LiberianMissionary's Xanga

Sheppard December 2008 Prayer Letter

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:23:38 GMT

Dear Praying Friends,

We're back! On December 2 at 11:30 we started the 24 hour, three legged journey from Minneapolis to Chicago to Brussels, Belgium and finally, Monrovia, Liberia. We arrived early to the airport in Minneapolis, the flights were all on time and uneventful, and all of our luggage arrived. Without a doubt people were praying for us because in the history of our travels it has never gone more smoothly. So, thanks so much!

Another "first" in our mission work is to be able to move into the same house we left before our home assignment. (That's "furlough" for any who don't know the new lingo.) We arrived to find the city electric off (surprise, surprise) and no candles or matches, but were able to secure those easily enough and could then proceed. It has been an adventure fixing what is broken, replacing what is missing, and generally getting all settled in again.

Back with us to Liberia are Melodie (24), Heidi (14) and Jared (12). Melodie is a short-termer with Baptist Mid-Missions. She will be involved with counseling of women and children, volunteering at an orphanage and starting an encouragement program for MK's (that's missionary kids).

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Heidi (a budding photographer) has already started an herb garden and Jared has been helping with fixing screens and other projects.

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John-Mark (26) has been here in Liberia the entire time we were gone and, needless to say, was quite happy to see everyone again. We had a wonderful week with him, and then Sunday night (12/14) he left for the U.S. where he will be attending a linguistics training program for the next two years.

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Nathan (24) has been the only one not here. He is in his senior year of college and looking forward to graduation in May.

Last Sunday I was asked to speak at Bethlehem Baptist, a large Bassa/English church here in Monrovia. It was our last church service with John-Mark for a long time.

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A BIG thank you to all who gave of your goods, your financial resources, and of your backs to help us fill our container. We are thrilled to be able to share with the Liberian people the clinic supplies, school materials, Bibles and Bible study materials and other items we were given. We had originally planned on a 20-foot container, but when our home church saw the amount of materials we hoped to put into it, in addition to the Mitsubishi Montero (the same one we drove on furlough), they suggested we go up a size and order the 40-foot container and they would pay the difference. Due to some circumstances in and out of our control, the packing of the container ended up being delayed. This, in combination with the additional 20 x 8 x 8 feet of space, allowed us to be able to bring some furniture and appliances we had not planned on bringing, as well as a number of shelves, filing cabinets and other materials which our church has been storing in a basement for months or years. These materials will be a huge blessing to us and our churches and Bible schools. So, a special thank you to Oak Grove Church of Golden Valley for the additional funds for the container and all the work moving the materials and loading the container. As of this week (12/18) the container is now in the port, so it appears that the ship made it across the Atlantic without accidental dropping it from off the massive stack of shipping containers. From a distance they look like so many Legos!

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Please pray for the following requests:

1. We would be able to get the container out of the port with a minimum amount of hassle - and cost.
2. God would protect and guide John-Mark as he starts his new life in the States.
3. God would grant safety and wisdom as we minister at two big conferences upcountry in December and January.
4. God would give wisdom to know which ministries to pursue.

Thank you once again to every one who has had a part in our return to Liberia either through financial gifts, physical gifts, or prayer. May God grant each of you a wonderful Christmas and a blessed new year.

In His service,

Mark, Nancy, Melodie, Heidi and Jared Sheppard

Sheppard October 2008 Update

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:13:27 GMT

Dear Friends,

Greetings again from Minnesota. We thank God for the safety and guidance He has so graciously granted. We have presented our ministry in four churches, taken care of our "furlough physicals," and made a lot of the preparations for our return. We are planning to pack and send a 20-foot shipping container (with our vehicle) at the beginning of November and then leave for Liberia on December 2nd. Please pray that we would be able get everything done before these two important dates.

Not long after our last letter Nathan (22) returned to Minnesota from his job in South Carolina. This was not only needed as a summer job, but also as a required internship for his degree in audio and video production. Nathan is presently finishing up his senior year of college. Melodie (23) arrived back home after finishing her counseling training and her summer job in Lafayette, Indiana. She plans to return to Liberia as a short-term missionary under Baptist Mid-Missions. She will be doing counseling, helping in one of our local churches (Calvary Baptist), and working with orphans. John-Mark (25) continues his ministry among the Muslim people in Liberia. Heidi (14) and Jared (12) are looking forward to our return to Liberia. The approaching winter in Minnesota does the same job as the hornets in Joshua's day - it makes us willing to go!

I know many of you have been praying for Joseph Leelear, one of our faithful pastors in Liberia, who has been suffering from kidney failure since January of 2004. We are thankful for the good care given to him by Dr. Sacra of ELWA hospital in Liberia. When this started he should have died, but the Lord had other plans for him. Through the ministry of Dr. Sacra and your gifts (which have helped pay for his medical care and medicines), we were able to help him have another four and one half years of life. However, on September 15th, he went to be with the Lord. We were really blessed by his testimony through all of his problems as shown by this note from Dr. Sacra:

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Healthcare in Liberia is a setting where often care is fragmented and it is hard to develop the same kind of long-term doctor-patient relationships that make family practice satisfying. But this week I lost one of my special patients—this gentleman was a pastor from up-country in Liberia and a friend who had been through an awful lot.

