The Martin Family

January 2010 Newsletter

2010-02-11T03:08:00.000-08:00

School Visit

2009-05-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

Where were they coming from??

I watched them pour out of the tiny classrooms like ants. Out of each itty-bitty space came the rushing wave of about one hundred children. (Did you get that? One hundred children per classroom...insanity.)

They gather together and the "program" starts. There are prayers, singing, and a collection is taken; then it's Andrew's turn.

It's kind of hard to teach in the wide open outdoors to 800 kids with no microphone. As Andrew talks, I notice that the children on the ends of the semi-circle continue to move closer and closer to where we are sitting...they are so intrigued by Anaiah and Evan. I continue to remind myself that even though not all of them can hear Andrew's teaching, just our example to them is worth a lot. They watch EVERY single move we make with our children. (No pressure, right?!)

Andrew teaches about the Good Samaritan, then as the time comes for the children to resume school activities, it seems as though the walls are closing in on us....I keep an eye out for Anaiah, as her white skin soon disappears. Frank rescues her, although she did not seem as overwhelmed as I would have been.

After sharing in some snacks and fellowship, our goodbyes are said. We head out for the day with two very tired children, assuring everyone that we WILL come back to visit soon. We feel blessed and pray that they feel that way too.

To Kampala We Will Go?

2008-11-07T05:15:00.001-08:00

We recently took a family trip to Kampala to do Doctor appointments, lab work for Aimee Jo, vaccinations for Anaiah, shopping and for the NTCC Quarterly Meeting.

I want you to understand that it takes nothing short of a miracle to get everything packed up and loose ends tied together in Fort Portal to actually get on the road for a Kampala trip. First of all, we make a master list of everything that we need to do while in Kampala and hope that we are not forgetting anything, because it will be 4-6 weeks before we go back again. Then, there is packing for Anaiah, and ourselves, which includes, but is not limited to: sippy cups, bottles, Anaiah's high chair, pack-n-play, a mosquito net, medication, snacks, milk, water, diapers, wipes, stroller and the coolers for our meat.

Andrew works the day before to get the van into working condition for a long trip and if he has time, cleans the inside, so that we can at least travel to Kampala in a clean vehicle, before the dirt overtakes us. :)

Then, there is the morning that we are leaving: Aimee cleans out all vegetables and fruit that could go bad, pays our guard (if needed), leaves meat for our dog and money for dog food with our guard, cleans up any major messes in the kitchen/dining room, finishes all dishes, unplugs gas tanks, checks all doors, then locks the back door upon leaving. WHEW!

Finally, we get into the car (usually an hour past the time that we planned on leaving) and are happy to be sitting down and taking a breath.

Last thing on the list for this trip was to fill up our fuel tank before leaving town. Easy, right? Well, it should be. But, here in Fort Portal, there is not always a steady supply of diesel, so upon driving into three different gas stations, we heard the words, "The diesel is finished."
Finished. It's a word used here quite often, simply meaning that there is none available at the moment and not knowing exactly when there will be more available.

I (Aimee Jo) started panicking after the second station, thinking about all of the hard work that we had just done to simply get into the van, and the thought of having to go back to the house and un-do it all made me a little crazy.

Thankfully, the fourth station that we tried did indeed have diesel. We filled up and were on our way within a couple of minutes. (I won't mention the fact that we had to turn around about 10 minutes into the trip due to someone [we'll refer her as "mommy"] forgetting the high chair. OOPS!)

WHAT ARE YOU DOING???

2008-08-15T03:51:00.000-07:00

Those are the words that I was repeating--quite loudly-- when a strange man jumped into the passenger seat of our van as I was pulling away from the market.

Thankfully, the Lord was guiding me through the situation, and I slowly moved my purse from within his reach, and got my phone out to call Andrew. I turned off the car and was attempting to get out and get Anaiah out, when finally, the man hopped out of the vehicle and ran. Someone started chasing him, but he disappeared into the market.

I thought that he might want money or food, but all he said to me was, "You give me a ride." That's when the yelling started and I continued to say, "No, No! What are you doing? You cannot just hop into someone's car! Get Out! Get Out!"

