Meet John

John Cook

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Brief Bio

John Cook was raised in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Due to early childhood struggles, he did not embrace the Lord until ninth grade when his best friend invited him on a canoe trip at Altoona Bible Church. On that trip, he found the acceptance and love of the Savior Jesus Christ and the people of the Body of Christ. He started attending Altoona Bible Church soon after and grew to love the Scriptures.

During John’s senior year of high school, a missionary named Chuck Befus from Costa Rica stayed with his family. Because of Chuck’s interest and encouragement, John enrolled at Grace Bible College. During Bible college John had his first missions experience in Costa Rica for two weeks, where he helped build a retaining wall for the Grace church. He returned to the States to continue his studies until the following year when he went on another trip to Bolivia, where he presented the gospel to the Bolivian people.

After this trip John knew that he wanted to return to the mission field. After John graduated from Grace Bible College he enrolled at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. During seminary God placed China in his heart. He served for five weeks in Hong Kong teaching English to junior high school students. A year later he returned to teach English in Tianjin, the port city to Beijing. The Lord continued to cultivate John’s passion and love for the Chinese people. He would return two more times to continue to grow his relationships with his students and help guide them toward the Lord. While he continued his studies in seminary, John started studied Mandarin with the goal of eventually moving to China.

In March 2015, the spring after he graduated with his Master’s in New Testament Theology, John met Tim Heath who saw that the skills and the training God had equipped him with fit perfectly with the need in Southeast Asia. Tim encouraged John to visit, knowing that he was uniquely qualified to fit the specific need in that region. It was there that John ministered to the Chinese, teaching them English, as well as multiple Bible studies a week. The Lord showed John that he was preparing him for this moment.

Dates

John

October 5

John Cook

Missionary to Southeast Asia

Notice from Things to Come Mission:

In September John Cook met with the TCM Board at their request, and he has resigned from TCM. TCM will continue to receive financial support for John until November 30. Donations received after that will be put in the TCM General Fund. Thank you for your on-going prayers for TCM as well as for John.

Dear Team!

I continually pray that God is showering all of you with his super-abundant blessings! He is faithful and will do far more than we can even imagine! Indeed, he has already done far more than we can imagine even here!

Without all of you, this ministry would not be possible! It is our sacrifice, even our living sacrifice, that God uses to further his Will. We are more than a team. We are a body. Not just a body, but the very Body of Christ! Let me share the blessings that the Father has given all of us:

My brother (Tyler) and Sister-in-Law (Courtney) came to visit and it is possibly the highlight of our time here. Wait...no...there is something else that is the highlight...but before I get to that:

It's amazing what God will do when your ministry team increases by 100%! More opportunities were open to us as we visited a new store that, even after they left, I continue to cultivate relationships with. God was able to use my brother and I's shared love of board games to open new doors and meet new people. For more of the day to day events, click here to read more about Part 1 of their trip!

Now for the main event! Becky Guo, my now former-girlfriend, came to visit me, and what a blessing that was because I got to ask her a very important question that will change all of our lives! I asked her to marry me and she said yes (get it...she's my former-girlfriend because now she is my fiance :P)! For more juicy details on how I proposed, click here to read Part 2!

The fun doesn't stop there! Becky has posted an awesome article detailing the first time she shared the Gospel with her parents! Click here to read!

If you don't yet have the password to her blog, please fill out the contact form here to receive the password!

Looking forward, there is even more exciting news. Pat and I are pushing forward with plans to start the first gathering on the island. We don't yet have an exact time-frame but God is increasing opportunities to make it happen!

Finally, starting June 25th (this Saturday), I will be traveling for 2 1/2 weeks. My first stop is Chiang Mai, Thailand where I will join TCM workers Genesis Maraat and Nathan Killion. After that, I will be going to China to help Becky with new ministries she is starting there including a VBS for the youth. After that I will return here!

1. Location. Pat and I have a vision for the first gathering that is more focused than ever before! The truth of the situation though is that having a unit or building will help to facilitate the gathering. Please pray as we start looking!

2. Travel. I am traveling a lot this summer. First to Cambodia for the TCM conference, now to Thailand and China. All of it is to heavily invest in the ministry here, and also to assist my brother and sisters in other fields. Please pray for safety!

