January Prayer Letter

  February 4, 2013

Dear Praying Friends,    

                                                                                                                        

Often I wonder why God chooses to use us and bless us.  My mind goes back to the first time I sat in a living room in Chicago as a single college student and “counseled” a marriage!  I thought, Why in the world would God see fit to allow me to do all that I do?  And yet now, as a much older, seasoned Christian on the mission field, I find myself still looking up to God in amazement at the way He blesses our efforts despite us.

January started out with all the thrill and anticipation of a brand-new auditorium.  What an amazing first Sunday we had!  The chairs filled up, visitors came, people got saved, and the baptistery waters were stirring. Service after service, our people continue to come and sit with eager ears and hungry hearts, hanging on to every song, announcement, and sermon.  God has continued to bless IBI and His people.

The excitement continued to grow with the starting of our second church.  On Sunday, January 27, the Foust family and a group of our church people had their first service as the Iglesia Bautista Internacional of San Gabriel!  They had 39 in attendance, with 6 receiving Jesus as their Saviour.  This church currently has services on Sunday afternoons, Thursday nights, and a Bible study on Wednesdays.  Please continue to pray for this work to grow and reach that area with the Gospel.

Apparently, though, the Devil is not at all happy with all that has been going on in Lima.  He wouldn’t wait long to see how serious we were about reaching Chorrillos.  This last Wednesday we were sitting in the office when the phone rang.  One of our church members frantically told us we needed to get to the church right away.  Upon arriving, we learned that through some crooked, yet somewhat legal, dealings, over 80 properties in our neighborhood were in litigation; and the police were evicting everyone from those properties.  One of the properties—our brand-new church. 

We rushed to secure as much of our property as possible and began to prepare for the church service that night.  The people came and listened as we explained the situation.  That night we met with 23 of our church people at midnight to pray.  As we walked into the church, they were sitting in a circle singing hymns.  As we prayed for the next hour, I caught myself listening to and watching them pray with tears flowing down their cheeks, their shoulders heaving, and their voices telling God that He was in control and that He would work a miracle.  I felt so humbled.  One- to seven-month-old Christians were talking to their heavenly Father.  That is what I meant when I started this letter—I am so humbled that God allows me to do what I do.  Please continue to pray for our property.  God did work a miracle that night, and although all is good for the time being, we have a lot of work to do over the next few months to ensure our future there.

Since September I have been eager to start something in San Genaro.  I have been anticipating all month writing this letter to report to you the first church service at IBI San Genaro.  However, I have learned one thing:  Satan doesn’t want a church in San Genaro.  After looking feverishly for a building and a deal falling through on one, I decided to start a Bible study with one of our church families there and pray that God would open a door for us to start a church.  Please pray.  Eight of our church people will be going up the mountain with Jessica and me every Saturday night to conduct this Bible study, soul win, and pray for God to open a door for a church there.

This has been a very different prayer letter for me.  Every “negative,” though, is two things: (1) proof that God is doing great things, and (2) something that God has used in my personal life to help me realize the blessings I sometimes overlook.  God has given us great people with hearts that are in tune to Him and desire to see something great in Peru.  You cannot put a price tag on that!

Of course, the blessings have been great this last month.  In addition to starting the second church, our main church continues to grow and stay strong.  We made some changes to our soul-winning program and have had over 40 people go out soul winning each Saturday in January.  With soul winning, church services, and Bible studies, we have seen 110 people trust Christ as their Saviour this last month.  God is so good to us!

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.  I hope you realize the great value this has to us.  We can truly feel your prayers; and, of course, your financial support makes all we do possible.  The people of Chorrillos, Villa Maria del Triunfo, and Surco appreciate the difference you are making in them and, one day, in all of Lima and Peru .

Your ambassadors to Peru,

Junior and Jessica Martin

Romans 9:3

January Video Update

Recently, I made this video for one of our supporting churches.  I removed my personal commentary off the end to be able to share it with all of you.  I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into all God has done through us and for us here in Chorrillos.

December Prayer Letter

Dear Praying Friends,                                                                                                                                             January 2, 2013

The most wonderful time of the year!  This Christmas may have been a little different from those we are accustomed to, but wonderful just the same.  We traded the snow and the bitter cold for sunshine and scorching heat,  snow men for palm trees, candy canes for panetón, and silent night for fireworks.  What a great first Christmas in Peru.