When he realized that I was going no where with him present, and that I was on the phone making a call, he decided to head on out.

All I could think as I pulled away was "Thank you, God, for your protection."

Anaiah was in the back the entire time and I don't recall her even making a sound. She was probably just wondering why her mom was all of a sudden yelling and making a scene!

That was definitely enough excitement for one day. After going to the store for a few things, we made our way home and tried to relax.

I'll definitely be driving with doors locked from now on and windows only rolled down slightly.

Culture Stress

2008-07-24T11:41:00.001-07:00

It's a lot like what everyone said it would be.

I became extremely homesick and overwhelmed by even the smallest of tasks. I did not want to leave our house. I cried-A LOT. And the tears helped me to heal. I prayed-both for my family & friends back in America and for myself. I needed God's comfort more than any other time in my life.

Missionary friends were my saving grace, as they would listen to me tell stories of home, vent about frustrations of living in a new place, ask questions, and vent some more. They all reassured me that they had been there at one point or another and that it was normal for me to be experiencing those thoughts and feelings.

On top of that, it hit me when I was in the middle of my 1st trimester of my second pregnancy. I was so sick that I could hardly will myself out of bed to care for my 9 month old daughter. It was bad. I was sick, depressed, and so exhausted. I slept many hours on the couch. I can't even tell you what we ate for those 6 weeks, because I didn't cook and we didn't have much to snack on, but somehow we made it through.

Thankfully, I'm coming out of "it". I am feeling happier these days and seem to be able to accomplish tasks on my "to do" list. I feel confident to drive around Fort Portal to do shopping and errands and am slowly getting things done around the house before baby #2 makes his/her entrance!

As far as pregnancy goes, I'm in my 14th week and am feeling MUCH better than before. I have energy and my appetite back. Even so, energy only lasts so long...and it is a very late 10:00 pm. :)

So, I'm off to bed on this Thursday night, feeling good about waking up to the sunlight and finding what tomorrow has to offer.

Feels Like "Home"

2008-07-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight it is cool outside after a good, long rain. I am sitting on the couch in sweats, socks, a tee-shirt and a blanket. Andrew and I love the weather of Fort Portal, especially on rainy, gloomy days. It reminds us so much of the Northwest!

I know that it is hard for some of you to believe because, well, we live in Africa! Isn't it suppose to be hot here? Well, it is--and in some places, unbearably hot. I'm glad that we don't live in those parts of Africa. I'm happy to actually use blankets at night, wear sweaters in the house, drink hot tea and put my daughter in cute sleeper outfits for bed.

It's nice to have similar weather to where we come from. It's at least one thing that is not completely different to what we are used to.

Now all we need is a Starbucks to come into town and then my rainy days would be COMPLETE!!! :)

Procrastination

2008-06-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am like my father at times...I began writing "thank you" notes to all of you who made my first birthday in Uganda SO special sometime in April, with the hope to finish them by May. Well, now it is mid-June, and I only have two more to go!!

I put all of the mail that I received in a Rubbermaid tub just a few weeks ago, and thought of all of you that took the time to send me cards or packages in the mail. IT MADE MY B-DAY FABULOUS!!! And it was even more wonderful because my birthday seemed to last for a month--the cards continued to stream in and I loved reading each and everyone of them!

So, here's an official, public THANK YOU and your more personal cards will be on the way sometime this week. :) (Nothing like taking my time, huh?!)

I want you to know that your continued encouragement and love to us (on b-days or normal days) keeps us going. You are our support system and we appreciate your partnership in our ministry in Fort Portal.

A Big Week for Aimee Jo

2008-05-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

I know this sounds silly, but I (Aimee Jo) went driving around Fort Portal by myself-TWICE in one week!

I don't know what it is exactly, but I have just been paralyzed when it comes to driving since we've moved here. I think it's everything combined--people lining both sides of the road, driving on the left-hand side of the road, while sitting on the right hand side of the car, looking in all directions constantly in hopes to avoid accidents, the judgment of space on either side of the car.

