Newsletter 2009 January

The Cusco Chronicles

MATT AND CHARLA COOK OVERSEEN BY THE ESTES CHURCH OF CHRIST HTTP://CUSCOANDTHECOOKS. V O L U M E

WORDPRESS.COM

January 31February 6: @ the FHU Lectureship

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April 24-May 11: South America Survey Trip

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June 30th: Move to be with the Estes congregation

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October: Depart for Cusco

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

The Month in Pictures: January

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Map of Sup- 3 porting Churches Prayer Requests

I S S U E

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J A N U A R Y

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The Month in Review

IMPORTANT DATES 

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It’s hard to believe that we’ve been in Texas for a month! Once we settled into our apartments, it was time for classes and activities to begin. We started our internship by going to Arkansas for a teambuilding retreat with Drs. Terry and Jenny Lawson. We learned about the results of our personality and Highland Abilities tests, and we discussed The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Lencioni. This retreat was a very valuable experience for us. Our classes kicked into full gear when we arrived back in Dallas. Scott Reynolds, our internship director and former missionary to Rio de Janeiro, taught us about the value of working as a team and how to conduct team meetings. Ron Freitas, one of the staff members at CGC and a former missionary to Curitiba, Brazil, taught half of his two week long seminar entitled Latin Urban Church Planting. Dr. Steve Allison, a psychologist in Abilene, spent a couple of days with us teaching us about interpersonal relationship skills as a team, based on the psychological tests we took a year and a half ago. We have

Spanish class for two hours, three days a week. We are all working very hard and are blessed to have a very good Our group at the team-building reteacher, Dona Sandra. We treat in Arkansas. began having our weekly mont team. This is a team of official team meetings this two couples who speak Spanmonth, a very necessary part ish, and they will be planting a of our work. On Monday Spanish-speaking church in nights we began our evangeltheir area in Ft. Worth. One ism internship with Brother interesting thing about this Mike Crosby. Each week we group...they have been given a go with him to transition church building with an auditohomes, where he and other rium that can seat 900 people. men conduct Bible studies It is an old building that will with the ladies there. After a need many repairs, but will be few weeks of observing, our an incredible tool. We will guys will begin conducting have several opportunities to these home Bible studies. work with this team over the Thursday nights will be renext six months, and we are served for Culture Night at the home of Ron and Georgia looking forward to learning from them and helping them. In Freitas. We had our first one the midst of the work, we this month, and we think were able to have a little these will be something that “Texas fun”. We went to the we look forward to very Ft. Worth Stock Show and much. The girls will help Georgia prepare Latin Ameri- Rodeo and had a great time. We saw real Longhorn cattle can food, and then we will all eat together. After dinner we and experienced some of the culture of the area. We are will learn about the Peruvian culture. For our first meeting, very excited about the next five months. Thank you for Georgia made Brazilian beef your prayers and support! stroganoff, and it was delicious! Another highlight of the For more information on our activities, check out our blog. month was the day we spent in Ft. Worth with the Rose-

The Month in Pictures: January 2009

Culture Night at Ron and Georgia’s.

Listening to the Lawsons at the teambuilding retreat.

Visiting with the Rosemont team at La Gran Plaza.

Dr. Steve Allison’s Class.

Javier sharing the Rosemont team’s vision and strategy.

Georgia’s Brazilian beef stroganoff on Culture Night.

Charla meeting a Longhorn.

“Mapping” our personalities in class.

Sunset from our apartment.

Talking with the Rosemont team.

Get-to-Know-You Game at the teambuilding retreat.

Matt meeting the Longhorn.

Inside Story Headline

Pumpkin Center church of Christ Fairview, WV

This story can fit 150-200 words. One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that you can reuse content from other marketing materials, such as press releases, market studies, and reports.

East High St. church of Christ include a calendar of upcoming vert it to a Web site and post it. Caption Springfield, events or a special offer that pro- OH describing

motes a new picture or product. You can also research articles or graphic. Union Hill find “filler” articles by accessing theCamden Ave. church Christ World of Wide Web. You can write church of Christ Benton, KY about a variety of topics but try to Parkersburg, WV keep your articles short. While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your Much of the content you put in Estes churchyour newsletter can also be used product or service, the key to a Christ successful newsletter is of making it for your Web site. Microsoft PubHenderson, TN useful to your readers. lisher offers a simple way to convert your newsletter to a Web A great way to add useful content publication. So, when you’re finCypress Tank to your newsletter is to develop ished writing your newsletter, conand write your own articles, or

Christian Chapel church of Christ Wildersville, TN

Inside Story Headline

Stantonville church of Christ Stantonville, TN

Oakhurst church of Christ Farmington, WV “To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

West 7th St. church of Christ Columbia, TN

church of Christ Ramer, TN

Antioch church of Christ Ramer, TN

Oakwood Rd. church of Christ Fairmont, WV

Finger church of Christ Finger, TN

“And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” (Rom. 10:15) In our classes at Continent of Great Cities, we’ve been spending a large amount of time talking about teams and teamwork. But the 6 members of our “mission team” aren’t the only ones who are a part of our “team.” Each of the congregations that helps to support us on a monthly basis is a part of our larger “team.” They are part of

a network of congregations that is helping to plant a church in Cusco, Peru. It’s amazing to think how God brings Christians, who are complete strangers, together in a partnership that will help to plant a church in Cusco, Peru. By estimating the attendance of these congregations, there are well over 2000 Christians

who are involved in this effort. If you are a member at one of these congregations, thank you for being a part of our “team.” Someday, you will meet Peruvian brothers and sisters in heaven who are there as a result of your support. Hopefully this map will help you to see the team of which you are a part.

Organization

Matt and Charla Cook

Thank you to all of our monthly supporters!

3560 Country Square Drive, #811

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Estes church of Christ (overseeing church) (Henderson, TN)

Carrollton TX 75006

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Antioch church of Christ (Ramer, TN)

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Camden Ave. church of Christ (Parkersburg, WV)

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Christian Chapel church of Christ (Wildersville, TN)

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Cypress Tank church of Christ (Ramer, TN)

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East High St. church of Christ (Springfield, OH)

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Finger church of Christ (TN)

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Oakhurst church of Christ (Farmington, WV)

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Oakwood Rd. church of Christ (Fairmont, WV)

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Pumpkin Center church of Christ (Fairview, WV)

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Stantonville church of Christ (TN)

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Union Hill church of Christ (Benton, KY)

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West 7th St. church of Christ (Columbia, TN)

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Dwain and Golden Meek

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Gaylon and Teresa Moore

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Derald and Courtney Swain

731-645-0286 (Matt) or 0293 (Charla) [email protected] [email protected]

Check out the videos and updates at our NEW BLOG at: http://cuscoandthecooks.wordpress.com We still have our old website, which contains information about our plans: www.cuscoandthecooks.com Please send all monthly support checks to: Estes Church of Christ c/o Richard Taylor 464 Crook Ave. Henderson TN 38340

http://cuscoandthecooks/wordpress.com

Prayer Requests 

Please pray for the lost of Cusco and that God will already begin to open hearts to the Gospel.

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Please pray for our physical and spiritual health.

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Please pray for the Estes church as they oversee our work.

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Please pray for our entire

team (Barton and Allison Kizer, Gary, Jennifer, and Logan Reaves) 

Please pray for our Spanish Language preparation in Dallas.

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Please pray for our families as they make this transition with us.