About Us
Reaching those who are living
Our Story
Melissa and Joel met each other in 1994 at a Christian coffee shop in Ogden, Utah and married in 1995. Together they participated in short term medical mission trips in South Africa and a Children’s Church at Layton, Utah Assembly of God for 1 year. Prior to meeting they both had participated in short term missions trips. Melissa, a registered nurse with a master’s degree in nursing has been involved with missions traveling to Malaysia and Mexico, sharing the gospel through clowning for the children and having a vision of serving in Africa.
Joel was an industrial electrician for 19 years and continues to do some side work. He is a certified nurse assistant “CNA” for their daughter, Faith. When Joel was a single man standing in a church in Nederland, Texas with some single friends he was listening to a conversation about being called to be a missionary. Someone said, “what if God sent you to Africa”! Joel could feel the blood rush from his head down to his feet.
At the end of one of the medical mission trips in South Africa; after boarding the plane a fellow nurse named Elizabeth shared with Joel and Melissa a vision God showed her during the medical tent ministry. She said, When she spoke with either one during the ministry God showed her a vision of them, it was so real that she could not see them standing before her as the Lord revealed this vision to her. All she knew was that she could see the Martinez’ somewhere in Africa. This was just one more confirmation of the calling God placed in Joel and Melissa hearts years ago as young Christians.
In 2001 Joel and Melissa accepted the position of Co-coordinators of the Jackson’s Ridge Children’s Transitional Baby Shelter in South Africa. The Martinez family served 5 years there from 2002 till 2007 with Assemblies of God World Missions. There they helped establish the transitional baby shelter for abandoned and orphaned infants affected by the AIDS pandemic to provide them with a forever home through local and international adoptions. They also supported the kid’s camps that took place on the J.R. property. Melissa was the camp nurse and Joel was also the maintenance director overseeing up to 8 employees.
Their daughter Faith came into their lives in 2001 prior to serving in South Africa. At nine months old Faith was introduced to Melissa while in South Africa performing research for the baby shelter. Faith was born with cerebral palsy. Ten months later Faith was a permanent member of the Martinez family. Joel and Melissa fully accepted Faith’s known condition of cerebral palsy not knowing the full outcome of her life.
Faith has grown into
Faith now has the opportunity to return to the country of her birth to minister to it’s people.
“As much as they wanted to return to South Africa it was a perfect opportunity for Faith to receive her education, communication devices, wheelchairs and much more that help her gain some independence and improve her quality of life.”
At the end of the 5 years of serving in South
In 2008 while visiting a pastor in Colorado Joel met up with Ministry to Rodeo, a ministry that mostly ministers to kid’s ages 9 to 18 at rodeo bible camps. Joel had become familiar with this ministry when he was participating at a Pro Rodeo in Harrison, Arkansas in 1981. Two months later Joel received Christ as his personal savior. The Martinez family was involved with Ministry to Rodeo up till 2018.
Going forward, under their sending agent “Crossroads International” the Martinez family will base out of South Africa to bring the Gospel to people with disabilities, their families, and communities, while revealing God’s plan for people with disabilities to pastors and the church.