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Gwen’s Test

12 08 22

Gwen had her test in Stockholm yesterday. It was quite extensive and lasted 3 hours. When the doctor came in to speak with her after she returned from the recovery room, I was able to Skype Gwen and she put him on speakerphone so we spoke to him together – technology can be such a blessing!

He was very pleased with how the procedure went and he was able to accomplish all he wanted.

Gwen feels fine and will fly home today. Since there were extensive samples taken and they’re doing specialized analyses on them, we probably won’t get results for at least three weeks.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

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My Lost Keys

12 08 10

Tuesday, I lost my keys. Car, house, trash and recycle shed, bike, and all the padlock keys where we are storing out stuff.   It was a rough day. It was the day we found out we couldn’t travel back to the US on August 17th as planned. We were all pretty bummed out about that, especially Jensina & Jiana. Just before the phone call, I had been taking the trash out to our trash & recycle shed with the girls. It was the last time I remembered seeing my keys. Wednesday was when I noticed them missing. The 4 of us tore the whole house apart looking!! I was praying the whole time, “Lord, you know where they are, please show them to us.” But no keys. Tony & I went out to the trash & recycle shed and looked there. I went through the 2 bins I had thrown the trash in – NOT pleasant!! No keys! So frustrating – I knew I hadn’t dropped them! They just had to be in the apartment, but they weren’t. We kept looking in the house and in the trash and recycle bin. No keys. Bedtime – “Lord, where are those keys?” That night both Tony and I dreamed about them. I saw them covered up by something and just sticking out a little. I really felt that GOd was telling me that they were here. (especially since I don’t usually remember what I dream about.) But where??? Thursday morning – back out in the trash and recycle bin and to look in the car – no keys. I gave up looking, but kept praying. Bedtime again, but I can’t sleep. Two hours later, I’m still tossing and turning, I stretch out and feel this strange lump in the bed. What is that??? MY KEYS!!! Sure enough, under the sheets on my bed are my keys. So much had happened, I forgot I had changed the sheets on our beds that day!! “My last prayer that night – “Thank you, Lord, for showing me where my keys were!!!”

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About us personally, following God

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Change of plans

12 08 08

Disappointment, tears, anger, sadness. All of these were a part of yesterday’s emotions when we found out that we would not be able to take our booked flights to the US on August 17. Gwen’s test in Stockholm to check the abnormal growth of cells in the liver and bile ducts is now scheduled for August 21. After that, it will take a couple of weeks before we receive all of the results and the doctors can, hopefully, let us know what needs to be done. So at this point, we don’t really know when we will be going to the States.

So now, we need to cancel our flights, find new housing for after August (this will be a real challenge), re-register the girls for school (they are not real happy about this), and figure out a new direction from what we were planning, at least for a while.

Friends are praying – for healing, housing, our children, our coping; we hope you’ll join them. Our UWM supervisor encouraged us to look at the names of God and remember what He has done for us in the past. We did that at dinner and we are encouraged! Overwhelmed, but encouraged.

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Update on Gwen

12 08 01

We have heard that our doctor’s group here in Lule has heard from the specialists in Stockholm and they want Gwen to go to Stockholm for a special test on the liver. However, we have not heard when that will be. With only 17 days till we are supposed to fly to the USA, we are quite stressed trying to figure out what to do, when to do, and how to do it. Please pray for extra wisdom and guidance for us from our omnipotent, omniscient heavenly Father as we have to make decisions that we don’t know how to make.

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2 years here!!

12 07 19

USA Bound!

July 13 marked the date!! Can you believe it’s been two years since we packed up, said our goodbyes and boarded a plane bound for Luleå, Sweden? Our time here has been really great!! We have met so many people, developed relationships (we will soooo miss our friends here), been involved in many ministries and have seen first-hand how God is satisfying the spiritual hunger here. Also, God has changed our lives in incredible ways as we’ve learned to trust Him more.

Now it is time for us to return to the States for our 1st home assignment. We have purchased our flight tickets and we’ll arrive back to the States on 17 August! We can’t wait to get there and reconnect with you! Our desire is to share what God is doing in people’s lives here in Luleå. If you or others you know would like to meet with us, please let us know.

We’ll need to raise additional financial support so we can return to the ministry here. Our length of time in the States will depend on when God works through people and releases the funds needed, but we are hoping to be back here in 6 months!

While in the States, we’ll be staying at Cedar Lane Missionary Homes in Laurel Springs, NJ. We will need a reliable car while in the States… if anyone can provide us with one, please let us know.

We can’t wait to see you all!! We’re all looking forward to meeting our “old” friends and making new ones!! And Jiana has her list of places we need to eat at with Rita’s and Dunkin’ Donuts topping the list!!!

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Dr. visit update

12 07 12

Yesterday, my July 18 doctor visit got changed to today. Unfortunately, there is still no clarity. The doctors still don’t know if there is malignant cancer or not. There are abnormal cells but they are not sure of the cause – if it’s cancer or if it’s cells from the PSC disease or dead tissue. So they have sent the cells to specialists in Stockholm. All these specialists do is look at these types of cells to see if they are cancer or not. Treatment will depend on what they say. I may have to go to Stockholm so they can look in the bile ducts via a spyglass method. They can go in a back door and look directly in the duct. They can’t do this here in Luleå. They are aware of our departure date for the USA and will press Stockholm for an answer. So we wait to see what all this means.