God has been so good to us.  Unsure of what traditions we would start and how we would spend our holiday, a few of our church families had an idea.  Christmas eve morning we went to church with an army of teenagers and four of our church families.  They had over 100 Christmas gifts and candy bags wrapped and ready to go.  We loaded up 2 vans  and 3 cars and headed up to the far side of San Genaro, the poorest part of our district.  As we got out of our vehicles, we were quickly surrounded by scores of children.  It did not take long to pass out all the presents.  Tears filled my ears as I heard the thank-yous and saw the smiles on their faces.  I looked around at our teens as reality and gratitude swept across the faces.  That is the kind of tradition I love…giving back for we have been given so much.

San Genaro has become a special place for us.  This is where we spend the majority of our Saturday making visits and soul winning.  We have talked in the past about this area being our first church plant, but now it is time to put action to our words.  We have decided to give Jesus a Christmas present…a church in San Genaro.  Please pray for Jessica and me as we start this church with the help of some of our church families.  I have been laying the groundwork and looking for a building and, Lord willing, the church will start in mid-January. 

Of course, with the Christmas season comes a brand-new year.  As we start 2013, I cannot help but rejoice in 2012.  God has blessed in amazing ways during our first six months in Peru.  God has blessed us with a strong church of dedicated, hungry Christians.  We are currently averaging 133 people attending our church each week!   This, of course, has caused a huge space issue.  I am very happy to say that 2013 started off at a brand new property!  One of our church families who own property near our church, have been praying for some time what God would have them do to help the church.  Recently, they decided their property would be the next home of IBI!  We have a lot of work to do over time, but as you can see we were able to get it “usable” in time for our New Year’s eve service.  I am thrilled to watch our church go to the next level!    

Not only that, but God has given us a great harvest of souls.  Over the last 6 months, we have seen a total 457 trust Christ as their Saviour!  Glory to God!  34 of these people have also followed the Lord in baptism.  God is truly blessing.  Not only do these numbers reflect salvations but also lives that have been changed.  Many of those being saved were won to Christ by our church members.  Over the last couple months, we have averaged over 30 people going out soul winning every Saturday!

Please pray that God continues to guide and enable us in 2013.  Having established a strong base and adapted to our new home, we are ready to take our ministry to a whole new level.  Not only do we plan on turning this property into a beautiful church where we can triple our size, but we want to triple our church right away!  In January, we will plant a church in San Genaro.  In February, a church in San Gabriel.  In March, a church in Surco.  We have big plans for a big God and a big year.  God has shown us He is very willing and able.  Our church people are excited and ready.  2013 will be the year we begin to reach all of Lima from Villa Marina…and then all of Peru…and all of South America.

Thank you for partnering with us through your prayers and support.  I hope you see that your investment and sacrifice is not in vain.  If you don’t already, please follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter and see day by day all that God is doing in Peru.  I thank God for my first six months and I cannot wait to see the next six.

Your ambassadors to Peru,

Junior and Jessica Martin

Romans 9:3

November Prayer Letter

Dear Praying Friends,                                                                                                                                        December 5, 2012

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”   (Psalm 100:4)  We truly have so much for which to be thankful.  I know that November is not the only month that should reflect our gratitude; however, I must admit that this November gave us a lot to be thankful for!  Where oh where do I begin ?

Thankful for our church! God has blessed us with an amazing ministry in the heart of Chorrillos!  The way that our church has grown can only be contributed to God.  In all honesty (I dread even saying this), we have not tried to accelerate the growth of our church. We have not promoted or had any type of campaign, simply because we do not have the space to accommodate the growth.  We go soul winning, follow up on our visitors, and hold 8 different Bible studies each week. But God has given us a great group of people! Just this past Sunday, we had our 2 highest attendances to date: 109 in the morning and 93 that night!  God is so good!

Thankful for our people!  That is what the church truly is!  As thankful as I am for the numerical growth of our people, I am even more thankful for their spiritual growth.  We have seen so many miracles in the lives of our people.  As Cecilia went soul winning with my wife this past week, we both realized that incredible desire she has to serve God and reach her family. Yanira is a new teenager who has humbled both of us with her sweet spirit. She, too, has a desire to grow and has helped us lead many of her family to Christ.

Another family we have seen great growth in is Julio and Veronique.  Several weeks ago they were able to set their reservations aside and follow the Lord in baptism.  It was a great day! Every Saturday night I have a Bible study at their house.  I started the 10-week study with them 15 weeks ago (you do the math)! They can’t get enough.  Lord willing, they will be helping me start another Bible study this month. 

Thankful for opportunities! God has given us some great opportunities to make a difference in our area.  As already stated, we have 8 in-home Bible studies occurring every week.  These Bible studies are averaging 68 people every week.  Between 14 and 20 of these are people who do not even attend our church!  In addition to this, I am glad that soul winning still works!  This last month a total of 31 trusted Christ as a result of soul winning.  An additional 32 people were saved through outreach and services, and a total of 6 were baptized.

