Celebrating 50 Years

This week I am teaching Romans at the Word of Life Camps in Upstate New York, but the primary reason Mary and I flew up to Albany was to celebrate my sister and brother-inlaw's 50th wedding anniversary. Dave and Mary Ann were married in 1957, one year after five of their fellow Wheaton graduates were martyred in Equador. Dave's father was a pioneer missionary in Guatemala, but the Lord called the young couple to Brazil where they started Word of Life's first Bible Institute.


In a family filled with loud voices for Jesus Dave was the quiet, steady, disciplined planner who used his administrative skills to transform the training of counselors at Christian summer camps throughout the U.S. and then to found Palavra Da Vida Seminary --a school that has become the Moody Bible Institute--Dallas Seminary for the Brazilian culture.


David Cox Jr., Dave and Mary Ann's oldest son, worked on our pastoral staff in Midlothian while he attended Dallas Seminary. Then after a few more years serving with us headed out to Brazil to join his mom and dad as one of the profs in the seminary.

For three hours Sunday afternoon David led us in a tribute to his dad and mom built on Psalm 127:1.
Unless the Lord builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.

Listening to their children and grand children extol their dad and mom and their grandpa and grand ma proved that the Spirit can still fuel a marriage for 50 years.Praise the Lord! He is still in the business of building strong homes.

Congratulations Dave and Mary Ann, I pray the Lord gives you 50 more.