Andrew has been so patient with me and has made many runs to the store when I just thought that I could not do it. Today, I was with Anaiah, and we tackled the grocery shopping and went to get copies of papers made for church! I was very proud of myself and slowly, slowly I am gaining the confidence it takes to drive here.

Praise God for small victories in life!

Hangin' with Mr. Cooper

2008-04-21T02:40:00.000-07:00

Cooper..the newest addition to our family. He's a 5 month old German Shepherd with enormous ears and big paws. He's a cutie and we are having fun getting to know him.

He's an outside dog and it's our hope that he'll be a good guard dog. He has already warmed up to our day and night guards, but we are hoping that he's not that friendly to everyone.

Anaiah LOVES him so much! She cannot stop smiling & laughing when she sees him--it's hilarious! She shares her love for dogs with her Nana, which makes my mom happy.

Our New Vehicle!!!

2008-04-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

Here she is...isn't she a beaut? We think so.

It's a 1992 diesel Mitsubishi Delica, which seats seven...or thirteen, as Andrew found out last week while hauling guys around from church!

The van is such a blessing for our family...it is so nice to have our own way of transportation.

We are very thankful to God for providing a vehicle at just the right time!

The van is great for getting around Fort Portal and for trip to Kampala; now we just need a strong 4 x 4 vehicle for the ministry.

Thank you for your prayers regarding our vehicle--we are grateful that you have been asking God to provide this for us!

So, now that we've got a van, we can pick you up from the Entebbe airport anytime--just let us know when you are coming!! :)

Life in Fort Portal

2008-04-11T03:33:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying our new life in Fort Portal and are learning new things daily.

Specifically, we have learned:
-not take for granted when we have power and rejoice when the power is on and praise God when we can have a hot shower a few days in a row!
-to appreciate washers and dryers more than ever and are thankful when the internet is up & running (after days & days of working to get it set up)
-that we are amazed when something actually works the first time
-that finding parts to appliances and other household items is nearly impossible here

Aimee Jo has been setting up our home, cooking meals, and taking care of Anaiah. She LOVES being a stay-at-home mom. She's been attending the ladies Bible study on Saturdays, which Cheryl is teaching on the book of Acts. It has been good for her to study and pray with the ladies from church.

Andrew has been busy with accountability meetings, Bible studies, community service, fire fighting training, hospital visits and other ministry opportunities that arise. He is learning about how to minister in this place, which is so different from ministering in America. He is speaking the truth and is always praying for those he is helping.

Anaiah is growing and learning everyday. She brings much joy to us with her smile and slobbery kisses. She makes us laugh and amazes us with her new found abilities. And the most adorable thing is her singing and dancing during praise time at church--it's GREAT! She continues to stay strong & healthy, which we are most thankful for.

We miss our families & friends very much, which is to be expected. We allow ourselves to feel sad, cry, and pray to God for comfort & peace, and then press on.

All in all, things are going well.

God is Good...all the time...all the time...GOD IS GOOD!!

On The Road Again

2008-02-20T07:15:00.000-08:00

We've had an adventurous week, traveling around Uganda to three different towns!

We began our journey last Thursday, when we loaded up the hilux and set out for Kampala for three nights. (We have been to Kampala before, but this trip was significant, because it was just Andrew, Anaiah and me traveling by ourselves. The Cashes were just a few hours behind us, though, in case we needed them!)

We made it to Kampala just fine, with one stop to feed the babe. (She is an awesome traveler BTW!) Then, we followed the map and with a few phone calls, made it to Mark & Jamie's house, where we stayed while in the big city. We did really well getting around...Thursday night we made our way from Mark & Jamie's to Caffe Roma, which has pizza & ice cream that we love! Friday was a day for shopping and learning the city. We found the places that we needed to go, enjoyed a nice lunch at the mall, then shopped for some grocery and house items that we cannot get in Fort Portal.

