Month: March 2016

Visiting…

The weekend before last we had my Sister-in-Law and her two children from Maryland visit us to see our new home and to see the new ministry we are blessed to labor at. Saturday night we stopped by the center and Dusty, one of our regular Marines was here relaxing from his work week. Dusty and I started talking about how the Lord blessed in getting my Base Pass, and the idea sprang up to head over to Camp Johnson for Chapel the next morning.

I met Dusty early Sunday and we went to chapel. I met the new Chaplain who just started a few months ago and was enjoying the fellowship before the service when Walt comes through the side door! He hadn’t been over to the chapel on this base in a while and decided to stop by. We both looked at each other and laughed a little. The Lord put this on both of our hearts separately!

Proverbs 16:9… A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

We are hopeful that a good relationship with the new chaplain will lead to being able to hold Bible Studies at the Camp Chapel very soon.

Last Monday I recorded the first episode of “Field Notes, The Podcast” and uploaded it to the front page of our website. I created an account with Soundcloud to be our podcast host and now the podcast is now available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Android. My goal is to record one podcast a week. There won’t be much in the way of news about the center on the Podcast, just a Bible study each week. Our first Bible Study will be verse by verse through the Book of John. Just search “Field Notes Dave Mason” on any of those platforms and you will see us. If you are blessed by the Podcast would you consider giving us a review, especially on iTunes? it will help to get the podcast further up iTunes search protocols, making it more likely folks who have never heard of Military Evangelism will find the podcast. If you are on an Apple device or just have iTunes installed on your Android or Windows phone, click this link https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/field-notes/id1097576581 and you will be taken directly to our Podcast.

Tuesday and Wednesday of last week we were joined at the Center by Dan Peters, the Chairman of our Board. Dan enjoyed meeting a couple of Marines who came out for our Tuesday Night Fellowship and stayed after the Devotions to chat well into the night. I am thankful to have such wonderful men holding up my arms and providing Biblical wisdom and insight as we move forward in the ministry.

Then last Thursday Morning more family came down to visit, this time my Parents and my Sister, Brother-in-Law and Nephew. Friday night they came out to the Center and Mom made her “famous” Chicken and Dumplings for the Marines. Everyone enjoyed the meal and the fellowship. Afterward we played “Giant Jenga,” a game my son Luke built out of 2×4’s. Everyone had a great time.

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God is certainly moving! We are meeting new Marines every week and we thank The Lord for His many Blessings.

Update to our Friends

Here is the email update I sent out this week to many of our supporters.

Whenever I write one of these I will post it to the Blog as well.

If you woul dlike to recieve the email blasts, send us an email at militaryfellowshipctr@gmail.com

My first few weeks on the field have been eventful! One of our regular Marines at the Center arranged for me to meet with the base chaplain, Col. Stewart. We had a 1/2 hour meeting on base and he was very accommodating and interested in the Ministry of ME.

Having Walt Croom stay on and help this year has already been a great blessing. Walt has been invaluable to me in learning the area, the unique rules and regs particular to not just the Marines, but to North Carolina. I thank God that I have had Walt as my friend and mentor for nearly 20 years, and have the privilege to work beside him this year.

I have been settling into my new office, finding a desk and file cabinet at a local used furniture store. Walt left me enough built-in bookshelves to handle my entire collection. I sanded and painted them and they look great. My new desk is a “Typewriter” desk, with a spring loaded shelf that holds a typewriter. it was probably made in the late 1930’s. I actually use the shelf for my 1960 Olympia SG-1 Typewriter. I love using it to gather my thoughts, write personal letters, and often my first draft on my blog is done on the typewriter.

​​We have been holding Friday night dinners and Bible studies. Patty has been having a great time preparing the meals and the Marines have been very appreciative of the variety of food we have been able to offer. I started a study of the book of Romans verse-by-verse and the response has been good.We will start Tuesday Night Meals and Bible Studies on March 15.

We have had one new Marine out to our meetings, a young Korean born lady who was brought by one of our regulars and is enjoying her visits to the Center. I found a very nice Korean Bible among the books Walt left for me and I gave it to her. She was thrilled to be able to read the Word of God in her own native language.

We recently got our new invite cards in and the Marines are taking them and handing them out on base. I have been making friends with local merchants who are letting me put the cards at their registers. I have also been handing the cards out to Marines I meet out and about in Jacksonville.

We also have a new full color sign on the front building of the Center.

Our new website is live and I think you will like it. Its optimized for your phone so when you open it its still easy to read, even on  a hand held device. Please visit www.militaryfellowshipministry.com  and tell others about it. The Directors Blog is now live as well and  I plan to post to it weekly. There is now a Pay Pal button at the top of the site to accept donations. Anyone can click and donate as little as a dollar to help the Ministry! I pray this new avenue, as more find out about it, helps to bring needed funds into the Ministry. Also, I am starting an audio Podcast Bible Study in a week or two (once I get the accounts with Apple, Android, Stitcher and YouTube up and running).

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Both app addresses are @mfcjax

God has been good to our family these first few months on the field. Patty is enjoying setting up our new home. Luke is leaving soon to work on the Chevy tour for Ripken Baseball, travelling from Florida to North Dakota and all over the east coast in about 6 weeks! Ben has been given a regular position as guitar player for the Worship Team at First Baptist Jacksonville, playing to 4,000 people every weekend. And I have picked up support from three churches and one individual, and have promises from at least two other churches. during the last two weeks in April Patty and I will be in four different churches in the MD/PA/DE area, and I am working on a fifth and sixth!

Many of you have bought a copy of my commentary, “Revelation: Notes and Outlines.” I will have a fresh supply of them in a few weeks. If you have asked for a copy in the past and I have not gotten back to you, or this is the first time you have heard about it and want a copy, reply to this email and let me know. I will have a copy sent out to you. The cost through the mail is $13 per book ($10 for the book, $3 shipping)

​Thanks again for your love, prayers and support. We couldn’t reach the Marines without you!

‘Till Jesus Returns,