I first met him several years ago when he was hospitalized for about 2 months with severe congestive heart failure and poor kidney function. He required such high doses of medication that the treatment threw off the balance of chemicals in his blood (like sodium and potassium). And so keeping him “tuned up” was a constant challenge of trying this and adjusting that and testing this and modifying that. He had a missionary friend who helped pay for his treatment, so that was a blessing as well. Joseph was a “stick-with-it” kind of guy—if your treatment wasn’t working for him, he’d complain and try some more and give you the feedback until you got things right. This kind of willingness to stick with one medical provider and one hospital even when things were not always perfect or going his way was the key to success—and is not the rule in Liberia. This guy would have died on several occasions if we had not built a successful doctor-patient relationship, built on trust and our common commitment to God. Joseph was a young man—I believe only in his 40s—with a dear wife and young children. Several times during the last few years we were able to get him “tuned up” enough so that he could return to Nimba county, where his church was, to be with his family and his church and to do the work of pastoring that he was called to do. He would stay up there, taking his medication, sometimes for 4 or even 6 months, until something would get “out of whack” again and he’d start swelling up or getting short of breath. Then he’d return to Monrovia for a long course of treatment and retuning.

When I returned from the US a few weeks ago, I met Joseph in the hospital, looking worse than usual. He had a lot of shortness of breath, and looked very uncomfortable. Usually removing fluid from the chest (where it had gathered around his lung) helped him feel a lot better—but this time, the fluid in his chest had become infected. We had to insert chest tubes on both sides to drain the fluid. In addition, his electrolyte levels (sodium and potassium) were very hard to balance. After several weeks of inserting drains and treating with antibiotics and doing x-rays and other tests, pastor Joseph was continuing to get weaker. Monday morning I sensed that he was doing worse, and that he might not recover from this episode. We talked for a while and prayed together. Joseph told me he wasn’t afraid to die—he knew where he was going. He was just concerned for his wife and children.

Monday evening about 8:00 pm Joseph breathed his last. He fought a good fight, and finished the race. I was grateful to have had such a good relationship with this dear brother over several years. It is these kinds of connections that make medical work fulfilling for me. I will miss him, but I know he is enjoying being with his Lord.
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Joseph's care this year alone cost close to $2000. Additionally, we would like to give a gift to his wife and family as they must now go on without a husband, father and provider. If you would like to help with these expenses, please send your gift to the mission with the note, "pastor's death" and we will know what it is for.

As we get closer to our container-loading date, we would like those of you who are considering giving to this ministry to send whatever you are planning to send before it is too late. (I have included the list we sent out with our last letter below.) Additionally, we have set up a "wish list" at an online discount store. This is one easy way to give to our ministry and the ministries of our churches in Liberia. On the list you will find Bibles, school supplies, clinic supplies, etc. All you have to do is choose one or more of the items, pay for it, and the company will take care of shipping it to us. (As you make purchases we will do our best to keep the list up to date.) Please do this as soon as possible since these items need to be shipped by October 24th. The address for the website is http://dollardays.com/bmm-liberia/wishlist.html

Please continue praying for us and especially the following requests.
1. For God's guidance as we - and other missionaries enter this time of great uncertainty and higher prices due to the problems in the world's financial markets.
2. For Pastor Leelear's family in the loss of their husband/father.
3. Finances for us to pay off our vehicle and ship everything to Liberia.
4. God's leading as we seek to reach the unreached parts of Liberia with the gospel.
5. God's continued direction in our lives and the lives of our children.

We thank you for your faithful prayers and support. You make our ministry possible.

In Christ's marvelous service,

Mark, Nancy, Melodie, Heidi and Jared Sheppard

August 2008 Prayer Letter

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:07:54 GMT

Dear Friends,

Greetings to you from Greenfield, Minnesota. Since our last prayer letter we have enjoyed visits to several supporting churches as well as individuals interested in our ministry in Liberia. On a major trip out East, we spent some time with one of our first supporting churches, Calvary Baptist of Elkins Park, PA. From there we went on to meet some new friends at the First Baptist Church of Troy, NH. We thank God for over 3,000 miles traveled safely and with no breakdowns.

Prior to that we were at Baptist Mid-Missions' annual conference for its missionaries in Ohio. Since we began with BMM in 1982, Nancy and I received our 25-year pins. God has given us the grace to complete five terms, each one laying pieces of the foundation for what is still to come. During the award ceremony we watched as some were given 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50-year pins. However, we truly felt like children when Dr. Anderson gave out BMM's first 60-year pin to Harold Reiner, a missionary who has served with BMM for all those years in Brazil. At the conference we also met with various mission leaders and clarified our focus for our next term of missionary service. We are getting exited about our return to Liberia at the end of November.

Lest you think we spend all our time traveling and have no fun, it's not true. We had a great time in Philadelphia visiting historical sites. On our way home from New Hampshire, we visited Niagara Falls. We were able to see the falls from a number of different viewpoints on land as well as ride the "Maid of the Mist" boat. It took us so close to the base of both Niagara and Horseshoe falls that we could feel the mist on our faces. It was amazing.

