Mark and Val Smith with John & Nika

MISSION : The Cappuccino Club
LOCATION : The Phillipines
WEBSITE : http://www.thecappuccinoclub.org.nz

Mark and Val have been involved in the global cause of Christ for over 20 years now since they first headed off to the Philippines for 12 years in 1990. Five of those years were spent living in a squatter community in the provincial town of Baliuag.

Since their return to NZ in 2002 they have continued to invest well into the Philippines. Three years ago they started a new ministry called The Cappuccino Club. The aim of the Cappuccino Club is to alleviate poverty through transformation by empowering the poor to become the solution to their predicament by allowing key youth to reach their academic potential while also being mentored by a recognized community leader. For less than the cost of one cup of coffee a day ($3) this dream can be realized for an impoverished Filipino youth. As of June 2011 27 deserving youth are currently in the program under the guidance of 7 Filipino local churches.

Mark continues to promote this ministry in NZ and delights to make occasional trips back to the Philippines to encourage the students and their supervising churches.

Mark also works full-time for the mission agency Interserve as Personnel Director in NZ. His role involves the pastoral care of Interserve’s missionaries both on location in the Asian and Arab worlds as well as while on home assignment back in NZ. Mark is also involved in Interserve’s recruitment strategy, and that often takes him away from home over the weekends to visit other churches and promote Interserve’s values and approach to wholistic integrated mission.