View from the Crow’s Nest March 2004
Elliott Family Newsletter
Elliott Family Newsletter
Sometimes the hard part of these newsletters is just getting started, waiting for the inspiration. Well tonight it came to me. We had dinner with the family we are living with, there were 11 of us at the table, and we were laughing hysterically. As I drove to my last homeschool meeting, it struck me----I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME!!!!!!!!! As this experience as missionaries begins, I know that there are so many things happening to me that will change me forever. I don’t know why it seems to have suddenly struck me, but it is an overwhelming feeling. Don’t get me wrong; it is a GREAT feeling, but overwhelming. I can never express how grateful we are to the family we are living with. Being part of the Tonello family has been incredible. They have blessed us with a wonderful space to live in with privacy as well as fellowship. We will be forever grateful.
Busy February/March
We have had a busy last month or so since we last wrote with you all. Mark has been traveling all over the country as he finishes up his employment. We have had wonderful opportunities to visit with friends and family.
February: We had the opportunity to represent Mercy Ships at Congress New England-it was great fun to share with so many people about Mercy Ships and to see old friends. It was so wonderful to see so many ministries in one place. It really hit me that God has a place for everyone. There are so many opportunities to serve the Lord. It was encouraging to see people take their passions and direct them to the Lord.
Mark was interviewed by a ministry called Man2Man Express: A daily broadcast for today’s man. They talked about what it is like as a man to go through this process of becoming a missionary and how if affects his role in our family. It has been amazing to watch him change in regards to his family and his vision.
March: The night of March 11th Mark called from Washington DC complaining of severe flank pain and vomiting, after talking I figured he had a kidney stone. We got off the phone and a friend and I prayed that he could get home instead of needing the emergency room in another city. He was pain free within an hour and able to fly home. He then woke at 1am with incredible pain and vomiting and after a long night in the ER we were confirmed that it was a kidney stone. After pain meds and some rest at home he gave birth to a 2mm stone without complication and had no further problems. The week of March 15th Mark was reunited with the old glory days of the time he spent in the Coast Guard. He attended a course for Lifeboat certification. This is so that he can sit for the Able
Body Seaman exam with the Coast Guard this summer. I know I shared with some of you my concerns about his time in the cold water. For the others of you, I will share that he spent the week off the coast of Fairhaven MA. We had a nor’easter that week, for those of you unfamiliar, that is a very windy cold icy storm. March: The night of March 11th Mark called from Washington DC complaining of severe flank pain and vomiting, after talking I figured he had a kidney stone. We got off the phone and a friend and I prayed that he could get home instead of needing the emergency room in another city. He was pain free within an hour and able to fly home. He then woke at 1am with incredible pain and vomiting and after a long night in the ER we were confirmed that it was a kidney stone. After pain meds and some rest at home he gave birth to a 2mm stone without complication and had no further problems. The week of March 15th Mark was reunited with the old glory days of the time he spent in the Coast Guard. He attended a course for Lifeboat certification. This is so that he can sit for the Able
He called to tell me he was cold and I think I could actually hear his teeth chattering through the phone. He explained needing to break the ice off the lines before being able to work the boats. He thankfully got home warm and cozy.
Zana and the girls have had many homeschool fieldtrips to spend time with friends and fellowship before leaving. Mark has been busy making sure that those in need around us are set up with their computer technical needs. He has also been busy tutoring several kids in Geometry from our local Christian school; I think they will miss him.
On the Horizon
It has been so busy, and this will continue for some time. We want to give you all an idea of our upcoming itinerary.
Our last day at our home church is Sunday April 4th. We are spending Easter with friends and family at Grace Chapel.
Jessie will be taking her Stanford Achievement Tests (SATS) so that we can take the results with us for her upcoming future at school.
April 16th we are heading to Pennsylvania for the weekend to spend some time with friends and family.
April 19th we head to the Maryland area to visit with old friends.
April 22nd we are off to the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia. We are visiting with Zana’s friend from Bible College, Kathy. We are planning a fundraising concert there to help with finances.
April 26th to Atlanta—to visit some colleges of Mark. This will be a visit with some very special people in our ministry.
April 29th-to Florida to visit people in three different towns; then a few days off to relax with the girls before we head to Texas.
May 8th we head to Louisiana where we see Zana’s family. They are only about 3 hours from the International Offices for Mercy Ships. It will be great to spend time with them. It will be awesome to spend time with family. And then we head on over to Lindale TX to settle in at our home for the next few months. We will be living in a family house there on the base. After praying we just really knew that we did not want to live off-base, because we want the chance to just spend time getting ready. The International office has a great need for Mark’s help with some technology issues. Zana may spend the summer being MOM and just helping the girls to adjust to all of the changes. If our financial commitments do not increase, Zana may need to work while we are in Texas. Please keep this in prayer, because we really feel it would be best for her to spend her time with the girls.
