saying goodbye to the kiddos after unloading 22 action packers of stuff to send with them 

Slowly but surely

We're recovering. We've been back two and a half weeks, and life is slowly returning to normal. The first two weeks were crazy. We had kids, kids, and more kids. The house was chaos. It feels a little too quiet now. Josh, Josie, and their kids left for Indonesia not quite a week ago, and it's been a hard adjustment. They were a HUGE part of our lives. Frequent email updates help, along with the knowledge that God is protecting them and providing abundantly for them. Thank you for your prayers for all of us.
We would like to ask you to partner with us in prayer for Josh and Josie as they adjust. They arrived in Kalimantan today, and, although they have internet, there will be times when they feel very alone. Also, for our daughter Rachel and her husband Ryan as they seek the Lord's wisdom about getting involved in a camp ministry in northern Canada. Kara and Nate need prayer as well as they put their house up for sale and move into an apartment in Waukesha to minimize their workload. They are seeking to serve the Lord in their business pursuits as well as their personal life. Tamara is applying for jobs and preparing to move into the dorms on the 18th of August. Pray that she will be able to adjust to having very little personal time and space, and that she will be able to keep up with classes and life in a very new situation.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and support over the past months. The Lord has surely answered them all and blessed us in abundance.

We're Back!

We arrived back in Waukesha last night. We're thankful for an uneventful border crossing and safe 15 hour drive. Thank you so much for praying for us. We truly saw God work on our behalf. More later as we recover...

Lazy summer days...

For the past few days, we've been house-sitting for the Edingtons. They befriended us when we first came and have been very kind to us ever since. The house is nice and big, and there's a pool for Tamara to swim in to help pass the time. We've been having fun. The family is returning on Sunday night and we'll return to the Humphreys for a few nights. Our appointment is in 7 days, and we'll hopefully be home in 12. By the time we get back, Josh and Josie will only be there for 2 more weeks. During this time they'll be living at the bible school, so we'll be able to spend time with them before they leave. Our anniversary was on the 2nd of July, and we spent the day at Sauble Beach with friends. Margaret's birthday is on the 11thh, and we'll be back in Wisconsin for Tamara's 18th birthday, on the 21st. Our appointment is on the 14th, so please be praying that all will be well.

Prayer Requests - April 7

Thanks so much for praying with us. Here are some of our current prayer requests:

1. That our visa would go through quickly

2. That we would continue to see this as an opportunity to glorify God though we don't understand His timing

3. For our kids in their various stages of life:

• Tamara - finishing High School long distance, please pray that we will be back in time for her graduation
• Kara & Nate Lane- out of town on business this weekend, safety on the road, Felicity with Josh & Josie
• Rachel & kids in Florida watching Franz & Kristie's kids, safety in travel, good time together, Ryan at home working
• Josie & Josh Dyck- plan to leave for Indonesia in early June, pray that we can be home before they leave, quick sale of their home, for more info see www.tribaltalk.blogspot.com
• Franz & Kristie - leaving for a visit to the Czech Republic this weekend, accompanying friends who plan to work there as missionaries

4. That we will be a blessing to those whom our lives touch during this transient time

5. Frank's sister Ann is sick-please pray for healing, for strength and for wisdom for the doctors, as well as for her family

Our Praises:

1. For a place to stay with good friends

2. God is so faithful to us

3. A vehicle to drive while we're here in Durham

4. For our wonderful team of prayer and financial supporters - we are so thankful for you!

In Durham For Now

We are currently in Durham, Ontario, Canada. We left Waukesha, WI on Thursday, March 25th because the visa we were on was expired and the new visa we had applied for had not yet come. We don't know how long we'll be here though it should not be too long.

We are staying with some long-time friends, Bill and Shiela Meerstra, in their home just a few minutes from the NTM Canada headquarters. We have spent some time in our old church (the one we attended when we were at Missions Training Institute here in Durham) and have enjoyed renewing some old friendships.

Frank also had an opportunity to share about God's faithfulness in our current situation with a class of students last week.

Tamara continues to work on her 12th grade classwork, e-mailing it in to her teachers at Waukesha South. She has also been enjoying practising skills from her photography classes - taking many photos from our day trip to Elora Gorge and even in Meerstra's back yard!

Elora Gorge
On the way to Elora Gorge
Peeking into the Meerstra house...
Elora Gorge
Barrel in Meerstra's Garden

First Post...

Hello! This is the new blog for Frank and Margaret Martens. We have created this so our friends, family, and supporters can keep up with what's going on in our lives. We will share events, pictures, and prayer requests, and hope that you will give us feedback as well as keeping us in your prayers. Thanks and enjoy!