Let me give you a quick recap of things that have been happen.

York Trip

This Saturday (Feb 20) I went on a school trip to the city of York. It was a cool trip and the city has some pretty cool stuff. The weekend we were there they had a Viking festival going on. With this interesting festival going on people would be walking around dressed up as Vikings, or maybe they were real Vikings. We got some fun photos with the Viking people. On this day trip I hung out with 3 other students and we did a lot of walking around. We walked to the spectacular cathedral, but didn’t go because we didn’t want to pay. We spent a while wandering the town center were all the shops are. Near the end of the day we went to the York Museum. The museum is really well put together and its wide range of areas and display were very interesting. It was a historical museum with an exhibits on weapons, the World Wars, the 70’s and toys.  For dinner we went to the White Swan, the oldest pub in York.

Graphic Design Program

For those of you that don’t know I applied for the Graphic Design for Marketing program at Kwantlen. As part of the process to get into the program you need to take an interview. I had my interview on the phone on Wednesday February 17. I think I did well on the interview, but i’m glad it’s done. I could use the prayer of you fine ladies and gentlemen that God’s hand will be with the people that make the choice for the program. I find out March 1 if I get in or not. I will keep you posted

10 Day-outreach – TOMORROW

This is all we have been hearing about the last few weeks here at Capernwray. You might be asking what this 10 day outreach is so I will tell you. This 10 day outreach is for all the students and we are put on team of 3 to 10 people and we are sent to different churches all across England and Scotland for 10 days to outreach. Each of the 38 teams are doing different outreach, it all depends on what the church tells us to do.

I am on the biggest team with 10 people and we are going to the city of Leominster (pronounced limster). The big thing we are doing is assemblies in primary schools, age 5 to 11. In these we do short skits, sing kids songs and give short talks. In the UK you can present the gospel but you have to says things like “I believe…” or “the Bible says…”

All the teams leave TOMORROW and are gone for 10 days (obviously). We defiantly appreciate all your prayers. Prayer that we will have serving hearts, be a shinning light for Jesus, encourage the Christians that we come in contact with.

Let me take you back in time all the way back ago to sum up my December here at Capernwray. Wow… So much has happened in such a short time.

During this Christmas season we have had lectures on the Upper Room Discourse by Rob, a series on Colossians  by a guest speaker, 1 Corinthians by Mark Thomas (the school’s director, he SUPER smart). Right now we are on the series on The Early Life of Abraham by Rob, it is probably been one of my favorite lecture series so far. We had our first test on the 2nd a test that required every single one of my brain cells. It was an easy memory verse test on nine verses.

I finished reading the book Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claibounrne and it was amazing. I would recommend it each and every one of you. It was my second time reading, it was just as good as the first time and I learnt just as much as the second time around. I will hopefully writing more about it some time soon.

On the 6^th we had a Christmassy service in the lounge instead of the conference hall. We sang Christmas songs and on of the staff did a short message on honoring God in everything we do.

After the Sunday morning service on the 13 me and some other students went for a walk to the Capernwray Diving Center. It was around an hour walk, it was so fun walking talking and just joking around. The diving center is not part of the school it’s an old quarry that is full of water for diving. They put a whole punch of random stuff on the bottom for divers to see. We didn’t go diving we just watched other people dive.

That evening we had a different evening church service. It was lead by other students and it was a huge success. It was all about worship and glorifying God through everything we do.

As part of the school’s outreach a bunch of student did this traveling Christmas play. They would go to different church and preform the play. On December 14th they preformed the play for the students at school. It was good and it had its funny moments.

On the 16 we had our Christmas banquet in the evening. We all dressed up and a nice meal served to us by the staff. After the meal we had a Scottish dance which so fun but tiring.

December 17 was our last day at the school before our departure into the world. We only had one lecture that day the rest of the day was for packing and cleaning up our room. That evening we had a games night with all the other students. We played some of the funnest games I have ever played. It was great that they were all new games so I can teach all my friends. At 9pm we left on the Coach to London and that is were my adventure begins…

Check out more of 2009 top commercials and other top things of 2009 at Time.com

This year I have decided to make a newsletter to share with you and everyone i know about what has happened this year. Hope you enjoy.

