Mark and Carmen live in Samfya, Zambia. They have two daughters. Lilly attends school in Zambia, while Nala is in college in Tennessee.
Carmen started Access Water, a small private water utility in Zambia serving rural communities in Luapula Province with safe water infrastructure and fee-paying water services. Through the water service network, Access Water actively looks for persons of peace and church leaders who will invite the Access Water Multiply team to start discovery bible study (DBS) groups in people’s homes. To date 82,800 people are accessing purified piped water from 35 solar water systems and another 40,000 through hand pump insurance. 39,000 people are meeting weekly in 4600 DBS groups to study and obey the word of God. In addition to Access Water in Zambia, Carmen works with Water4, a Christian-NGO based in Oklahoma City, to support other local enterprises like Access Water throughout Africa with similar water services and a goal of obeying the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).
Mark and his team at Bright Hope Zambia focus on church-led community development. The team works to build capacity in the local church leadership while targeting poverty in the rural communities. Work in a new community begins with church leader trainings on biblical foundations while they mentor the leaders. Bright Hope then trains the church leaders to develop and manage community initiatives that create jobs and income, while also investing in community and revenue generation for the local church. A number of church development projects have emerged including education infrastructure, a community market, and a link to orthopedic and cleft lip medical services for children. A large part of the development initiative is the Christian Farmers Association (CFA) network which promotes good farming practices, stewardship, provision for the poorest and Christian outreach. Establishment of the CFAs reduces risk for individual farmers and allows joint access to CFA-owned feed and oil mills as well as transport and inputs. A portion of the proceeds from these services go back to the churches for the running of compassionate ministries for the poor and vulnerable in their community. Bright Hope is currently working with 20 churches locally and also supports Samfya Bible School in extension trainings in biblical foundations to reach 1500 church leaders in a larger area of Luapula and Northern Provinces.
For more information or to support Mark and Carmen’s work individually, visit: