Mark Weaver

I was your typical frat boy, in love with himself and with the world. But then one day God showed up and turned my whole life backwards. I grew up in a wealthy family in Indiana. My parents are very successful. My mom is a food scientist. She is actually working on developing new crops that can grow on destroyed North African soil. My dad is a computer technology consultant. I have an older brother that works as an electrical engineer. My twin brother, Rick, has an inner-city ministry for underprivileged children in Cincinnati, OH. I grew up going to a Methodist church. I always believed in God's existence. I had my first spiritual experiences with God when I was in high school. In highschool I became rebellious and started going to parties. Recreational drug use would be an understatement. I really walked away from any belief in God. Through college I got decent grades but I became preoccupied with drinking and girls. I ended up getting arrested many times for drinking. I graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Communications. I started working at the mall as a Manager at Hollister. I was still going to bars and had no direction in my life. One day I went to go visit my brother in Cincinnati for the first time. He was already so involved with helping poor kids in the ghetto. I had a long conversation with his pastor about the sin in my life, and what Jesus' sacrifice really means. I learned that I was making myself an enemy of God by my lifestyle and choices. That night I repented and felt the Holy Spirit come over me. I believe that was the day I was born again. Since that day (about two years ago) I have had no desire to party anymore. I also learned to see the world in a whole new way, including realizing that girls are real people with feelings and daddy's, and not just sex objects. Yeah, that was a big revelation for me. I instantly got submerged into reading the Bible. I read through the New Testament several times and I am almost finished reading the Old Testament now. I also have read so much Christian literature. I began to go to different Bible studies and ministries 6 nights a week. I tell my testimony of God's grace and forgiveness everywhere I go. Jesus is truly my Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and best friend. I was so empty inside in college, and now I feel a love that I never knew I could feel again. I really believed it when I read that Jesus said, "Come and follow me." So I quit my job and went to work as a counselor at a Christian youth camp. I told my testimony to many children there who came from broken families. Many would cry in my arms and give their lives to the Lord. I knew then that I wanted to do ministry for the rest of my life, because nothing could be as important as that. After camp I went to a Discipleship Training School with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Denver, Colorado. I studied the Bible there intensely for three months. We also did lots of open evangelism in Denver and at nearby ski slopes. I love snowboarding. Then I went to Mexico for two months to do a mission there. We did open evangelism with dramas and testimonies in local parks and villages. We reconstucted playgrounds and laid the foundation for churches. My favorite part was just spending time playing soccer and reading with the children. I can learn languages quickly. I didn't know any Spanish when I went there, but when I got there I learned enough Spanish to tell kids my testimony within weeks. After my trip was over I went to go do an internship at a huge church in California for 4 months. I learned a lot and worked really hard. I spent a lot of time with homeless people in the city. I am now in Cincinnati helping my twin brother with his inner-city ministry as a volunteer until I can leave for Africa. I am learning a lot about kids in poverty. I leave in January to go work in an orphanage in Uganda, Africa. My church at Purdue showed a video called the Invisible Children about a year ago. It is about the children in Uganda. I have wanted to go to Uganda ever since. I hope to build ongoing relationships that could last a lifetime. My hope is to be like a brother to the youth in Uganda and share my love and passion for Jesus with them. I will get back in July and, Lord willing, start pursuing a Master's in Divinity at Grace Theological Seminary in Indiana. If you want to know anything else, please feel free to ask.