Okay. This might be lengthy but I have to tell you all about this man and the way his life has changed because of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I've been teaching Mark the past 5 months and WOW. He has come a LONG WAY.
Mark lives in a bus. Yep. A bus. He's fixing a school bus up to be a mobile home (apparently that's not a very unusual thing here in Oregon). We've seen a little inside his bus and it actually looks pretty legit haha not going to lie.
Mark also only has one hand - he was diagnosed with cancer at 13 that went septic when he was 18. The doctors cut off all his fingers on his left hand because of the cancer.
Despite this Mark still learned how to be a diesel mechanic. The man has had a CRAZY life. Literally.
When we first started teaching Mark, he was only interested in cross referencing the Book of Mormon and the Bible. He is so talkative and so many lessons with him did NOT go the way we planned (that tends to happen as a missionary). He's faced a lot of adversity and had a lot of loved ones die, even recently. Despite all this, Mark is so positive and chooses to be happy.
You might remember that the state of Oregon was burning down a while ago. There was one morning during all this that Mark called us at 4 AM. I panicked and jumped out of bed (thinking it was someone telling us to evacuate our city), only to see it was Mark calling and send him to voicemail so I could crawl back in bed.
Mark called us a while later and told us he had had a dream we asked him to be baptized again! (He was already baptized in another church.) OUR. JAWS. DROPPED. We hadn't even mentioned baptism to this man up at that point but right then and there we put him on date.
Mark honestly had no one and nothing to live for... and then through the tender mercies of God we ended up in his life.
He wanted to be baptized the day before my birthday! BEST birthday present ever! He showed up to the church saturday morning just a chatterbox and happiest I'd ever seen him. While he introduced himself to the ward over zoom (many haven't met him because of the virus) and told them he had finally found a family who accepted him for who he is.
At the baptism I sang a song from the primary children's songbook called "I'll Walk With You". It fits this mans situation perfectly. Here are the words:
"If you don’t walk as most people do,
Some people walk away from you,
But I won’t! I won’t!
If you don’t talk as most people do,
Some people talk and laugh at you,
But I won’t! I won’t!
I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how I’ll show my love for you.
Jesus walked away from none.
He gave his love to ev’ryone.
So I will! I will!
Jesus blessed all he could see,
Then turned and said, “Come, follow me.”
And I will! I will!
I will! I will!
I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how I’ll show my love for you."
God is mindful of everyone. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is for EVERYONE. Mark is one of the most unique people I have ever met and I'm so grateful to have been a part of his life. It's been amazing to watch him change so much because of Jesus Christ.
"37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen."
Alma 26:37
Love you all
Sister Carlson