Our Gateway (the discipleship training) begins mid August, then in October we head to the Dominican Republic for our first outreach as a family. We are so excited about the opportunity. We will then we will presumably have some time off around the holidays to get back to fundraising and get some last visits in with family before we head overseas. We are not 100% sure about where we will be from there, but it looks as though we will join the Africa Mercy for her first outreach.
Zana and the girls have had many homeschool fieldtrips to spend time with friends and fellowship before leaving. Mark has been busy making sure that those in need around us are set up with their computer technical needs. He has also been busy tutoring several kids in Geometry from our local Christian school; I think they will miss him.
On the Horizon
It has been so busy, and this will continue for some time. We want to give you all an idea of our upcoming itinerary.
Our last day at our home church is Sunday April 4th. We are spending Easter with friends and family at Grace Chapel.
Jessie will be taking her Stanford Achievement Tests (SATS) so that we can take the results with us for her upcoming future at school.
April 16th we are heading to Pennsylvania for the weekend to spend some time with friends and family.
April 19th we head to the Maryland area to visit with old friends.
April 22nd we are off to the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia. We are visiting with Zana’s friend from Bible College, Kathy. We are planning a fundraising concert there to help with finances.
April 26th to Atlanta—to visit some colleges of Mark. This will be a visit with some very special people in our ministry.
April 29th-to Florida to visit people in three different towns; then a few days off to relax with the girls before we head to Texas.
May 8th we head to Louisiana where we see Zana’s family. They are only about 3 hours from the International Offices for Mercy Ships. It will be great to spend time with them. It will be awesome to spend time with family. And then we head on over to Lindale TX to settle in at our home for the next few months. We will be living in a family house there on the base. After praying we just really knew that we did not want to live off-base, because we want the chance to just spend time getting ready. The International office has a great need for Mark’s help with some technology issues. Zana may spend the summer being MOM and just helping the girls to adjust to all of the changes. If our financial commitments do not increase, Zana may need to work while we are in Texas. Please keep this in prayer, because we really feel it would be best for her to spend her time with the girls.
Our Gateway (the discipleship training) begins mid August, then in October we head to the Dominican Republic for our first outreach as a family. We are so excited about the opportunity. We will then we will presumably have some time off around the holidays to get back to fundraising and get some last visits in with family before we head overseas. We are not 100% sure about where we will be from there, but it looks as though we will join the Africa Mercy for her first outreach.
Praise:
Project MedSend will begin repayment of Zana’s student loans as of April. Their ministry is loan repayment for medical professionals serving as full time missionaries in developing nations. http://www.medsend.org/
We continue to Praise the Lord for our incredible living situation over the past months. We have loved so much living here with the Tonello family. We have laughed so much over the past months, and the girls have loved having the kids around all of the time. We have gone from being just the 4 four of us in our big house to being on the property here with 10 kids around on a regular basis. It is fabulous. The kids are adjusting so well to living in a community setting.
We are so thankful for so many opportunities to share about Mercy Ships.
We are both ending our employment with good reputations and at a time that seems perfect.
We are both ending our employment with good reputations and at a time that seems perfect.
That Mark has completed the first step toward his Seaman certification. He has such an excitement to back at sea.
Our continued health, thankfully, even with all of the bugs going around us, except for the kidney stone, we have all been in great health.
Prayer:
For safe travel over the next month
For the girls to continue to move forward with a great spirit. They are just blossoming through the process.
Support: we are continuing to pray for the leading of those who would support us financially. We do not like to bring up money on a regular basis, but we do feel the need to let you know that we are still quite short. We are currently at about 25%. We have been very blessed with some wonderful one time donations that will help cover our initial phase, but we are still very short in our monthly commitment need. We are praying that if any of you have felt led to be a part of our ministry and just have not yet stepped out, that you would feel led to do so at this time. We just ask that you pray about this. We do need your prayers, we know that the Lord will provide our needs, but we also believe that you need to know our needs.
Pray for our family as we leave for this adventure.