Jamie fed us dinner Friday night (thanks-it was yummy!) and then Saturday we were off again. Well, Andrew & Jeff were out and about...Cheryl, the kids and I just hung out for the day at the place where they were staying (and did I mention that it was VERY HOT? Well, it was). Andrew & Jeff had quite a day--trying to get rims for the hilux, test driving a car (possibly for our family) and driving around the city for a couple of hours, just to get to one destination! I guess I have no room to speak about being hot--they were in the hilux with no A/C, out in the heat all day!

Sunday morning, we loaded up again and were off to Mbale for the quarterly meeting, with all of the other C of C missionaries from Uganda. Darla (a missionary from Kampala) offered to let us take her vehicle, which has A/C and is a much smoother ride, so of course, we said, "YES, PLEASE!"

Our first stop was Jinja, where we ate at "Ling, Ling," a Chinese restaurant. It was so good (for any of you who know me, I love Chinese food, so it was a real treat)! Then, we were off to Mbale. While in Mbale, we stayed with the Shelburne family and got to visit with missionaries from around Uganda. It was a fun time and all of the kids enjoyed playing together and loving on the babies that were there. Once again, the thought crossed my mind about how thankful I am that we live in Fort Portal, because Mbale was HOT, HOT HOT!!

We are now just finishing up a few things in Kampala, and then it’s back to Fort Portal, where we will move the stuff that we have to our house and begin setting up our home. (And as you can tell, I did lie in our last post, as I was not aware of all of the events that would transpire. Needless to say, we did not move in last week, but will work on it this next week—unless something else comes up!)

Moving In

2008-02-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

No, our container is not yet in Fort Portal, but we are going to move into our house this week! YAY!

Since there is aleady furniture in the house, and Jeff & Cheryl will let us borrow the pots and pans from Faith Quest, we are going to get out of their space, and move into our own!

Even though the kitchen will be pretty bare, it will be fun to do our own grocery shopping and see what exciting meals we can come up with!

I (Aimee Jo) am excited to begin moving things into their correct rooms, even if they won't have a place yet.

Cheryl, the Cash kids, Anaiah and I walked over to our house on Saturday and I was very excited to see that the painting is finished! It looks really good, and I'll post pictures soon. We have a purple bathroom for guests, yellow in the kitchen & Anaiah's room, tan in the living/dining/guest room, and blue in the hallway bathroom. It looks really good and I am happy with how the colors came out. Andrew and I (okay, who am I kidding, it will be all Andrew) will need to add one coat of purple in the bathroom, because the painters didn't have enough to finish the 2nd coat. Also, if we want our room and bathroom done, we'll have to do that at a later time. But for now, I am just thrilled to move in and thankful that we found good painters at a decent price to do the job.

We'll keep you posted and share pictures soon!

Home Sweet Home

2008-01-21T07:34:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce that we have found a home in Fort Portal! YAY!!!

We are feeling quite elated and Aimee Jo is having fun picking paint colors for the different rooms, while Andrew is focused on the repairs and other boring, yet important things! :) It is an older home in town, but it is in good condition and in a great location. Two houses down from the Cashes!

It is a lot of house for us, but it gives us growing room, which is nice, and we got it for the same price as some other smaller homes in town. It's a four bedroom, three bath house, which includes the guest room and guest bath. There is a pantry/laundry room, a nice kitchen (good size for a house here), a living room, and a nice wrap around porch. The garage was also converted into a room, and we are planning to use that as a school room in the future. There are also outside rooms that we envision as office space for the church. So, the house is more than just a home.

We are excited to have our own place and establish family life as a group of three. We've not had our own home since May of 2006, so it will feel very weird at first, but I'm sure that we'll adjust quickly.

Well, enough about that...here's the good stuff:

Front of the house

Driveway and patio above the school room

The living room

One of the bedrooms

Our little dining room

Our little kitchen

View of the yard

Anaiah Likes it :)

Our family and the mission have been blessed.

Thanks for praying!!! God is good.

And Now We Breathe

2008-01-16T02:27:00.000-08:00

Is it really January 16th? Oh goodness, that is hard to believe!

We've already been here over a month and in some ways it feels like we've just arrived, and in other regards, it feels like half a year.

