"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14 It's hard to believe this year has come and gone already, and that 2015 is literally right around the corner. We have had a wonderful year. Another year of changes, but a wonderful year none the less. New great grand babies (and 2 more on the way), new jobs and new ministry opportunities. And for all of these things, we are truly grateful and blessed. One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season (that's different than the Christmas Story), is listening to all of the Christmas songs, from the traditional choir carols to the latest arrangement sung by the newest acapella group. Ever get a line, just one line, from a song that gets stuck in your head and you walk around for days singing that same line over and over again in your head? Sometimes you sing out loud when you think you're all alone and no one is watching (or listening)? Sometimes you hum or wh...

Warmest Season's Greetings from the Great White North... I (Mark) got home from this last trip to Romania and Kenya just in time for Turkey Dinner. Wow! What a trip! Much as I wish it didn't, jet lag always gets the better part of me for the first week I'm home. I'll have a more detailed report next month, but here's a quick rundown of the trip: Romania We had a wonderful meeting with Pastor Adi. We were in agreement for virtually every thing concerning the School of Ministry. We will start putting together the curriculum after the holidays. Kenya A lady named Eunis saved and set free from alcoholism Young  lady healed of breast cancer, doctor verified. She had been ill for 2 years. Young lady healed of malaria symptoms. About 30 salvations. Established a working relationship with Pastor Mathew. Preached 8 times in his church, and revival has taken hold according to the reports I've received. Praise God!!! Remember the word I had in India f...

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus. I trust all is well with you and yours and that you are enjoying the rich blessings of the Lord. It’s November again, and I am already counting the blessings that have come my way in this past year. Two of the most recent blessings took place last month. Part of the ministry to the women in my home church, Wings of Faith Fellowship, Ocala, Florida, is to conduct special bible study times in the spring and fall of each year. This year I was invited to be on the teaching team for the fall event. Watching the ladies being refreshed in the presence of the Lord, seeing them come alive with better understanding as God’s word was being taught, and witnessing relationships being made and strengthened during our times of fellowship brought great joy to my heart. This event was a huge success, and to be one of the team was a ...

Greetings from the Great Not-Quite White North, Here we are, the end of October and no snow on the ground yet. But it’s coming. The “termination dust” is on the mountains and coming down fast. Here in South East Alaska we expect snow in October, early November at the latest. Winter preparations are about done and it’s time to focus on Romania and Kenya. As I write this I have 8 days ‘till lift off! The check list is done and I’m ready and rarin’ to go. All the meetings and ministry are set, housing, transportation, messages, check. The only duck that’s not in the row is money. We still haven’t seen all of the expense money come in. But God is faithful, and He’ll come through. He always does! I will try to keep you updated via our blog or, if you’re on Facebook, you can see the news there. Please keep this trip in prayer. The Romania leg is crucial for getting the school of ministry started right. The Kenya portion is a chance to join forces with an existing ministry and begin t...

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2 It’s hard to believe that 8 years have passed since Bud went home to his heavenly reward. Yet here we are, still working. Still carrying the torch of Truth. Still lighting other torches. Church was Bud’s life. His whole life. And I don’t mean just what he did as an adult. I mean since he was 3 years old. As a child in Michigan, he used to have baptismal services with his sister and their friends, baptizing them over the arm of the couch; but only after he had preached a salvation sermon to them. Ironically, while he was practicing his preaching, I was somewhere in Texas lining up my dolls in my bedroom and teaching them. Funny how God puts into each of us “that thing” that will be our heartbeat. That thing that people will remember us for long  after we are gone.  Bud’s heart for training up the next generation ...

Greetings from the Fall Colored North, Yep, it’s fall here already. In fact, fall usually begins here at the end of August. We talk to folks from “down south” and it’s still summer, they’re still battling heat and wishing for rain while we’re seeing winds of 40+mph, lots of rain and getting our cars winterized. But there the up side… the Coho’s are here, duck season is upon us and deer season is in full swing.  Can we talk about Romania? It lacks the romance, the allure of Africa or India. It’s Europe, for crying out loud. How bad off can the Church there really be? The Gospel has been on the continent for many hundreds of years; there are churches, there are preachers. Why Romania? Because the truth is that generations of communist rule and isolation has crippled the Church there. Romania actually ranks below India in standard of living and quality of life. Atheism is still the dominant world view. The isolation that the Church suffered has created a dearth of leade...

Jesus said, “ We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.” John 9:4 ESV Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. I trust your hearts are filled with the peace of God that passes all understanding in spite of all the terrible things that are going on in the world today. We should not be surprised by these things. Jesus said they would come. He also told us to lift up our heads when these things happen, because it simply means the completion of our redemption is coming closer and closer to its appointed day. Peter put it this way: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be re...

