June 1, 2012
Dear
Praying Friends,
June
is finally here! Jessica and I have been
counting down the days for this month to arrive. On June 18, we will be making the drive up to
Toronto and then flying to Lima. Reality
is setting in! We are saying our
good-byes and getting everything in order to move to Peru. Thank you to all of
you who have prayed and invested in us.
I cannot wait to get busy doing what God has called us to do.
May
has been incredibly busy and productive.
As I mentioned in our last letter, our entire team assembled to undergo
some intense training and to begin preparing for the work in Peru. It was so exciting to go through each phase
of our plan of starting 10,000 churches!
I enjoyed being able to spend time with each of our team families. We
participated in team building exercises and games, which taught us the value of
communication and trust. In addition, we also loaded up our container for
shipping. We finished packing up all of
our belongings, as well as some items for the church: folding chairs, tables, PA equipment,
hymnals, tracts, and Bibles. The month
gave us a small glimpse into what working together in Peru will be like.
We
also had our send-off services for both our English and Spanish churches. Our English send-off was a very special
service, as this was also my ordination service. There is something very humbling and challenging
as my Pastor, missions director, team leader, and many deacons laid their hands
on me and prayed for God’s blessing and power on me and the ministry in Peru. In our Spanish send-off service, Pastor
DeAnda put on a grand service. Our team
sang with the choir, Jessica sang with the church’s ladies’ ensemble, and I,
along with a few other men from the team, preached. This service also ended
with many of the men praying over us. Hearing
the men whose people you are going to reach pray over you is truly an
unforgettable moment in time.
Being
home this entire month, we enjoyed being able to spend time with many of our
church people, as well as get involved in many of our ministries. I was able to teach in three Spanish adult
classes, drvie for one of our Spanish bus routes, and go soul winning with our
team. One Saturday in particular, I was
knocking doors in Blue Island, Illinois, with Bro. Dan Hubbard. After making several visits, I met a teenage
boy named Alexis. After talking to him
for several minutes, Alexis bowed his head and trusted Christ. A few houses down, I struck up a conversation
with Miguel, who was in his driveway working on his car. His three small children, who were playing in
a plastic swimming pool, ran over and began talking our ears off! Miguel seemed very interested in our church, so
once his wife came out, I began playing with the kids as Bro. Dan continued
answering their questions. After nearly
an hour, Miguel and Gabby prayed and asked Christ into their heart! I have so many stories, if only space
allowed. I am so thankful for the 7
people God allowed us to see saved this month.
Thank
you to all of you who have had a part in our ministry. God has answered so many prayers, supplied so
many needs, and blessed in so many ways.
Whether you have partnered with us through your prayers, kind letters
and e-mails, or your financial support, I am very grateful to you. I am especially grateful to Lighthouse
Baptist Church in Michigan and Agape Baptist Church in Missouri for their
pledge of support this month. I cannot
wait to share reports of Peruvians saved and churches planted in Peru.
Please
remember us in your prayers. This month
will be an emotional one, with all the feelings that come with saying farewell
but also all that comes with the joy of being in God’s will and beginning our
adventure in Peru. It will be impossible
to describe how incredible it will be to finally be able to love the people
there. We have loved them through prayer
and fasting these many months, but now we will actually get to see their faces.
I can’t wait to send our next prayer
letter to you from our home in Lima! I
love serving Jesus!
Your
ambassadors to Peru,
Junior
and Jessica Martin
Romans
9:3
