Camper sale and specs/ Plans for Key West outreach

With all the changes in our family's ministry lately, we are sending this update to clarify what the Lord is leading us to do, and also ask for prayer concerning the sale of our camper, which may seem strange. We have only a week to sell the camper before we leave the Tampa area, and it would be much better to wrap this all up before we head out. If you would like more information about buying the camper, or wish to pass the information along to someone else, please find such at the bottom of this email. You can see pictures online at http://picasaweb.google.com/cowperthwaitefamily/CamperForSale Now, on with what the Lord is doing in our lives and why we need to sell so quickly. 

This past few months we have sought the Lord's leading as our family transitions from itinerant Gospel outreach and equipping work to longer term Gospel work and discipleship to build up the local church in its fuller sense. We have felt led of the Lord to find a "struggling" meeting, one that has declined in number to a point that it may not be able to do much outreach at all. The Lord in His faithfulness has directed us to Key West, Florida. There is a chapel there with a great history dating back into the early 20th century. We visited Key West the week before Thanksgiving and after much prayer are now planning to arrive back in Key West sometime before December 12. 

The saints in Key West, though few in number, are a group dedicated to the Lord and desiring to build the local church. They have agreed to have our family come stay through the end of January. Mark will be sharing from God's Word many of the Lord's Day meetings, with a series on New Testament church principles. Mark would appreciate prayer for the leading of the Holy Spirit in preparation and delivery of these messages. We are blessed to have this opportunity to serve the Lord and His people in this way. The saints at Key West have graciously offered for us to stay in housing at the chapel for this period of time. We hope to be an encouragement to the local saints as they labor for the Master. 

As the Lord leads, weekdays in Key West we want to have some open Bible studies on the chapel steps, weekly outreaches to children in nearby neighborhoods and parks, and a Bible study in another local park. We also have plans to coordinate with other local believers in presenting the Gospel at nearby Mallory Square in open air ministry and on the streets. Please pray for the local saints in their continued Gospel outreach at the local jail and other venues as God has opened doors for His Word to go forth. Looking ahead, we have no other plans than to stay in Key West until the Lord leads us elsewhere. We may need to secure housing, should the Lord's plans include a permanent or long term relocation. When the Lord brings fruit in the Gospel work, there will be need for follow up meetings and studies, hopefully followed by baptism, discipleship, and continued teaching. We hope to see souls added to the Kingdom of God and also to fellowship in the local church. 

This leading from the Lord to move to Key West, coupled with issues of limited parking space, have necessitated the sale of our camper trailer. Our campers have been our home for nearly two years now, and we thank the Lord for His providence in so many ways. We now trust Him to provide the needs for this new venture as we seek to make the Gospel known, proclaiming our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the people in Key West, both locals and visitors. If you are interested in a large camper trailer (33' long) please call or email us soon. We would like to have it sold by December 10, if the Lord allows, so that we will not have to worry about storage or trying to sell it. The camper is currently located in Tampa at Carrollwood Bible Chapel. You can contact Mark at 207-542-8916 orcowperthwaitefamily@gmail.com FMI

Camper Specifications: 

2003 Nomad Scout  332 (33' long) empty weight: 7270 lbs., GVWR 9560 lbs. 

Dual axle with electro-magnetic drum brakes. 

Weight distributing hitch, anti-sway bars, and electric tongue jack make for easy hitching. 

Scissor stabilizer jacks front and rear.

All new tires in the past year, new brake shoes and drums May 2010. AC serviced August 2010.

Interior:

Queen bedroom in front.Queen mattress is 12" memory foam with pillow top. 

Pull out couch, full-over-single bed makes sleeping for 7 comfortably.

Great condition in all systems, but has NO AWNING.

Propane/electric option refrigerator and freezer. Propane/electric water heater (6 gallon)

Central AC, Central propane ducted furnace. 

Propane 3 burner stove with oven, including a 2 burner electric 1500 watt hot plate. 

Pressure tank (to save on water pump)

Built in propane detector, smoke detector. 

Wood table and 4 chairs (not fold down type), Microwave, extra battery, AM/FM CD player with USB charging and audio  input. 

Accessories:

Portable wastewater tank for off site disposal, Large holding tanks (40 gal fresh/50 and 35 gal grey/50 gal black) twin 20# propane tanks attached with a spare tank. 

Spare tire in good condition, mounted to rear bumper. Tons of storage, interior and exterior. 

Will include "Gorilla ladder" 6' A frame converts to 13' extension ladder and many spare bulbs and miscellaneous needed camper items. Coffee maker and toaster included. 

NADA book "low retail" is listed at $11,690 and "average retail" is $14,135. 

Sale price: $10,000 or best offer. Will prayerfully consider all offers. 

Following wherever the Lord leads,

Mark and Sara Cowperthwaite

Website- www.cowperthwaitefamily.com

Phone- 207-542-8916

Email- cowperthwaitefamily@gmail.com

Mailing address- 12 Emery Avenue, Thomaston, Maine 04861

Giving thanks and making changes

Our family has enjoyed many blessings over the years, and we see God's hand of providence every day so long as we are wise enough to look around to see what the Lord is doing. Today we were blessed to gather with our family in Christ,  the Campbell and Nunley families in Lutz, Florida. Then we headed over to my brother's house in Carrollwood to enjoy time with our physical family(also family in Christ).