Upon landing, we took the first two weeks to adjust.

Then came Christmas.

The Faith Quest Team from America arrived on the 29th and it has been non-stop ever since.

There was Faith Quest Uganda, where God's word was preached to 200 youth. They learned about being a soldier of Christ. There were early mornings and late nights, purity talks, prayer and praise times, and baptisms. A trip to a nearby village for a late-night campfire devo, a flour bomb war, and boot camp. It was a fun time...but we were all tired and happy to come back home.

While Cheryl, Aimee, and the kids took a few days to rest, recover, and catch up on our list of "to do's", Jeff, Andrew and the Faith Quest Team hardly took time to sit down. They spent time organizing and putting away the camping gear, traveling to 2 different villages over the course of two days, planning for and preaching in Fort Portal, going door to door praying over people, showing the Jesus film and helping out on Sunday mornings at church services.

They completed the Faith Quest Teams' visit with a trip to Queen Elizabeth Game Park at Mweya Safari Lodge.

When they returned, the plan was for Anaiah & Aimee Jo to hop in the car with them and head to Kampala, but due to a fuel shortage (because of the Kenya riots)the Team got in a taxi and made the trip to Kampala without any of us.

Jeff & Andrew both passed out after they left and are enjoying some down time after the busyness of the last 3 weeks, as I'm sure the Team will do upon arriving in America.

The Faith Quest Team did a GREAT job...they worked hard and wore themselves out. All kept positive attitudes, even though some were battling sickness. We appreciate all of the effort that was put into Faith Quest Uganda...the work did not go un-noticed. On top of all that, they were a huge encouragement to us and we miss them dearly.

Now we can focus on settling in... that means finding a home and a safe & reliable vehicle for our family. Please keep us in your prayers as we search for our home and continue to raise money for a vehicle.

We also ask for prayers concerning the arrival of the container. For the past four months, Jeff & Cheryl have heard, "It will be ready sometime this week." And here we are in January; the container still sitting in Kampala.

We love you, miss you, and are thankful for your prayers on our behalf. We'll be in touch.

“Empaako Yaawe?”

2007-12-27T02:39:00.001-08:00

We’ve been keeping busy since arriving in Fort Portal. We have gone to two church services with our new church family, been given empaakos (nicknames) at our Empaako Party, traveled out to a friend’s village, have been learning the town, meeting other missionaries, and then of course, we had Christmas! It’s been a whirlwind and it’s nice to have a day where we are just at the house relaxing, recouping and getting ready for Faith Quest. It is only a few days away!!

The first week that we went to Fort Portal town Church, we received a very warm welcome. Everyone was thrilled that we were finally here and we enjoyed praising and worshiping with the Tooro people. After church last Sunday, we all met up at the new church property and had a combined Christmas/Empaako Party. Jeff had purchased a cow to be slaughtered and many of the women & men were busy preparing the meat and cooking the food all night long. Andrew and I were the honored guests, as this would be the day we would be given our empaako, or pet names.

It is a tradition in the Tooro tribe to be given an empaako at birth. Each young Tooro boy and girl is given an empaako at birth (after 3 days for the girls and four days for the boys). There are 12 different empaakos (one reserved for the King = Okaali) and each empaako has a different meaning. At the Empaako Party an elder decides and gives whatever empaako they deem most fitting for the baby. Since we were not born here but have settled here, we were given empaakos at our party last week.

Here are our Empaakos:

Andrew: Akiiki – Leader

Aimee Jo: Ateenyi – Guardian or Protector

Anaiah: Abwooli – Beloved

From now on, we will be known here by our empaakos first and then our names. Being addressed with your empaako is considered an honor and it is used out of respect. We feel blessed to have these new names.

At the Empaako Party, we were introduced to the traditional tribal meal for those receiving their empaakos. It is a mashed up grainy substance called Millet and a type of mushroom sauce. Each person who is receiving an empaako is supposed to take some of the millet in hand, dip it into the mushroom sauce and enjoy! We appreciated our new experience and look forward to many more in the future.

