BIOGRAPHY
Mark L. Lastimoso was born in Silay City, Negros Occidental, Philippines on the bright morning of February 22, 1974. His mother, a secretarial major, dedicated him at an early age to the Lord and wanted him to be a minister. She died of cancer when Mark was 16 years old. His father, a journalist, wanted him to be a seafarer. He died of cancer when he was 21 years old. Mark finished both degrees in Nautical and Theology to honor his parents’ requests. Irene, his only sister, was a missionary to South Korea and married a Korean national. They have one daughter.
Mark finished his elementary education at an Adventist school with honors. He started his first two years in high School at West Visayan Academy with honors and finished in Central Philippine University. He obtain an associate degree leading to Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation from Iloilo Maritime Academy with leadership awards and as one of the model students. In 2000 he finished his Bachelor of Theology degree, Magna Cum Laude, from Central Philippine Adventist College.
He was called to the ministry by the Lord way back in 1994 through a series of challenging circumstances which he resisted at first but later on decided to give his life for church service. He became a missionary in Yap Island, Federated States of Micronesia as a Bible teacher in 2000 after graduation in Theology. He also worked as Bible and English language teacher in Bangkok, Thailand in 2001. After finishing his Master of Arts in Religion degree in Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS), he accepted the call to work for Wantirna SDA Community Church in Melbourne, Victoria, as a youth minister prior to coming to the US. He met the former Rossel L. Dayo in AIIAS while she was finishing her Master of Business Administration degree and they got engaged there. She is from Mlang, North Cotabato. On December 2004 they got married in Mountain View College Church.
In 2006 he became an associate pastor of Hollydale Community SDA Church until he was given a new assignment as an associate pastor of Glendale Filipino SDA Church in 2009. Mark had personally led and assisted through Bible studies and evangelism initiatives, 42 precious souls who were baptized in his 6 years of ministry in CA. He desires many more people to accept and follow Jesus. His favorite line is: “God is good all the time!” He enjoys visiting, teaching, preaching, video ministry, writing, driving and eating plant based foods. Mark and his wife would like to start their family someday.