Mark & Athlee
Bowman 
EFCA International Mission In Japan

Biographical Bits 'bout Bowmans

Mark:
    Birth - College: I was born in Dubuque Iowa, where Dad was attending Wartburg Seminary.  At the age of two, Mom, Dan and my baby brother and I left for Japan.  There (here) I learned to enjoy seaweed, raw fish, and other goodies.  After graduating from an international school, I returned to the US for college. I started at, what was then, Willmar College, returned to Japan for a year of short term work in a church, then went to Augustana College in Sioux Falls.  See "Athlee &Mark".

Athlee:
I was born in Fredric, Wisconsin.  When I was three years old our family moved to Minneapolis, MN where my father entered Luther Seminary.  After his graduation he served three different Minnesota parishes, the last one being in Willmar, MN where i graduated from high school in 1972.  After graduation, I attended California Lutheran Bible School for one year then Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Athlee &Mark:
While there, in 1974, Athlee (who I met in Willmar a couple years earlier) and I were married.  In '82 we returned to Willmar and started attending the Willmar EFC.  In '84 we were accepted with the EFCM a career missionaries to Japan.  From '85 to '87 we were at Trinity Seminary, then after raising support left for Japan in June 1989 with three children ages 8, 10, 12. 

Children: Sarah, her husband Peter, their daughter Alina and son William are Russia networking with local churches as they minister orphans, street kids and kids in detention facilities.   David is working in the Minneapolis area.  Aaron is in the Minneapolis area and will be joining us in Japan from September, 2007.