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!)

Planes, Planes, and.... Planes

ready to fly

I believe the total number of flights Noe will have taken on this trip comes to 16! (Or 18? ... A LOT)

Most recently, he and Jack flew into a tribe that is a "new work" (meaning, the missionaries have just recently moved in and begun learning the culture and language). The tribe they visited a couple weeks ago is a "mature work" (meaning the Word of God has been taught, the Gospel presented, and there is a mature tribal church that is ready to spread the Gospel to neighboring tribes and languages!).

at a conference for tribal believers

The only glitch I am aware of on this journey so far has been some brake failure on their 6-hour drive to Madang last week. But thankfully the brakes 'fixed themselves' (no coincidence?) and they made it to Madang safely. Other than this, it is truly a blessing that they have enjoyed safety and health, and they've been SO encouraged by what they have seen and learned!









Noe will have the privilege to share more photos, and stories/details about his trip after he returns! :) Join in my in praying for safety and health for the remaining flights and travels. And also for my girls (and Jack's family)... my girls often randomly say "I miss daddy..." They are VERY ready for his return! :)

~Lisa (for the family)

Apinun!

"Apinun!" is a common greeting in Tok Pisin, the national language of Papua New Guinea.

I got my own greeting tonight just as we set dinner on the table! Noe was calling from PNG, having just landed from their flight out of the tribe!

Noe, soon after arriving in PNG :)

Noe said they had a very good experience in the tribe, and he is SO very encouraged about this immense task of church planting that lies before us, and that so many of our co-laborers are currently involved in! It is a TON of work, but well worth it. He has been able to get a first-hand glimpse into this now. He will have SO much to share when he returns!

They will be doing quite a bit more traveling in the days ahead, so please continue to uphold them in prayer. We are SO thankful that everything has gone so smoothly!

--------------

As for the girls and I... we are enjoying some good R&R, including some time on the Oregon Coast with relatives and friends. Naya is looking forward to a Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) dance workshop next week, and both Naya and Jocie are doing well with homeschooling -  and taking it plenty seriously. :) Naya is especially enjoying (with pride) learning the proper way to write letters. Jocie's activities are rapidly improving her motor skills and thinking skills. I am a proud mama. :)  Oh- and hopefully I'm learning to be more patient and understanding with my girls too. :) Do they respond me to differently with daddy out of town? Oh yes. Ohhhhhhhh yes. But there are many ways that the Lord can remind a person how desperately they need Him- every hour. So, whether we are in the USA or in PNG or (___), we take a step back and .... breathe ...

~Lisa, for the family


*I hope you are blessed, and challenged, by the words to this song below, as I continually am.


Answers from previous blog:

1. PNG is approximately the size of what state?
2. Approximately how many distinct language groups are there in PNG?
3. How long does it take the average missionary to learn the national language of PNG?
4. What is the time difference between PNG and the Pacific NW/Seattle?

1. California

2. 800

3. 6 months

4. 17 hours! (PNG is 17 hours ahead)

Time to Teach and Learn

In just 9 days, Noe will travel to Papua New Guinea!

He is very excited, and it has also been an intense couple of weeks as the in-country details get made and changed (repeatedly). Please keep Noe and the other men in prayer as they seek to finalize their plans to best utilize the 25 days of the trip. As you might guess, they will  be doing a lot of LEARNING on this trip- about travel, about some basics of missionary life in PNG, about leadership we may be in contact with, and more!

NOTE: There is still time to give if you feel inclined to do so! His trip is funded up to 85%! (In our last update, he was at 65%. THANK YOU for praying and for all those who have so generously given financially!) Here is a link for how to give, or you can also contact us directly. http://usa.ntm.org/missionaries/noe-and-lisa-martinez

I'll be able to pass on updates periodically while he is overseas, and after his return, we will have much more to share about his travels.
The girls and I will be remaining in the NW enjoying time with family, friends, and churches.

Naya (brown dress) and Jocie (blue dress) enjoying time
with friends in the Northwest :)

On the TEACHING end, the girls will be starting homeschool next week! Naya will be in Kindergarten, and Jocie will do a 'light' preschool curriculum. I expect the Lord to be teaching me how to be a teacher, and how to be their mom at the same time (hehe), how to have more patience... and let's pray that they will both LEARN to be good learners and good listeners, and MOST importantly that they will see more and more of who the Lord is, who they are in light of Him, and at the right time that they will understand their need for Him and His provision for their need through Christ Jesus!

And now, what I KNOW you've been waiting for... a little PNG 'trivia'!

1. PNG is approximately the size of what state?
2. Approximately how many distinct language groups are there in PNG?
3. How long does it take the average missionary to learn the national language of PNG?
4. What is the time difference between PNG and the Pacific NW/Seattle?

ANSWERS:

Stay tuned- our next blog entry will contain the answers! :) 

With love,
~the Martinez family

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!

Happy to be with family in Washington

As we back out of the driveway, the girls chant, "Wait for it... wait for it.... wait for it...." And as we leave "Ms. Esther's house" and drive down the hill, the girls sing, "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"

So it is with many smiles that we report to you that we are thoroughly enjoying our time in Seattle! We are so blessed to stay with "Ms. Esther", where we also stayed last summer. She is such a kind, gracious lady who has opened up the lower level of her home for us for the second summer in a row now. She is also understanding as we are continuously in and out, visiting/meeting with folks all over town or spending time with Grandma and Grandpa.

Since arriving in Seattle on May 31st, we've kept busy seeing family and friends and church families, and it has been just delightful! We are so thankful for your friendship and support!

Having fun at the Pacific Science Center

(We will also be visiting Oregon during the first half of July and hope to see many of you down in CB, Lincoln City, and the PDX/Tualatin area)

Please pray with us that we will have a summer that is both fruitful and restful- that as we continue moving in the direction of Papua New Guinea that the Lord will build our support team. Remember, it is not NTM that is SENDING us, but it is the body of Christ! It is YOU, brothers and sisters, through the many forms of support! We are not going alone, but you are essentially going WITH us to take the Gospel, in whatever capacity you are able to.

We are SO thankful for your interest and involvement, your obedience to Christ's command to "Go and make disciples of all nations..."

With love and thanks,

Noe, Lisa, Naya and Jocie

ps- Naya lost her first tooth recently, and she now has two more loose teeth... stay tuned for pictures! :)

Fastbreak

Yep, our trip to Seattle over Christmas break was as fast as toasting a pop tart. :) (ok... here it is, a clip from stand-up comedian Brian Regan on the complexities of toasting pop tarts!) Brian Regan: Pop Tarts

Spending time at Lincoln Park
with Grandpa and Grandma

The girls loved seeing their
cousins!

We flew to to the PNW on December 14th, and just returned on January 10th. Being a bit tired, we decided beforehand to include more rest/down time than we normally do. This proved to be a much-needed refreshment for both of us. The girls thoroughly enjoyed their time with the family- grandparents, cousins, uncles and aunties, etc.

Naya enjoying some Dim Sum

We loved worshiping with our churches in Seattle, and we are thankful for the two lovely evenings we shared with many of you for our small group evenings. It was encouraging for us (and hopefully for you too!) to share pictures, videos, stories, and details about our classes. We hope you realize that the opportunity to share with YOU what we are doing in detail makes us feel connected with you even while we're living away! We don't ever want to be "the missionaries out there", rather we want you to be involved and aware of what we're doing, and where we are! So a big THANK YOU for your involvement with us!

CHRISTMAS.... Do you remember recently hearing about the Siar tribe in Papua New Guinea, hearing the Gospel for the first time? Well, the new Siar believers celebrated the birth of Jesus for the first time this year! That means they joined YOU in giving praise to God for sending His Son on their behalf. Here is the link to the story if you want to read all of it: http://usa.ntm.org/field-news/christmas-for-siars

Next Wednesday, the 18th, our 2nd semester here at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) begins. We will be taking more practical skills classes, including Grammar, Field Health, and Missionary Technology (how to live in a remote location). Also, we'll have more classes about the principles of church planting, such as New Testament Church Principles, Animism, Folk Religion, and studying through Romans.

Naya sharing her song with
"Great Grandma Hippie" on Christmas day

Lastly, as many of you know, we are strongly considering the field of Papua New Guinea! We would love your thoughts and prayers as we look into it more this spring.

Thank you for your friendship, love, and support!

Great Grandma Roe and her 5
great-grandchildren!

~The Martinez Family

Merry Christmas!

Three cheers for a creative blog title! :)

We are in Seattle, having a lovely Christmas break. We're so thankful for the opportunity to visit family, friends, and churches. Our training is wonderful, but we were definitely ready for this month of refreshment.

Rather than post a Support blog this month, we wanted to just simply wish you and yours a wonderful celebration of His birth! Thank you for reading our blog, for supporting us in whatever way(s) the Lord has laid on your heart. We cannot express our thanks enough for all of you who are walking this road with us!

Merry Christmas!!

With lots of love,

Noe, Lisa, Adannaya and Jocellyn

Summer in the PNW

We have been enjoying our time in the Pacific Northwest very much! We've had quite a mixture of rest and busyness as Noe has worked, we have met with many, many people, we've had fellowship with our Family in Christ in Seattle and in Cannon Beach...

In the midst of that, we're eager to grow in our individual relationships with the Lord. Please pray for us! Attending Bible college has not made us 'super-Christians' or anything of the sort.... but every one of us should make it our ambition to know Him intimately. So we humbly ask for your prayers on our behalf. If we are not learning of Him and being poured into by the Source Himself, then we have nothing to stand on.

The girls are having a blast spending time with MamaMina, Grandpa (BaBa, as Jocie calls him), and Grandma. They've loved playing with their many cousins, and re-connecting with uncles and aunties. Play-dates with church friends have also been a delight for them. Naya is also anticipating the upcoming move to Missouri, encouraged by the thought of seeing some of her friends from NTBI in Michigan who will also be going to Missouri.

Three new believers baptized in Oregon!

One HUGE highlight from this summer was just recently in Cannon Beach- we had the opportunity to see three new believers in the Hispanic church get baptized in a river near the ocean! We knew them before they received Christ as their Savior, and so to hear them testify of their new-found faith in Jesus Christ, and to watch them demonstrate in front of others their identity with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection on their behalf by being baptized...wow, what a thrill! Glory to God!

If you're reading this and are in the PNW and would like to hear more about New Tribes Mission, or about what we're doing... or if you'd just like to catch up on life, we would love to get together with you before we head out to Missouri! Send us a message or give us a call. We will be in the PNW until August 8th.

~The Martinez Family
Noe, Lisa, Adannaya and Jocellyn

Two Places at Once!

No, not a miracle... but our family is currently in two places at once. Noe is in Jackson (MI) working - we are very thankful for two employment positions! He is working a part-time retail job, but also enjoying ministering to a precious group of youth in a nearby Church.
The girls and I flew out to Seattle nearly two weeks ago to visit our families and our Church families. Noe will have the pleasure of joining us on July 9th! Can't wait!! It is difficult to be apart for such a long time (and no, I'm not attempting to draw any comparison to you, sweet military wives! Don't know how you do it!). Especially for Noe as he is working, while we are out here having a blast with relatives and friends.

Classes ended mid-May, and another group of graduates is headed off to the Missionary Training Center, as well as other wonderful opportunities to serve the Lord! We will return to Jackson on July 20th, and quite promptly move into an apartment with running water and a private bathroom- and windows (ahh, daylight!)! We are looking forward to this marvelous blessing! On August 11th, we will 'officially' re-unite with a group of students and staff for some training and Bible study (we have the opportunity to serve others more specifically during this next year of school). Classes begin somewhere around August 23rd.

NOTE: The next few paragraphs are a very detailed summary of our activities the last 2 weeks. Feel free to skip!

The girls and I (Lisa) have been thoroughly enjoying our time in Seattle. We've been 'busy' doing fun things and visiting family since the day we arrived. The girls did a great job on the planes, by the way (on Wed. May 26th). Going through security with only 2 hands was the hardest, most stressful part of the journey. After that, it was essentially "a breeze." We were met most lovingly at Sea-Tac by my parents and Noe's mom (Marina). Naya recognized them through the open sliding doors and ran to greet them. :) Marina joined us at my parents' house (where we're staying) for dinner and a little catching up. We spent all afternoon Thursday at Marina's house, where we also got to see Celia, Noe's sister, and their 3-year-old daughter Sophia. Naya and Sophia had fun playing throughout the next week. Had dinner with the Santanas! On Friday morning, we girls went out to have lunch with Great Grandma Roe and Great Grandma Higbee (who is now officially "Great Grandma Hippie." That night, my parents and I took Naya and Jocellyn to the Bellevue Kids Quest Museum- Naya had a blast with all the hands-on activities! On Saturday, Chelsea came up to spend the day. Due to the threat of rain, we scratched the zoo plan and went to the Seattle Aquarium, which Naya loved! Then we enjoyed a relaxing evening at home, after a stop in at Chocolopolis for THE best hot chocolate. :) on Sunday, it was enjoyable to worship at Boulevard Park Pres. Church, and reconnect with some of the folks there.

