Preparing For Ghana

Courtesy of http://www.hcjb.org/ministries/healthcare/
sub-saharan-africa-region/rural-medical-outreaches.html

Since 2013 is flying by faster than ever, we have been reminded that in just two short months we will be traveling to Ghana. We purchased our tickets last week and are trying to focus on the great opportunity and not the long days of travel and fifteen (kind of a exaggerations- but not far off) planes we will have to take to get there.  We are very spoiled when it comes to travel.  Since United (and at one time Continental-  Oh, how we miss you Continental) fly directly from Houston to Quito, we only have a short car ride (with Blue Bell Ice cream)  one plane to get to Ecuador- and then just a five hour drive to be home.  

Joe and another missionary Family Practice physician from Ecuador will be leading the HCJB Global summer interns during the medical caravans while the kids and I do crafts with the children who come to the caravans each day.   Please pray that we will have time here to prepare for Ghana, both spiritually and physically.  We will also be sending in our applications this week for our Ghanaian visas.  Please pray that we can get our visas without much trouble.  

One last note.  If you would like to help out with our  Ghana trip you can follow this link to give. http://www.hcjb.org/give-Joe-Tracy-Martin

Trips to Ecuador and Golf Tournaments

Our church group is returning this summer and we are so excited!  Aside from the practical jokes that are planned and the fun of watching some of them cross the suspension bridge, I am looking forward to  serving alongside of them and watching them experience the Ecuadorian culture.  The group is in the middle of fundraising and you can help whether you live in Waco or not.  They are planning a golf tournament at Cottonwood Golf Course in Waco.
  Here are the details:

               *    May 4th                                                                          *    Free Lunch served at 12:00
               *    4 Man Scramble with a gunshot start at 1:00          *    $50.00 per player.  


Not a golfer or don't live in the Waco area?
               *     They are also taking sponsorships for each hole.  You can have an advertisement for your company placed by a hole for only $50.  
               *     They also need prizes for the tournament.  
If you are interested in participating, sponsoring or donating you can contact Parkview Baptist Church at 254 755-8737 or  Doug Landers at 254 715-2358

Happy Anniversay

Today if Joe and my 14th anniversary.  Happy Anniversary to the best husband and friend any girl could ever have!  We have had some amazing adventures and hopefully that will continue.  Very blessed to have such an amazing, funny and loving family.

Prayer Needed

** Warning, this is a very honest post.  If you believe (and want to continue in your paradigm) missionaries are close to perfect, the picture of faith and incapable of questioning God's plan- DO NOT CONTINUE READING (I am smirking, but really we don't want to burst anyone's image of us)

I have a feeling that there will be lots of "prayer needed" post coming your way in the next few weeks, no months to come.  I'm not sure if it is spiritual warfare, trying times, or just life, but honestly things are hard right now.  We are tired from 2 years of work with almost no break, and emotionally spent trying to determine what path we should take next, where things are going with the hospital and how everything is going to get done with a quarter of the "human" resources we need- all the while appearing to "have it all together" and be a pillar of faith.  So... tired, yes we are tired.

Specific Prayer Request-
        God's leading for the direction of the hospital
        God to send Ecuadorian physicians to work at the hospital
        God's grace to cover all of us as we try to figure things out
        God's energy to continue on

Pray For US!

Please pray for us and the hospital as many things are changing here.  We will be leaving the last week of June for Ghana and won't return until January.  There will be many different short-term working visitor Family Practice (FP) physicians here while we are away, but no full-time FP docs.  We know our God is big and can do amazing things, but we need prayer.  The hospital is looking to hire 2 Ecuadorian FP doctors but so far we don't have any applicants.  We are praying that if God wants our hospital to continue that he will send national physicians to take over.  As it stands now, there will only be 3 FP doctors between now and August and then 2 between August and November and then only one doctor until we get back in January (now doesn't your job look good!)  We know this is God's work and we know he works in mysterious ways, but please pray for provision for the hospital and faith for us.

Isabella and School

Here is a link from Isabella's teacher's blog ( I think that was all grammatically correct).  She has a video of Bella's class reciting the entire chapter of Psalm 34.  Enjoy

http://jennifermkendrick.blogspot.com/2013/04/so-proud-of-my-1st-and-2nd-graders.html

40 is Old.... But Still Younger Than Others I Could Name....

Well I did it- I finally turned 40 and received the best present I could imagine.  Joe conspired with my parents and my nephew C.G. for a wonderful surprise visit.  We had such a great visit and hopefully they did too!  Here are just a few pictures.

Enjoying dinner in Cumbaya (yes, just like the song)

C.G. and Isabella  being "Quichua"

The guys at Pailon del Diablo

Grandma enjoying the Waterfall.

Cousin Time

My favorite picture of the trip.  This bridge was A LOT!! scarier to step down onto and walk across than it looked and the rope there is the middle came in handy when we were walking back up.

The waterfall from the other side.

Mom and Dad being "Quichua".

The famous bridge in Shell.

Family is the Best!