Click on the image for a bigger picture and click here to download a copy Mark’s Newsletter 2009.

To download a PDF of my newsletter click on this link Mark’s Newsletter 2009

This year I decided to make a newsletter to share with you and everyone all I did this year. Click on this link Mark’s Newsletter 2009 to see and download it.

I have defiantly been keeping busy since the last time I have talked to you. School has kept me busy, but it has been amazing experience and I am constantly learning more about God and myself. I am learning so much great stuff and useful information that  is hard to remember everything I am taught. We have had some amazing lectures by some great speakers. My favorite speaker is Rob Wittacker, the principle he teaches around 2 or 3 times a day when he isn’t traveling. He has taught on Personal evangelism, and he is now talking on Jesus last days on earth from hi death on the cross till Jesus going up into heaven. On Monday to Thursday we have six 45 min lectures each day; 4 in the morning and 2 in the evening with a ten minute break every 45 minutes,

We usually have guest lecturer every week speaking on a wide variety of topics from the Bible. Some speakers are better then others, but none are horrible. We have had lectures on The Second Coming (the Rapture and the end times), Nehemiah and having a vision, Sermon on the Mount, 1 Corinthians, Hebrews, Effective Evangelism, Prayer, Acts, The Holy Spirit and more.

At the end of the week the guest lecturer has an optional Q & A time in the lounge. I usually go and there are around 20 other students that come. I don’t usually ask questions, but I learn quit a bit form other student’s questions and the speakers are friendly and it’s a time to get to know them.

I hope this gives you a glimpse of my life here at Capernwray. Even though life here isn’t always the most private, have challenges and I don’t get as much sleep as I wish I could I am extremely thankful God has brought me here now.

Thank you for all your prayers, I can’t say this enough. I am looking forward to see you at Christmas.

For all the youth who are reading this I would love to spend time with you while home for Christmas to catch up on things and tell you all about the things God have done for me in England.

We started of the day with a worship service followed by a message by the dean of students, Ian on Mark 6:31 “Come with me by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest”. It was a great talk to set the mood for the day and it found the message stuck with me all day.

After the service we had a prayer time with our roommates. It was a great time to share our struggles and what we were each going through and pray with each other. During this time I was so thankful for the roommates God gave me even though it is a struggle to get to sleep some nights.

During the day I went outside with some blankets even thought it was really cold and just read the Bible and spent some quiet alone time with God. It was a relaxing time and a time to reflect and just clear my thoughts.

In the evening we had another service and a message by the main administrator, Sue talked from Ephesians 2:1-10 about how everyone is God’s masterpiece and it doesn’t matter what you think about it. God doesn’t make junk!

I am thankful for the day God gave me and I wish we had more days like this. I would encourage all you to spend a day with nothing planned and just spend it with God and maybe some other Christians.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I miss you all and I am thankful for all your prayers.

I’m going to take you all the way back to October 30 for our school trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. It was a good trip, not amazing just okay and the trip started with a 3-hour coach ride. Once we arrived it took me and a group of 12 other guys 45 minutes of walking around Edinburgh to find The Westend Hostel. For those of you that don’t what a hostel is it is kind of like a cheep hotel. In hostels you are usually in big rooms with 6-14 people and everything is for boy and girls (share bedrooms, bathrooms and showers). I was unsure of what to expect from our hostel but I was impressed. Luckily I was in a room with all Capernwray students, which made the experience a lot better.

By the time we arrived and got settled it was suppertime so me and some friends went to the AU Pub and I had a great lasagna meal.  In the UK they have a lot of pubs and when people go out to eat they usually go to pubs. They do not have a lot of fast food places. While traveling around Edinburgh, which I did a lot I only saw 2 McDonalds, 2 Subways, and a Pizza Hut. The McDonald’s here are nicely decorated and so clean, a lot nicer then the once is North America. Following this lovely supper we walked to the Castle and then walked around the main touristy section.

