Written by Mary Driskill:
Wednesday, April 6, 2011

When I, Mary (Mark’s wife), was growing up in a Southern Baptist church, mission education was an important part of my spiritual development. Prayer guides listed missionary personnel on their birthdays and each missionary had a description title of the type of work they did. For many of the women listed, the designation was “church and home.” I always wondered what, exactly, that meant and frequently assumed that it was just a polite title given to women who didn’t really have their own ministry but who were on the mission field by default because they married missionaries.

So here I am, with a Master of Arts in Christian education, with twenty plus years of ministry experience and I find that the “church and home” designation is the one that best describes my ministry! Over the years, and especially the past ten, Mark has had to take on additional ministries and “jobs” to make ends meet for our family. As a home school family, the primary teaching responsibilities have fallen to me. Subsequently, Mark’s ministry takes him away from home and family and mine keeps me closer to home. And that makes for a lot of ministry between us…

Mark’s primary focus these last few months has been on prayer for our community. Working with several groups and ministries, coordinating several events, and keeping up with several similar prayer movements, it’s becoming quite clear that things are converging and that God is preparing us for what we hope to be revival in our area. The prayer conference in March yielded great fellowship and ministry and reminded us just how important supporting each other and area ministers is. The weekly online prayer gatherings are gaining numbers and covering our community in prayer. The monthly intercessors meetings are filled with passion for God’s work among us and longing for his manifest presence here in Breathitt County. Know that this is not just one group, one church or one organization in charge of this—most every church in our area is represented in some way. God is at work and we’re just trying to keep up!

Bethel Camp retreat season is in full swing with Young Adult retreats in February, and Youth and Junior High retreats this month. We are currently staffing the summer camp season and lining up speakers, worship leaders and all the additional staff needed for eight weeks of camp and an expected 300 to 400 campers, We begin the summer season with a week of prayer for the eight weeks of camp and an eight hour prayer vigil on the Saturday before camp begins. Preparation and anticipation are the words for camp ministry in the spring.

Now for home ministry…. Kate continues to work with Baptist Campus Ministries, serve as the music secretary for Voices of Appalachia, sing with a praise band at a new church start in Hazard, plays bass and whatever other instrument needed, including vocals in the Sola Gratia band, lead a bible study in her dorm and is finishing her junior year in elementary ed. at Alice Lloyd College. She hasn’t been home since February….Jackson helped lead drama at Oakdale during Spiritual Focus Weekend, is preparing for senior trip to DC with the Oakdale senior class, refereeing soccer games, completing his Eagle Scout project, and preparing for graduation May 6. We are also preparing our spring Big Rock Players spring show and he is in Mark’s senior play at Oakdale. John Mark is counting the days until his sophomore year and the next basketball season and Grace turns 13 in June. Kate and Jack will be serving on staff at Bethel Camp with us this summer and Kate returns to Tampa with World Changers in July. Everyone is eager for the academic year to be completed and for our family vacation week in late May.

We replaced the family van last month with an SUV and will have to bite the proverbial bullet and get driver’s licenses for Jack and Kate as well as a college car before September. We continue to be blessed by food provided by area ministries and support from our church (Emmanuel Fellowship), Oakdale and gifts sent to Bethel Camp on our behalf. It continues to be a challenge to make ends meet with the current economic state, but God is faithful in providing for our needs, much of that provision coming from friends and supporters like you.

Prayer & Personal Needs:

• the spring youth retreat April 8-10 as Mark is the speaker
• safety as Jack travels with the Oakdale seniors April 10-16
• safety as Mary travels with a Kentucky seminary group to Gatlinburg April 11-13
• student ministry at Oakdale and Emmanuel Fellowship
• summer camp preparation
• Kate as she finishes the semester and registers for fall semester
• Jack as he makes the transition from high school to college
• Mark as he directs the senior play (and for Team Driskill, actors and stage crew)
• continued prayer ministry
• wisdom in finding a reliable college car for Jack and Kate
• favor in completing Jack’s Eagle Scout project April 30 (ropes challenge course at Bethel Camp)
• effectiveness in presenting the gospel for Big Rock Players in May
• rest and family time

Thank you for taking the time to pray for us and for our community as we share the hope of Christ. Your prayers, affection and support really do make a difference!

Team Driskill

Support should be sent to: Bethel Camp 2773 Bethel Church Road, Clayhole, KY 41317 or made out to Bethel Camp and sent to our address at P.O. Box 1159, Jackson, KY 41339

Pastor Mark Driskill
Web Minister of Begotten by the word web ministry
See our website at http://ourchurch.com/member/b/bbtw
and www.facebook.com (to group “begotten by the word”)
Begotten by the word is a ministry of Helping Hands Christian resources-Evangelism Outreach www.hhcr05.org
(Feel free to copy in any way that will bring glory to God and further his kingdom.)

Contact information:
Email: driskill@hilbillymail.com
Facebook: Mark Driskill
Address: PO Box 1159 Jackson KY.