History of the Mashoko/Hippo Valley Mission
In the late 1970s, John Mark Pemberton met Mac Wright, the Minister of Pomerado Christian Church, when the church was fairly new. Evan Foote would soon join the Ministry Team as the Associate Minister. The church did not have a Missions program yet and Pastor Wright invited John Mark and his wife, Leanna, to come tell about the work in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and to ask our church to support their mission work. It was not until John Mark and Leanna had returned to Rhodesia when they learned Pomerado Christian Church had become their living link church to pay their expenses. John Mark and Leanna became our first missionaries in 1978 and we have supported them ever since!
John Mark was raised in Rhodesia and came to the United States for college. After college, he and Leanna went back to Rhodesia, during a war, to be missionaries - just two weeks after they were married. All three of John Mark and Leanna's children were born in Zimbabwe - Kera, who is the head Administrator of the United States Hippo Valley Christian Mission, in Grayson, KY; Kollette, who just recently married; and Krista, who has the only grandchild (a daughter) of John Mark and Leanna.
The work in Zimbabwe had begun 54 years ago (in 1956) by John Mark's parents, John and Marjorie Pemberton. They had started with one hospital and two clinics. In 2001, the orphanage work began and everywhere was an opportunity to tell the good news of Jesus Christ!
Through the years, the Pembertons and Footes became close friends. The Footes kept the Pembertons' picture on their refrigerator as a reminder to pray for them every day. Both Kera Pemberton and Cara Foote played together as small children when John Mark and Leanna would come back to PCC to tell about their work.
Through the years, it was great to have the Pemberton family visit our church from time to time to update us and help us understand how we could support them "going into all the world to preach the gospel". We were very sad when John Mark passed away in November 2005. He has been sorely missed. Leanna has done a wonderful job of keeping us linked with John Mark's work and vision.
As of November 2010, the Mashoko/Hippo Valley Mission has one medical clinic, 30 churches, and 25 schools which support 17,000 children and two orphanages! (The hospitals have been moved under an independent board.)
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