The greatest opportunity for which I am thankful is the opportunity to be used.  Two weeks ago Jessica and I reflected on that opportunity.  It is hard to believe that one year ago, we were both in the hospital and  not sure if we would have this opportunity.  But God is the great physician, and I am so amazed by His healing and the way He has worked in our lives.  God is so good to use us!

Thankful for answered prayers!  I am grateful for a God Who hears and answers our prayers.  We have had so many prayers answered, but one prayer in particular has been prayed for by many of you. The Wednesday after Thanksgiving, our container was released, and all of our personal and ministry items were delivered to our home. This was a great day!  Thank you to each and every one of you who prayed.  God blessed miraculously, not only in giving us our stuff but also in the amount of taxes we payed.  We serve an awesome God!

Thankful for our team!  Every day I am able to rejoice in the great group of people God has called to work alongside us here in Peru. Especially during this holiday season while family is far away, it is a blessing to have a group of people with whom we can celebrate. We had a grand Thanksgiving dinner with the members of our team and several of our church people!  I could not imagine this ministry without the families God has brought together as Team Peru!

Thankful for you!  Every day we feel the love and prayers of each of you.  Thank you to each and every one of you who make this ministry what it is.  Thank you also to the Antioch Baptist Church in Michigan who voted to take us on for support this past month.  I believe with all my heart that we will reach Peru through Chorrillos; thank you for sharing in our burden. 

Your ambassadors to Peru,

 

Junior and Jessica Martin

Romans 9:3

October Prayer Letter

Dear Praying Friends,                                                                                                                                       November 5, 2012

Another month has passed, and God has continued to increase my faith and bless in ways I never thought possible.  October is a very unique month in Peru.  October is the Month of Purple, a “holy month” (as deemed by the Catholic church), an entire month dedicated to a so-called saint, Señor de los Milagros.  Every day we watched as men, women, boys, and girls went about their daily routines dressed in purple and white outfits as seen in the picture.  Each Sunday the large Catholic church down the street had parties, services, and parades, which many times marched in front of our church during our services!  As weird and even annoying as this month may have been, these last few weeks have opened my eyes to the sad truth, the truth of how blinded the Peruvian people are!  God is blessing us in an incredible way; however, we are barely scratching the surface!  We still have a lot of work that needs to be done!

I am grateful for the work we have been able to do.  In just a few days, our church will be a vibrant four months old!  I am so thankful for all that God has done these last four months.  Not a service goes by where we do not have visitors and people saved.  We have been able to maintain our baptistery at the Yañez house, and we are having a baptismal service every other Sunday.  In October we were able to baptize six of our converts.  God is good!  We also have eight Bible studies going on in different homes throughout the week.  

A s I mentioned in our last letter, Zach Foust and I were able to start a new Bible study four weeks ago in the San Gabriel neighborhood of Villa María del Triunfo.  It has been a great success.  We have been averaging 17 in the Salazar home and have seen a total of seven people saved.  This is such a precious family with a great desire to have a church in their neighborhood.  I believe that dream will come to fruition sooner than they realize!

Although Señor Milagros has no saving power, my God does, and His saving grace is available.  A total of 108 people trusted Christ this month through soul winning and our church services!  Amen!  A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting in San Genaro like I do every Saturday.  As I was leaving a visit, I passed by a young lady who was rushing home.  I handed her tract and invited her to church.  She was very kind and interested, so I asked her if she knew she was on her way to Heaven.  She replied, “No, it all depends on how much good we do, right?”  I told her it was not and began to share the Gospel with her.  As soon as I started, she explained to me that her mom was at work, and she had to rush home to fix lunch for her little brother before going to work herself.  Reluctantly, I asked her if I could come back earlier the next week and visit her.  She said, “Yes,” and we parted company.  The next Saturday, with high hopes, I went to her house.  When she answered the door, she said with a smile, “You remembered to come!”  I proceeded to share the plan of salvation with her, and Katy (not to be confused with the other one) prayed and asked Christ into her heart.  What an open door God has given us here!

Speaking of open doors, God has already begun to show us how we will begin to accomplish our goal of multiplying churches through Peru.  Just last week Bro. Hubbard and I sat down with two Peruvian pastors to discuss the possibility of training young men from their churches to start churches.  I also spoke with another Peruvian man this week who has a desire and wants help starting a church in Surco—where we just started a new Bible study!  God is opening doors; we just need to be ready to walk through them!

