Helping to fulfill the Great Commission through the ministry of Athletes in Action

Mark and Susie have been on staff with Athletes in Action/Cru and reaching college students all of their adult lives. Mark graduated from Miami University with a degree in Botany and headed out to Arizona as a new staff missionary with Cru, back then it was called Campus Crusade for Christ. Susie (Ashdown) was recruited from Oregon to play golf at the University of Arizona on a full-ride athletic scholarship. That is where we met. Not only did Susie get a degree in Marketing, but also in “Mark-getting.”

Not wasting any time, we got married on Susie’s graduation day, and that is when Susie joined staff as well. We ministered to college students at the University of Arizona from 1980-1992 where we saw God bring students to Himself and raise up student leaders who themselves joined staff with Cru and are serving until this day. We felt led to become missionaries in Africa, but wanted to have our kids in America. We tragically lost a set of twins 5 months into our first pregnancy. A few months later, our first child, Nathan, was born. Then two and a half years later, another set of twins, David and Sarah. We were nervous parents during the pregnancies, but remained steadfast in our calling to Africa.

With a 3 year old and 8 month old twins we began our adventure in Durban, South Africa as international missionaries with Cru. God brought many students to Himself and raised up even more missionaries from amongst our student leaders, many who are still serving to this day.

For the Gospel to go where the Gospel is Not

When our children were 11 and 9 we moved back to America and settled in Mark’s hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. That was a wonderful place to raise kids, and a lot less stressful than Africa. (No snakes or monkeys anymore.) We had 20 wonderful and productive years of ministry as we were the Campus Sports Chaplains for Xavier University.

In 2021, Susie asked Mark if they could move back to her home town in Southern Oregon. She then began the AIA Golf ministry and is seeking the reach college golfers for Christ. Susie is also a graduate student at Wheaton College getting her Masters in Evangelism and Leadership.

Around that same time, Mark was asked to become the AIA National Director of Ministry Partner Development. He has multiplied his impact as he has sent hundreds of new staff onto the mission field of campuses around the U.S. and even the world. On top of all of those responsibilities, Mark has a personal ministry of evangelism and discipleship with the athletes at Southern Oregon University.