Wrapping Things Up

I was telling someone just the other day how we are going to use a lot of ziploc bags to pack things in. This provides us a good supply of ziplocs in the tribe, and it also protects things from the elements while they sit around untouched for a time in a hot, humid climate.

While I am already used to the idea of wrapping things this way and thought it kind of 'ho-hum', they found it very intriguing. Someone else commented "I can't imagine how the pioneer women survived without ziplocs!" (fun thought for the day...)

We're so thankful to all who came, and all who contributed, to the Tribal Bound Auction! The event was a success: it was a wonderful evening, the house was full, many hands came together to make it look great, AND we raised over 10K! This will put a significant dent in our upcoming expenses- specifically allocation into the tribe in just a few months, and housebuilding.

So THANK YOU to all who played a part in the Auction, whether you helped us put the event together, came and supported, encouraged us, or sent special gifts.

We are now able to focus our attention on wrapping things up stateside. The short version: lots of packing suitcases for our first 4-6 months, sorting and packing our crates for the tribe, purging of any remaining belongings that will no longer be relevant (i.e. the girls' winter clothes, extra household items, etc.), finishing up medical checkups, making sure our legal affairs are in order... (and the list goes on).

Sorting through items for our tribal home in PNG ~ deciding what to take, and what to leave behind. Our shipping crates are in the background! (Yes 2, as we will also be shipping some tools and housebuilding materials for two other families who are already in PNG)

Dates for you to note:

Commissioning Services:

(We will be prayed over and "sent off" together as the Body of Christ)

Sunday, July 13 at Boulevard Park Church in Burien

Sunday, July 20 at Grace Church in West Seattle (White Center area)

Open Houses:

(Come say farewell, eat free snacks, and get your picture taken for our fridge!)

Sunday, July 13 from 3:00pm - 6:00pm at 632 SW 127th St, Burien, WA 98146

Saturday, July 19 from 1:00pm - 4:00pm at TBD (To Be Determined. Stay tuned!)

We hope to see you for any/all of these occasions.

Stay tuned for our mailing address in Madang, PNG. Coming soon! Thank you for continuing to run alongside us, and for your 'cups of cold water' along the way.

~Noe, Lisa, Naya and Jocie

PS - Jocie lost her first tooth last week!

On Your Mark....

Well, it's safe to say that we are now lining up at the starting blocks. Or perhaps we're like a horse entering the starting gate, eager to burst out and start the race.

Thank you to all who recently prayed for our visa application process. With the power of your prayers reaching His ears, our visas have been APPROVED, and we have them in hand!

With plane tickets purchased and work visas approved, we have no obstacles between us and Papua New Guinea! 

(except the very large ocean) 

We are READY!

Ok, well.... we still have MUCH to do in preparation. Packing, sorting, thinking, goodbye-ing...

(Teaching the girls some entry level construction skills... how special it would be for them to help build our house in the jungle!)

Our hope and plan is to involve you in all of this. This is a partnership after all. We have the privilege of being the FEET and going. But we don't take lightly the partnership you share with us - each financial gift given, each prayer offered up, each email or text or phone call to encourage us... THANK YOU!

With that said, we hope you will be able to join us for our final stateside gatherings, and that you will be sure that you are connected to our email list and our blog.
If you are not receiving our emails, please take just a moment and sign up HERE. Martinez Family Newsletter.

You can also receive emails FROM this blog each time we post! See the "Follow By Email" form to the right- simply submit your email address, and you will receive an email whenever we post a new entry. If you have a google account, you can also subscribe via Google Friend Connect (farther down the page).

There are a limited number of tickets for this FUN event! Contact us today to reserve your tickets. Some more of our auction items include: 

Disney tickets (!!), hot air balloon rides, a beautiful flower bouquet, a stunning painting from the Dominican Republic, handmade jewelry from a beautiful woman at Grace Church, a 2-night stay at a lake retreat home....

Don't miss this event! Not only will it be fun and full of great auction items, but it's another way you can be involved in tribal church planting- proceeds will go toward our outgoing and startup costs in PNG.

Finally, STAY TUNED for dates coming up in July for:

• Commissioning services
• Open houses (aka farewells... no crying!)