Once again, thank you for all of your support and all the energy all of you put into this ministry! God uses all of our efforts to accomplish his Will!

Dear Team!

Wow! What a month this has been! Becky has come and gone, lawyers have been consulted, and press conferences have been held. No, neither the lawyers nor the press conferences were about Becky, I realize that's how that sounds.

For more information about all of that, please click here! Now, I normally give an update before prayer requests, but I'm mixing it up a little, since there are some very important things to pray for.

1. I consulted a lawyer in regards to the gathering we are working on. She gave me some terrific insight to the situation in the country, as well as right here in this city. I have a sharper understanding of what we are getting ourselves into! Here are some things I discovered:

- Remember when I talked about certain people groups and their opinions of other people groups? That is far more deep-seated than I had imagined. If we are to be successful here, it is a line never to be crossed.

- Abiding by these rules, it should be more straightforward than I previously thought to get started. That being said, registration is convoluted and it will still take a lot of time and prayer to accomplish it, but the way forward is clearer.

2. Praise the Lord that I was able to make some solid connections as well with this press conference. I am quickly becoming someone who "knows a guy" for the situations that we will need to handle in the future. Please pray that the Lord will continue to put me in situations where we can continue to meet the right people!

3. Tyler (my brother) and Courtney (his wife) will be visiting me June 2-15th! What an exciting time that will be! Even more exciting: Becky will be coming June 8th-14th so she will finally get to meet them! Please pray that everything goes well!

4. Finally. I leave Wednesday for a conference in Cambodia. I will admit here that I am not looking forward to it, but it is one that I feel that I am obligated to attend. I will arrive back here June 30th, 3 days before my family gets here, so I will have to hit the ground running when I come back. Please pray for enough strength and energy to make it through this trip so that I can make the most of my time with my family when they come!

I am still in the planning stages of some more things I want to do for all of you. Also, stay tuned in the coming weeks as Becky posts her next blog article!

Dear Team!

It has been a terrific week it has been! Becky arrived last Thursday and she just left this morning to go back to Zhanjiang, so please pray for her safe travels home! I will have the pictures up shortly here.

1. Becky's blog "Amazing Grace" is now live! You can visit it at 11oceanblue.com/grace. If you do not have the password, and want to read her story, be sure to fill out the form here to receive it. She will be posting at least once a month. This month she shares her testimony!

2. I will be resuming regular posting, and continuing the process to start a gathering.

3. As promised, Becky will write a letter to one person every month, according to who has signed up for her blog. For your chance to receive this letter, please fill out the contact form in the link provided above. Her first letter will be sent out this week to JIM AND KRISTI NOEL of Altoona, PA!

More news to come in the following weeks! Until then, be sure to be in prayer for:

1. A Brother in my group is going through some personal struggles. Pray that the Lord gives him peace in this trouble time!

2. I have some other meetings this week, pertaining to the coming gathering. Pray that the Lord continues to guide me so I meet the people who will help accomplish his goal!

3. My brother, Tyler Cook, and Sister-in-Law, Courtney Cook, will be visiting me in June. Please pray for them as they continue to make preparations for the long flight!

Dear Team!

What a wonderful week it has been! Our Father has been using our team powerfully in these 4 months! I love how we are all working hard for his mission! I have so much to share with you!

If you have read this week's post you will notice that I had my first experience with the government here. More will be said about this in the future, my brothers and sisters, but for now I want to give you some additional information concerning why I went to the government in the first place.

I am in the process of starting our first Gathering and in order to do that I need to clarify how to exactly do that. You see, there are so many conflicting reports and rumors that it is hard to tell how to do what we want to do. In these situations, the only way to have clarity is to seek it out yourself from the sources.

This is an exciting project! I can't give any other details right now until I have more information. Be in prayer as I move forward into this work! It is still many months away but the process starts now.

As you know, I have been adding new ways for you to get involved and finding unique opportunities for everyone! Every week I try to add a new feature or some new communication to our team. Here is this week's additions:

For those churches interested: Once every month I will make a double-sided bulletin insert that summarizes all of my biggest news from the month, including any interesting stories from my blog. If you are interested in including this in your bulletins: All you have to do is email me or have a committee representative email me, and when they are made I will send a pdf copy to you every month for publication.