Saturday, October 31

This day begun with a trip to the Edinburgh with a whole bunch of other students. On the castle grounds they have a war memorial, crown jewels, a dungeons and the Scotland War Museum. After spending the morning in the castle I went wandered around with a few students and made our way back to the hostel to hangout with other students.

Sunday, November 1

Our final full day in Edinburgh was my least favorite with all the rain and being tired. It started off with a trip to the Modern Art Museum which was good for a Modern Art Museum. My favorite piece was a wall with a list of all the people the artist had ever meet. The main exhibit was a sheep in this clear liquid stuff that preserves the sheep.  After that I went with a big group of students to a big old church at 11 and it was boring but it was a cool experience going to church in a big old church. In the boring rain me and my friends walked to Subway for lunch and then to our hostel. Once we finished enjoying our filing lunch we went down the street to Starbucks to relax. I ended falling asleep; it was so nice just resting inside out of the rain while listening to their peaceful music.

Monday, November 2

This day started with waking up, obviously and having our final breakfast at the hostel.  After a simple breakfast me, Jan (pronounced yon), and Nick went to a mall close to where the coach was picking us up. We just wandered around the mall and I bought 2 hoodies for 27 pounds. The ride home and the rest of the day was uneventful the only thing we had was a session at 8pm. The people that went on outreaches shared what they did and just old us about there experience.

The trip to Edinburgh was not my favorite it seemed like I just wasted a lot of time just deciding to hangout with and what to do. You can’t everything you want do since you’re in a group and other people want to do other things. The trip was very tiring and it felt like I didn’t include God while on this trip. I didn’t put God first and did what I wanted and never asked him.  The trip was defiantly a learning experience and I was glad to return to Capernwray.

Again I am sorry for not posting in such a long time. I am extremely thankful for all your prayers and I am looking to see you guys at Christmas.

Where did I come from

• Live in Surrey BC, Canada
• Born in Christian House.
• Dad Baptist Pastor
• Mom is an accounting professor at a local university
• Amazing 16 year old sister
• Born in Ottawa Ontario and move in grade 4
• Moved to Woodstock Ontario a small town in Ontario were I lived till grade 10. Most of child hood memories.
• Moved to Surrey in grade 11
• Moved for Dad to become pastor
• I’m a pretty easy going person so I have never have had any problems or rebellious stage with my parents.
• I have always been provided for and haven’t had to worry about money.

What happened to change me

• Became Christian of Kindergarten. Teacher asked us.
• Became Christian because of my parents.
• Lived as a Christian but didn’t really have a sincere relationship with Jesus.
• I wouldn’t remember what I learnt at youth and church and the lessons wouldn’t leave Church.
• Every Sunday on the drive home my dad would ask “so what was my sermon about today?” I hardly ever remembered the message that was 1 hour ago
• In my grade 9 year our youth pastor challenged us to change the way we have a personal relationship with Jesus.
• To embrace Jesus and read the Bible make an effort of our own. Use the things we learn at church in our daily life.
• Since then God has been filling me with a desire to become closer with him. I have been getting more out of the messages learnt at Church and daily Bible reading.

Where have you been going ever since

• I moved across the county to British Columbia in grade 11.
• Biggest struggle of my life. Had a hard time making friends, but drew closer to God.
• This last year has been the biggest growth I have had in my relationship with Jesus
• Youths
• When we moved the church go new youth pastor, Kolby.
• I got really involved in attending and volunteering for the youth it became like a second family.
• I have seen God bless our youth in size, filing us with a desire to serve Jesus and friendship with new youth and amongst ourselves.
• Youth Camps.
• Help me identify questions and things harming  my relationship with Jesus.
• Hearing Jesus is sometimes still a struggle
• Gone on 2 Mexico mission trips.
• God has drawn me closer to him. Filled with a stronger desire to get to know him more.
• Feel God leading me to do something with youth.
• Youth has been a highlight for me and I want to share this experience with other youth and inspire them.