We are just so glad to share with you on a regular basis what the Lord is doing in our lives. The Lord called out and asked who would go, and we have shouted from the mountain tops “Here am I, Send Me!” Isaiah 6:8
I just can’t wait to tell you how we are used. Over the past months we have gone from a 3000sq ft house with every material possession we could possibly want, and now we are fitting our lives into the car. It has been a surprisingly easy transition for all of us. Things just do not matter as much. The things we desire now in our lives are those things we would like to have to communicate the details of our life with you and how we are affecting the lives of others. Someone recently asked me if things were difficult right now, and what I want to share is that things are busy and crazy, but difficult is not the word. Things are great. Our marriage and family have never been better. It is emotionally such an easy transition. Just pray that when things are difficult we are able to hold on to these feelings. It is certainly the honeymoon phase as missionaries, but we want to hold on to what we feel today. To keep the joy deep down so that we can always bring it back to remember why we would do such a thing with our lives. So what we ask of you is, when we write and tell you how hard things are, remind us of the joy of the journey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In Christ’s service,
Mark & Zana Elliott Zana
Email: elliottm@mercyships.org or elliottz@mercyships.org
zana@theelliottadventure.org or mark@theelliottadventure.org
Elliott family website: http://www.theelliottadventure.org/
Surface mail: current to March 31, 2004
PO Box 883, Plymouth, MA 02362
Mercy Ships: PO Box 2020, Lindale TX 75771 USA
http://www.mercyships.org/
Permanent contact address:
959 Wall Williams Rd
West Monroe, LA 71291
Telephone: 508-320-4916 (cell phone that will stay with us to the end of the year)
Mark’s log As the final weeks are flying by, I realized with a great sense of joy that my house is gone, our jobs are through and all the worldly shackles that kept me from stepping out into missions no longer bind me. Today I am a free man, serving only one master. Our master is a loving God who brought Zana and I together to this point in our lives, with our skills and our love for missions to serve Him. The song, “I Surrender All” pretty much says it all:If the source of my ambition is the treasure I obtain, If I measure my successes on a scale of earthly gain,
If the focus of my vision is the status I attain, my accomplishments are worthless and my efforts are in vainSo I lay aside these trophies to pursue a higher crownAnd should You choose somehow to use the life I willingly lay downI surrender all the triumph for it's only by Your graceI relinquish all the glory, I surrender all the praise Everything I am, all I've done, and all I've knownNow belongs to You, the life I live is not my ownJust as Abraham laid Isaac on the sacrificial fireIf all I have is all that You desireI surrender allI pray that God finds all of your and our daily sacrifices and praises worthy.God Bless
“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” Proverbs 16:9
Mercy Ships is a non-profit organization. Contributions to the Elliott family’s work can be sent to Mercy Ships Donor Services, PO Box 2020, Garden Valley, TX 75771 (Please add a note designating Mark and Zana Elliott account #1771-do not put our names on the check (this is for tax purposes). If you have any support questions, please contact us.
I just can’t wait to tell you how we are used. Over the past months we have gone from a 3000sq ft house with every material possession we could possibly want, and now we are fitting our lives into the car. It has been a surprisingly easy transition for all of us. Things just do not matter as much. The things we desire now in our lives are those things we would like to have to communicate the details of our life with you and how we are affecting the lives of others. Someone recently asked me if things were difficult right now, and what I want to share is that things are busy and crazy, but difficult is not the word. Things are great. Our marriage and family have never been better. It is emotionally such an easy transition. Just pray that when things are difficult we are able to hold on to these feelings. It is certainly the honeymoon phase as missionaries, but we want to hold on to what we feel today. To keep the joy deep down so that we can always bring it back to remember why we would do such a thing with our lives. So what we ask of you is, when we write and tell you how hard things are, remind us of the joy of the journey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In Christ’s service,
Mark & Zana Elliott Zana
Email: elliottm@mercyships.org or elliottz@mercyships.org
zana@theelliottadventure.org or mark@theelliottadventure.org
Elliott family website: http://www.theelliottadventure.org/
Surface mail: current to March 31, 2004
PO Box 883, Plymouth, MA 02362
Mercy Ships: PO Box 2020, Lindale TX 75771 USA
http://www.mercyships.org/
Permanent contact address:
959 Wall Williams Rd
West Monroe, LA 71291
Telephone: 508-320-4916 (cell phone that will stay with us to the end of the year)
Mark’s log As the final weeks are flying by, I realized with a great sense of joy that my house is gone, our jobs are through and all the worldly shackles that kept me from stepping out into missions no longer bind me. Today I am a free man, serving only one master. Our master is a loving God who brought Zana and I together to this point in our lives, with our skills and our love for missions to serve Him. The song, “I Surrender All” pretty much says it all:If the source of my ambition is the treasure I obtain, If I measure my successes on a scale of earthly gain,
If the focus of my vision is the status I attain, my accomplishments are worthless and my efforts are in vainSo I lay aside these trophies to pursue a higher crownAnd should You choose somehow to use the life I willingly lay downI surrender all the triumph for it's only by Your graceI relinquish all the glory, I surrender all the praise Everything I am, all I've done, and all I've knownNow belongs to You, the life I live is not my ownJust as Abraham laid Isaac on the sacrificial fireIf all I have is all that You desireI surrender allI pray that God finds all of your and our daily sacrifices and praises worthy.God Bless
“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” Proverbs 16:9
Mercy Ships is a non-profit organization. Contributions to the Elliott family’s work can be sent to Mercy Ships Donor Services, PO Box 2020, Garden Valley, TX 75771 (Please add a note designating Mark and Zana Elliott account #1771-do not put our names on the check (this is for tax purposes). If you have any support questions, please contact us.
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