Mark and Shari Carpenter

Mark and Shari came on staff in 2001. Mark is the Director of Operations. Mark heads up all construction and maintenance, in addition to teaching the School Of Discipleship class on Servant Leadership. Shari enjoys managing the Buckboard store. She homeschooled all six of their children (now adults). God has graciously blessed them with 15 grandchildren.

Carpenter Connection

2026 Edition 3

Greetings from the Carpenters!

Summer camp is now a distant memory. It was a full summer that was well-attended with over 40 salvations and many rededications. We praise the Lord for all of the staff and volunteers that made camp so effective in ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ. A few weeks ago, I had the blessing of attending the bapstism of one of our summer volunteer boys, Mason. What a blessing to see him walking in obedience to our Savior in believer’s baptism.

Our S.O.D. class of 2026 graduated in August. It seems to be the fastest 11 months ever. What a blessing to see spiritual growth and maturity in the students. The three young men who were a part of our family this past year have returned home. Kolby is working construction in Virginia, John is attending welding school in Erie and working, William is home and currently looking for a job. Please continue to pray for these young men as they seek God’s plans for their future. We don’t have any students in our family this year as the numbers are a bit lower. We welcomed 24 new students in September.

Retreats have been well-attended this fall; 2 family camps, Horse Lovers, Sportsmen Weekend, Ladies Retreat, Homeschool Day, to name a few. We just had our fall Harvest Party on October 10th. It was a beautiful day and we had over 400 people attend. What a blessing to have so many from the community enjoying all the activities, fellowship, and a Message from the Mount.

Operations Department: The manure stacking project construction has been started and progressing well. What a great addition these buildings will be for the horse program facilities. We are also planning to begin site work and construction at the Conklin property. Prayerfully, we can make progress on this new staff housing unit that the Marshall family will live in before weather prohibits it. We baled our final hay of the season on October 8th; a bit later than planned, but we definitely have some beautiful hay for the herd this winter. Total number for 1st and 2nd cut was around 1,173 large bales which is equivalent to approximately 24,000 small squares. We have also been able to sell some of the hay which will help offset our fertilizing and liming cost.

FAMILY NEWS: James and Calista got married! They found a cute little apartment in Edinboro. He continues to work as a union carpenter, mostly in the Erie area. Calista opened a massage business in Lakeside Commons, Edinboro, PA, called “Movere Massage”. She is looking for new clients, if you have ever thought about having a massage! We are very excited to have her as part of our family!

In July, they found a one-inch mass near Mark’s colon and a lesion on his prostate. He had a biopsy on the prostate Oct. 20th and we are waiting for results. The urologist could not seem to find the mass during the procedure. We are praying that it is completely gone and trusting God with the outcome of the biopsy.

Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support. We could not serve here without all of you. We feel so blessed to have your partnership in the work here and we pray God will continue to bless each of you.

In His Service,
Mark and Shari

Praise:

• Mason’s baptism!
• Hay crop in the barns!
• James & Calista’s marriage!

Prayer Requests:

• Construction projects
• Sale of vehicles and equipment
• Mark’s biopsy results and other tessting and appointments coming up
• Finances for upcoming medical expenses

All gifts are tax deductible and can be made out to MMRM, designated for us, and sent to the Ranch at 101 Rodeo Drive, Spring Creek, PA 16436 or online using the ‘donate’ button below.