 The positive part is that when I did a CT scan last week of the thorax and abdomen, there was no metastasis of cancer. None was found in the lymph nodes or elsewhere. Everything looked the same as it had when I was in the hospital. Also it’s positive that I am feeling well. These point out that nothing is growing or changing. The doctor said that if it was, I would feel poorly pretty quickly. I guess the liver is pretty sensitive in that way. That’s it in a nutshell. Thanks for your continued prayer for the healing of my liver!!!
Today, a friend sent me Psalm 121, which Tony & I read while waiting for the doctor (Thank you, Cora!). What a blessing to know that my God is my guardian, the shade on my right hand, the One who never slumbers or sleeps, and who keeps my feet from slipping and stumbling. Thank you Jesus!! We are depending on You!!!

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Update on Gwen

12 07 10

We just wanted to catch you up to date. In the hospital, they did an MRI. The surgeon said that there was something in my liver that that looked different. He mentioned a possible tumor. It has also been confirmed that I have a new disease, related to Crohns, that attacks the bile ducts in the liver and they squeeze shut, not allowing the bile to go where it should but backing it up into my blood – it’s called primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). They also did an endoscopy. The doctor widened up one of the bile ducts going into the pancreas but couldn’t do anything for the bile ducts in the liver because he couldn’t reach them. He took a biopsy of the liver which was sent to the university hospital in Umeå. They got the results and had a conference with the Umeå doctors. We don’t know the results of that conference yet but have an appt with a doctor on July 18. Since I have been home from the hospital, praise Jesus, I have not had fever, throwing up, or pain!!! Our plans for returning to the States on August 17 are staying the same.

We are standing in faith and praying that God will heal me one way or another. Also, we’re praying that I will continue to be symptom free and the bile will flow where its supposed to. Many praying friends here in Luleå are standing with us in prayer for healing. Of course, the possibility of cancer is a scary thing and we are going back and forth between peace and fear. If you are a person of faith in Jesus and prayer, we invite you to pray with us in faith for healing! Thanks!!

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Spring Happenings/USA Bound!

12 06 30

Well, this has been a very different spring from what we expected. For those not on Facebook, I, Gwen, have been sick quite often and in the hospital a couple of times. We hope we are soon at the point where the doctors will be able to pinpoint the problem and begin treatment. We do believe we are almost there. Please keep us in prayer for wisdom and God’s healing!!!

Tony and I have graduated from Svenska för invandrare (Swedish for Immigrants)!! YEAH!!!! Now comes the harder part of continuing to practice what we’ve learned and become fluent! Jensina & Jiana have also finished their school year here and are glad for summer vacation!!

We’ve turned our house church over to new leadership now!! Anders and Sarah have been such a great help to us, especially this spring while Gwen was sick, helping us lead the group and ministering to us personally. We’re so thankful for them and others here who have helped us out during this difficult time. We know our house church is in good hands as they start up again in the fall and continue to grow in God!!!

We are now beginning to prepare to come home on August 17 for 6 months to raise more support. We are glad to have housing set up for us at Cedar Lane Mission Homes in New Jersey. Now, we need to pack up our apartment and store our things, a humongous job, plus find a car to use in the States (if you have one we could borrow, please let us know), and begin planning to meet with family, friends, and churches. Please feel free to email us (tagmartin@yahoo.com)  to set up a time we can meet with you! We’d love to spend time with you!! We hope to be able to return to Sweden by March 2013, but we can only return when we have raised the needed support. Please keep us in prayer for this need so we can continue our ministry here in Luleå, Sweden!!

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About us personally, Ministry, Prayer request

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School Closing

12 06 11

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Friday was the last day of school for Jensina and Jiana. Here in Sweden, they have a formal school closing with the kids from the school performing songs and the principle and a representative from the church speaking. The Montessori has their school closing at Domkyrka, which is the main Lutheran church in Luleå and it is a beautiful cathedral! Jiana sang “Vart jag mig i världen vänder” with her 4th – 6th grade class. Jensina sang “För oss alla” with her 7th grade class and had the solo part. We are so proud of them both and all the hard work they did during this school year!!!!

Now,  if you dare, here are the videos!!!! They’re not real good quality, but you’ll get an idea of what it’s like!!  Warning:  You may get seasick!!!!

http://youtu.be/bZJ3-9yHLxE

http://youtu.be/6ROzwMTyS7o

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Glad Uppståndelse Dag!! Happy Resurrection Day!!

12 04 08

This is the absolutely best and happiest day of the year!!! “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!!! Remember how He told you while He was with you in Galilee? ‘ The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'” (Luke 24:5-7)

 

Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever With His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and have asked Him to forgive my sins. Because of that, Jesus victory over death gives me victory over death!!! When I die, I won’t really be dead. I will be alive in heaven with my Lord and Savior. Only my flesh will be put in the grave. And even that will be resurrected when Jesus comes to earth the 2nd time!! How about you? What will happen to you when you die???

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About us personally, following God

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