We sold our SUV before we left Liberia in January. It had served us well but it was over 13 years old and had close to 170,000 miles on it. When we arrived in the States in February we bought another of the same brand (Mitsubishi Montero), but much newer (2003) and with less than 40,000 miles. We have traveled over 15,000 miles since then with no problems. We are planning to ship it to Liberia at the beginning of November, but we need to pay off the remainder of the loan as well as pay for the shipping container we will use to send it to Liberia. We would also like to purchase other items, which we have listed below this letter. If you feel God would have you participate in our ministry by helping with either the cost of the SUV, shipping expenses, or any other listed items, it would be a huge blessing to us.

Please pray for the following requests:
1. Pastor Joseph Leelear, a Liberian pastor friend, is very sick with heart and kidney troubles.
2. God's leading as we seek to reach the unreached parts of Liberia with the gospel.
3. Increased interest of Liberians in being trained for ministry.
4. God's continued direction in our lives and the lives of our children.

Words are inadequate to express our appreciation to those who have welcomed us so warmly into their homes and their lives. We only know God will reveal in heaven the part each has played in making our ministry possible and encouraging us to "keep on keeping on." God bless you!

In Christ,

Mark, Nancy, Heidi and Jared Sheppard

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Sheppard 2008 Shipping List

Bibles: Text Bibles and study Bibles for pastors and students

Bible study books: Bible doctrine, commentaries, Bible dictionaries, Bible book studies, etc.

Hymnals: for our English-speaking churches.

Christian school materials: textbooks (new and used), teacher's manuals, school materials such as pens, pencils, chalk, notebooks, reams of typing paper, etc.

Glasses:
Reading glasses: (all sizes) for our needy church members
Prescription glasses: new or used - preferably no astigmatism correction

Typewriters: Manual and electric (portables are preferred)

Clinic materials:
1. Sheets, blankets, rolled bandages, gloves, medical instruments, drugs, etc. (please contact us for details on these items)
2. Layettes and other items for newborn babies ("onesies", baby soap, baby lotion, baby blankets, etc.).

If you can help us with any of these materials, it will be a great help to our ministry and a great blessing to our pastors and churches in Liberia. If you have any of these items, please ship them to this address:

Rev. Mark Sheppard
Oak Grove Church
5920 Golden Valley Rd.
Golden Valley, MN 55422

If you would like to help financially with the purchase or shipment of these items, please send gifts to:

Baptist Mid-Missions
Box 308011
Cleveland, OH 44130

Mark the gift "for the ministry of Mark Sheppard: 2008 shipment." We will be packing the container at the beginning of November, so please ship any items so they arrive before that time. The sooner the better!

April 2008 Update from the Sheppards

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 04:16:46 GMT

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Minneapolis. After a very busy two months we are back in Minneapolis. Our trip down South was filled with visits to friends and reports to supporting churches. We traveled over 7,300 miles and were able to minister in seven of our supporting churches, visit a number of other churches, and see four families who have adopted kids we fostered.

One personal highlight of our trip was five days off for a wonderful family vacation in Orlando. John-Mark, Melodie and Nathan arrived from their various locations, making the time together extra special because the whole family was together. Nancy's father and stepmother arranged a timeshare for us in Kissimmee, a couple from our supporting church there (Disney employees) treated us to six park hopper tickets for Disney (yes, we did all four parks in one day!), and the time together was just wonderful. It really was a dream vacation which we saw as God's special gift to us since we were not able to take any vacations during our last term in Liberia

Thank you so much for all the prayers for Ellie. Ellie was one of our foster children in Liberia. In the last two months we have sent out several requests for prayer as this three-year-old Liberian girl went through several surgeries and spent several days hovering between life and death. Tuberculosis of the spine had caused life-threatening damage to her spinal column (and other complications). An amazing team of specialists at the Children's Hospital in Charleston, SC (MUSC) did all within their power to correct. God worked many miracles on her behalf, and we are thrilled to report that Ellie is now back home with her adoptive family (after five weeks in the hospital!). She is doing great, although she is still in the halo and brace. Because of the weight of this apparatus, a specially fitted wheel chair allows her to move about. Her full recovery will take months, so please continue to pray for her.

While traveling we presented the need for operations for two Liberian women to remove goiters (enlarged thyroid gland) from their necks. While a goiter looks unsightly, the more serious problem is the way it can cause pressure on the trachea. We praise God that this need has been supplied and these women will soon be able to have the operations they need.

As we have traveled we have asked people to pray for the unreached people within Liberia. There are a number of areas which have had very limited opportunity to hear the gospel. We believe the trained Liberian pastors and church leaders have the ability, with God's help, to reach their own people with the good news of the gospel. Please pray that God would lead us as we attempt to reach out to those areas after we get back to Liberia.

One of those areas is a predominantly Muslim county in northwest Liberia, Lofa County. We praise God that He is using our son John-Mark to reach the people in that area. While it is usually difficult to reach Muslims with the Gospel, John-Mark is finding that because war displaced them from their communities (and even with their return their community is not as tight as it used to be) they are now much more willing to listen and consider something new. (See http://www.Xanga.com/coraplayer for his reports.)

