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Back. Long trip. Felt too long.
Everything went well, everyone is swell.
Good trip, great trip, best so far.
Now we are back. Reality.
Everything is slow and distant. It’s all very real, but yet sur-. We could really get things moving if…if… Well, things are moving, just not the big exciting, life changing things. Right now we move a lot of paper work and manage life. Ministry is happening. Lives are presently being changed.
Everything just feels distant; like I’ve been living in a desert and feel a bit out of touch with the pace of life out in the world. Sometimes, I feel like we are all missing the point. At times not even sure where the target is. What’s the goal? What’s the point? What’s the message?
Matthew 3 speaks of a time when people listened to a voice that spoke from the desert. The message was clear. Repent. The Kingdom of Heaven in near. When did that change?
I know that everything we are building here in Juarez is to this end. I know that most other decisions I make revolve around this message. I want my kids to know that the kingdom is near. It’s important to me.
Sometimes it would be nice to walk around eating locust and honey and talking about God all the time. Well, maybe just honey and God.
As sweet as that would be, we live in a different time. We listen to other voices. We don’t have time for the nutjob out in the heat. We need to build and write and call and email and plan and strategize. Our world is so complicated now that basic ministry is even difficult.
Today feels like defeat. It’s not. It’s just a feeling. Our work is different. Our times seem faster. The ministry looks different. The message is the same. The purpose has not changed. The voice still can be heard in the desert.
Repent. The Kingdom of Heaven is near.
We are planning a basic outreach and getting to know you in the Km. 33 community this Christmas!
We have already found a handful of volunteers and an industrial two oven kitchen that will all help this project along! Many of the folks in the community don’t bake. Mexican culture is one that doesn’t bake. If someone wants a cookie or sweet bread, they go to the bakery down the street. Km. 33 has no bakery. Most of the folks in this community would be able to afford the treat anyway.
Growing up, this is something my folks always did. They would make home baked sweet bread and give it away as gifts!! My family worked in a different area of Mexico, and with a different social and economic group, but homemade bread speaks to anyone!!!
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS!!
Another thing I want to do is bake a bunch, I mean TON, of sweet breads and go door to door and give away Christmas bread! Something my family always did. I don’t think ever on a large scale, but to folks we sort of knew.
People could send fruit cakes or other typical Christmas goodies. A donation of $10 could bake quite a bit of bread! I may get my youth group to do some of the baking. My church may even help out. I’m hoping we can make it pretty big. I would like to walk around and knock on doors. Be a great way for us to meet people.
You have undoubtedly heard of the Swine flu. It seems we hear about it every day. I don’t want to spend much more time talking or writing about it than has already been done.
I would however, ask that you keep praying for us as a family and for the folks we are here with on the Border!! Mexico is a huge country, with many, many people. On a whole, Mexican people are feeling hurt and abandoned by the rest of the world, feeling like they are being made to blame for the corruption and sickness on a global level. Mexico does have its share of corruption and sickness just as every other nation on this earth has.
When I listen to the news of our world, I find it easy to grow fearful and lose compassion for others. I find it easy to harden my heart and essentially abandon people to their own fate. The problem is, I share that fate. Corruption and sickness run rampant in my own heart. Corruption and sickness have overtaken by body. Corruption and sickness have ruined my world. Corruption and sickness are a strain of the Sin flu. We all have it. Romans 3:23 tells us that ALL have sinned, later in 6:23 we see that death is a result of that sin and the only way out is Jesus Christ.
When I hear the news of the world around me, I try to remember that it is the same news day after day. It is the news that people are suffering, people are hurting, and people are lost and afraid. Why would I want to grow cynical and hard when there is hope of salvation? There is hope of freedom. There is perfect love to be spoken and shared! We love because He first loved us! Why live in fear? Perfect love drives out fear!
Traveling North
I hope the title of this paragraph doesn’t confuse, but catches your eye! This summer, our team members, the Livengood family, will be traveling north. This trip has many goals; raise awareness of Onnemi International Ministries, raise personal support, and take a bit of time for needed rest. They will be driving the 1500 miles to Kent, Ohio where Mark’s parents live and will be able to have a “home base”! Will you pray with us for the Livengood family?!?!?
