Dale and Brenda Martin
DJ & Stephen

From:  Glenburn, ME
Phone:  207-990-2980
email: 
servingHim-inMaine@peoplepc.com

Sending Church:  Twin City Baptist Church  City & St:  Brewer, ME

AGM Start Year:  volunteered 2004 “official” in Jan. 2005

Family (kids, grandkids, etc.):  Our children - Angie 38, Troy 34, Lesley 33, DJ 13, Stephen 11 (DJ & Stephen are grandchildren we’ve adopted). Our grandchildren - Ashley 16, Beth 14, Jacy 7, Joshua 6

Personal Testimony:
Dale - My name is Dale J. Martin.  In the spring of 1980, our next door neighbors asked if our 8 and 9-year old children could go to an Awana Club meeting at Faith Baptist Church in Manchester, CT.  After conferring with my wife, I said yes, it would be all right.  When the children came home that night, they were asking me where to find John 3:16 and other verses in the Bible.  I didn’t know anything about the Bible, I grew up Catholic, and we never used the Bible.  After about two weeks of this, my curiosity got the best of me and I said something to my wife about it.  She said, “why don’t we go and check out the church on Sunday morning.”  We went and I heard the Gospel preached.  I knew I was a sinner and needed to be saved.  I bowed my head right there in the pew, repented of my sin and asked Jesus to come into my heart and save me.  I immediately felt a change inside of me, the emptiness in my heart had been filled.  From that point on I have wanted to know more about Jesus.  I thank God for using my neighbors and my children to bring me to the saving knowledge of Jesus.

In 1996 my wife Brenda and I went forward during a missionary conference and surrendered to be missionaries.  At the time the Lord did not open up the doors for us to go forward.  At a workshop on June 14, 2004 with Dr. James Gardner and Roger Olson, the Lord spoke to my heart about serving Him fully.  That following Sunday the Lord spoke to me again through the message.  During the altar call I went forward and surrendered to the Lord to be a missionary.  Brenda (my wife) also went forward during the invitation.  After the service I found out that God had also called her to the mission field.  
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  Romans 1:16 

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.  II Corinthians 4:5

Brenda - My name is Brenda Martin, I am a child of God, an only child to my parents, a wife to my husband, a mother to two daughters and three sons and a grandmother to two granddaughters and two grandsons.

In 1969, I was searching for something to fill the void in my life.  I heard that there was going to be an old fashion revival meeting at our local Town Hall so I went.  Wow!  I had been to Sunday School all of my life but I had never heard the gospel preached that way.  I immediately knew what I was missing and I also knew what was wrong in my life.  I went forward that first night and asked Jesus to forgive my sin and come into my heart and save me.  I wanted Him to be Lord of my life.

In February of 1996 during a missions conference God called and both Dale (my husband) and I surrendered to be full time missionaries.  Due to circumstances in our life at that time the doors were not opened for us.  The next six years was like wandering in a wilderness for Dale and I.  We worked with the Department of Human Services for six years to get two of our grandsons out of foster care and adopt them.  Dale sustained two heart attacks and had a stint put in, I had cancer, and we were in and out of a couple of good churches.  Things were just not as they were supposed to be.  I was saved and I knew it, and I knew that only He could and did bring us through the things we were going through, but He was not the Lord of my life.

In the spring of 2004 God brought a man into our lives that is the Youth Pastor at Twin City Baptist Church in Brewer, Maine.  After talking to him a few times Dale and I decided to check out the church.  Praise God we did.  God very quickly brought me to my knees and I made Him Lord of my life again.  I thank God that He doesn’t repent and now I am looking forward to serving HIM as a full time missionary.  Praise God for Amazing Grace Mission, Inc. for being at our church on June 14, 2004 and presenting the fair ministry to us, because that next Sunday I knelt and surrendered to my Lord’s call to be in full time service.  God helped me to see that there were many souls here in my home state of Maine that need to hear about my Lord, and what better place to present the gospel to them but at the fairs.  I have a Pastor who is very missions minded.  He generously gives of his time to help me be sure of my calling, and helps me get and keep my priorities straight so I can serve full time both in the church and on the mission field.

My prayer is that God will continue to give me the grace to grow more like Him every day.  That He will teach me to become the help meet that my husband needs, and to work side by side whatever we are asked to do and wherever we are asked to go.  My heart cries out when I realize how short life is and how it can end so abruptly.  I want to win souls for the kingdom of God.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.  Hebrews 13:8

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28  

What it has meant to be a part of AGM:
What a thrill it was last summer (after we surrendered to be missionaries) to jump right in and get our feet wet with Amazing Grace Mission.  Terry Costigan (Director, State of Maine) asked if we wanted to work Lincoln Home Coming which was a three day event.  We said yes with no hesitation and we saw 29 saved.  We also helped at the Bangor State Fair -15 saved, the Union Fair -15 saved and the Piscataquis Valley Fair - 20 saved.  We also had the opportunity to go to a church with Brother Terry, where he presented the field and in the afternoon helped with soul winning training.  Wow!  What a first year!

In January Dale went to the AGM conference in Florida and went in front of the board for both of us.  Praise God we were accepted into the family of Amazing Grace Mission and were now “official” missionaries.  This year we are praying to do what we did last year and hopefully at least one more fair.  At present we are looking to do a one day event called Glenburn Days here in our little home town.  This will be our first “solo” adventure and we would covet your prayers.

Serving the Lord through Amazing Grace Mission thus far has been such a blessing and by His strength we hope to see many, many more years with Amazing Grace Mission, winning souls for HIM.

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