About Us

Mark Tidwell & Dedria Davis-Tidwell

Experienced MK Caregivers

Our Mission

We are an evangelical, interdenominational, Christian ministry assisting young adult Missionary Kids in transition.

 

    We provide:

a Caring Home Environment
Intentional Teaching/Modeling of Healthy Life Skills
Access to a Network of Beneficial Resources.

 

Our Screening

We share the concern that parents face entrusting their children to the care of others. For this reason we've undergone thorough psychological, emotional, spiritual and marital evaluations and have successfully cleared background checks.

In addition, we remain highly accountable to MK Parents and our MK residents, our Board of Directors, our local churches, and godly Christian friends. References are available upon request.

 

For More Info Click Below

Our Brochure

 

The Need for and Purpose of MKSTAY

 

 

Our Prayer Letter

 

 

 

Our Ministry Highlighted in Among Worlds MK Magazine

 

 

 

 

 

Amy, Hannah, Dedria & Mark

Our Background

Mark Tidwell and Dedria Davis-Tidwell direct Joseph House Ministries' MKSTAY with a combined 30 years of experience working with MKs. As missionaries themselves, they minister to MKs and their parents with heart-felt understanding, striving to embody Christ to MKs and ease their transition to life in the United States.

Dedria taught MKs from all over the world in 3 West African countries; then, on home staff, she counseled returning MKs and their parents, recruited MK teachers, and prepared new MKs for overseas living. Mark also has years of experience in ministering to MKs. His primary spiritual gift is service and he loves helping MKs with "real-life" skills.

Mark and Dedria minister to MKs through creating a comfortable home atmosphere, teaching them practical living skills, praying for them, counseling them, and helping them find resources to meet their various needs.

Our Testimonies


Mark : I grew up in a nominal Christian home. As a teenager, I attended a Young Life ski retreat where the Lord led me to salvation. As a brand new Christian, I began serving in Young Life's leadership without receiving a firm foundation of personal discipleship. I'm sad to say that I quickly burned out and spent many years as a young adult away from the Lord. On my thirtieth birthday, I felt God’s conviction on me for the years I had wasted apart from Him. I praise the Lord that He lovingly led me to repentance and renewed my Christian growth and ministry! 

During this time of renewal, I attended a retreat where Dr. Crawford Lorrits, Jr. spoke on “A Passionate Commitment to Christ.” As I listened, I began to sense that God was calling me into full-time Christian ministry. When I shared this with my pastor, he encouraged me to attend Columbia Bible College to be grounded in the Lord’s word and to learn about world missions. In January of 1993, I moved to Columbia, SC where I completed a Bachelor’s degree in Bible with a Mission’s minor. While there I met and began to date Dedria.

We married in 1996 and began to be tremendously burdened for young adult MKs returning to the U.S. In our first year of marriage, one of Dedria's former students, a young adult MK, lived with us for four months. Through this, we experienced firsthand the need that MKs have for guidance and support while their parents are overseas.

Dedria: I grew up in a Christian home and at 7 years of age trusted Christ as my Savior and Lord. Over the years I grew spiritually and actively served in local churches, but regrettably, I turned my back on the Lord for a year while in college. I praise the Lord for drawing me back to Himself through the faithful prayers and witness of my parents. From this I experienced the truth of Jesus’ words: “The one who is forgiven much, loves much.” As a result, the Lord uses me to minister to other “prodigals” from time to time.

After receiving my MA in English and teaching at the University of Alabama and Columbia Bible College, the Lord called me into full-time missionary service. I joined SIM in 1988 and served in three countries of West Africa : Liberia (until a civil war forced us to evacuate!), Niger, and Cote d’Ivoire , where I taught missionary kids ( MKs ) and other children from a variety of nations. I then returned to the U.S. for furlough where I completed a second Master's degree in Education at Columbia International University (CIU) and began to date Mark.

Upon finishing at CIU, I was asked by SIM to work in their U.S. office, recruiting and training MK Teachers, counseling returning missionaries and their kids, and preparing new MKs for life overseas.  I served in this capacity for 5 years and, during this time, Mark and I married and he joined SIM. We planned to serve overseas and began praying for God's leading. With this in mind, we did the Experiencing God Bible study and realized through prayer, godly counsel and divine circumstances that God was directing us to care for young adult MKs here in the U.S..

In 1998 we co-founded Joseph House Ministries and one year later harmoniously resigned from SIM to direct JHM/MKSTAY on a full-time basis.

Ministering to young adult MKs has been a wonderful joy and challenge! Having young adults in our home as their “home away from home” has encouraged us to grow in many ways in our relationship with Christ and in love for these special "kids." God has used MKs to encourage us, teach us new things, and sometimes to test us! :-) As we continue on in this crucial ministry, we know that the Lord will continue to grow and use us to bless MKs and their families.

 

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