timing. In addition to our home selling, we still need to raise our funds. Although we are making good progress, we are not at 100%, which The Mission Soceity (TMS) requires before we can enter the field.
So we continue to wait upon the Lord, for this is where our strenght will rise. We also continue to pray and proceed on the training that TMS has prepared for us. As always, we appreciate the prayers that are lifted up on our behalf.
Please continue to pray:
Lauren is in 2nd grade at Shallowford Falls (SF). She was assigned to the teacher she had been wanting. We debated about going ahead and home schooling her as well, but we have been so happy at SF. Where as Catherine would have been changing schools, Lauren would not so that was a big factor in our decision as well.
Our house went on the market at the end of June. Unfortunately in the Atlanta area, the real estate market is very slow right now. We continue to rely on God and not get frustrated or stressed. Although we would have loved to have been in Costa Rica by August to begin the semester of language school, we realize that it is all in God's timing. In addition to our home selling, we still need to raise our funds. Although we are making good progress, we are not at 100%, which The Mission Soceity (TMS) requires before we can enter the field.
So we continue to wait upon the Lord, for this is where our strenght will rise. We also continue to pray and proceed on the training that TMS has prepared for us. As always, we appreciate the prayers that are lifted up on our behalf.
Please continue to pray:
- for our house to sell
- financial partners
- God's guidance as we continue to prepare our hearts and minds to work overseas
- patience for us as we wait upon the Lord to direct our steps
Monday, June 16, 2008
A long awaited update…sorry!!
Let me bring you up to date on the latest concerning our call to missions. There is so much to share as we continue to try to be obedient to God’s call. God continues to affirm our call to Costa Rica, but He also opens our eyes more to the specific ministry needs that He is asking us to be a part of. In particular, God continues to call us to the more marginalized communities present within the country, such as those like “El Dique” that you may have heard us mention in the past. God has continued to press upon our heart the spiritual and physical needs of these communities, and through conversations with the National Church, we expect that our involvement with the “Youth and Young Adult Mentoring program” will more directly involve some of these communities.
In addition, in April of this year, Mike and I were accepted as full time missionaries with The Mission Society (TMS). The Mission Society is a non-denominational faith-based organization with over 200 missionaries deployed worldwide. They are a fantastic organization that God has blessed us to be a part of. We are already realizing many of the benefits through the breadth and depth of training that they directed us to, and as a result, I know that God’s ministry through us will be much more fruitful. You can read more about The Mission Society at their web site, www.themissionsociety.org.
As a result of our partnership with The Mission Society, there will be one change related to future donations. Up to this point, our home church, Mt Zion United Methodist Church, has graciously bared the book-keeping burden of managing the donated funds to support this ministry. With our partnership with The Mission Society, we are able to remove this burden from Mt Zion as TMS provides this for their missionaries, and in fact, they offer several different options for making tax-deductible donations
Another question that I am sure you are asking is when we will be leaving. We both wish we had an easy and short answer for this question but we do not. There are two major factors that determine our departure date: 1) the sale of our home and 2) 100% pledged financial support. Our home is currently in the process of being painted and will go on the market this month (June). TMS requires that we have 100% of our needed funds pledged before we can go to the field. God continues to direct us to both individuals and congregations; however, at this point, while we have made good progress, we’re still not at 100%. As a result, we continue to pray for God to direct us to those he calls to partner with us. We realize that this is God’s mission and we are blessed to be invited to join in it, but it is in God’s time. If you feel God placing it upon your heart to partner with us, or if God is placing a group or another individual on your heart for us to contact, please do not hesitate to call us at anytime!
Our God has the power and the plan to change our world. He calls each of us to be an obedient part of that plan. We are each called to be the light of the world by reflecting the love and hope that only Christ offers. We are praying that your life’s journey will reflect the light and will be fruitful for the kingdom.
