Much has transpired since our last post just a week or so ago. We were promised the trailer that I spoke about last week, but when we went to see the landlord to put our deposit down, we were told they were now taking applications. Even though we were the first to call, and had already been promised the place, evidently the Lord was changing gears in the background. The landlord never returned our calls and refused to answer the phone, very mysteriously. Dozens of other apartments, condos, trailers, and houses also eluded our grasp. After much prayer, we widened our target area, and found a few places farther out of Key West.
It was after that widening of the search, along with dozens more calls, emails, and house showings, that we found a house for rent on Cudjoe Key. Cudjoe is about 14 miles from many of those in fellowship at the chapel, and 20 miles from the chapel itself. There is not a single church on Cudjoe Key, with 1700 full time residents, and about 800 short term rentals, so we prayed long and hard about whether this might be a good place to extend our outreach if this was to be our new home.
Today, we signed a rental agreement for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house. The house, located at 110 Doubloon Lane, is just off Jolly Roger Road, after you turn off Cut Throat Road (check Google Maps, I couldn't make this stuff up!) at the end of a dead end canal road. So, we are a block from the Atlantic Ocean, with a canal in our back yard on two sides. There is a large driveway (good for parking cars for Bible studies), a large yard, and a very nice neighborhood. We praise the Lord for His provision!
So, we will no longer be living in Key West proper, but we will continue the ministries at the chapel building for the most part, with some weekly studies moving to our home or the homes of others that are more centrally located. We may be moving our kids club to Stock Island, which will open more doors for outreach in that area. Also we will be doing door to door outreach in new neighborhood along with the many ministry opportunities that are based out of our home, wherever we happen to be parked. The Lord has never left us lacking in people to reach with the Gospel, but this is the first time we have lived on an island with NO churches.
We thank the Lord for this place, and even for closing the doors in other locations. Though it has been very frustrating to find a new home, we have been spending much time in prayer before the Lord for direction, wisdom, and just learning to trust Him more day by day. We know He is in this decision, and God was gracious enough to not make us wonder too hard about which door to choose, leaving only one out of dozens that we could possibly choose.
We had wanted to find a more permanent place anyway, but some recent problems with zoning at the chapel left us forced to find a new home before May 11. Please pray for the saints at the Gospel Chapel as we all pray and seek God's wisdom in dealing with the management and stewardship of the chapel property. Thank you all for your prayers, support, and gifts of love to our family. Feel free to write or call. We will still be able to get mail at the chapel, but will have mail sent to the house primarily. The address is below.
Mark Cowperthwaite
110 Doubloon Lane
Cudjoe Key, Florida 33042
(305)-767-3888
cowperthwaitefamily@gmail.com
