A young boy ran to his grandparents house after school. The families lived close together, so access to grandpa and grandma had always been easy. But this day was a little different. It would make a lasting impression on the young man. There in the kitchen, sat his grandfather with the old Dutch family Bible. His head lay on the pages, his arms hanging at his side, and he wept. He was praying for the salvation of his children and the generations to come.
Four generations later and decades of Christ centered living, we get to see a small glimpse of those prayers answered through the ministry of The Mark Dubbeld Family. Based out of Virginia, this family has been singing professionally for fifteen years, though ministry and church planting was a part of their story since Mark and Janene were married. Today, the family consists of Mark and Janene, their daughter, Elena and son, Britton. Their family’s story is one of rich, Christ centered heritage. The grandfather mentioned above, who was so faithful to pray and read the Word to his family, was Mark Dubbeld’s great-grandfather, Walter. Walter and his wife, Eva, left the Netherlands in 1908 to begin a life in America. This spring, the Dubbelds were invited on a five week European tour to Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, leading their family back to their roots and heritage of faith.
“In 2010,” says Mark, “we met a fellow named Marco at the National Quartet Convention. He has a group in the Netherlands called House of Harmony. He had heard our music and talked to us a little bit. He told us he would love to have us come over to the Netherlands. I told him a little bit about my history with my great grandparents who came from the Netherlands in 1908 and that was just very interesting to them. We stayed in contact over the years and he talked about us coming to Europe in 2026. So, we said, if the Lord opens the doors, we’ll walk through them. In two weeks, we had contacts in three countries saying, ‘We would love to have you come.’ It was just one of those God trips. The only way we could have done it was if God worked it out, and He did!”
Not only did The Mark Dubbeld Family sing at several concerts in the Netherlands, they were able to spend a day in the town where Walter and Eva met and married – Middleharnis. Images from old black and white family photos came to life as they walked the streets where their family lived over a 100 years ago.
“It was amazing.” shares Elena. “You know, the Lord did not have to give us this opportunity, but he knew the desires of her heart and opened this door. It has been a dream for our family to be able to go back to the Netherlands and to see where my great-great-grandfather walked. I remember talking about this at least ten years ago with the family saying, ‘Man, wouldn’t that be cool if we could ever do that?’ So, if there was a month where I felt the kindness of God displayed in my life, it would be March and this amazing opportunity to go to the Netherlands with my family.” Britton adds, “One of the most like special moments was when we were able to go into the church. Being able to see where my great-great grandparents met – that was really special. And then seeing the courthouse where they were married and being able to take a picture of it. It looks the exact same as it was years ago, and so that was really cool. For me, I never knew I would get to experience my family history like that.”
“But the most important part of all,” Britton continues, “was the people and being able to minister to them. Our first concert in the Netherlands was really amazing because it was in an art studio. There were people there from all different places and walks of life. And they loved it! It was interesting how our music could go across culture and across language without a barrier. They didn’t speak English well and so we had translators, but they still understood our music. That was really neat because we ministered to people that didn’t go to church.” Though the Netherlands has been a strong place of faith in the past, many today have never heard about the gospel and the saving grace of Jesus. Mark shares an encounter he had at the same concert, “We had stayed in an Airbnb close by the Art Center and I had invited one of the workers to the concert. He had never been to a gospel concert or heard a song that had the gospel in it. He came and afterwards I was trying to catch him on the way out. I caught him and thanked him for coming. I talked to him a little bit about Jesus dying on the cross and shared about the thief on the cross and how the gospel message is so simple and reaches everybody. I encouraged him to reach out to Jesus.”
Like this encounter the Dubbelds had singing at the art studio, the churches in the Netherlands are faithful to share the Gospel in their communities. One of the ways they do this is through the Tulip festivals and creating flower mosaics. The tradition began with a lady named Jacky B. “Jacky’s parents began making flower mosaics as a way to witness to their community.” Janene begins. “At first, the community wasn’t open; they cussed at them, they didn’t like it. But through the years their home became known as the Christian house and they use the flower mosaic to present the Gospel.” Years later, the tradition is still held by Jacky and now, the community is more open to hearing about Jesus. In this town, the flower mosaics are made and displayed throughout the community. The town creates a magazine that shows where each mosaic is displayed and people come to tour the neighborhoods and look at the flowers. (This resembles what many in the United States would do with Christmas lights during the holiday season.) Janene continues, “So Jacky would play our music and the Kramers’ music with these mosaics every year and Jacky told us that it was her dream that one day we would be able to come and sing our music live in her yard during the time the flower mosaics are displayed. God made the way for us to go, He provided a sound system and then He provided a way for us to sing in a painter’s venue down the street and witness to their community that way.” 
While the Dubbelds were there, they were able to go to the town and watch as the people came together and worked on the mosaic that was fashioned after their song. “They have friends that come from Germany and all over Europe to make the mosaic.” says Janene. “Afterwards, they invited us to dinner and after the meal, they sang. Mark’s grandparents always did this. So after the meal, we all sang ‘What A Friend We Have In Jesus’ together, and it was in all of the languages – Dutch, German, Russian, English. I can imagine what God’s heart felt. The praise around that table to Him in all those languages, and He understood all of us. It was just amazing. I could write a booklet on the God moments He gave us on this tour.”
The Dubbelds have story after story of how the Lord worked to make this tour not just special for their family, but spiritually nourishing for the communities they ministered in. While they were in the Anne Paulowne area of the Netherlands, they were able to sing at Jacky’s church and do something very special for the children. Before the tour, Janene asked Jacky if it would be possible to get one of her children’s books, “The Snakes In Trouble,” translated into Dutch. The Lord provided the way and the Dubbelds were able to give away this children’s book to the kids in the Netherlands and teach them the song that went along with the literature. “Jacky had shared with us that they don’t have a lot of the Gospel in their area,” Janene explains, “and so I asked her if she would help translate the book into Dutch for me. That was a dream that God made come true. So we were able to take the books to give away and we were able to put the Gospel message in the back of the book in Dutch.” What a special moment for these Dutch children to be able to come on the stage, learn the song in their language and receive a book made just for them that contained the Gospel message.
That was what this tour was all about for the Mark Dubbeld Family. To share the Gospel from shore to shore, encourage the church and make an impact on communities for the kingdom of God. Mark says, “We give Him praise and are just so thankful for the privilege of carrying the message of the gospel, literally from the United States to the shores of Europe.” With three countries and 15 flights in five weeks, the Dubbelds did just that. And while they shared their music and the God they serve with every flight, venue and person they met, they continued the very faith that was prayed for over a Dutch Bible many, many years ago. One Gospel, many languages and many shores…all to the glory of God!
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North of 49 | Memories of Canada’s Gospel Music Celebration
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North of 49 | The Rich History of Southern Gospel Music in Canada: A Legacy of Faith and Song
Passing The Mic | Casey Wolfe and The Next Generation of Southern Gospel