The society as a whole is a verbal society; most information is passed either formally or informally through word of mouth. Since so much of our population in the US is educated (and therefore highly influenced by the written word), it is hard for most Americans to even fathom what this means to a country. The bottom line is that Liberians need to be dedicated to winning their own people with the gospel of Jesus Christ and teaching them. No passing out of books or other written information is going to do the job. Like their counterparts in the book of Acts, Christian leaders acting as evangelists need to live among people teaching by word of mouth and presenting by lifestyle what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

We just finished a mission conference in our home church, Oak Grove, in Minneapolis, and are leaving on Saturday for a conference at the Kettle Moraine Baptist Church in Whitewater, WI. Nancy is flying to Florida for a speaking engagement on May 3 at Faith Baptist Church in Palm Bay. From there she is traveling to visit her sister in Tennessee. They are both looking forward to that a lot!

God has provided a nice little apartment for us in a distant western suburb of Minneapolis. It has the feel of a retreat center. Cows are munching away within fifty yards of our windows. We are using our time to get caught up on the myriad of office type projects our busyness in Liberia did not allow us to finish. It is a wonderful treat to be able to concentrate on these things.

Please pray for the following requests:
1. Ellie's safe and quick recovery from her surgeries.
2. Continuing safety as we travel;
3. Our financial needs which we much take care of before we return to Liberia: about $9,000 for our car, $4,500 for return tickets, and around $5,000 to buy and ship needed items in a container to Liberia;
4. Our children who are not with us: John-Mark in Liberia, Melodie in Lafayette, IN and Nathan in college;
5. Continued spiritual growth of our pastors and churches in Liberia;
6. The needs of Jake Memorial Baptist College in Monrovia;

We thank God for you. May He richly bless you in all things.

In His service,

Mark, Nancy, Heidi and Jared Sheppard

serving with:

Baptist Mid-Missions
Box 308011
Cleveland, OH 44130
http://www.bmm.org

Special Prayer Request

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:04:52 GMT

Dear Friends,

March12, 2008 2:00 p.m.

Greetings from Greenville, South Carolina.

We have been enjoying meeting old friends and making new ones. God has blessed us with wonderful prayer and financial supporters and we are enjoying sharing what God has done in and through us in the last years.

Yesterday we visited the MUSC Children’s Hospital in Charleston, SC, where Ellie is hospitalized. Ellie is three, and the last of the foster children who lived with us in Liberia before this furlough.

Last week she had a surgery to put a “halo” on. This was used for the traction necessary to prepare her back for today’s surgery. Today Ellie is having a twelve hour surgery to stabilize her upper spine, severely damaged from tuberculosis which went into the bone. God in His mercy has already performed a miracle in that to this point she has been spared paralysis or death. Doctors who examine her various test results are baffled that she is not paralyzed and have no medical explanation.

A whole team of doctors and nurses are working on her even as we write this letter. She will be opened up in both the front and the back. Anything dealing with the spinal column is very, very serious. Ellie is receiving the best of care. We are asking you to pray with us that He would allow this surgery to be successful.

Ellie has been adopted into a wonderful Christian family and has a strong support system behind her. Her new parents and siblings covet your prayers. If you would like more information about Ellie and updates about her condition, her mother's blog is at http://deniseinsc.blogspot.com

We are humbled to be a small part of Ellie’s amazing story. God is so clearly in her life. Please pray with us that whatever the outcome, God will be glorified.

In Christ,
Mark and Nancy Sheppard

Serving with:
Baptist Mid-Missions
Box 308011
Cleveland, OH 44130
http://www.bmm.org

Sheppard February 2008 Update

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:38:54 GMT

Dear Friends,

What an amazing month it has been! It is hard to believe all we have done in the last three weeks. Since January 28th (when we left Liberia) we have been in Monrovia, London, Dublin, Minnesota, Washington state, Oregon, Montana, North Dakota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee!

January was a very full month. There were a million and one things to wrap up before we left. We were able to work it out so a missionary couple would live in our house while we are gone, so we had a lot of things to pack up, clean and/or repair before we could leave. We had a group of pastors come for several days as we put together the teaching materials that will be needed for the upcountry Bible schools during the months we are gone. There were many public and private good-byes. We were in two church services where we were "gowned" by the Liberians who were seeking to honor us. (A "gowning" is the public giving of a special Liberian outfit that is then tried on.) It was very precious to us that they would thank us in this manner.

-----------------------------------------------------------------"Gownings" at 2nd Calvary and Bethlehem Baptist Churches-----------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------Heidi, John-Mark and Jared at Church-----------------------------------------------------------------

We left Monrovia, Liberia on February 28th. We decided to take the scenic route back to the US and flew out of Liberia on a night flight

-----------------------------------------------------------------On the Plane-----------------------------------------------------------------

and then spent one day and a night each in both London and Dublin before flying to Minneapolis. While we were seriously cold (have you noticed few people "do Europe" in February?), it was still fun. We arrived in Minneapolis absolutely exhausted, but safe and sound.

-----------------------------------------------------------------At Buckingham Palace in London-----------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------Two Churches in Dublin-----------------------------------------------------------------

Two days later Nancy and I flew to Oregon to pick up a vehicle and then drove it back to Minneapolis.

-----------------------------------------------------------------The snowy mountains of Washington-----------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------At Our Visit with Henry (and family) in Spokane, WA-----------------------------------------------------------------

On Saturday, February 9th, we headed to the Biblical Counseling Seminar at Faith Baptist Church of Lafayette, IN. That was an amazing blessing. We are now on a trip down South visiting supporting churches, family and friends.

