Cedarville Magazine, Fall 2018

LOVE FOR GOD THAT GROWS, OVERFLOWS DAVID ’82 AND CINDY (ULMER) COX ’83 You can’t become a missionary simply by crossing the ocean; there must be a love for God that is growing and overflowing into the lives of others right where you are, right now. The only way to love God is to know God’s Word and live it. We encourage young people to dig into the Bible daily. As love for God grows, so will love for others. When a missionary understands who he or she is and humbly serves others, living with conviction and compassion, Christ uses his or her life to impact others for His glory. I (David) grew up in Brazil as a missionary kid and came to Cedarville unsure if I wanted to go back to Brazil —would I just be going home? I considered pursuing business in order to support missionaries financially. But God used men like Paul Dixon, John McGillivray ’70, and Don Rickard and experiences on a Swordbearers team and a short-term missions trip to the Ivory Coast to change my thinking and the desire of my heart. A comment by Jean Fisher, a Christian education professor, really convicted me: “Maybe the Brazilian culture and language that God has already given you was to prepare you to go back and serve.” My wife, Cindy, and I met my second year at Cedarville. On our first date, I shared my plans to serve in Brazil. The Lord united her heart with mine to go together. Following graduation, I studied at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS). After one year at Cedarville, Cindy transferred to another school to obtain her nursing degree. We married in 1983. I graduated from DTS in 1986 and we served at Midlothian Bible Church in Texas for four years. In June 1990, we began our ministry in Brazil. We serve with Word of Life Fellowship (WOL) in São Paulo, Brazil. WOL has diverse ministries including a seminary, a one-year discipleship program, a family conference center, youth camp, Bible Clubs to churches, and an afterschool outreach center to needy children. For 15 years we served directly with the seminary. For the last 13 years, we have provided pastoral care to staff members in all ministry areas. This includes counseling, coordinating small groups, discipleship, communication, conflict resolution, encouragement, devotional challenges, and overall staff appreciation and orientation. Mostly we minister to lives, proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ as we admonish and teach with all wisdom so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ (Col. 1.28). We continue to disciple a group of seminary couples and prioritize involvement in our local church. What a joy to help prepare men and women to share Christ and to reach others throughout Brazil! Alumni of the seminary serve as pastors, teachers, Christian educators, and missionaries, especially to numerous Indian tribes along the Amazon River. Because Brazil has few political barriers with other countries, Brazilian missionaries can more easily enter countries that would be more difficult for U.S. citizens. We are deeply grateful and blessed to be an integral part of training Brazilians to hold forth Christ to the world. 24 | Cedarville Magazine