Please continue to be in prayer for several items.  First, we still are searching and praying that God will help us find a new, larger location for our church.  Second, pray for our people as they continue to grow in the Christian life.  Third, pray for our container from the States.  I have not mentioned much about this, but despite a few setbacks, we should have it in our possession by the end of this week.  This will be a huge answer to prayer.  Finally, pray that God will continue to bring men across our path, as well as call men out of our church to help us take the Gospel throughout Peru.

Thank you to each and every one of you for your faithful prayers and support.  It is truly an honor to serve in Peru on your behalf.  Each day I get to live a dream and see miracle after miracle.  This is only possible because of you.  God bless you, and we appreciate your prayers!

Your ambassadors to Peru,

Junior and Jessica Martin                                                                            

Romans 9:3

IBI First Baptism Service

Last Sunday, we had our third baptism service at Iglesia Bautista Internacional in Chorrillos.  We have had a total of 23 baptized in these services.  A fellow teammate helped me put together this video to give you a small taste of what God is doing in the lives of many of our people.  I hope you enjoy this brief video.

September Prayer Letter

Dear Praying Friends,                                                                                                                                  October 8, 2012 

Spring has sprung here on the south side of the equator!  The weather is getting warmer, the sun is shining more, and God continues to bless us here in Chorrillos.  September has been an interesting month for us, as well as one full of blessings.  Don’t worry . . . I will try to condense!

A month of achievement.  God granted many victories to us this last month.  The biggest, of course, was our first baptismal service.  I found a local man who constructed a baptistery for us out of fiberglass, and we set it up at the home of one of our church members.  His large backyard was a huge blessing, as we have no space for it at our church. At the conclusion of our Sunday morning service, we relocated everyone over to Paul’s house and baptized 14 people! This was a huge step for so many of church people.  We have since baptized 3 more and have 6 lined up for our next service.  I wish I could tell you each story.  The story of Miri and her children is especially amazing!  Please take a moment to read more about her at this link from my wife’s blog: http://happytrails365.wordpress.com /2012/09/14/faiths-real-heroes/.  

A month of accomplishment.  Another great victory comes from our church people soul winning.  In September, 6 of our Peruvian people led their first soul to Christ!  Amen!  Cecilia has already won 7 people to the Lord.  There is nothing greater than seeing that excitement in their eyes and the hunger they have as they share the Gospel.  Recently 2 of our teen girls, Katty and Esperanza, wanted me to meet one of their friends and talk to her parents about church.  The next Saturday, Jess and I picked both of them up and were then informed we needed to pick up another one of their friends.  We did and then went to make our visit.  When we got to her house, we discovered her parents were not at home, but Katty had already told her she was coming with us.  We took the four of them to lunch, and sitting around the table, I was able to lead both Estefani and Nicole to Christ.  Best of all, the girls set the whole thing up!   

A month of advancement.  Knowing that God has great things in store for us, we are moving forward with the vision God has given us for Peru.  We are currently conducting six Bible studies each week in the homes of our church people.  However, we also realized we had two great opportunities that were waiting for us.  We have two different groups of people that have been coming to our church from two different districts close to Chorrillos:  Surco and Villa Maria del Triunfo.  As these groups continue coming and continue bringing visitors, we realized we needed to start something in their district.  So this week we will be starting a midweek Bible study in each of these districts!  God has brought these families to us for a purpose.  Within time, both of these Bibles studies will evolve into churches!

A month of asking.  I am not so naïve to think that the Devil is oblivious to what God is doing here.  These last two months have truly taught us to pray.  Pray for our people for the growing pains and family pressure that come from being a new Christian.  Please also continue to pray for our space issue.  The church is maxed out in our current location, and if we are going to continue growing, we must get a new building.  I mentioned in our last letter that God had opened a door for us on a new property.  This door has not been shut, but the deal is very close to falling through.  I know that God has a place for us in His timing.  Please pray for patience, wisdom, direction, and, most of all, a permanent home for IBI that can sustain our growth.

A month of addition.  In September we also had our best attendance yet of 92.  This is incredible, especially because we still have not had a big attendance push (due to space).  However, through our church services and Bible studies, we are averaging 116 different people attending our church each week!  God is so good!  We also saw a total of 78 saved last month through our services and personal soul winning.

I never feel as if words are adequate enough to express how grateful we are to each of you.  It is your prayers and financial support that allow us to do everything we do.  How great your rewards will be in Heaven one day!  I hope one day you will be able to see the faces and hear firsthand all the stories of the lives you have touched.  I would especially like to thank the Open Door Baptist Church in California for taking us on for support this last month. 

God bless each of you and thank you again for the privilege of serving on your behalf in Lima, Peru!

Your ambassadors to Peru,

 Junior and Jessica Martin                                                                            

Romans 9:3