Missions lost a good friend this week…and so did I. Early in the morning hours on October 1, I lost a dear friend due to an unexpected, but fatal heart attack. My wife, Carolyn and I were called to the hospital before midnight and were told that one of my deacons, Mark Scott, had been brought to the ER after collapsing. We waited with two of his sons, his sister and other family members as they prayed and waited the results of a cardiac catheterization procedure to stabilize his heart. The heart doctor returned too soon to tell us that despite their heroic efforts, Mark had gone on to be with his Savior. The immediate deluge of cries and tears were natural as they reflected and amplified the sense of our great loss. At only age 44, Bro. Mark leaves behind three fantastic sons: Josh, John Mark, and Jonah; along with his mother, Faye, and sister Nancy. Pray that God’s peace will stand guard over their hearts.
Bro. Mark is one of those guys who had a sweet, compassionate, and helpful spirit. There was nothing that he would not do for you…you only had to ask and he would say, “Let’s do it!” The thing I will remember most about him was his love for mission work in Haiti and Honduras. Due to Mark’s exuberance and leadership, myself and many of our church members at Lindsay Lane Baptist made our first mission trip to Honduras two years ago. He was our experienced leader on this whole mission trip. He led in the fund raising, in laying out the itinerary, in the food preparation, etc. He did everything but pack our own personal bags, but like a good leader, he told us what to pack. I believe that Bro. Mark was the catalyst that turned a dream of visiting a foreign mission field into a reality for many of us. Without his ministry in our lives, it would still only be a dream. Thank you, Bro. Mark!
The picture on this page is one of Bro. Mark taking a cool drink of water as we dug a trench to lay a water line in the hot 95 degree Honduran heat. I chose this picture because it reflects what Mark was to me. He was a deacon who faithfully supported me, but more importantly, he was that friend who was always a “cool drink of refreshing water” when I needed it. The Bible tells us in Proverbs17:17: “A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity”. That verses just begins to describe my friend, Mark. No matter the need, he was always there, a true friend…and like a brother, you could count on him in hard times!
After learning of his father’s death, Mark’s oldest son, Josh, lamented that he still had so much to learn from his father. Josh, you are not alone…we all had much to learn from your father and our dear brother. Our loss is so great. Yet, we will wait a while and one day in Eternity, we will sit down with Mark and pick up where we left off. Thank God for forever friends!
-Pastor Danny Kirk
