Roy Cook

On Friday morning Wilma and I start a journey to Washington D.C. to attend the funeral of a person most of you have never heard about. Roy has been a part of my life since 1949 and I would like to tell you something about this man, about quiet behind the scenes influence, about service and about faithfulness.

In 1949 as a new believer in Jesus, having memorized at least 16 Bible verses under the care of the Navigators I set off to attend the summer conference of the Navigators at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA.(I still have the picture that they took of all of us!). In the registration line , by chance, I was next to another conference attender who was quite angry that the registration fee had been raised by $5.00. Not to be deterred, I suggested that the two of us go off and quote verses together - that is what we did in those days - over the course of the conference we must have hit it off because we pledged to work together, someday, for Jesus. That conferee was Doug Coe - whom thousands of people know.

Roy Cook was the person who brought Doug to the Navigator conference. Roy gave up his studies in college after hearing Daws Trotman give a talk about making disciples. He went back to Salem, Oregon for the express purpose of introducing his best friend to Jesus. Roy and Doug are two opposites, but good friends. Eventually Doug gave his life to Jesus and Roy brought him to the Nav conference that summer.

Years of "walking" with Doug, teaching, training, praying with and for Doug, working off the rough edges (all of us need that)and seeing Doug become a "Tomothy" in the II Timothy 2:2 mode (Roy's faithfulness) later the two of them came to Washington D.C. Roy was then invited by men in Bermuda to lead Willowbank (a retreat center). He and Evelyn (Roy's wife)ran that center with great skill, humor, Bible studies, and financial success. After returning to D.C he and Evelyn have quietly kept the "Fellowship" and all of its related peoples and activities covered with prayer. Hundreds of people drive down 22nd street in Arlington, Va. to visit The Cedars - most pass by the lane that led to the home of the Cooks - most pass by the real power source, the quiet influence of The Cedars!

Roy died this week just 13 days after Evelyn died. They has a powerful influence on Doug and through Doug and hundreds of others, an influence around the world. If the author of the book THE FAMILY (widely read)wants to write about a true "power broker" in D.C. he should search out the hundreds of people Roy and Evelyn had influenced.

I am reminded of what the Apostle Paul wrote in II Timothy 1:16-18 when I think about Roy. Paul wrote, "The Lord have mercy on the household of Onesiphorus.. he has "refreshed me" meaning, " over and over again he allowed me to catch my breath!" Paul in chains in a Roman prison - allowed to catch his breath. Whom do we know that will allows us to catch our breath?

Onesiphorus - "was not ashamed of my chains.." Whom do we know that is not ashamed of us as we struggle with our "chains" what ever they are or how powerful is their influence?

Onesiphorous - "when he was in Rome he diligently "sought me out". Going to Rome from to Ephesus was not a journey of jumping on a jet for a 5 hour ride, it was a journey which took lots of time - and he did not even know where Paul was. Maybe it was like going to Los Angles to vist a friend and not knowing where they were. How would you start? No Goggle in those days. And, Paul wrote, "and found me!" How far would I go to find someone not even knowing where they were? And, what would happen even if I found them? "often he let me catch my breath"!

Timothy "you know well the service he gave to me while I was in Ephesus" Roy served many of us while he was in Oregon - Kent Hotaling, Bob Messing, Ken Rawlings, John Gilman, Bud Sharplnack, Jerry Menefie, Chuck Gil, Mark Hatfield and many more on and off the campus of Willamette University. He served many in Bermuda, Washington D.C, and even those who drove pass his driveway to go to the The Cedars.

Roys helped many of us "catch our breath" by praying for us when we went out to do "Jesus work" - some of which Jesus didn't care about anyway!

Roy (Onesiphorous)Cook - thank you!

Bill