Pray for Mark, Perla, Mark III, and Abby. They are good friends and ministers. We hope they are able to have a successful trip and we look forward to their safe return!
Get that needed rest you guys!
I know that’s a weird heading in the subject box of this email, but it’s true. There is no place like home. Home is a hard place to define though as a missionary. Is home the place you grow up and have the fondest childhood memories? Is it the place your Mom, Dad, brothers, and sisters abide? Is it your current place of residence? Define Residence! All these things can be difficult for a missionary.
Portage Community Chapel came down this April and worked on our house. We are grateful. They made our house feel like a home! We can wash dishes without moving buckets now! It’s great. Having PCC down here reminds us just how difficult it is to define home because we miss our church family so much. Every time we see them we are encouraged and long for more time together in fellowship and seeking the Lord.
My Dad spent a month with us this spring. He too helped us make our house feel more like a home in more ways than one. He worked on the electric and plumbing and spent hours doing meticulous work that only he and the Lord know about because it is now covered behind layers of paint, joint cement, and drywall. He also spent hours hanging out with my children and bringing back childhood memories of wrestling and airplane rides. And so my house was a home 
Perla, Mark III, Abby, and I are going to be traveling across the country and arriving in Ohio by June 1st. We are trying to raise awareness about our ministry and ask our friends, family, and fellow believers to pray for us as we serve in Onnemi International Ministries. And so, once again, in a sense, we are coming home. We are coming home for the months of June and July to catch up with our loved ones.
We would love to see you when we are in the Midwest. So if you receive this email and you have not scheduled some time with us, this is your chance. Please contact us either via email or at 915-252-1507 to make time to meet with you. We look forward to hearing from you and visiting with you as much as possible. The earlier you let us know, the more time we will have to share with you.
Please pray for us as we travel. This will be the first time we drive across the country with the kiddos and that makes us nervous. We are grateful for the kind people who have offered us a place to stay as we travel. Look forward to seeing you too!
I am not including pictures in this update as I hope to share plenty of pictures with when we see you in person 
Your Servant in Christ,
Mark Livengood
Even without Dorothy’s little red shoes; we made it home.
we enjoyed every touch point with you guys. Sorry we had to be so brief, but hopefully in the future we will have more time to spend together. however that may look.
Maria had an amazing journey and is now going through “people withdrawal”. LLuvia just can’t seem to understand why we aren’t eating every meal with groups of people. We sure had fun!
We look forward to future conversations as we plan for the summer activities and goals. Thanks for praying for us and thanks for committing to help! A special welcome to all you new friends, we thank you so much for your interest in Onnemi and the lives of the Hannas and the Livengoods.
This time of year we reflect on the birth and life of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am still amazed that
our Lord chose to be recognized as “Friend of Sinners” and not “Friend of the Famous” or
“Friend of Presidents.” I simply cannot fathom that the God of all creation would choose to be born in a stable instead of
a castle. I cannot comprehend that Christ my King would not choose to be recognized as king by
riding on a stallion or in a stretch limo. He chose a donkey and a cross. What baffles me most is
that He would live to die for you and for me.
Kenny, Esmeralda, Perla & I are involved in two bible studies right now. One of those studies
takes place at our home, and the other takes place at Mr. Renteria’s house in Granjas del
Progreso. In these studies we have recently reflected on and anticipated Christ’s birth. We have
looked at man’s prideful heart and his desire to reign over his own life. And we have seen man’s
need for a savior since the fall in the Garden of Eden. We have also begun to reflect on our own
lives and our personal need for a savior.
This Christmas season, the Onnemi team invites you to do the same. Let us thank Christ together
for his willingness to live in order to die for our sin.
May God bless you richly this Christmas with the joy and peace that comes from knowing Him!
Your Servant in Christ,
Mark Livengood, Jr.
Well,
This has been a really difficult few weeks. On Saturday, October 13th, Maria Renteria passed away due to complications with bone cancer. 4 days later, on Wednesday, October 24th Socorro Renteria, her mother passed away. I preached at Socorro’s funeral. I spoke from John 11 “I am the resurrection and the life.” I am so grateful that Socorro’s life and death were a testimony to her friends and family about the power of Christ to take us from death to life both physically and spiritually.
