June Prayer Letter

Dear Praying Friends,                                                                                                                                            July 3, 2012

It’s hard to believe June has come and gone!  For months we had been counting down to our arrival in Peru, and it is almost surreal to think we have been here for exactly two weeks!  God has been so very good to us in our journey. As much as we longed for the end of our deputation, our travels taught us so many invaluable lessons that will always be with us. The churches we visited and the friends we made will always be very near to our heart as well.

Our trip to Peru was almost seamless! Our fellow teammates, the Szabatins, were so gracious to drive us up to Toronto.  The check-in process at the Toronto airport started off a little rough, as we were told none of our baggage (which was a lot) was going to make it to Peru (very long story)!  God quickly intervened, and we, along with our six totes, three carry-ons, and dog made it onto the plane.  I wish I had the time and space to share all the “I love yous” God gave us along the way.  We had a very smooth flight and then a 7½-hour layover in Bogota, Colombia.  We were not sure how we were going to care for our small dog, but security quickly fell in love with her, as did all the drug-sniffing dogs!  Once again, God showed us He was watching out for us.  We then made the short flight into Lima.  Believe it or not, we breezed through customs without a single question, retrieved ALL of our luggage, and only one tote was searched!  I think we must be in God’s will!!  Around 1:00 Wednesday morning, we were greeted at the airport by Bro. Dan Hubbard, Bro. Zach Foust, and a cup of Starbucks!  Thank you to each one of you who have been praying.   Your prayers have truly made a difference.

Our two weeks in Lima have gone by so fast.  After being in the staging home for only three days, we moved into a temporary apartment in Chorrillos.  What a beautiful area!  Chorrillos is the district where we will be permanently located and where our church will be.  We have spent a lot of time searching for the right apartment and for a church building.  Please pray that God continues to guide us and give us the wisdom needed to make the right decisions.  We have three beautiful apartments we are looking at and trying to “negotiate.”  The negotiation process is certainly different than in States, and we want to make sure we get what is best for our family.  After being without a home of her own for over a year, I am eager to give Jessica a place she loves and can call her own.

Since our arrival, we have officially started the Iglesia Bautist Internacional!  We are currently meeting in Bro. Hubbard’s apartment but are looking at an ideal piece of property.  Please pray that God will open the door for us if this is His will.  Having the church started is great, but in our current neighborhood, it is hard for the people to get to us.  I am eager to get the church in a permanent location in the midst of the people, so we can begin bringing in multitudes of Peruvian people! 

We have spent much time walking up and down the streets of Chorrillos, praying for and talking to the people.  We have been able to give the Gospel to many and have over a dozen people and/or families interested in visiting our church.  God also has already opened a door for us to begin a home Bible study next week.  Please continue to pray for the people of Lima.  I have such big dreams and aspirations, not only for our district but also for the rest of Lima and all of Peru.  In a city of 9 million people and a district alone of 260,000 people, I cannot wait to see what God will allow us to do!

Thank you to each of you for your faithful prayers and support.  Jessica and I are so thrilled to labor in Peru on your behalf.  I cannot wait to get through this time of acclamation and transition and consume myself in the ministry.  We have spent much time purchasing appliances, apartment hunting, ordering furniture, acquainting ourselves with the stores and public transportation, and working on our visas.  Although all this is necessary, I long to turn my attention solely to reaching the people of Peru.  The Peruvian money unit is called a sol.  Everytime I am asked for “just one sol,” I cannot help but think of the countless souls around me who need to hear the Gospel.  Thank you for believing in us and for praying for us.  I can hardly wait to see what amazing things will happen in July! 

Your ambassadors to Peru,

 Junior and Jessica Martin

Romans 9:3

May Prayer Letter

 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

Memorial Day Update

As our month of planning comes to an end, wanted to share this brief update with you.

Video Update from 05/17/12

I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you the amazing night we had last night.  Please watch and enjoy.

April Prayer Letter

Dear Praying Friends,                                                                                                                                           May 1, 2012

Our journey is now complete!  I do not know if sweeter words have ever been spoken!  After surrendering to God’s will for our lives, we set out on 16 months of deputation.  What a life-changing chapter of our life!  God has allowed us to travel through 47 states and share our burden and calling in 118 different churches.  We have seen some of the most beautiful country, attended some of the greatest churches, and met some of the most amazing people.  Without a doubt, God has used deputation to teach us, challenge us, and change our lives in the most incredible way.  I am so thankful for the last 16 months.  However, I am much more excited to begin this new chapter of our life in missions.

April was definitely a high note on which to complete our deputation travels.  Not only were we able to be in some wonderful churches, but I was finally able to do something I have been waiting to do for a very long time.  Two weeks ago, I purchased one-way plane tickets to Lima!  What an adrenaline rush!  After thousands of miles, hours of phone calls, a lot of hard work, and a ton of anticipation, we were finally able to put a date to the work God has called us to.  Thank you to many of you who have been praying about this.  I was able to get an incredible deal on airfare!  We will be traveling with one of our fellow team members up to Canada and will be flying out of Toronto (feel free to insert Canadien jokes here)!  Believe it or not, by doing this, we will be saving $800.  God is so good!  We will be flying out June 19.  Counting down the days is a great feeling!

We have been so incredibly busy this month.  April was a “kick it in gear” month.  We spent a lot of the month preparing all of our legal documents to apply for our Peruvian visas.  What a process!  We had to acquire and authenticate multiple copies of both of our birth certificates, our marriage license, and all of our high school and college diplomas and transcripts.  Getting this done will make May a lot easier and put us well ahead of where we need to be when we arrive in Peru. Between all this craziness, we have been busy packing up our belongings to be shipped and shopping for apartments, and we still traveled!  We were able to be in four churches in Michigan, Ohio, and Arkansas.  Each meeting was a special blessing to us.  I am so thankful for God’s people and for His mercy and provision in all He allowed us to accomplish this month. 

Looking back over our deputation, I am constantly aware of God’s hand in every aspect of our life.  Just to see the way God has protected and provided for us is so humbling.  As I hear of so many families striving to get to their field, I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the people God has put in our path.  I am especially grateful for the new churches that partnered with us in April:  Community Baptist Church in Michigan, Grace Baptist Church in North Carolina, and Gospel Light Baptist Church in Arkansas.  We are at 95% of our support, and I am confident that God will supply the remainder of the support we need before our departure.

Each and every one of you have a part in our ministry.  Whether you support us through your prayers, giving, or both, you make everything we do possible.  Day by day, God reminds me that nothing we do is done by our own strength.  Please know that your prayers are not in vain; but in everything God does through us, from the nine people we saw trust Christ in April to every church that is planted in Peru, you have a part.

May will continue to be a busy month for us as we get our container loaded and spend the entire month doing some intense training and planning for the launch of our ministry in Peru.  We will be posting updates regularly and cannot wait to see what God has in store for us.  God bless you!

Your ambassadors to Peru,

Junior and Jessica Martin

Romans 9:3

Weekly Deputation Update

Deputation is coming to an end, and we are one step closer to Peru!

Weekly Video Update

Really exciting news!