Our travels have been blessed with safety and we have seen much fruit from the Lord's work. We have been blessed to meet and encourage disciples of Jesus Christ in many locations, a work that we thank the Lord for sending and equipping us to do. Looking back, it seems to have been many years since we sold our home and moved into a camper, but it has not yet been quite two years. Amazing how time flies when you are having fun!

This week the Lord has given us clarity concerning His plan for us in the immediate future, which includes a move to Key West to work with a local church through Gospel outreach and encouragement in the Lord's work. As most of you know, we have felt the Lord's leading to labor longer in a location, and not to make our own long range plans, but rather to wait upon God for His timing. We should arrive in Key West in early December, Lord willing, and will be staying at least until the end of January. That is all the plans we have so far, and we will wait on the Lord to show us what happens from there. In the last two years of our ministry, we have often planned the next few stops in advance, and the Lord has blessed. Still, we feel God's calling to stay and labor until He moves us.

Our change in direction includes the need to sell our camper, which has been our traveling home for 18 months now. The camper is being cleaned out and put on the market this week. This is in part due to the lack of parking space for it, and in part due to the changing needs of our family. Though it has been a great asset in the past, when we head to Key West the camper will quickly become a liability, as we would have to find a place to park or store it. After much prayer and consideration, we know God has led us to sell the camper.

The passage below was shared with us concerning the Lord's leading in their family ministry, and I have found the wisdom in it to be applicable in our situation. The children of Israel did not make long range plans, but they followed the leading of the Lord:
Numbers 9:15-23 "On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. 

At the command of the LORD the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the LORD they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp.Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel kept the charge of the LORD and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the LORD they remained in camp; then according to the command of the LORD they set out. And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. 
Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out. They kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by Moses."

Isn't it interesting how God says the same thing over and over to explain the leading and moving of the children of Israel? I have noticed that sometimes I am not listening too well, and God has been gracious enough to repeat it for those of us who are a little thick in the head. I thank the Lord for His patience and mercy for all the times we miss the writing on the wall.

 I am also reminded of James' words as inspired by the Holy Spirit; "James 4:13-16 "Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit" yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. "

We have learned more and more as we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord to let Him make the plans, and obey His calling. The fleshly tendency is to make our plans and then ask God to bless. God may keep us moving from place to place or settle us in to help a local church long term. We have learned to watch and pray, to seek His glory in all things. We often fail, but we thank the Lord for His mercy and grace when we fail. We thank the Lord for you all, and appreciate your prayers as we transition to a home without wheels, for however long that may be.

... and one more picture...

Who could resist this face?
Samuel is his father's son, no doubt about it!

Some pics from Fort Lauderdale and stuff like that...

"The heavens declare..."

Mark, Sara, and the younger 3 on Pompano Beach. 
(Nathaniel took this pic)

Naomi and Samuel being goofy

Virginia along "Alligator Alley" on the way to Fort Lauderdale

Sara entertaining about a dozen(some out of view)
 daycare kids next door to our camper at 
Carrollwood Bible Chapel in Tampa, Florida

ABCDEFG song

Naomi sings her days away when we have to be on the road. Here, she sings the ABC song for Samuel. Of course, this is the one with "ABCDEFG, Jesus died for you and me..." that we learned from the Harmon family in Kentucky. And now, for your viewing pleasure, Naomi Cowperthwaite...

Samuel eating.... his brother!

On our recent trip through "Alligator Alley", we stopped for lunch. We all had sandwiches, but Samuel decided he wanted something else...

Nathaniel wheel chair race

While visiting in Tampa, we got to use our reciprocal pass to get in to MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) for free. Of course, a visit to MOSI would not be complete without a wheelchair race. Nathaniel had the best time, with Mark coming in second, and Sara in third. We thought some of you would enjoy seeing how we spend some of our "time off" though most of the day was spent "doing school" and learning great things about science.

Apologetix's J. Jackson and Way of the Master

I just got an email from Living Waters and Way of the Master that mentioned interviews with some great men of the faith that will be in the upcoming season 5 of the TV show. It was great to see our old friend J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX, a Christian parody band that we used to book WAY back in the old days.

If you get a chance, please go to the Living Waters site and consider equipping yourself, your family, and your church to be better witnesses for Jesus Christ and share the Gospel Biblically, the way Jesus did. Seasons 1, 2, and 3 are now available for just $29 each. This program was one of the best I used in the past years since I got a passion for souls. Ray Comfort also has many sermons on audio that have helped continue my equipping and passion for learning God's Word and how to use it effectively as we proclaim the Gospel wherever we go.

Mark

Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and Key West

Greetings brothers and sisters in Christ,

The week or two since our last update has been a flurry of activity. Our trip from Winchester, Kentucky to McDonough, Georgia was just that much more fun with Sara enduring the stomach bug that ran through the rest of the family in Kentucky. We praise the Lord that she recovered quickly and the next two days we were blessed to spend time with Gerald and Pamela Scarbrough and their children. The Scarbroughs have just listed their house for sale, and are praying about the Lord's leading in their lives in this time of transition.

From Georgia, we headed south to Ocala, Florida where we parked at Ocala Bible Chapel. This was a scheduled stop that became more necessary after a tire blowout on the camper. Yet again, we saw the Lord's provision as the blowout was on the passenger's side of the trailer. In our nearly 2 years of full time travel in the Lord's service, we have had to replace 4 tires, and not once have we had to do so on the driver's side.

When I consider the thought of changing a tire with cars and trucks zipping by at 70 mph,