On Saturday, August 20th, I received a phone call at 6:00 AM. A dear friend of mine, Todd Richard Wunderle, passed away while traveling through cambodia on a motorcycle. He was 26 years old and the cause of death was ruled a heart attack. Thank the Lord we had already planned on going to Ohio for some meetings regarding the ministry. So I will be able to spend some time with his brother Matt and their family.
Then on Tuesday, the 23rd of October, I found out that a relative in Maryland, who we always used to visit as kids, passed away. His name was “Bun” at least that’s what we called him. We went camping with he, his wife, and children, every year throughout elementary and middleschool.
I would just like to take a moment to express gratefulness to the Lord, for the opportunity to know such amazing people. We will truly miss them. And that helps us to know just how amazing they were and what a priveledge it is to have known them. Father…be with their families in these difficult times.
Amen
Your Servant in Christ,
Mark Livengood
About a month ago I asked you to pray for Mrs. Renteria and her family. Mrs. Renteria had two worms removed from her foot and the doctors were concerned they would have to amputate. They were not sure if they were going to have to amputate a small portion of her foot, her foot, or her leg. Well, 3 weeks ago Mrs. Renteria had surgery and her doctors believed they had successfully removed two toes and a portion of the foot between the toes. Unfortunately, she got gangrene and today it seems like today they are going to amputate to just below the knee.
Mrs. Renteria is disappointed but has been in so much pain that she just wants this situation to be over. She wants to be back at home. Her daughter told me that while Mrs. Renteria was squirming around in pain she cried out, “Lord, You have been so faithful to me! Help me be faithful to You now.”
I praise God for Mrs. Renterias faith which echoes that of the father of the demon possessed boy in Mark 9:24. “I believe Lord, help my unbelief.”
Please continue to pray for Mrs. Renteria as many difficult and trying times are still to come.
Three weeks ago when I (Mark) went to visit the Renteria family, Mrs. Renteria told me she had 2 worms surgically removed from her foot. Aparently, being blind, having diabetes, and poor circulation, she could not feel the worms digging into her flesh until they were pretty embedded. The doctor told her that her wound from the surgery should heel within a few weeks.
The following Sunday, Maria Renteria, Mr. & Mrs. Renteria’s eldest daughter showed up with her husband, daughter, and son-in-law. She is dying of bone cancer. I was able to share with both of the Renteria ladies from Mark 8 where Christ takes the blind man and leads him out of Bethsaida by the hand. Maria’s eyes weld up with tears as I explained to her that in her darkest hour, when she cannot see what is coming in the future, when she is scared, and blinded by fear…Christ is reaching out His hand to her saying, “Let me lead you.” I prayed with both women and was invited to go pray with Maria and her family at their home. It was the first time I have been invited to their home and I have known them for over 3 months.
This past sunday, when I went to visit the Mr. & Mrs. Renteria, I found out that Mrs. Renteria is in the hospital. It seems that her foot is not healing and the doctors believe they will need to amputate at least part of her foot. Actually, there are three doctors with differing opinions, tending to Mrs. Renteria. One doctor believes a small portion just between her second and third toes needs to be removed. Another doctor believes her foot needs to be removed above the ankle. And a third doctor believes that her entire leg must be removed about 6 inches above the knee. This is because Mrs. Renteria has very little circulation in her leg and the doctors are trying to decide what portion of her leg will survive and what portion is dying.
That is some background into our current ministry situation with the Renteria family. Needless to say, it has been an intense few weeks, especially since we just brought our baby girl Abigail into the world on August 20th.
Please pray for the Renteria’s that:
1. Maria Renteria would trust Christ and find peace in the final stages of her life.
2. That Maria Renteria’s family would accept the Lord and find peace through Maria’s life and death.
3. That Mrs. Renteria could learn to trust Christ at a deeper level as the doctors decide what to do with her leg.
4. That Mr. Renteria would come to peace with the circumstances he and his family find themselves in with Mrs. Renteria.
5. That the Lord would rule in the hearts and minds of the Renterias during this time and that he would be gracious and merciful to them.
6. That these circumstances be used by the Lord as an opportunity to for Perla and I to minister to the family at a more intimate level.
These are just some of the prayers Perla and I have been lifting up in recent weeks and we invite you to pray with us.
Thank You.
Your Servant in Christ,
Mark Livengood
