“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!.” Philippians 4:4  G reetings of joy and gladness to you today. This is the day that the Lord has made. I will be glad and rejoice in it. I hope the same for you too. Shortly before Jesus’ crucifixion, He began preparing his disciples for life without Him. He told them that they would have tribulation (affliction, persecution, trouble) in this world. Oh joy! Just what they wanted to hear, right? But it was what they needed to hear. It was a positive statement. A positive/negative, if you will. But a positive, never-the-less.  His remark was honest and they needed to hear the truth. But He didn’t stop there, because that was only one part of this truth. There was more, and the “more” would make all the difference for them. He went on to say, “… be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) With those ten little words, He imparted strength to them and gave them hope for victory. Why am I t...

Greetings from beautiful Redding! F irst the big news. It’s official-GCI (Gospel Communicators, Inc.) has been transferred to us! The potential here is huge: helping other ministries, networking, partnering, serving. The ability to offer non-profit (501c3) status has lot of Kingdom possibilities. If you, or someone you know, needs non-profit status, we’d be honored to help. KENYA As promised in earlier newsletters, we’re going introduce you to Gordon and Beatrice, our friends and ministry partners in Kenya. Gordon and Beatrice have been ministering in Nakuru since 2004. They’ve planted churches, mentored pastors, and reached out to the poor, the widow and the orphan. And they pastored Victory International Fellowship-Nakuru all the while. These two are a rarity in Africa: a husband and wife team, working together in everything. They minister together, pastor together, feed the poor together. What a wonderful example of how a couple should function in the Kingdom. But it’s...

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” NKJV Joyful greetings to you today. The month of March was very busy, and the month of April is going to be very busy also. I cannot adequately express how great it is to be filled with enough energy and strength to accomplish all that needs to be done. I trust the Lord is blessing you in similar ways as you press on in your life with Him. The new reports from India and Nigeria are abundant, and this is where I want to begin my letter this month. I hope I will be able to paint each picture in such a way that you will catch the significance and joy that I am trying to convey. INDIA Accommodations Acquired – In February’s newsletter I shared the urgent need for new housing, office space and church facilities that Bhalchandra and Leena Kamble were facing. In that letter I did not tell you that finding available housing at th...

Greetings from beautiful Redding! Well, if everything had gone according to plan, we would have been on a plane today headed to Mozamabique. Unfortunately, last week Julie’s back went out in a big way, and she spent the week on modified bed rest. Basically, spent most of her time making sure the sofa didn’t run away. We are disappointed by the delay, but not discouraged. There are some advantages, as it allows Mark more time to coordinate the trip to Mozambique with the trip to Kenya. We will now be shooting for a September date. In further preparations for Kenya and development of the curriculum for Romania, we have an opportunity through our local church to attend a ministry school planting gathering in mid April. The gathering is specifically focused on those who are currently leading or looking to plant ministry schools all over the world with the intention of being able to connect, share vision, and potentially partner together to advance the work.  In other news; man...

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 KJV  Greetings of joy and gladness. I am happy to be writing to you today! I HAVE GOOD NEWS I have heard from the Lord , and I am rising from the ashes of disease and illness. I have been infused with renewed energy, strength and vision. And, I am ready to ride on the winds of Holy Spirit. This has come to me after months and months of prayer; seeking God’s face; asking what His will is for me in this season of my life; and...w.a.i.t.i.n.g… for His answer. FINALLY... AN ANSWER In late October/early November last year, the Lord began speaking to me about writing. Study Materials – formal and informal, Inspirational Articles, and Personal Missionary Experiences.  I have wanted so badly to tell you about this, but it wasn’t the right time…yet. Anything I might have ...

Greetings from beautiful Redding! What a wonderful time of the year! Mission trips are fast approaching; conferences are coming up; and, spring fishing is right around the corner. All of that adds up to a hopeful, busy time. It’s an annual lesson on living in the present while simultaneously looking to the future with expectation and hope. Speaking of lessons… Flexibility is the name of this one... We all claim to be flexible. We know it’s a desirable quality, but learning and living it can be trying. Nevertheless, that’s where we are. Sometimes the Father exercises His right to substitute something else for what we wanted. The good news is that His substitution is ALWAYS an upgrade! In this case, our plans have been pretty dramatically altered. Another ministry has invited us (Mark and Julie) to minister with them in Mozambique!  At last, after all of these years of keeping up the home front, Julie finally gets to go! The hosting ministry in Mozambique is paying for o...

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLJV  G reetings in the wonderful name of Jesus our Lord and Savior. I trust all is well with you and yours, and that you are enjoying the blessings of God in all areas of your life. I am happy to report that all is well with us, and we are walking in His blessings day by day.   Ministry wise, I have taken the month of January to wait before the Lord for a fuller understanding of the ways in which He is leading me in ministry. I believe every minister needs to designate periods of time for this purpose, just as Jesus did in His own ministry. Happily, I can report that the Lord has granted my desire of Him.  I wish I could lay it all out for you right now. However, the Lord and I are still working on the details of how to implement everything, and I believe it would be premature of me to say anythi...