All About Mark

I grew up in church and was saved when I was 4 while in the car driving home from church with mom and dad. I was 12 or 13 before mom and dad felt I was ready to be baptized. It was around that time that I started in the youth group and really began to understand what it meant to be a Christian. Through Godly friends and leadership at our church I learned a lot over the next number of years, it truly was a neat group of young people we where thirsty and loved to study and learn.

My growth continued though my high school years even after I moved back to the states, a strong foundation had been built. In my HS years I was given the opportunity to play in the praise band and orchestra at church which helped me understand more about true worship. After high school I had a number of lukewarm years, lots of excuses of why not to goto church or spend time with God, from time to time I’d come back to him but it always felt forced, perhaps it was out of guilt. I knew from what heights I’d fallen.

It pains me to think about the wasted time but even though that God provided and showed himself to our young family frequently. A few years ago we moved to Milton. My wife and I had wanted to get out of where we were (looking back both spiritually and the city itself), it always felt like a dead end. We eventually found a church that “fit” us and growth began once again. We got plugged in and we began to see the great things God was doing.

I’m excited that God is allowing me to be part of his awesome plan. Now he’s had me go full circle, I’m mentoring/discipleing a young man who’s a new believer, I can only pray that I have even a little bit of the impact that some of those early leaders I had in my life. This is what God has made me for, to help grow others. God has put Panama on our hearts, and seemingly opened the door for us to “GO” little things that many people would consider “coincidence” can’t fall under that label, where this journey is leading I don’t know but I can’t wait to see how God allows me to be used (as if he needed me for any of this) which is still the most amazing thing.