Greetings from the Great Land, Just a bit of trivia. Alaska is the English version of Alyeska, which is Aleut for the Great Land. And it truly is a great land. Pastor Mathew Ondicho, Nairobi, Kenya This month we want to introduce you to a friend of Mark’s. His name is Mathew Ondicho and he’s a pastor and evangelist in Kenya. Mathew is one of 7 children, born into a poor, rural family. Mathew was saved at 5, and by the time he was 7 he was preaching in public. He was so small he had to stand on a table so the congregation could see him. In 2007, God called him into the slums of Nairobi, some 250 miles from his home. Since then, he has planted several churches, conducted numerous crusades and established a feeding program for orphans and widows. Pastor Mathew and his wife, Vane, work side by side to advance the Kingdom, taking ground back from the enemy. Pastor Mathew with a group of the orphaned children whom he helps feed Now, Pastor Mathew serves a church of 120 folks...

“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” Romans 22:36 CHANGE HAS HAPPENED AGAIN Almost seven years have passed since the Lord spoke the word “change” to me with the understanding that there were going to be changes in my personal life, in my family, in LTI and massive changes in the political scene worldwide. As I began to write this newsletter my thoughts went back to that word. Quite a few changes have already taken place in each of these areas. Today I would like to share with you the most recent change. It affects me, my family and LTI. With regard to myself, you are already aware of the physical challenges I have been dealing with for the past few years. You also know that I am recovering very well – seeing better and getting stronger every day. However, I still need to have a companion for traveling. You also know that my daughter Jennifer has been living with me, which has been a great blessing to me....

Greetings from the Great Land, Up here in the North we are already planning for the end of summer. August is really the beginning of our fall here. It’s a funny time. It seems like every year someone at the coffee shop will make a comment to the effect of “this is a strange August, it normally doesn’t blow and rain like this.” The funny thing is they said the same thing last year… and the year before that and the year before that. This is also the time of year we begin to get ready for our prime time of the outdoors. The Cohos (or silvers) are beginning to show up, duck hunting is just weeks away and deer hunting is about to kick off. Tis the season of the “hunting and fishing widow” and it lasts ‘till January. All of you that consider yourselves “football widows” can call yourself blessed. Three trips? Four trips? More? The opportunities abound, but it’s not always easy to know which ones to pursue. In addition to our work in India and Romania, there are opportunities to go to K...

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;” Ephesians 4:11-12 NASB During our first overseas assignment to Ghana in W. Africa, I often found myself walking through our mission house singing “God bless America. Land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her through the night with the light from above.” My singing was not the result of homesickness, for I was not homesick. It was the result of learning firsthand how generous and benevolent our country was/is to other countries less fortunate than we are. That realization humbled me, overwhelmed me, and I sang that song as a prayer, entreating our heavenly Father to continue blessing us so that we could continue to bless others – and to take the knowledge of Himself to the ends of the earth. Today is July 4, 2014. Thirty-five years after we first arrived in...

Greetings from the Great Land, Another summer to remember. The weather has been a bit strange for our part of the world. Our normal summers consist of 60ish degree days with misty rain and a few sunny days interspersed for good measure… and mental health. This summer we have seen a lot of the sun, but we have also had a lot of heavy rain. Weird. ROMANIA What God is doing in Romania is mind boggling. One trip and now we are discussing how we can partner with the church there to start a school of ministry for the purpose of training their existing leaders as well as raising up the next generation! Working on that will be Mark’s primary purpose when he goes back this fall. This time, though, we believe Julie is supposed to join him. In order for that to happen, there are several needs that have to be met. First and foremost, there are additional funds that will have to be raised. For both of us to go, that means a cost of approximately $4500-$5000. Beyond the additional funds t...

“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” Romans 22:36 YOU ARE INVITED TO  CELEBRATE WITH US This month we are placing our THIRTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY marker on our road of ministry outside the United States. When Bud and I set out on this journey in 1979, we had no idea how many places God would take us to, or for how long. We were so greatly blessed to walk together for twenty-seven years in the path that God had established for us until He called Bud home. Now I, and my family, are greatly blessed to continue walking in that same path for the glory of God. By God’s grace we have joyfully worked long-term in the fields of Ghana and Nigeria on the African Continent, and India in South Asia. For nearly a decade we were in Hungary and Romania in Eastern Europe. For shorter periods of time, we have ministered in Mexico in North America, Guatemala in Central America, Trinidad/Tobago in the Caribbean, Nepal in So...

Greetings from the Great Land, Dry, dryer, driest. That hasn’t often been said of Juneau. We actually need rain, something Mark has said only 3 or 4 times in the nearly 50 years he’s lived here. Never fear, soon enough we’ll be back to normal, complaining about the incessant rain. INDIA As promised last month we have a time frame for this years trip to India. The plan right now is to arrive on November 13 and leave on the 23. That gives us 10 days in country and two weekends to spend with the churches. And perhaps enough time to get out of the city for an outreach to the villages. We hope you will consider joining us on this trip. You will have plenty to do and we promise, you won’t be bored! ROMANIA Mark would love to make another trip to Romania this year and he’s discussing a late fall or early winter trip with Sandor. We’ll keep you in the loop and if it looks like there’s enough to do you’ll get an invitation for this trip, too. SPEAKING OF ROMANIA… Sometimes the Fath...