There have been many new changes in our lives aside from taking on new names. We are struggling to communicate and learn the culture. We have yet to drive ourselves in town and are anxious about the prospect of having to drive in these crazy driving conditions (rules of the road seem to be optional at best). We are adjusting to the food and weather and have been battling minor illness over the past few days as our bodies adjust to the new “bugs”. All in all, we are doing very well and look forward learning more as time goes by.

We've Arrived!!!

2007-12-14T09:49:00.000-08:00

WE ARE HERE!!!

We safely arrived in Uganda on Wednesday morning, December 12th.
After standing in the long line to get our VISAs, we found that the stroller, car seat and all 13 trunks had arrived in the Entebbe airport. YAY!!
With some help, we wheeled everything outside and found 27 people waiting to greet us!! It was great to have such a warm welcome from the church in Fort Portal.
Anaiah greeted everyone with her sweet smile and people were quite impressed that she was in such a good mood after being on a plane for nearly 17 hours!!

We are now adjusting to our new life in Uganda. We have spent the last few days in Kampala-- shopping, learning about the city, visiting with the Cashes, and catching up on sleep.

We are very thankful to be here...it has been a long journey and quite stressful at times, so we are relieved that we are finally here to start our new life as over-seas missionaries.

Thank you so much for getting us here...your prayers have been a blessing to our family and we have felt a peace about our transition and all of the details that are still being ironed out.
You are giving us strength through your prayers and we ask that you continue to pray as we learn how to live in this culture and how to minister to the people.

We'll keep you posted on how things are going. Thanks for praying!!

Well on Our Way

2007-11-13T07:52:00.000-08:00

The tickets are purchased and the final details are coming together...
We leave for Uganda in 3 weeks!!!

Although Andrew and I have gone through some time of being stressed out for our big move, we are getting excited and are really trying to stay focused on the reason that we are going: to share the gospel message with the people of Uganda.

I have to admit that it has been hard to not lose sight of that reason through the nitty-gritty of everyday life and the preparations to move, but the Lord reminds us, just when we think we will lose our minds.

We have been trying to get together with friends and family as much as possible, and it has been wonderful to have so many people love on Anaiah.

We are staying busy and doing well. Anaiah is growing big and strong. We love being a family of three and are excited to begin our ministry as a family in Fort Portal, Uganda.

Look out, Uganda...here we come!!!

Family Photo

2007-09-26T15:57:00.001-07:00

Here we are as a family of 3!! We are doing well. Anaiah is such a great baby (and super cute too!) We love her so much and thank God for giving her to us.

We just got her passport photo taken last week, and it is precious. Her eyes are closed though, and the passport people would like her eyes to be open, so we'll try again very soon.

We also purchased our plane tickets last week and received them in the mail today!! We leave December 10th out of Seattle and fly straight to London, stay in London for a few hours, and then fly out to Entebbe, Uganda. It will interesting to see how Anaiah does, but we'll make it regardless. We are very excited about our move and realize that it is quickly approaching.

Thanks for all of you who have been covering us in prayer. We know that God is taking care of us every step of the way!!

Welcome Baby Anaiah!!!

2007-09-07T23:40:00.000-07:00

This Labor Day brought our family a wonderful blessing. Anaiah Dawn Martin was born on September 3rd, 2007 at 2:23 pm. She was a healthy 9 lbs and 19 3/4 inches long. She gave us a little scare as she was not wanting to come out. But, with a little encouragement from the medical staff, she emerged with a healthy cry.

We are so blessed to have this beautiful bundle of joy in our life. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for Anaiah and Aimee through the pregnancy. Both are doing great! Thank you also to those who were able to help us with the birthing process (Kaelea Graul, grandmas, Aunt Amanda & Brenda Mckenzie). Kaelea was a wonderful coach for Aimee and we are so grateful that she was there with us.

God is good and has blessed us beyond measure with our little girl. Please keep us in your prayers as our family grows and learns along the way.

Isn't she a cutie pie :)

The Guessing Game

2007-08-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

When will Anaiah make her entrance into the world?? We are just so anxious to meet her and it seems like these last few weeks are dragging on and on.

