Mark Blessing was born in July, 1957 in Great Bend, Kansas but grew up mostly in Oklahoma and Texas. Rhonda Lowrimore Blessing was born in October, 1958 in Dallas, Texas and was raised in the Houston, Texas area. The Lord brought about that ‘special’ meeting between them while working at a Department store in 1976; they covenanted to be husband and wife on June 18, 1977. They started their family early and have three wonderful daughters – Bria, Lindsay & Krista. They were both raised in good, Christian homes but Mark didn’t become a Believer until March, 1977, just three months before he was to marry Rhonda. Rhonda thought she was a Believer for many years but came to the place of making Jesus her Lord and living for Him in June, 1984.
   Their calling to go to a foreign land began in 1992 when the Holy Spirit put a burden and love in their hearts for Soviet Jews and Gentiles. At that time, Mark was a computer technician and Rhonda was a homemaker, homeschooling two of their daughters. They felt very unqualified but, through promptings by the Holy Spirit, Scriptures, and church leaders, the Lord confirmed HIS calling ‘to go’ and trust Him. They were commissioned by Dr. John Bisagno of Houston’s First Baptist Church and arrived in Ukraine in March, 1993, with Bria – aged 13, Lindsay - 11 & Krista – 5. They lived and ministered in Lviv from 1993 to 2001 and their gifted daughters were a large part of the ministry and a great help to them. They planted a church and watched it grow to over 200 precious people. What a joy it was to see the Holy Spirit call many lost people to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and then to see those new Believers live as His disciples and be His witnesses to others. The family took a sabbatical for 2-1/2 years and, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, they all returned to Lviv in 2003.
   During their 2-1/2 year stay in the U.S., the Lord began to stir in them a deeper love for the Jewish people. He took them from Houston, Tx. to Memphis, Tenn. and led them to join B’rit Hadasha, a Messianic Jewish Congregation. It seemed like heaven-on-earth to them! They learned much about the Jewish roots of their faith and about living a Jewish lifestyle. They grew in many ways under the teaching of their beloved Rabbi Gary Shansky. When they returned to Lviv in 2003, they were commissioned by Rabbi Gary and B’rit Hadasha Messianic Congregation.
   Bria and Lindsay left Ukraine in May, 2007 and now live in Tenn. God has gifted Bria in music and she is pursuing a career/ministry in Christian music, writing her own music and lyrics. Lindsay is gifted with children and she is working as a nanny, which she loves. They are great friends and a great support to one other. Krista remained in Lviv and served as one of the praise and worship leaders for their new church plant, Living Word Church, and was very active in the youth ministry. This summer (2008), she volunteered in Israel with the ministry Tents of Mercy. Krista has not been back to the States since 2004 and her current plans are to go to Tennessee this year to get her GED and her driver’s license. She feels God is calling her into ministry to the Jewish people and she has been accepted to attend GTS, a 6-mo. ministry school in Cyprus, at the beginning of 2009. While she is in the U.S., she will also work to raise some of the funds needed for the school.
   Their present calling in Lviv is two-fold - they are building Bethel House and pastoring Living Word Church. There are many challenges living in Ukraine, but they love their life because they are living out God’s will for them.