Many Blessings, Lesé and Mike Cooper
1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
In addition, in April of this year, Mike and I were accepted as full time missionaries with The Mission Society (TMS). The Mission Society is a non-denominational faith-based organization with over 200 missionaries deployed worldwide. They are a fantastic organization that God has blessed us to be a part of. We are already realizing many of the benefits through the breadth and depth of training that they directed us to, and as a result, I know that God’s ministry through us will be much more fruitful. You can read more about The Mission Society at their web site, www.themissionsociety.org.
As a result of our partnership with The Mission Society, there will be one change related to future donations. Up to this point, our home church, Mt Zion United Methodist Church, has graciously bared the book-keeping burden of managing the donated funds to support this ministry. With our partnership with The Mission Society, we are able to remove this burden from Mt Zion as TMS provides this for their missionaries, and in fact, they offer several different options for making tax-deductible donations
Another question that I am sure you are asking is when we will be leaving. We both wish we had an easy and short answer for this question but we do not. There are two major factors that determine our departure date: 1) the sale of our home and 2) 100% pledged financial support. Our home is currently in the process of being painted and will go on the market this month (June). TMS requires that we have 100% of our needed funds pledged before we can go to the field. God continues to direct us to both individuals and congregations; however, at this point, while we have made good progress, we’re still not at 100%. As a result, we continue to pray for God to direct us to those he calls to partner with us. We realize that this is God’s mission and we are blessed to be invited to join in it, but it is in God’s time. If you feel God placing it upon your heart to partner with us, or if God is placing a group or another individual on your heart for us to contact, please do not hesitate to call us at anytime!
Our God has the power and the plan to change our world. He calls each of us to be an obedient part of that plan. We are each called to be the light of the world by reflecting the love and hope that only Christ offers. We are praying that your life’s journey will reflect the light and will be fruitful for the kingdom.
Many Blessings, Lesé and Mike Cooper
1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
Friday, March 28, 2008
Waiting....is so hard! March 2008 update from Lesé Cooper
I apologize for not blogging in a while. We have been so very busy in many areas of our lives. Mike has been traveling quite a bit and I have been teaching more (I have 5 more days to get in to have my 40 quarters of Social Security). Lauren and I have been suffering with bouts of bronchitis and sinus infections. The same day that both girls got their ear tubes out, my right ear drum burst. So it has been quite hectic. However, we are continuing to raise our funds in the midst of day to day affairs. We are so very grateful to those of you who have started your support. Thank you so much.
We will be at a mission conference next week for training. When we return home on April 7th, we will then make preparations to sell our home. With the house going on the market, the end of the school year quickly approaching, and Mike finishing Lay Missionary Training on April 20th, we are both anxious and excited. We have been mentally ready to go but we knew it was in God's hands not ours!
Our prayer concerns:
We will be at a mission conference next week for training. When we return home on April 7th, we will then make preparations to sell our home. With the house going on the market, the end of the school year quickly approaching, and Mike finishing Lay Missionary Training on April 20th, we are both anxious and excited. We have been mentally ready to go but we knew it was in God's hands not ours!
Our prayer concerns:
- Complete healing of Catherine and Lauren's ears (holes left from where the tubes were) AND no further ear problems
- The sale of our home
- Mike and I at Mission Conference next week
- My mom and niece, Concetta, who will be watching our girls
- Discernment for where God is leading us
- Obedience to God's will
Thank you for your continued prayers. We appreciate and feel them so much. God is really beginning to open many doors and we are very excited for what the next few months have to bring.
In the love of the Lord,
Lesé
Ps. 37:5
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
January 2008 Update from Lesé Cooper
Wow! It is so hard to believe that it is already the end of January! We have been so busy in the Cooper household that this month has truly flown by. I completed my Stephen Leader training January 12th in Orlando, Florida. What an incredible learning experience! There was a lot of information packed into 6 days but an education that I will take with me the rest of my life, wherever I go. Our home church, Mt. Zion UMC, is beginning a Stephen Ministry training course on Feb. 1. I have been asked to help teach a couple of training modules, which I am very excited about. Mike is trying to see if he has time in his very busy schedule to take the Stephen Ministry training at our church. I guess he has seen the excitement that I have for it. For those of you not familiar with Stephen Ministry, it is Christian care giving to individuals who are going through some sort of crisis in their lives.