A letter from Becky: While Becky is hard at work on her blog, she will be visiting me from April 28th (Thursday) to May 3rd (Tuesday). This not only means more cute pictures, but also she will be writing a hand written letter to be sent out with mine. If you want the chance to receive this letter: It will be determined raffle style, where only those who have signed up for her blog will be entered. Be sure to fill out that form if you have not already to possibly get your hands on a letter from this amazing woman!

2. That I give time to meeting new people. I have done a bike ride and a hiking trip this week, and I met many new people. Please pray that our Father continues to send me to people he needs me to meet!

3. Becky is coming! Please pray for her safe travels and comfortable stay as she continues to work alongside me! Our schedule is busy and we will also be celebrating 1 year together! How time flies!

Dear Team!

Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement these last few weeks. The work is really going well here in SEA and else where! God is using us in powerful ways to fulfill his mission.
I have some really exciting news to share with you! As a member of our team, I am constantly trying to find new and innovative ways to bring you closer to the action in real ways. In the last month I have started a website (11oceanblue.com) and I want to get everyone involved in the work here. We are all an important part of what is happening, and only by working as a team can we become more effective for the Gospel.
Here is what I have to share with you today.

If you want to know what I spoke on, you are in luck. I will be releasing the material at 11oceanblue.com/treasure over the course of the week. Here is the release days for each part:
Sunday - Genesis 1: A Protest Against Chaos
Monday - Easter Message
Tuesday - Why Do We Need to Study the Bible?
Wednesday - Titus: Slaves and Prison - A Background
Thursday - Titus: The Power of Reconciliation
Be sure to check back regularly as I continue to update with current studies and opportunities! But that isn’t all, in my last letter I mentioned that Becky would start to write devotions as well. We are hoping to starting rolling those out every month starting at the end of April.
I also have pictures (mostly because Becky kept reminding me to take pictures)! I have updated the album at 11oceanblue.com/becky with some cute pictures of us.
I also want to announce that I have made a new album of all the work that we do. It is full of pictures of the work here in SEA but also the time spent in China.
If you would like access to this album, please go to 11oceanblue.com/contact and fill out the form. I need you to do this because the content is sensitive. I will send you the link and password.
Moving forward, here is how you can pray for us:

Dear Team!

Blessings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a privilege and an honor it has been to serve alongside all of you during this special time in our lives. It is because of your support that we have been able to accomplish so much within these short 3 months (3 months on March 28th!). It has been an absolutely amazing adventure that God has given us and there is more to come!

The Lord is not finished with us yet! Since we last talked I started my studies, and it has been very humbling that people continue to attend them! It is a small group of 3-4 people now but I have some changes that will help spread the word! After some trial and error I have designed a business card that has my information and the meeting times (pictures attached). With this, the people who are interested will have some reminder of the days and the times. I just received the final product so I will start to pass them out.

As for the website, there will be some exciting changes being made to it in the coming weeks. I have changed some of the passwords so that it is easier for people to remember them.

I have also finished my first series here in SEA as well! Our NT group has finished studying a brief overview of Jewish History. Please follow along at 11oceanblue.com/treasure. I will post all of our studies and notes on this blog so you can join with us in our work here!

I am also developing a new program for our team. It will allow everyone to participate more in what we are doing in SEA. As our work finally begins, I want to make sure we are all seeing the benefit of what God is doing. I will be rolling out this program in a few weeks. Here is a sneak peak at some new exclusives coming in April:

You may have noticed from the list that Becky wishes to become a part of our team. She is really excited to start doing the work with all of us! Stay tuned in April to see how you can get your hands on these and more!
None of this can be possible without your prayer and support! Everyday I am humbled by the knowledge that I am only one part of such an incredible team. Let’s continue to pray for each other!
Here are some things you can pray for me:

Thank you all once again for you continued love and support. Our hard work and diligence is paying off and let’s continue to work passionately for our Lord!
In Christ,
John

Greetings in the Lord!