We really covet your prayers during the coming months. We have committed ourselves to be back in Liberia by the end of November (2008), and feel overwhelmed by what we must accomplish during the next nine months. We look forward to reporting to our supporting churches and individuals scattered through many States. We need to gather together materials for the various ministries in which we are involved (Bible schools, church planting ministries, etc.). We need to raise the funds and then purchase these items. Though God has always met our needs in the past and our trust in His provision is growing, the amount of money we must raise seems daunting. 1. We need $10,000 to finish paying for our 4 wheel drive vehicle for use in Liberia. 2. We need approximately $4,000 for our tickets to return to Liberia. 3. We are planning on shipping a container with our vehicle, Bible School materials, personal items and other ministry materials. This will cost around $5000, besides the money needed for the items themselves. 4. Jake Memorial Baptist College's construction projects need $15,000 at this time.

Please pray for our safety during the next two months as we travel to North Carolina, Florida and Virginia visiting supporting churches. We plan to be back in Minnesota at the end of March.

Here is our schedule for the coming weeks:

February 24th - evening service - Northside Baptist, Charlotte, NC
March 2-3 - missions conference - Faith Baptist Church, Palm Bay, FL
March 9 - morning service - First Baptist Church - Sanford, NC
March 9 - evening service - Shining Light Baptist Church - Greensboro, NC
March 16 - morning service - Livingston Baptist Church - Delco, NC
March 16 - evening service - Bible Baptist Church - Matthews, NC
March 19 - Wednesday eve. Service - Goodwill Baptist Church - Richmond, VA
(In the coming months we will also be in churches in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana and South Dakota and will give you the dates as we schedule them.)

As we look back over our last four years of service in Liberia, we are amazed at how much has happened. We hope to see you at one of these meetings where we can report in detail what God is doing in Liberia.

In His service,

Mark, Nancy, Heidi and Jared Sheppard

Serving with:

Baptist Mid-Missions
Box 308011
Cleveland, OH 44130

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Sheppards!

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 23:34:07 GMT

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you! During this busy time of year we just want to send you just a few highlights of the last month rather than a long letter. Just believe us - it was a busy one!

Our last three weeks were dominated with the visit of Dr. Larry Fogle, a veteran missionary with Baptist Mid-Missions who has just started a ministry called PEP or Pastoral Enrichment Program (http://www.pepbmm.org/ ) where he goes to different fields and helps with teaching in conferences and Bible Schools. During his visit he spent one week with us at the annual FIBA (Faith Independent Baptist Association) conference in Buchanan and two teaching at Jake College. He was a great blessing to those to whom he ministered and to us as a family. I am afraid he may have gotten more than enough of a fill of the weird Sheppard humor, but it should serve to give him some more stories to add to his never ending supply of true stories.

While at the Buchanan conference we were able to check up on little Hannah, whom we mentioned in a previous update. We are very thankful to see her doing much better. Thank you for praying for her and for those who gave gifts to help with her formula and cereal.

On December 27 we leave for the New Years conference in Nimba county. Pray for safety as we travel and God's leading as we minister.

Two foster children "graduated" to their new homes since we last wrote. Henry went to Peter and Amber Glanville. He is now experiencing snow and many other things for the first time. We miss him very much, but know he is where he is supposed to be. (See their blog at http://skywardjourney.wordpress.com/ for some wonderful pictures of Henry in his new home.)

Ellie left less than two weeks ago. She is three and perhaps the sweetest little girl in the whole world. She wiggled herself right into the deepest parts of our hearts. She was adopted by Greg and Denise Horrocks. Greg and his son Tyler were able to stay with us during the week they were in Liberia, making the transition for Ellie almost seamless. She is doing wonderfully in her new home with her forever family. (You can see their pictures at http://deniseinsc.blogspot.com/ )

Because we are leaving for furlough at the end of January and have many commitments and responsibilities to fulfill before that time, we have decided that we need to be done with fostering for this term. It has been a rich source of blessing for us to watch the babies God has sent our way grow physically and emotionally. We praise God for His goodness to us in opening up this door of opportunity.

On the 22nd, we also saw the departure of Sydnee Tucket, a young volunteer with Acres of Hope who has been rooming with us for about a year now. We will greatly miss her. It is strange now to have only Sheppards at the dinner table!

Melodie and Nathan are now in Minneapolis with Grandpa and Grandma Sheppard, so although we really miss them this Christmas time, we are thankful they are in good hands during the holidays.

At this time of year we think upon each of you with special sense of gratitude. It is because of your love, prayers and financial support that we are able to minister here in Liberia. We wish you the most blessed of Christmases, and may each of us glorify God in 2008.

In His Service,

Mark, Nancy, Jared, and Heidi Sheppard

Sheppard September 2007 Update

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:36:25 GMT

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Monrovia, Liberia.

We have had another busy month. Several days ago a group of men and I went to Suakoko, a town about 110 miles from Monrovia where BMM has a mission property. We are working with Calvary Baptist Church of Monrovia to help reopen the elementary school and repair the church building, which was stripped during the war. All the metal roofing was stolen during the war, as well as door and window frames, benches – basically everything. At the end of the first part of the war (1999), Calvary Baptist repaired the church and school. However, it was looted and stripped again in the last part of the war (2003). Baptist Mid-Missions has made funds available from the World Relief fund to repair the buildings.