Mike completed his 2nd weekend of lay missionary training January 12th-13th. He has three more weekends. I think he is really enjoying not only the training aspect but also, the many varied people he is meeting who share a common interest of mission work.
On January 13th I spoke at Mt. Zion's United Methodist Women service. I was very nervous speaking in front of that many people for three services, but Mike gently reminded me that it was for God's glory...those words of advice really helped and my "sermon" seemed to flow naturally. I discussed our calling but the main focus was on how God "speaks" to us. For so long, God has been speaking to Mike and I both; but we ran....yet God was ever so faithful in pursuing us until we finally listened and were obedient.
Mike and I are looking very seriously at home schooling the girls for at least our first year in country. We are checking out many web sites for home schooling. If any of you are home schooling and have some advice for us, we'd gladly accept it. Email us at coopermission@yahoo.com .
Where are we now? We continue to reach out to those who would like to partner with us both prayerfully and financially. Mike will continue lay missionary training through April and we continue to speak to small groups. We are speaking to a Sunday school class this coming Sunday (1/27). If you have a small group that you think might like to hear our story, please let us know. We will travel! We have made much progress in our fundraising but we still have a ways to go. We ask that you continue to pray for our family to have peace and discernment as we continue on this journey.
God Bless you all, Lesé
A side note: Last fall, I traveled with a group of ladies from another United Methodist Church in our area to San José, Costa Rica. We provided supplies needed for various workshops. We were also able to help with these workshops. This conference is composed of Pastor's wives and women lay leaders from churches all over Costa Rica. I am attaching a link above for some pictures from the Women's conference. This conference is held twice a year and is headed up by the Bishop's (of the National church in Costa Rica) wife. The theme in September was "To touch his Cloak." It was truly a wonderful spiritual experience. I loved meeting the many pastor's wives and lay leader women from all over Costa Rica. It has been one of my favorite mission trips thus far.
Mike completed his 2nd weekend of lay missionary training January 12th-13th. He has three more weekends. I think he is really enjoying not only the training aspect but also, the many varied people he is meeting who share a common interest of mission work.
On January 13th I spoke at Mt. Zion's United Methodist Women service. I was very nervous speaking in front of that many people for three services, but Mike gently reminded me that it was for God's glory...those words of advice really helped and my "sermon" seemed to flow naturally. I discussed our calling but the main focus was on how God "speaks" to us. For so long, God has been speaking to Mike and I both; but we ran....yet God was ever so faithful in pursuing us until we finally listened and were obedient.
Mike and I are looking very seriously at home schooling the girls for at least our first year in country. We are checking out many web sites for home schooling. If any of you are home schooling and have some advice for us, we'd gladly accept it. Email us at coopermission@yahoo.com .
Where are we now? We continue to reach out to those who would like to partner with us both prayerfully and financially. Mike will continue lay missionary training through April and we continue to speak to small groups. We are speaking to a Sunday school class this coming Sunday (1/27). If you have a small group that you think might like to hear our story, please let us know. We will travel! We have made much progress in our fundraising but we still have a ways to go. We ask that you continue to pray for our family to have peace and discernment as we continue on this journey.
God Bless you all, Lesé
A side note: Last fall, I traveled with a group of ladies from another United Methodist Church in our area to San José, Costa Rica. We provided supplies needed for various workshops. We were also able to help with these workshops. This conference is composed of Pastor's wives and women lay leaders from churches all over Costa Rica. I am attaching a link above for some pictures from the Women's conference. This conference is held twice a year and is headed up by the Bishop's (of the National church in Costa Rica) wife. The theme in September was "To touch his Cloak." It was truly a wonderful spiritual experience. I loved meeting the many pastor's wives and lay leader women from all over Costa Rica. It has been one of my favorite mission trips thus far.
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