I am home safe and sound from my time in China. I wanted to follow up with all of you to let you know how the experience went. I know all of you have been praying for a safe trip and so I want to share with you all that the Lord has done! As promised, I will include some pictures that highlight my time spent with Becky.

Our time together started with doing ministry with a group of 12 women that followed her to Penang. We cooked food together, played games, and fellowship with them. It was a great time of fellowship.

Next, introducing JB (right) and Sam (left). They are both talented musicians who love the Lord. We are holding Monday night worship/fellowship meetings and what a blast it has been to serve alongside these two faithful men!

Becky also was able to join me in teaching the group of people I have spoken about at length when I visited you last. They received her well and listened to her better than they have ever listened to me! They were very excited for her visit!

Next, we traveled for 2 days (by plane and then by bus) to go to Chaozhou, Guandong, China where I met her parents. I was able to get familiar with Becky's hometown as well as spend a lot of time (9 days) with her family. Last, but certainly not least, we had an amazing time with some of Becky's closest friends who came to visit. They were able to aid us in sharing about our Father and the Gospel with her parents.

What a blessing this trip was and we look forward to returning to meet her parents in the future. But now it is time to return to the work the Lord has prepared for me here. Please continue to pray for our growing ministry as well as the ever blossoming relationship I have with Becky.

If you have not added me on Facebook and would like to see more pictures, please feel free to add me! In the meantime, I will work on getting an online library so that all of you can view the pictures without needing FB.

Grace and peace to all of you! Thank you so much for all of your prayer, love, and support, none of this would be possible without you!

Greetings, Brothers and Sisters!

Thank you so much for all of your continued support and prayers! It is so exciting how God always continues to give us wonderful opportunities to serve him! I have some great news and some pictures to share! (Update: I am currently in China. My attempts to load pictures to the email have failed. When I return, I will be able to share more joy and pictures with you!)

This last week I finally met Becky at the Penang International Airport! Many of you know we have not met each other yet, except on Skype. I was so excited to meet her! So far I have spent 8 days with her and counting and what a wonderful amazing adventure it has been so far! When I think about what God has been able to do through us in the 9 months of communication, it is extremely humbling.

I am so extremely grateful to have her as my partner. And a partner she is! We have had far more ministry together in just these short 8 days than I have before she came. Truly, our Lord has been preparing us for this moment. Let me share two of the greatest highlights with you!

Last Tuesday, 11 of her friends arrived in Penang (they left Friday and she stayed here with the Kilgos and myself). On Wednesday we had a great time of fellowship, not only with the visiting Chinese but two locals joined as well! These two are JB (Philippino) and Sam (local Chinese). I had been meeting with them regularly for the weeks leading up to Wednesday and it was such a blessing to have them there! (Pictures attached!).

After that group left, this last Monday night I invited JB and Sam back to the apartment. Becky and I made Chinese dumplings with them and had a wonderful time of worship and fellowship! JB and Sam are both wonderful musicians and have great voices that PTL that night!

Now, our adventures take me to China, where I will meet Becky's parents. I am very nervous so please pray that God will comfort me as I prepare for this big step. All I can say is I am very glad guns are illegal in China!

I will be in China from February 4th-13th. After that I will continue to grow my relationship with JB and Sam as well as continue to grow the Monday night fellowship.

Greetings in the Lord!

How thankful I am daily that our Father has blessed me beyond measure with such a great team! He truly is able to do above all that we ask and pray!

It has only been a week and a half since my last letter to you, dear brothers and sisters, but what an amazing work God has begun for us!

With the seasoned wisdom of Ben and my partner Pat, I was able to find an apartment to call home! I moved in just this past weekend and the Lord has truly provided a perfect space for ministry. I am reminded once again of Hudson Taylor who said "God's will, done God's way, will not lack God's supply." What a magnificent God we serve!

It gets better still! I have even more news to bring to you! This morning I led a weekly Bible study. I introduced Ephesians for my partner. He had to go to another meeting so I stepped in while he was away. After I finished I was approached by one of the regulars about starting a bible study. Either this Wednesday or the following Wednesday we will embark on a journey through the Highway of Life, my first weekly Bible Study here in P!

Within the first week and a half God has provided not only a place to live but also a ministry! What a wonderful weekend it has been, full of God's power, grace and love!