Her due date is August 31st. At our last ultrasound (which was the 2nd of August), the doctor estimated that she weighed 5 lbs. 13 oz., but they said they could be up to 14 oz. off.

So, put in your guesses for the date and weight-have fun!!

Weekend with the Evans Family

2007-08-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had a wonderful time with our family at the beach. Aimee's parents were able to make the trip from Idaho along with her brother Andrew (and wife Hayley) and sister Amanda. It was great to be able to spend some quality time with them as we don't often get the opportunity to be with them.

We stayed in a nice little hotel on the beach in Seaside. We also went to Canon Beach to see Haystack Rock and explore the many shops and art galleries that line the streets. Aimee's parents wouldn't let us pay for anything and we ate well.

Our Anniversary was on Sunday, August 5th. We've now been married for seven years. Its hard to believe that it has been seven years already. The time just flies by when your having fun I guess :)

We have been blessed to have such wonderful and supportive families. As we get ready to have our first child and prepare to move to Uganda, it is such a blessing to know that we have parents and siblings (on both sides) that love us so much. We have so much to be thankful for and we know it.

After the baby arrives in a few weeks, we will spend some time visiting friends and family. There is no substitute for good quality time spent with loved ones to sooth the soul. As we get closer to leaving, we cherish every opportunity to make more wonderful memories with our family & friends.

Keizer Baby Shower

2007-07-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

This was baby shower #3 for us, and boy, do we feel blessed!!
We think that Anaiah has enough clothes to last her for her first 2 years of life!!

We've gotten such adorable outfits, socks, shoes, hair accessories, hats, blankets, and dolls--this girl is set! (Seems crazy that at one point, Aimee Jo was worried that she may not have enough!!)

Andrew was able to attend this shower with Aimee, and even though most of his time was spent taking pictures and hiding out in the back, it was nice that he could come and see what these "showers" are all about!

We are so grateful to the Boatner family for hosting and to our Keizer church family for all their love & support.

Only 5 weeks and 3 days until our due date!!

Finding Blessings

2007-07-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

During this process of preparing to become full-time missionaries we have experienced a myriad of differing emotions. There are times when we feel surrounded and lifted up by the Lord. Other times we feel overwhelmed by the daunting task ahead of us and by the fact that we do not know just how God will bring us through the "desert".

Our faith is being stretched and renewed everyday. We can stand here today and look back on all the ways the Lord has answered our prayers and met our needs and honestly feel silly. We feel silly because God has constantly made himself evident in our lives and at times we still wonder. We wonder if he will really answer this time.

We are not perfect people and we are daily being molded into His image. However, it is in these "desert times" that we are reminded that we are not the ones in control. Our illusions of control are shattered when we exhaust all of our efforts. When we are past the point of trying and finally give over to Him who holds us, we realize that we never were truly in control. We are learning to dwell in Him and serve with no strings attached.

Through this we have found great blessing. We have found that when we "let go and let God", we have peace. We have found love and support from our Christian family that we had never felt before. And lastly, we have found that God's timing is always best.

We have so many reasons to feel blessed... even as we wander through our desert.

Thank you God... for all that you do.

Meet the Family

2007-07-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

We are Andrew & Aimee Jo Martin and we are preparing to serve as missionaries in Fort Portal, Uganda East Africa. We have sent all of our belongings to Fort Portal and we are currently raising support for the work. Because of our decision to move, and the fact that we are "on the go" so often lately, we have decided to start a blog to keep in touch with our friends and family.

Currently we are working and living in the Salem/Keizer Oregon area. We also have a baby on the way and she is due at the end of August (31st). We are so excited about the changes in our life and we cannot wait to see what God has planned for us. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to make preparations and raise the funds we need for our mission.

Also, please check back here regularly to get updates about our family as we will be using this site to keep people up to speed on our crazy life. We also have personal pages that you can access by using the links on the right side of the page, under LINKS.

God bless & we look forward to sharing more with you soon,
Andrew, Aimee Jo & Anaiah