On Monday the 31st, we picked up Marina and went to the Mariner's game (also saw some friends from Grace there!). Turned out, of course, to be Griffey's last night before retiring. Umm.... I think it's better that way. :P Tuesday, we visited one of my mom's friends who will be moving soon. Naya enjoyed playing with some new friends that day, and then seeing her cousin Caleb play in his high school band concert. On Thursday, we had dinner at Chayo and Marely's house, and Naya got to spend some play time with Daniel and Josiah (whom she calls "Josi-acah". Friday, after a short trip to the U. Village with Grandma, I took the girls down to Olympia to have dinner and fellowship with Jason and Chelsea! SO great to see Jason! Naya loved playing with Tia Chelsea, and got to know 'Naimo (their cat) a little better. :) Saturday was my grandma's piano recital (for her students), followed by the traditional dinner at Louie's Chinese Restaurant. Fun to see Uncle Scott, Uncle Dave and Aunt Robin. And Sunday, I had the privilege to play piano for my dad again at Boulevard. We also hit some graduation open houses on Saturday and Sunday. Can't believe that kids I babysat are grown up and headed off into the world! It doesn't make me feel old, in case you felt like pointing and laughing at my own young age.... but it does indicate to me that time is indeed moving. :)

I anticipate a significant slow-down in our activities now... it's been quite the whirlwind, as you can see, of visiting families and 'doing' things! There are many more things we'd love to do while we're here. But having some down time is good too. :) Before we know it, we'll be back in the grind.

My Current Thoughtful Rambling:
I've been thinking lately about the word: COMFORT.  I think I definitely fall in within the ranks of people who want comfort. We like our comfort zones. I am wanting to address that in my life; to not be mastered by that desire. I don't think God says "If you're following Me, I want you to be UNcomfortable!" But He does let us know in His Word that following Him demands sacrifice- it demands giving up rights and letting go of self. (Matthew 16.24) Being teachable. Ok--- this is an area where I think I would have surpassed the apostle Paul as "the worst of sinners." (do we all have one of those areas??!) Anyway, being teachable, open-minded to Truth, willing to be corrected, etc. This boils down to abiding in Christ. To wanting more and more of Him. A longing to imitate Him as we are exhorted to in Scripture. To plunge ourselves wholly into His Word. If all believers were like-minded in this endeavor, just imagine.....!

We, as believers, are ALL in this together! We all ought to be actively about the will of God. What is that? To "go and make disciples of all nations..."  Let us RUN this race together! Or is there some greater prize here on earth we'd rather win? :)

Run, Church, Run! :) The Bridegroom will come shortly.

July, Here we come!

And just like that, our moving month has come! We are moving 3 weeks from today! Oi vey! We are very much looking forward to taking this next step. We will miss seeing our family so regularly, and are very thankful to have had this last 10 generous months to soak them up! :)

My "morning sickness" finally subsided during the 2nd week of June. I've been 'catching up' on my eating (haha), and have been keeping busy since then with organizing and consolidating and throwing out things...all in preparation for our move. This particular move has a new aspect for us- storage. We've never needed to store things before. So our "piles" have been Storage, Michigan, and Garage Sale (oh, and garbage!).

We're having a garage sale this coming weekend. This week we are also preparing our cars to sell. Please pray that they sell quickly, and for the price we want to ask for them! (Those of you who know me from over the years are aware that I will indeed miss my dear Henry...) We have decided on a minivan from a very trusted source which is being sold to us at a very generous price. We are so thankful to the Lord! As soon as we can sell the car(s), we will use the money to purchase the van.

So, that's a tiny, vague look into the busy next 3 weeks for us. Lots of packing and cleaning... so thankful for the family and friends who have offered their helping hands and meals and prayers!

It's A....

GIRL! :)

i will post pictures when i find the ideal free time. :)