My next project is the need for a car. It seems that though my bicycle is good for the day to day errands, there is a need for a vehicle larger than a bicycle for more practical ministry needs (for example: I can only carry so many things on my bike and I can't provide transportation or assistance where it is needed). My partner has been gracious enough to help me with the down payment on a used 2000s Hyundai Matrix but there is a long way to go before it can be paid off.

Please be in prayer, my wonderful team. Please pray that God can move powerfully through each of us to teach a people hungry for his Word. Please also pray for transportation that it can be resolved quickly and without hassle.

Thank you all so much for your prayer and support! May God continue to bless us beyond measure as we serve him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength!

Greetings!

I wanted to send a quick update to let everyone know that I have made it to P safely! I was greeted warmly by Pat and Michelle as well as Ben and Joyce. Our flight was delayed out of Chicago by about 3-4 hours due to weather conditions. Other than that, it was smooth sailing (our should I say flying!) from there. I arrived in P at 7pm (6am EST).

Thank you all for your support and prayers as I traveled. This is the first full day of a wonderful new chapter in all of our lives. Let's continue to do great things for Him!

Please pray for me as I go to look at apartments on Friday, Pat has graciously offered his home (and Robert his room...poor Robert....I snore), until I can settle into a place. Please keep both the Kilgo family and myself in your prayers!

Greetings in the Lord!

Praise to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has provided time and time again in our journey to this moment. As I reflect on the Eve of my departure, I think back to everything we have been through in the last 9 months. To those of you whom have been with me from the beginning, thank you for your faith and support! To those of you whom have joined our team on this trip, thank you so much for being an integral part of our progress!

I wanted to send a quick update to let everyone know that my bags are packed, and I'm ready to go! Luckily, I am not standing outside your door. I will be leaving Grand Rapids tomorrow (December 28th) at 8am EST for Chicago. My plane leaves at 3:05pm from O'Hara. I arrive in M on December 30th!

One of the most frequent questions I receive is about Becky so I want to share some very exciting news with all of you! See the attached photos. Becky spent Christmas as an MC for a local Christmas party where 800 believers met to celebrate the birth of our Lord! What a tremendous blessing she has been! I thank the Lord daily that she has such a love for serving Him and his church!

We will be meeting for the first time on January 26th where she will partner with Pat, Michelle, and I in the ministry, Please pray that we become even more effective together! I will also be visiting her family for the Chinese New Year! I told her that in America it is common for the father to haze the boyfriend when the daughter brings him home (I shared with her a funny story about a dad bringing a gun to the door). She told me I am in luck, that her father doesn't own a gun!

Pray for my travels that I may arrive to Pat and Michelle safely and that I may settle into my new apartment quickly. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support! Our time has finally come! It is time to do what the Lord has called us to do!

Greetings, Team!

What a blessing the NW conferences have been! I just arrived back in Milwaukee on Monday and now I am all the way up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on my way to the conference in Bethesda, Minneapolis, MN. I am staying with the Wilkinsons here in Eau Claire. What a blessing it is to be here especially after all the other traveling I have done these last few months.

Since we last met, I have visited Port Orchard and Enumclaw. Both have been extremely hospitable and gracious in listening to my testimony as well as my calling. In PO I was able to share my testimony with the adults on Saturday, AWANA on Wednesday night and with the Junior/Senior High youth group on Thursday night. It is always a blessing to come as the "unknown" and watch as God blesses people as they hear the great things he has done! Enumclaw was a shorter visit but a powerful one! I shared a message during the Sunday school hour and then I shared my testimony with the children while Ben Anderson spoke during the service.

Please pray for my heath as I continue to stay hydrated. I attempted crossfit for the first time last Saturday and due to too much coffee and not enough water I lost consciousness during exercising. Needless to say I finally understand the importance of water! Thank you all for being a part of my team through everything we have been through together! Your support and prayer is essential to accomplishing God's purpose in M. Please continue diligently in prayer as we finish the last 3 weeks of deputation. Our team is growing steadily! Pray that God will complete our team in the short time we have left! A reminder: take off is December 28th. Thank you once again for all of our hardwork for the Lord is coming to together and it won't be long until we are on the field! What an amazing God we serve!