A note from Randy Cook:

Several months ago a process began which has now resulted in a major change in our lives.  After an initial contact with Meridian First Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho, Randy was invited to candidate for the position of Senior Pastor on April 13, 2008.  The church vote was positive and we have accepted their invitation to begin ministering there on August 1, 2008.

Leaving Israel and the IBEX program is not one of the happy parts of this move.  We do look forward with expectancy and joy to the ministry God has prepared for us at Meridian.  It is an excellent church family with good leadership and an active program that fits us like a hand in a glove.  The fact that all three of our married children (and our granddaughters!) live within a half-hour, and our cabin is only one hour away, is just icing on the cake.  We also look forward to being close to Phyllis' parents, who retired to Meridian just a couple years ago.

We would love to have any of you who might be coming through Idaho to stop in for a visit.  We will, no doubt, be back to TMC and to IBEX in Israel for future visits.

Committed to the cure of souls,

Randy Cook

Pastor, Meridian First Baptist Church

428 W. Pine Ave. - Meridian, Idaho   83642

Office: (208) 888-1109

Fax: (208) 895-8920

Update from Bill Schlegel

Shalom IBEX alumni, family and friends,

It’s hard to believe that Uncle Randy and Aunt Phyllis will be leaving.  We will miss them immensely, not only in IBEX school-related ways, but for friendship, guidance, life by example, and other intangibles.  When Randy first mentioned to me that he was thinking about the possibility of leaving, I didn’t really believe him, thinking “these things pass”.  On the other hand, as time went on, one couldn’t argue with the Lord’s leading and the Cooks’ excitement as they prayed and contemplated serving the Lord in a church in Idaho.

Randy and Phyllis have been faithful servants of the Lord for 15 years in Israel.  Many people, IBEX students and local believers, have, and will continue to benefit from the work they have done here.  We give them our thanks, and trust that the Lord will continue to bless them and those they minister to.  “Hodu le Adonai key tov, key le olam hasdo.”

Bill

PS.  I’ll add a little update on IBEX.  For the Fall 08 and probably Spring 09, we plan to hire adjunct faculty to teach the Modern Middle East History course, while Ariel continues to teach the Jewish Thought course, and Abner and I continue as full-time faculty. We will shift staff jobs around to cover administrative duties. I’ll teach Land and Bible, and we’ll offer six courses instead of seven.  The Fall 08 calendar looks good.  It’s full, but may allow some extra activities that have been difficult to fit in. There are a number of former IBEX students that have continued their Land of Israel studies, and are finishing up doctorates.  They are candidates for potential future IBEX faculty.