>
-------------------------------------------------------------Suakoko Church--------------------------------------------------Suakoko School-------------------------------------------------------------

Also, the NGO (non-government organization) Living Water, a mission whose goal is to "to provide a cup of clean water in Jesus' name," is planning to drill wells and install pumps on the mission property and in four nearby villages. We are also planning on evangelistic meetings, with the showing of the Jesus film in Kpelle, the local dialect, in conjunction with the installation of the wells. Rev. Peter Gblee (one of the pastors to whom we gave a motorcycle) has been visiting these villages and is already well known there. In fact, in several of these villages, small church fellowships have already begun. This should be happening the second week in October, so please make this a special matter of prayer during that time.

The work at the Jake Memorial Baptist College continues with the installation of windows, cleaning and painting, and the building of more school desks.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------Chair/Desk project-------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------Installing Jalousie Windows------------------------------------------Cleaning Books--------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Jared and Friends "Helping"----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We have also made plans for student housing to be built on the mission. Please pray God would supply for this. It is imperative that men be trained in the Bible so they can effectively win and disciple their own people in the things of the Lord. Please also pray as there has been some sort of a snag with the Ministry of Education. They came with an inspection team over two months ago and seemed to be satisfied with the staff, progress made on the buildings and the campus. They told us when they left they would be notifying us soon regarding opening. Since that time they have not given the official go-ahead and attempts to discern the reason for this delay have failed.

Those who receive our letter via email are aware that several weeks ago our very dear friend, a young man whom we have known for more than 14 years and has worked with us full time for the last three, betrayed us. Because of some serious behavioral problems we had to let him go, and in his anger and frustration he has unleashed what was obviously inside of him but hidden from us. Because of the public nature of the newsletter we do not feel we can share many details, but he has taken us to court. We pray God would break his heart for his sin. His behavior has horrible implications for his wife and two small children. We personally feel deep grief for this one whom we loved and trusted. His relentlessly pursuing vengeance against those whom he blames for his problems, and in doing so is revealing much about himself. God has comforted us and showed us that the only possible way to respond properly is to do what Jesus did when he was deeply hurt and betrayed by those closest to him. Please pray that God would give us courage and steadfastness as we face this problem. It is many faceted. Tomorrow (Thursday the 27th) we have a meeting with this young man and a group of pastor friends in the hopes for some sign of repentance. Please pray for us. The meeting will be at 4:00 p.m. (11:00 CDT). The deepest wounds are those a friend can give.

One beautiful thing has come from this trial. Another man whom we have known well and worked with for 21 years also seriously sinned against us about 10 years ago. He eventually came and apologized for his sinful behavior, but we have had minimal contact with him since that time. However, when he heard of this threat to our family, he came to visit. In effusive terms he spoke of his regret for past behavior and his appreciation for all we had taught him and done for him. It seems that God has put him in contact with a Christian counseling program and through this, God has convicted him more deeply of his sin against us. Although we had accepted his apology when it was given, his subsequent behavior had not proven to us that he was actually usable by God. However, it is obvious now that God has really, truly gotten a hold of his heart and maturing him. This was a huge encouragement to us. This “fruit” was a long time on the vine, but it appears finally to be to be maturing. We are confident that now, if he remains humble before God, that his future is bright and God will use him greatly for the kingdom. We are so thankful for God’s reminder to us that our “labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Right now we have one foster baby. This little guy is just as sweet as can be and is gaining weight nicely. We are so thankful for the way God has opened the door for us to be able to help children. It is such a blessing to our family. The shared joy as milestones are reached enriches all of us. We also continue our ministry of hospitality, enjoying meeting and hosting people whom God sends into our lives.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Heidi--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you so much for your prayers. We could not continue with them. And for those who help us financially, we are so grateful. You are our team.

In His service,

Mark, Nancy, John-Mark, Melodie, Nathan, Heidi and Jared Sheppard

Sheppard August 2007 Update

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 01:28:21 GMT

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Monrovia, Liberia, the city of perpetual rain. Our life goals have been slightly altered: it is now a major goal in life to have dry clothes that don’t smell moldy. We’re doing great. We praise God for good health, safety, no flying sofas (refer to last month's update), and other blessings.

-----------------------Rain at church. Looks like we could baptize out our back door!-------------------------------

Our son Nathan (21 years) was able to be with us for the summer, helping with various projects.

----------------------------------------Nathan and Crush--------------------------------------Nathan and Heidi----------------------------------

------------------------------------Technical Nathan----------------------------------------------Nathan, Melodie, John-Mark, Heidi-------------------

Three weeks ago he returned to the US for college. He was able to spend three days and two nights in Europe. He decided that since he had a few days to kill, he would take a bus/ferry trip to Ireland. And, to make the trip more worthwhile, he slept on the bus between destinations and thus avoided all housing costs while seeing England and Ireland. He arrived back in the US exhausted but happy. This form of travel is strictly for the young.

Before Nathan left we were able to take a four-day mini-vacation upcountry, extremely precious to us because our entire family was together. We stayed at a small guest apartment at the Phebe hospital, located near Gbarnga, Liberia. (You know the "vacation" destinations are limited when the best vacation site is a hospital!) We rested, read, played table games, visited an amazing waterfall (with an almost impossible road/path to reach it), and shopped in the used clothes market (actually, I sat in the car and read during this). While it wasn’t Hawaii, it was restful and fun.