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 Last month was a very busy month for us. It began with our annual trip to Lighthouse Worship Center, Galliano, LA, where Pastors Eno and Lurie Dantin and church host a mission’s convention every year. This was their 51st Annual Missions Convention, and the Lord blessed it abundantly. Some $75,000 was raised for the work of the Lord worldwide. Everyone left for home having their spirits refreshed from the presence of the Lord, the anointed and timely ministry of the word through Dr. Kemp Holden, and wonderful reports from various missionaries in attendance. It was a good, good time. And…the food for the body was very good, too. We had not been home many hours when we received news of the untimely death of our dear friend and fellow minister, E. J. Dantin, Jr. in a boating accident. He is the son of Pastors Eno and Lurie Dantin. Immediately, we repacked our things and returned ...

Greetings from the Great Greening North, Spring is finally here. We’ve had (mostly) beautiful weather for weeks, sunny skies and life springing up all around. Juneau is spectacular this time of year, with the Spruce still decked out in their winter black, the mountains still blindingly white, the sky pristine blue, and everywhere vibrant greens overwhelm the beige and tan of winter. By far our most beautiful season. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY.  Between ministry and construction, Mark has been so busy that he hasn’t even “wet a line” yet. Almost tragic, approaching the peak of steelhead season and not a day on the water. Ah, well… this too shall pass. Mark left for California on the 5th for a wedding and a drive through Canada with his father, Mickey. It should be a great time, over 2500 miles of driving through some of the most beautiful country on the planet. GOD TRULY IS GOOD  We want to share a testimony with you. Most of you know that our middle daughter, Ellen, is a musi...

“But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He has risen, as He said.’” Matthew 28:5-6a GOOD NEWS I still have sight in my left eye! Thank you Lord. The surgery was a total success…no tearing of the macular membrane which would have caused blindness, and no problems in smoothing out the wrinkle in the membrane which would have left me with some measure of distortion in my vision. Needless to say, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. That is the first stage of recovery. Now that the wrinkle has been taken care of the edema in the eye has the opportunity to reduce so that my vision can be normal once again. This process takes time, and it varies with each person. Normally, whatever reduction has taken place at the end of a six month period is all that will ever be realized. I am believing for all the edema to be gone and my vision returned to “normal.” Each of us can victoriously fight some...

Greetings from the Wonderful Springtime North, You just got to love spring in Southeast Alaska. 16 degree nights, 40 degree days, 80 mph winds and lots of sunshine. It’s experiential proof that double-mindedness is not just a human condition. Mark Teaching ROMANIA Wow! In so many ways the best ministry trip I’ve ever been on. The only problem is choosing which wonderful stories to share first. From almost the very beginning this trip was perfect. The Paskucz family were awesome hosts, warm, welcoming and generous. From beginning to end they made me feel as if I were one of the family. They fed me, chauffeured me, laughed with and at me. They were tour guides, facilitators, and friends. But the first news they gave me had my heart sinking. Dinner with my host family On our way to their home in Brasov they informed me that my first Sunday meeting had not panned out. Uh-oh. I’m thinking “What’s going on? What about the rest of my time? Will this be a wasted trip?” So we...

“...how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” Romans 10:14-15 Warm greetings to you this month. At last the sun is shining again. We have had rain, rain, and more rain this year. So much so I began to feel like I was on the Ark with Noah. Since we really needed the rain I did my best to thank the Lord for it from a sincere heart, but now I am thanking Him for the sunshine without any effort to “do my best”. I surely do hope He understands. We had another great and wonderful addition to our family last month. It happened on February 21st. A beautiful baby boy was born to Alex and Amy Groth – Jennifer’s #2 son and daughter-in-law. Now we are grand and great grandmothers for the second time. His name is Judah Alexander Groth. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 5 oz. and measured 21 inches long. Jennifer, of course, went to be with them and is having a wonderful time. Isn’t he beautiful? I was scheduled for eye surgery on February 6th,...

Greetings from the Sunny and Beautiful North, As I write this I am 12 hours away from getting on the plane for Romania. Well, Seattle, then London, THEN Romania. The anticipation, the expectation level is off the charts. I really expect this to be a great trip and one that opens lots of doors for future ministry in Eastern Europe. A brief testimony of our Fathers goodness. 10 days ago we were still $800.00 short of the budget. Today the budget is fully met, plus we were able to purchase an inexpensive tablet so I don’t haul a laptop around and leave our daughter with no computer. What a wonderful Lord! This will also allow me to blog while I’m overseas. Be sure and check out our blog at http://ltimissions.blogspot.com/. Thanks again for all that you do to help make this happen. Your generosity and your prayers are greatly needed and appreciated. Yours for the Kingdom, Mark & Julie

This will be brief, since it's really late here in Romania.  What a day!  We had lunch with Sandors pastor and his wonderful family.  Much more of a reunion than anything else. I'll be speaking at their main church on Sunday and will be with the church here in Codlea several times this week. We also talked about our vision for "longterm itinerant ministry" and I was informed that they had been praying about the need for help with raising up leaders! I will share more tomorrow.  Blessings! Mark