Down the Narrow Path

Thai Pumpkin-Coconut Soup

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:12:00 +0000

A few friends have asked me for my pumpkin soup recipe, so here it is!

1 whole pumpkin peeled

2-3 Orange kumara, peeled

Red Thai curry paste

3-4 cloves garlic, crushed

1-2 white onions, finely chopped

1 can coconut cream/milk

4-5 dried Kaffir Lime leaves

A bit of cayenne pepper

handful of fresh coriander, chopped

salt to taste

water (to dilute pumpkin puree if needed)

Cook pumpkin/kumara in pot of boiling water until mushy. Blend with a hand mixer (drain enough water to prevent the mixer from sending pumpkin flying... I have some stories of how I learned this lesson!) Add enough water -- cup by cup -- til it's just a little thicker than you like your soup. Add onions and dried Kaffir lime leaves.

In a small bowl, combine about a dinner table spoon of red curry paste, crushed garlic, cayenne pepper, and coriander (you don't need much cayenne, as the onion, red curry paste, and coriander give it some kick). Mix with a little water, enough to make a paste. Add to pumpkin puree on stove, stir. Add coconut cream; If you use coconut cream, you may not need to add the whole can, maybe half? If you use coconut milk, the whole can might taste better. (Add more water now if it's still too thick.) Add salt to taste. Ready to eat when you are!

I think that's it. This is one of those recipes that you don't really need to know the measurements, just the ingredients, and you decide how much of what flavors you want to taste in it. I make it slightly different every time. And I would imagine you could do this in a slow cooker, I just haven't tried yet.

For my fellow Taurangans: I don't know if you've been to the Asian market off 11th Ave, but they are great for spices! Large amounts for MUCH less in price compared to the supermarkets, and good quality.

Happy soup making!

Jessie

Family Photos!!

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:55:00 +0000

A couple of dear friends were visiting, and offered to take a few photos of us Martens while at our house one day. Not only did they have a great camera, but she has a heck of an eye and got some really nice shots. Thank you, Jana! And thank you, Linda for being our on-site baby-attention-for-the-camera-getter. :) Unfortunately, I can't seem to upload pics to my blog anymore. So take a mozy on down to the Photo Gallery to check them out! Love, Jessie, Jordan, and Joshua.

On a rainy weekend.... do crafts!

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:57:00 +0000

To cope with being trapped by the rain this past weekend, I dusted off my crafty skills and put my mind and hands to work. I wanted to share with you what I made... Super easy! All you need are small clotheslines, letter beads, magnetic strips, and super glue.

Short and Sweet.... for now.

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:34:00 +0000

It has been a CRAZY week. I am so tired, but I wanted to give you a quick bullet point update, because I love that you take the time to come by and read this :wink: All of these things I will most definitely elaborate on once life resumes back to normal.... whatever that looks like.

We spent almost 8 weeks in the USA, visiting family and friends over the holidays. We loved being with everyone, and miss them so much already. We've come back, hitting the ground running.
We have been busy with both the YWAM Jubilee, the world's largest youth missions organization celebrating 50 years of ministry, and Call2All Next Generation, both kicking off world tours here in Tauranga, New Zealand.
Joshua is so big, he's crawling now! He's still bald, although a bit of blond fuzz has emerged from his head! Don't worry... there will be LOTS more to come about that little boy!

Okay, the week is not over. I need to get some sleep and prepare for a full day tomorrow!!

Bless you,

Jessie

"Take Care of the Widow and the Orphan"

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:10:00 +0000

Hey friends. This is a blog post my dear friend wrote, and I wanted to pass it along. She spoke with such eloquence and was so articulate about something I care about, and I want you to read it.

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"Take Care of the Widow and the Orphan..."

On December 23rd a man who truly carried the burden and heart of the Father for the orphans was in a tragic car accident and went home to be with the Lord.

Derek Loux was a worship leader at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. He also helped pioneer the Forerunner Music Academy. Derek and his wife, Renee, gave birth to a little boy named Josiah who was born with spina bifida in 1994. Josiah only lived for 2 1/2 years and his parents loved every moment they had with him and were filled with grief when he went to be with the Lord. This in itself moves my heart to tears, knowing that these incredible people gave birth to a child with severe handicap and yet valued the life of this child as if he were completely healthy and loved him with a deep love. This is a rare thing in a world that is screaming at us to snuff out the life that is handicapped, treating it as if it had no right to life because it might be inconvenient for him/her OR for the ones raising that life.

After Josiah passed away Derek and Renee had 2 little girls and years later decided to adopt 3 girls from the Marshall Islands. One of them having a severe spinal curve in her back that was rendered incurable but by the handiwork of the Lord was cured - and with an incredible story to go along with it. During the process of adopting these girls the Lord began to move on their hearts for the orphan, and not just those who were fatherless and motherless - but those who were handicap and had even less of a chance of being adopted.

