Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for I find him a useful assistant. 2 Timothy 4:11, N.E.B.  {CC 348.1}        Mark's mother was a convert to the Christian religion, and her home at Jerusalem was an asylum for the disciples. . . . Mark proposed to Paul and Barnabas that he should accompany them on their missionary tour. He felt the favor of God in his heart and longed to devote himself entirely to the work of the gospel ministry. . . .  {CC 348.2}        Their way was toilsome; they encountered hardships and privations, and were beset with dangers on every side. . . . But Paul and Barnabas had learned to trust God's power to deliver. Their hearts were filled with fervent love for perishing souls. As faithful shepherds in search of the lost sheep, they gave no thought to their own ease and convenience. Forgetful of self, they faltered not when we ...