---------------------Kids Traveling in the Car------------------------------------------------------Butterfly on the Trip---------------------------

-----------------------------------------------We stopped at a zoo on the outskirts of Monrovia---------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------On Our Way to the Falls--------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------The Falls--------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------Nancy Shopping-----------------------------------------------Are We Done Yet?----------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------At Gbarnga Orphanage-------------------------------------------------------------

We’ve been busy with our usual variety of ministries. I taught a leadership seminar at Freeway Baptist Church for the leadership of Freeway and the Second Calvary Baptist Church. We praise God that Freeway Baptist is doing better both numerically and spiritually.

----------------Teaching at Freeway---------------------

Nancy and I recently returned from a five-day teaching trip in the coastal city of Buchanan. There were about 150 adults in attendance. In the mornings Nancy taught the women about parenting in a Biblical manner while a Liberian pastor taught the men on local church issues. In the afternoons I taught a plenary session on "Witchcraft and the Bible" which compared common Liberian beliefs on the spirit world with what the Bible has to say on the subject. The group was extremely attentive, since this affects their daily lives tremendously. There is much fear due to misunderstandings and lack of teaching concerning the power of God and the source of truth (the Bible) vs. the power of Satan and his lies. I was encouraged to hear the people testify in the last session that their new understanding will help them resist the lies and trust and depend on God more.

----------------------------Teaching at the Conference---------------------------

While driving into Buchanan Nancy prayed that God would allow us to save a life while there. The second day of the conference she saw a really pathetic baby (desperately malnourished, thin hair, sores on her legs, etc.) on a rather plump woman’s back (one of our conference attendees). It seemed impossible to believe that this could be this woman’s baby. Upon investigation it turned out she was the grandma of the baby and the baby’s mother was desperately ill and had been for some months, making her unable to nurse her. Hannah (the baby) had been surviving on rice. We were able to get the baby started on formula and baby cereal and she already seemed a bit stronger by the time we left. We also left money for them to take her to a clinic to check for other sicknesses, such as malaria.

---------------------------Hannah------------------------------------------------------"Grandma Feeds Hanna"--------------------------------------

As we mentioned in a previous letter, we are now working towards the accreditation of the Jake Memorial Baptist College and the upgrading of the Associate degree program to a Bachelor's program. I have spent many hours with the leadership of the college working on the school's constitution, catalog and charter. We have also been working on repairs and improvements to the campus. Please pray for additional funds for these projects as we have almost no funds to work with now.

As you know, we help children who need special care before they go to adoptive families. Two left us this month, leaving us "babyless" for a few days a strange feeling after two years + of constant baby care. Two days ago we got a "new" baby, a year-old boy. So, the adventure continues. God is good. As said before, for privacy reason we cannot give details, but please always remember these children in your prayers.

--------------------------------------------------Isaac-------------------------------------------------------Isaac and Sydnee-------------------------------------------

Thank you to those who have given to the Pastors’ Motorcycle Project. What a blessing. Pastor Amos Kangar told us that the motorcycle was a great answer to prayer since he was able to use it to reach into a new area with the gospel and see over 20 people come to Christ. He was thrilled to see what God was doing through him.

--------------------------------Pastor Amos Kangar and His Motorcycle---------------------------

Please pray for the following requests:
1. God’s leading as we seek to help those in need. While we can’t help everyone, we want to be open to what God is leading us to do. BTW, if someone is interested in helping us with the cost of saving Hannah, please contact us for details. (Baby cereal and powder are very expensive here.)
2. The Jake Memorial Bible College is seeking accreditation. We are also working to upgrade the campus with repairs and new student housing. Please pray God would work out all the details, and that He would lead students to the college who have a heart to serve God. Pray the same for the three upcountry Bible schools with which we work. These students are tomorrow’s leaders.
3. We love meeting new people and offering them hospitality. Please pray God would lead to us those to whom He would have us minister, and that we would be gracious and loving at all times.

We appreciate so much your interest in us and our ministries. Without your prayers and financial support we could never do it. It is not us, but rather God in us! (Philippians 2:12-13)

In His service,

Mark and Nancy Sheppard

Serving with:
Baptist Mid-Missions
Box 308011
Cleveland, OH 44130
http://www.bmm.org

Report from FBNMA

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 01:48:05 GMT

Dear Friends,

One of the goals we have for our ministry here in Liberia is to begin reaching out to areas of the country which have not been adequately reached with the gospel previously. Since we cannot do much of it ourselves we have been encouraging the Liberian churches to reach out to their own people as local missionaries. Some of our pastors have formed the "Fundamental Baptist National Mission Agency" to help with evangelism in Liberia.

Back in June we were able to finance a trip where two of our pastors, Rev. Kolaglaye and Rev. Whiangar where able to travel to River Cess county on a survey trip. Below is their report as well as some pictures they took on the trip. Please pray that God would raise up missionary pastors here in Liberia and the funds needed to send them out.