They began the Josiah fund - you can read more about this incredible vision on their website, click here to read more.

Since adopting the three girls from the Marshall Islands, they have adopted one more girl from the Marshall Islands and 3 boys from the Ukraine. Two of the boys have down syndrome and the other has spina bifida. The stories of these boys are heart wrenching and miraculous.

After adopting the 3 boys, this brought the total of their kids up to 10. And if you read their story, which I highly recommend you do, you'll see that they are wanting to adopt 30 needy and neglected children, not limited by location, and bring them to Kansas City to a rehabilitation home so to speak - to be cared for and loved.

Now that Derek has gone home to be with the Lord it has left Renee as a widow caring for the orphan.

I don't know about you, but this stirs my heart in a major way. I want to help her. I'm encouraging those of you who can and who feel moved by this story and this vision to give to Renee Loux and her vision to help see this come to pass. Jesus expected us, commanded us, to look after the widow and the orphan and here we have a great opportunity to do both.

When Derek and Renee set out on this journey, neither of them were expecting that Renee would have to continue carrying it out without him. I know that Renee's heart and vision haven't changed - but I know that she feels the pain of losing her greatest advocate and partner and love. I can't even imagine - she had already climbed up the ladder of incredible women I admire and respect because of these children that she was pouring her life into and the sacrifices that she was making and the message that her life was proclaiming to the masses - "EVERY life is VALUABLE, HAS WORTH, DESERVES A CHANCE TO LIVE AND BE LOVED." - but now - my goodness - she is my hero. God uphold her, give her strength and let her feel Your nearness, Your presence surrounding her and protecting her. Strengthen her with Your everlasting love and kindness. Give her peace and give her comfort.

I feel burdened to stand with her, fight for her and all the thousands of children that I believe will be impacted by this ripple in the water that will go far beyond the 30 children that she will adopt. Therefore I felt burdened to share this story with all that I can.

May the Lord bless this incredible family and meet them in their time of grief and need. Thank you Jesus for setting the lonely in families and for setting the Loux family in Kansas City where they have family that will love and care for them in their time of grief. Do something miraculous out of their suffering. Turn the eyes of a generation that is standing for death to this incredible light shining in the darkness and let them choose LIFE instead of death.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

For more information on how to give financially you can go to their personal blog site here.

Or you can go to their Josiah Fund website here.

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A warm welcome back into our lives!

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:32:00 +0000

Wow... time and life have just flown by!

It was almost 3 months ago that I wrote to you in anticipation of our little bundle of joy. After going two weeks past my due date, and spending 35+ wonderful hours in delightful, induced labor (ha!), our little boy came to join us.

JOSHUA DAVID MARTENS

was born at 6:00 PM on JUNE 27, 2009.

He weighed 9 lb, 14 oz (4.48kg),

and was 21.7 inches (55 cm) long.

His head circumference was 14.8 inches (37.5 cm).

He is such a blessing to us, and is so worth the wait. We love watching his developmental milestones; he "talks" up a storm and giggles, squeals, and is beginning to bat at his toys above his play mat.

Yesterday, I (Jessica) took him to Plunket (NZ's well-child service) to be weighed and measured. Here's the latest on him:

Joshua will be 11 weeks old on Saturday, September 12.

He weighs 15 lb (6.8 kg)

He is 26 inches (66 cm) long,

and his head circumference is 16.9 inches (43 cm)

He sure is a big boy! The Plunket nurse (the one who he always sees for his check-ups) reckons he'll be on solids a bit sooner than other kiddos, due to his size and the rate of his growth. He's so LONG! He has been wearing some 3-6 month clothing for about 3 weeks. He has cheeks that you can't help but pinch, and sports an oh-so dashing double chin. He has blue eyes, long eyelashes, and when he smiles his eyes sparkle. His hands and feet are so soft and intricate, and he even has little hairs on his knuckles. His belly resembles that of a frog?s when he takes big breaths in, and he?s learning how to march in place, one foot after the other. He always sneezes in series; though he's capable of sneezing up to 11 times in a row, I think he?ll be a 3-sneezer. Joshua seems to be a contemplative little fella, always taking in what?s happening around him. He?s a tender little boy, and is generally* content and joyful. (*Though he does seem to have found a bit of an attitude! Especially when dealing with eating and sleeping. But that?s another post in itself, hehe.)

Joshua is fascinated by Jordan. And vice versa! Jordan only has to walk into the room and make eye contact with Joshua to set him on a talking and cooing rant. It?s so beautiful to see them interact with each other.

