Several of you have asked how are  Called-to-Serve's two permanent missionaries Elton and Barbara Cooke doing "personally."

By "personally" we mean that you hear stories and see on the website about all that they are doing to glorify God's kingdom and be a witness for them.  This is their focus; however several of you have asked to know how they are doing at home, what is their "day to day" life like.

On this page we will try to give you a glimpse at what it is like living today in Africa.  Stories about their friends their, their house, their pets.  Little stories about the animals and the funny things.  These things happen every day!

All the things that make up the sometime "lighter side" of life.

Please let us know if you enjoy this feature.

To see photos, of these events, "around the house", please visit our "Photos" page, from there you can follow a link that will take you to some pictures!

December 12, 2008-"Dear Usa."

You know that we got Usa, our beautiful german shepherd girl, four months ago this past Friday. She just died.

      On Wednesday she was her full-of-life self……..running around the compound, playing, catching bugs and chasing Kibo. She was getting tall and full  – her coat was changing and getting thick and ever so slightly wavy. It was shiny and beautiful. German shepherds have ears that sit up…….hers were just beginning to….sometimes one, then the other. She was working on it.

      She had a healthy appetite and ate, literally, everything…..she occasionally chewed on me or a chair or a shoe. Every morning around 10:00 AM she would come up on the kitchen porch and I would come to the step and we would sit down together. She had gotten so used to doing it that she could hit it right on the minute……as if she had checked her watch. If I was late, she would wait. I would sit on the step and she would curl up under my legs and I would rub her head and neck – sometimes her chest if she rolled over enough to invite me to do it. She would enjoy the rubbing and I would talk to her about everything in the world……what we were doing and how I was feeling. She was a good listener, as long as I kept rubbing.  We finally had this german shepherd because Elton had wanted one for as long as we have been married (41 years). He had one when he was a little boy and he had loved it. We have had lots of dogs and other assorted creatures….but never the german shepherd. When we came to the US this summer we looked for one – but we could not find one that fit the airline requirements. When we got back here we found one and we brought her home when she was four weeks old. She was a big girl for only four weeks.
 
      Elton loved her immediately. Thing is…….so did I. I really did not think I would but her bright eyes and fun loving ways won me over right away. She had such perfect markings – the traditional tan around all that black. She had grown and grown she was no longer able the run underneath Kibo as she had when she first came. Now, when she tried it she would knock him over – she was almost as tall as he is.

      On Wednesday she was full of herself and funny as she tried to figure out the things we were trying to teach her – like “be nice to the cat”. Thursday morning we could not find her. She was under the table on the kitchen porch – she had sad eyes and Francis said she had vomited and had diarrhea all night. Elton immediately took her in the car to the vet. He came back with pills and we separated her from Kibo – that broke Kibo’s heart. Everyday she got worse and she stopped eating completely. On Friday, Elton and Francis carried her down the road and on to a dala-dala to get to the vet – our car was in the garage. The vet gave her shots and pills and by yesterday we were forcing glucose down her throat by tube. She was still vomiting – green bile. The vet said we could have an ultra-sound to see what was going on in her stomach. He called and asked Elton to bring him to the house – on Sunday morning – and he said that the ultra-sound equipment was broken and was in Europe being fixed. More glucose, more porridge being forced down her, more painful shots…….. and she just kept getting worse and her eyes stayed sad.

      Today she was not able to stand up and she stayed very still – breathing hard. We could not get the vet to answer his phone – so Elton left to find another vet, or someone to help us. I stayed with Usa and stroked her as I always had done  and I talked to her. Only twice did she blink her eyes – as if she heard me. She groaned a little and I sang “Wonderful Words of Life” – that is a good ‘rocking’ song and I sing it to babies when I rock them – as I rubbed her I sang. At five minutes to eight this morning – she stopped breathing. When she died both of her ears were up.

      I know she was “only” a dog and that all life ends. But, this dog brought us great joy and companionship – even in four months. In a place that is harsh and difficult – she was beautiful and funny.

      Will we miss her.

September 15, 2008-"...and Usa makes three!"  

       Guess what??!! We have a new member in our  Called to Serve family!
 
     Her name is Usa (she is from Usa River and yes – you do spell it U-S-A!). She is already 20” long and I don’t know how much she weighs – but she is round! And – get this – she is only four weeks old, today!!!!!! She is a German Shepherd. Elton has wanted one for years – his first dog, when he was three, was a German Shepherd. He loved that dog. We needed another – an additional – dog to help with guarding this compound.

     When we were in the States we looked for one but we could not any that fit the exact requirements of KLM regarding age and weight. When we came back last week we happen to mention this to a friend who knows a breeder – and he had this litter! Usa has come to us a little early because she is already eating solid food and from her four-week size we are guessing she will be a big girl!!!! (And, no, there will not be any puppies with Kibo – as it happened, he had surgery on the same day we picked up Usa!) 

     Already, he is feeling fine and likes his new little sister – even though he has not quite got her figured out. When Francis comes back next week – he will train her to work with him as he has done with Kibo. She has all the traditional German Shepherd markings – but, still, she is a little beauty. And, OK. She is already very spoiled – and we have had her only 24 hours. We think the household is now complete.

     Kibo, Usa, and Sukari – African Dog, German Shepherd and small white and tabby cat. They help us here and keep down the population of lizards and other creatures that we don’t want here. They are also good companions.

     They work happily for Called to Serve with only an occasional American Vienna sausage as payment!!!!