John Mosiman

John was the adopted son of Fred and Lucille Mosiman of Elgin, Illinois. He leaves a legacy of faith and love to his wife of 57 years, Gloria.

John is survived by his sister Sue Wyld of Wheaton, Illinois; three adult children, his daughter Elizabeth Adkins of Summerville, South Carolina; his daughter Marianne and her husband John Sullivan of Austin, Texas; his son John Douglas Mosiman and his wife Ajeli of Fort Mill, South Carolina; and five grandchildren.

John graduated from Wheaton College in 1953 and later earned his Master of Art degree in art at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.

John and Gloria met in San José, Costa Rica. They studied Spanish prior to mission work in Ecuador South America. They were married in Quito, Ecuador where they served as missionaries for twelve years.

John created an art form he called “Musical Paintings.” It was a blend of chalk paintings with theatrical lighting and choreographed to music, captivating audiences at clubs, conventions, churches and schools. He performed from New York to Dallas, Miami to San Francisco, also to Canada and seven countries in Latin America crossing a span of forty-one years.

John was an accomplished artist and created pencil drawings and acrylic paintings. He enjoyed hiking and camping in the wilderness. During his career he climbed forty-seven peaks in the Rocky Mountains. He was well-known for sleeping under the stars in his hammock instead of a tent. He greatly enjoyed carving intricate designs and Bible verses on walking sticks.

John opted to spend his retirement years ministering in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico. A major part of his work was building houses for destitute families, enabling them to move out of their cardboard shacks and into frame houses. He recruited and spearheaded volunteer construction teams, supervising them and working with his own hands as well. They constructed over one hundred fifty houses. John gather financial donation of over one million dollars.

John sponsored hundreds of Mexican youths for high school and university education. Through his life, God radically changed the life of many people; both those in need and those who came to help.

John completed his work in Mexico in 2010 when his illness prevented him from travelling. Since that time, being confined at home, he enjoyed teaching the Bible to small groups at his home and mentoring several individuals.

John will be missed by his family and friends worldwide. John often mentioned this Bible verse: “There is nothing in us that allows us to claim that we are capable of doing this work. The capacity we have comes from God. It is he who made us capable of serving…” – 2 Corinthians 3.5, 6 TEV.

A memorial service celebrating John's life will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, January 5, 2013 at Hillcrest Baptist Church, 3838 Steck Ave, Austin, Texas. 78759.

In lieu of flowers, John has requested donations be made out to His Work, Inc., 13217 Dime Box Trl. Austin, TX 78729, with a memo designating the check for Acuña Mexico Ministry, Building and or Education. Website: http://hisworkinc.org or for aiding persecuted Christians around the world, send donations to the Voice of Martyrs, PO Box 443, Bartlesville, OK 74005-0443, phone 800-747-0085, memo John Mosiman memorial.

Condolences may be made at www.cookwaldenchapelofthehills.com