Well... welcome back to our lives. We are finally feeling back to normal (as much as I think we will for the next 18 years, hehe), so the posts in the blog, and the pictures and video will resume! I?ll write another post about the labor and delivery and different things, just wanted to get something out there saying we?re alive and well.

Until the next post, check out our Photo Gallery and Videos pages!

Blessings,

Jordan, Jessica, and baby Joshua!

Baby's Due Date has Changed!

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:19:00 +0000

I had my weekly check up at the midwife this morning and found some interesting news: bub wasn't due until TODAY! June 15th! Here's why the confusion...

My original EDD (estimated date of delivery) was the 15th of June. Then, when I had an ultrasound later in pregnancy, the reading gave a new due date of the 12th of June, according to bub's size. I just assumed that that was my new and true EDD, but I didn't know that Leigh (my midwife) was still going off of the original one. I found out that the first EDD given is more accurate than any later ones given.

So, a bit of rambling to say that I'm actually due today! My midwife also told me that she doesn't think I'll deliver for at least another 3 days, due to some medical signs that I don't think I need to go into! :roll:

Anyway, there's a fun little fact for ya.

Love,

Jess

New Promo Launches from the Tauranga House of Prayer

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 08:07:00 +0000

The Tauranga House of Prayer (THOP) has just released it's first two promotional videos. One is for the House of Prayer itself; the other is for the Awaken Internship, a three month intensive run here at the House of Prayer. Below is the promo for THOP. I've included the script for each video below for you to read as well.

- THOP PROMO -

Throughout history a stream of day and night prayer has existed. A stream where the beauty of Jesus was beheld, where His word was cherished, and where His zeal for the nations was born in hearts. That stream has become a mighty torrent as we approach His return in the end of this age, just as He promised.

From Adam, Eve, Enoch, and Noah, to Moses and the establishment of the priesthood; from Samuel in the house of the Lord, to David in the building of the tabernacle. From prophetic voices such as Elijah, Jeremiah, and Malachi emerging from the place of prayer, to the raising up of John the Baptist and Anna to pray and fast to prepare Israel for the first coming. From the day and night prayer in Jerusalem of the early church, to the missions movement that grew out of Antioch. We see the stream of prayer flowing steadily throughout Biblical times.

And in post biblical history, we see the emergence of the desert fathers in the North African wilderness, to challenge the apostate nationalized church of the day. Around 550 A.D., we see Kumgal, in Bangor Island, who established day and night prayer in the spirit of the tabernacle of David, where hundreds of men sang the psalms 24 hours a day. From Bangor came a missions movement that touched the edges of the Roman Empire.

Between then and the time of the Reformation, we saw the pioneering of thousands of missions bases, centered around day and night prayer. And out of one of those expressions, came a young monk named Martin Luther, who sparked the Reformation and forever changed history. In the wake of the Reformation came a century of sustained day and night prayer and worship in Hurnhut, Germany. From Hurnnut came the greatest missions movement the earth has ever seen. Between then and now, the earth has seen day and night prayer catalyzing hundreds of dramatic revivals; from Edinburgh, to Wales, to New England, to Colombia, Indonesia, China, South Korea, and beyond.

And now, at the ends of the earth, at the end of the age in Tauranga, New Zealand, God is raising up day and night prayer and worship in the spirit of the tabernacle of David, as full time singers and musicians minister to the Lord, and messengers are forged to prepare the earth for Jesus' return.

Throughout church history, a divorce has occurred; we've divided the people of God into three little groups. Those who love the nations are sent into missions. Those who love the diligent study of the Scripture hide away in seminaries and bible schools. And those who love the place of prayer, meditation, and contemplation are sent to monasteries and convents. And rarely, if ever, do we see these camps come together; nor do the values and philosophies bleed into each other. But this is changing and it must change because the impact of this divorce has done incalculable damage to the family of God.

Since January of 2006, we've been gathering daily in the place of prayer, believing one day for a prayer meeting to start that will never end. And, there, from the ends of the earth at the end of the age, we might hear the song, "Glory to the Righteous One!"

- Awaken Promo -

We are living in a unique time in history. I believe that we are in profound crisis in the western church in this hour. "More, more, more!" has become the motto of a generation who are giving themselves fully and unapologetically to the things of this world. And there is an industry that is committed to spewing forth on a daily basis options for our generation to be satisfied. Options to be filled; option after option in an attempt to secure their affection.

You see, we're paradoxes; we're complex beings. Though we live in a realm that is finite, though we live in a realm that is temporal, because we are made in the image of God, we are created for God. We are created for transcendence, and in this hour we have a generation in a feeding frenzy. And they are feasting on the things that are temporal. They are feasting on the things that are finite. And "more, more, more!" has become the motto of this restless generation. They are in a feasting in frenzy on temporal things to answer their longing for God. And like the folly of the hamster on a wheel, they keep eating and eating. No matter how much, no matter how the variety, they are left deeply dissatisfied.