In Christ,

Rev. Mark Sheppard
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FUNDAMENTAL BAPTIST NATIONAL MISSION AGENCY
SPECIAL TRIP TO RIVERCESS COUNTY
JUNE 14-23

DATE OF DEPARTURE: June 14,2007

PURPOSE OF THE TRIP: Leadership Training and Evangelism

DELEGATES ON TRIP: Rev. William Kolaglaye and Rev. Tuakah E. Whiangar

FROM MONROVIA TO ZIAH MISSION

We boarded a capmotor at about 3:40 P.M. and left Monrovia for Rivercess County. There were no benches in the large pickup truck for us to sit on. Our various load served as seat for each passenger in the back. It was quite a sight to see with all the load and so many people literally sitting on each other. We were about twenty persons in the back with all the load. The market women laughed at Rev. Kolaglaye because he had no room to stretch his long legs where he was sitting.
It was a very uncomfortable trip for the both of us. When it began to rain, the plastic serving as the top of the truck could not hold back the water it had collected. It fell on us and our clothes and shoes were all wet.
We arrived in Buchanan at about 10:00 P.M. It took us over an hour to unload the belongings of those stopping in the city. Although the road from Harbel to Buchanan is bad, it is far better than the road from Buchanan to Rivercess. But by the grace of God, He helped us to arrive safely in Logan Town at about 2:00 A.M. This was our stopping point, for the truck could not carry us all the way to the Mission. After about thirty minutes, two of the deacons (of Grace Baptist Church of Ziah Mission) escorted us to our final destination. We arrived on the Mission at about 3:00 A.M.

ACTIVITIES OF THE WEEK

The following day was Friday, June 15, 2007. We spent the day resting and studying. At night, there was a service in which Pastor Tuakah E. Whiangar preached. Many
people were in attendance.

SATURDAY

This was market day in Logan Town, located about thirty minutes from the Mission. Pastor Kolaglaye and I went to the market to buy few items we needed, and to meet the people. At night, there was a service and many people were in attendance. Pastor
Tuakah E. Whiangar preached and three persons responded to the invitation. One person went forward for salvation, while the other two for rededication of their Christian lives to the Lord.

SUNDAY

Sunday, of course was the big day. There were over 120 persons in service. Pastor Whiangar preached from Acts 11:23 on the theme, Cleaving to God with Purpose of Heart. Three persons responded to the message for various decisions.

MONDAY

The actual Leadership Training Seminar started on Monday, June 18, 2007. The seminar was held at night. Both men, women, and children were in attendance each night. The teaching was organized in such a way that everyone benefited. Pastor Whiangar taught and Rev. Kolaglaye translated.
During the day, a soulwinning team was organized for village to village outreach. Members of the Grace Baptist Church (the host church) of Ziah Town were organized to join the two visiting pastors for the outreach. Two churches participated in the training and evangelistic program. The following statistics are for Monday:

*About 15 persons turned out for the village to village soulwinning outreach.

*Four villages were visited on this day.

*The outreach team was out for about seven hours.

*The result: 9 persons were won to the Lord.

TUESDAY

*About five men turned out for visitation. We divided ourselves into three teams (2, 2,
1). Pastor Kolaglaye was a team by himself. Rev. Whiangar and another member teamed up.

*All the time (from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) was spent in one large town (Wrobone).

*13 persons trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour.

WEDNESDAY

*Six persons went out for outreach on this day. Once again, we paired up two by two.

*Four villages were visited on this day. The team was out on the field for about seven hours.

*The result for the day: 27 persons believed.

THURSDAY

*Only three persons went out for soulwinning.

*One village and a palm oil factory were visited. We were out for about seven hours.

*The result: 11 persons trusted Christ as Saviour. After we left the village, we went out to the palm oil factory where most of the men of the village were producing palm oil. Having arrived at the factory, we told them our purpose of being there and they all sat down to hear what we had to say. Pastor Kolaglaye then preached a powerful message on sin. When the invitation was given, seven men came forward to trust Christ as Saviour.

FRIDAY

This day was set aside for questions and counseling. We did not go out for soulwinning. We spent the day on the Mission answering questions, counseling those who needed counseling, and praying with others who needed prayer. It was such a wonderful spiritual experience, to see so many people who were hungry for the things of the Lord. Friday night was the last night of the training. The following day (Saturday) was departure day.

NEEDS AND PRAYER REQUESTS

NEEDS

*The Grace Baptist Church on the Ziah Mission is not completed. The floor needs some cement work. An estimated 35 bags of cement could get the floor done. The walls also need to be completed. About 25 bags of cement could take care of the remaining walls and the plastering. The roof of the building has some major leakage in several areas.

*The church needs a trained pastor. The young man who is presently serving as pastor has no formal Bible education. He is seeking God’s will in this direction.

* There is the need for more teaching so that the believers can stand strong in the Lord.

REQUESTS

*Many home and family problems, especially between husband and wife.

*Funds for the completion of the church.

*For the Christian Day School to be back under the church. It is presently operated by the Government.

*That the Lord may make it possible for us to go back

The trip to Rivercess was successful one. It was a wonderful week. The Lord was with us, and may lives were touched. One of such persons was a man who had stopped going to church for a very long time, but decided to attend the training sessions during the week. He rededicated his life and promised to start attention church again.
We praise the Lord for the number of souls that were saved. In all, there was a total of 65 persons who trusted Christ during the entire trip. The people want us to continue what we have started. We hope to go back sometime during the dry season. Please pray for us.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pastor Kolaglaye Teaches

Palm Oil Production

The Group in River Cess