Changing Seasons

Hello Everyone!

             It has been an unusually warm September, but that’s starting to change: the last two nights we’ve had freezing temperatures and there are more on the way. It’s a bit hard to see the colder temperatures, knowing that winter is not that far away—with all the changes that entails.

             Even bigger changes are happening in the ministries that I, Steve, am doing.  After three years of “filling the gap” as Business Manager here at WIM, I resigned this position. I can’t even begin to describe the stress that I’ve had in this position due to the fact that there was increasingly too much to do, and also that this is not my area of gifting or passion. I actually ended up in the hospital a few months ago for stress-related symptoms. My last official day as Business Manager was September 13th. Right now I’m officially on sabbatical so I can rest and recuperate, and then I’ll be preparing for new ministries.

      It’s an exciting time! In the near future, I am going to start preparing for ministries that I have truly felt called to: The first ministry will be teaching Navajo language and culture to new missionaries (and, I hope, to others who are new to this area). Secondly, I will be researching various biblical financial teachings out there (Crown Ministries, Dave Ramsay, etc.) with the goal of creating and teaching something that will apply to specific, unique needs in the Navajo population here. Finally, I have the opportunity to renovate a building here on our campus to create something very new: a functioning pottery that will be a way to reach out into the community (the Navajos are very artistic) with opportunities to create unique Native Christian pottery and crafts while discipling and teaching those who are involved. I will explain more of the details about these ministries in future newsletters.

      I am thanking the Lord for time to rest and recuperate from the stress of the last three years, as well as to develop ministries which I feel very called to. —Steve

John and Anna head out as missionaries

Many of you may remember John and Anna as small children, but since you last saw them, they’ve grown quite a bit, to the point that October 25th they’re leaving for their first mission trip without their parents. The kids are heading into Mexico to Culiacan and then Oaxaca and points in between to help minister in several outreach events. They’ll be doing puppet ministry, serving food, and whatever else is needed. Thanks for praying for them as they go. They’ll be gone until just before Thanksgiving—nearly a month away from home.

God did it!

A very short post this morning to let you know that God has brought in all the money the kids need for their trip. I won't go into all the details, but in our minds this is truly nothing short of a miracle, and a very direct answer to a prayer that Anna had prayed. Thanks to everyone who helped them, and most of all thank you God for Your answer to our prayers.

John and Anna missionaries?

“I want to get closer to God through this trip. I know that by going I will grow in my relationship with God too. I want to help people find Jesus and get closer to him as I have. I also want to spend some more time in Mexico. I love everything about it. I love Spanish too. I will get the chance to improve my Spanish by talking to some Mexican youths that will be joining us.”  –Anna

“I want to go to Oaxaca to grow in my personal walk with the Lord and to help others grow in theirs. I also look forward to seeing more of the Mexican culture, and helping out in the outreach that the group I'm going down with are doing.” –John 

Friends,                                                                                                                                          

Our children, John and Anna, feel like God is leading them to go on a short-term mission trip to Mexico. They’ll be going with a friend of ours, Mike Hendricks, who regularly leads teams of youth to Mexico, the Philippines, and New Zealand and also some friends we’ve met more recently, Dave and Merrie Neely who have a puppet ministry in Mexico. You can check out their ministry here:  http://www.weeonesforjesus.org/.

 The kids will be traveling with them in the Neely’s van first to Culiacan where they’ll pick up some Mexican youth Mike is working with, and then down to Oaxaca.  It will be an opportunity to help disciple the Mexican youth, as well as minister to children through the puppet ministry, and adults and youth through other outreaches Mike has planned.  They will be leaving the third week in October and returning right before Thanksgiving. 

 John and Anna need to raise $600 each in order to pay their share of the expenses for the trip. They’ll mainly be staying in people’s houses, or in tents, but will have some lodging they have to pay for, as well as their own food, and helping out with the gas. 

In addition to praying, there are a number of ways you could help them in this endeavor:

• ·         You can help them raise funds.  They plan on doing bake sales, rent a kid fund raisers, and more. If you can help out with these events, or even give us more ideas for raising funds, we’d love to hear from you.
• ·         You can “rent-a-kid.” If you need some manual labor done, babysitting, housecleaning, or more, John and Anna would love to do it and any money you’d donate for their time would go toward the trip.
• ·         You can give a direct donation to the kids to help meet their expenses as the Lord directs you.
• ·         You can give a donation to Western Indian Ministries which would go toward Steve and I as income above and beyond our regular monthly support. Simply write your check to Western Indian Ministries and include a separate note saying that it’s for the kids trip. (This option is tax-deductible.)
• ·         If you’re local we could really use some help brushing up on our Spanish. 

Lastly, we’d like to say thanks for helping the kids out this way. It’s exciting to see them growing up, and it’s even more exciting to see God working in them and through them, as He plans their steps into their futures. 

Steve and Katrina Marti

p.s. All financial gifts can be sent to P. O. Box 9090, Window Rock, AZ 86515 (either directly mailed to the kids, or to Western Indian Ministries). If you have any questions you can call us at 505-371-5557, or email me at Katrina_marti@yahoo.ca