They have feasted and are left empty. And they are like a bent up volcano waiting to explode, and as this generation has been swept away into the world, into media, into finite pleasures, us as leaders in the land, we have remained silent on these issues. And we're pretending hopefully the problem might just go away. You see the padded chairs, the huge projector screens, the multi-million dollar buildings with our nice, slick services; they do nothing - absolutely nothing to touch the seedbed of desire that is in the human heart. And an industry has come into the church and has attempted to allure a generation into these pleasures and the war has been won uncontested. We have been silent.

I believe that something has to change.

A change is coming. God is articulating the nature of this change to the nations of the earth. The life of John the Baptist is a clear picture and a clear model of what this change will look like. John was a man of deep and satisfying intimacy with God, and a man who had radical and dramatic impact on his nation and on his generation.

Where did John get his intimacy, and where did he get his impact? The answer is this: in the wilderness. The wilderness was indispensable to the forging and the formation of John the Baptist. I believe that God is setting apart a generation and beckoning a generation to the wilderness. For in the womb of the wilderness, messengers are being forged and a new paradigm of leadership is beginning to emerge.

In Tauranga, New Zealand we want to see things done differently. And we're committed to calling a generation to go hide themselves that, one day, they might show themselves.

Funday, Sunday

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:09:00 +0000

I just came on here to tell you that we have had a great weekend.

What did we do?

Well, Saturday, we slept in, and hung around the house... relaxed. Jordan went to the gym around 1, and I finished doing a bit of laundry. Around 2:30 I was on my way for a walk, and Jordan passed by me on the road, so I got in the car, came back to the house, and we went for a walk together. We just walked down to the Bethlehem shops (only a few miles from our house) and had a coffee at my work, The Coffee Club. It was nice seeing co-workers that I haven't seen for a while (as I've been on maternity leave! :))

Then we walked back to the house, and went over to our friends' Dalton and Anna's house. They have chickens at their place and, over time, have been discovering how many boy chickens they have in the mix. And because they prefer not to be woken by a symphony of roosters going through rooster-puberty, they decided it was a good opportunity to have a few friends over for some BBQ chicken. Other friends Glover, Zach and Mallory came over, and while the guys were rough n' tough killing the chickens, us womenfolk sat around the heater and chatted. We went to the grocery store and got a few other things, and came back to cook them up. We had a wonderful dinner, and a bonfire in the back yard afterward! It was a great night; we really love our friends out here in New Zealand. Mallord and Zach took pictures, I'll have to track them down and put them up here. We also took video of the chicken "prep"... we'll see if Jordan wants those to go up on here, hehe. :tongue:

And today, Sunday, we also relaxed. Hey, it might be the last weekend we have to sleep in, sit around and not do anything, we were going to take advantage of that! :D I made pancakes, called home, and hung around the house in my PJs (AKA, Jordan's sweatshirts and sweat pants -- they're the most comfortable things to wear these days! :roll:) In the afternoon my friend Karina texted me and we went to Bayfair, Tauranga's shopping mall. A book store was having a 50% off cards sale.. so heck yes we hit that up!

Now, I'm at home. Jordan's out to the grocery store to get things for dinner. I should start scrubbing the potatoes. hehe..

But on another quick note! Here's an update on the "baby countdown". Bub is due in 5 days, but we are on "baby watch" knowing he could come any time. I've been getting contractions that are worth timing. We go for our midwife check up tomorrow at 2 PM. So far, all is well and we're going to be having bub at home. ((I just realized that might be new news for some of you... I'll save that for another post, maybe tomorrow's))

Anyway, the potatoes are calling my name. Bless you. :wink:

Love, Jess

Song of the Moment: "I'll be Home for Christmas"

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:45:00 +0000

Okay... I admit, what a cheeser of a post title, I know. But! I needed some way to express my excitement about the fact that Jordan, me, and our son will be visiting in the US this holiday season! We are so excited about this!

We don't have tickets and specific dates yet (we have to fish around for a good price :wink:, but we are thinking of being in the States for roughly six weeks, between Mid-November until around New Year's. We were last in Florida in June/July 2007, it's hard to believe it's already been 2 years since we've been there!

As of now, our tentative plan is to travel from California to Florida with a 2 week stop in Kansas City, Missouri, where Jordan's mother lives. Then we will spend the rest of the time in Florida until we fly back to NZ. Like I said, it's not set in stone yet, but that is what we're thinking.

We would love to take this time to relax and connect with friends and family. Please let us know if you'd like to get together! We want to be intentional about our trip so that the precious time is utilized, so please let us know if you'd like to get together, even just for coffee or a meal. :)

Anyway, I'm going to get going... time for bed. Take care!!

Love, Jess.