Mark’s Story

Following a tough family situation, I came to know Christ at the age of 17. The Lord used this difficult time to reveal Himself to me. Through friends, coworkers, and my new church I began to grow in the faith. God gave me the desire for fulltime ministry at the age of 18. My pastor sent me overseas to serve with Cadence for the summer in 1998. There I grew to love the military and discovered that God had equipped me with a passion for evangelism, discipleship, and teaching.

Jennifer’s Story

I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior at the age of nine. At the age of 17, through a difficult period in my life, God provided peace and healing and asked me to devote myself completely to Him. As a freshman in college, through circumstances, encouragement from my pastor and church, and the longing of my heart, it became evident that God wanted me to be a missionary. Thankfully, the Lord equipped me with the gifts of hospitality and teaching and also a love of living overseas.

Our Story

We met just prior to Jennifer going to Indiana for college and while Mark was studying at Colorado State University. While living in different parts of the United States and world for three years, we kept in touch through weekly letters and daily emails. After finally having time together in the same city, we were married on March 6, 1999 in Denver. At that time we not only committed ourselves to each other but also our career to ministry. We served a short term mission (7 months) with Cadence at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa in 2000. We were accepted as Associate Missionaries with Cadence in May of 2002. Our first child, Zoe Anna Oshman, was born on June 20, 2003. Lord willing, we will depart again for Kadena Air Base in Okinawa in January 2004, following Mark’s completion of his Masters of Divinity at Denver Seminary.

Ministry Opportunity

We will be directing a hospitality house ministry known as The Harbor in Okinawa, Japan. The Harbor is located just outside of the Kadena Air Base and near several Marine and Naval camps. The local military community is comprised of approximately 23,000 servicemen and women and their families. We will reach out to young families, couples, singles, wives, husbands, and children. In addition to being a home-away-from-home for the military community, The Harbor has also been recently renovated to include a coffee house, which attracts singles as a popular alternative to the bar scene in Okinawa. As in 2000, we plan to serve the military community through a variety of activities including home-cooked meals, recreational activities and sports, one-on-one discipleship, Bible studies, and counseling. The war in Iraq and the War on Terrorism make this an uncertain time for military families. Our desire is to provide them with a home away from home and an opportunity to personally know Jesus Christ and His comfort.

Financial Needs

Our ministry with Cadence is truly a team effort. We are in need of prayer and financial supporters who will commit to joining our team by praying for us regularly and providing monthly financial support.

Prayer Requests

That God would use our time of deputation to better equip us for His ministry
That God would lead us to the prayer and financial supporters that He has chosen
That we would have increased trust in God as we wait on Him

Oshman Family Objectives

To share the love of Christ with the armed forces and their families who don’t know Him personally
To provide opportunities for growth and discipleship for those who have accepted Christ
To equip believers with tools to share Christ and evangelize other members of the armed forces both in the United States and around the world