Oh, the Places We’ve Gone

Just a couple weeks after Thanksgiving, our freshman semester ended, and we flew out to Seattle for 3.5 weeks to visit our families and some friends over the Christmas break. Naya was very excited about flying on the airplane, which “go so fast!!” Unfortunately we lost her Shnuggly Bear on the Seattle-bound flight and had no luck recovering it at Sea-Tac the next day. But Tia Chelsea and Tio Jason gave Naya a brand new Shnuggly Bear for Christmas. 🙂

Jason and Chelsea were one of the many family ‘units’ we had the pleasure of seeing and dining with. I believe we had dinner with EVERY family unit except for the Gobles (who couldn’t make the trip out from Prosser this year). In fact, almost every single night of our trip had us at someone else’s house. We are so thankful for good friends and family! It was a joy for us to re-connect and establish more connection with our brothers and sisters in Christ, as we visited Boulevard Park and Grace.

On Christmas Eve, some of the Martinez family got together to make the traditional 200 or so tamales, and we thoroughly enjoyed devouring them that evening! On Christmas day, we visited much of the Roe side of the family. We also enjoyed spending time with Tony & Mary Beth Aramburu on New Years’ Eve.

On the 5th, my best girl friend Alanna and their new baby Eli came up to Seattle for a 3-day visit. It was SO great to see her after 2 years. Eli is absolutely adorable… I’ve rarely seen a baby who smiles so much! 🙂

We’re so thankful for the time we had to visit friends and family in Seattle, and we look forward to continuing that in the summer, Lord-willing! Our ‘plan’ would be to drive straight across in as few days as (sanely) possible…yes, that means I will be learning to drive stick-shift. Yikes! School is out in mid-May, so we’d arrive before the end of May. Noe is hoping that his boss in Seattle will still be able to hire him back on, as he had mentioned before. We would return to Jackson at least a week before school starts.

Our sophomore semester began the second week of January (we returned on January 8th, and classes began the following Wednesday). Our first semester took us entirely through the Old Testament up to the Prophets. So our first class here was the Prophets, which we have been studying for a month now. I tell you, there is SOOOO much more understanding of these books with a good grasp of Old Testament History! Our thoughts have even been challenged on passages that we’d grown up hearing about… namely, those passages that seem to be talking about Satan, and even one or two prophetic statements that we thought were related to the Messiah that perhaps are not… i have one word: hermeneutics. 🙂 ok two— Context. Anyway, some of these have been most interesting to look at. Noe has also taken a Theology class, and is currently in Anthropology/Hamartiology (i don’t take these because they are at 8am… wives/mothers are only required to take 10 and 11am classes, as child care does not begin until 9am). A week ago, we began our first New Testament class- The Life of Christ! It is almost culture shock to be in the New Testament again! 🙂 One of the most profound realizations for me has been this: we should not think of the New Testament as a sudden change in thinking, or an entirely different work from the Old Testament. rather, it is a continuation of events, and is most intimately tied to the Old Testament History, particularly of Israel, but also as the Messiah was coming (has come now, of course) to be a light to the Gentiles as well.

we’re “dreadfully” busy with homework these days, and time is much more consumed with two children… but we’re thoroughly enjoying our studies, really working on our time as a couple and as a family, and continuing to develop friendships here at NTBI, and also in our Church body here.

please continue in prayer for us!

with lots of love,

the Martinez family