Man for the Mission(s)

By NavsMilitary — Mark Davis is a man on a mission.

Technically, he’s a man on several missions. Mark has travelled the world with the United States Army, and is dedicated to serving his country and fellow servicemen and women with the best of his ability.  That means being ready and willing to share the Gospel wherever God — and the Army— may call him.

Like many of his fellow servicemen and women, Mark is no stranger to relocation. He and his wife, Amy, have moved more times than they can count. “There have been times when I’ve wished I could stay in one location longer, to see how God was going to bring fruit from the seeds we have planted, “ Mark says. But after years of ministry, he and Amy have learned that just as the world needs people who are ready to harvest fruit, it also needs people who are equipped to scatter the seeds of faith far and wide.

Mark’s journey first began at West Point, where he was introduced to The Navigators. The friends he made through The Navigators shared his love of Scripture, evangelism, and discipleship. His time at West Point rooted him in the faith and prepared him for the next big adventures God had in store.

After West Point, Mark lived and served at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. There, he saw the first buds of his faith start to bloom. A group of men at Fort Bragg began to mentor him, encouraging him to visit what was called the “bachelor pads,” small homes shared by soldiers. There, soldiers met for weekly Bible study and fellowship. In those small rooms, crammed wall-to-wall with young men, Mark witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit at work.

“When I saw the enthusiasm these guys had for Christ and sharing the Gospel, I knew this was something real. This was something exciting and profound and life-changing,” Mark recalls. “ I had never seen anything like it.”

Ignited by the enthusiasm he saw that night, Mark began asking God to show him how he could spark that same enthusiasm in someone else. God brought not just one but two young men into his life, and Mark began to disciple them. He was amazed at the transformation he began to see in a short period of time. As he shared his life and love for Jesus with these two young men, they began to share their faith with others. Mark was witnessing the power of spiritual generation in action.

It seemed like his three years at Fort Bragg were over in the blink of an eye, but the friendships Mark made there made a lasting imprint on his life. Soon, Mark was packing his bags and embarking on the next leg of his adventure. This time, God was taking him to Fort Benning, Georgia.

Fort Benning saw the saplings of Mark’s faith burst into “oaks of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:3, NIV). The laborers at Fort Benning were ready and willing to serve, and the harvest was plentiful. The community of believers grew at an astonishing rate. Mark jokes that people who were discipled by these laborers were actually “discipled by the village.”  It was a golden time in Mark’s faith, ministry, and personal life. That’s also when Mark met and married Amy, his partner in all things, including ministry.

But just as forests sometimes experience periods of drought, so Mark experienced a spiritual drought during his third combat deployment, this time to Iraq.  Although this year was difficult, Mark knew God was at work in his life, strengthening his character and testing his commitment to sharing the Gospel. He didn’t lose sight of his belief that God was preparing him for greater things yet to come.

Mark and Amy moved from the desert to an oasis as God called them to lead a vibrant ministry among military linguists in California.  After several relocations, during which they were able to scatter seeds but were frequently called away before those seeds took root, today they are watching as the seeds planted in California are beginning to bear fruit on other continents in other languages.

Indeed, God’s plans far surpassed Mark and Amy’s wildest expectations. With each new assignment with the Army, they caught glimpses of God’s plan, and were excited to play a part in it. God continued to launch them from place to place, and they were blessed to sow the seeds of faith in others.

Today, they are back where it all started, ministering to young men and women at West Point. Mark and Amy’s story speaks to the truth that when you allow God to direct your steps, He will often guide you on incredible adventures. May our lives point to the God who will use us to scatter seeds of faith at home and across the world.