Martina

“Be planted. And just love.”

As soon as we talked with Martina and heard her story we wanted to spend more time with her.

We met Martina at the church service for the missionaries that work in the city of Aswan and the Nubian villages that surround this area. She is an Egyptian working with the Nubian people. She is an artist. She is a woman living out her faith.

The next day after meeting her Daniel and I took a boat across the Nile where she welcomed us to the Nubian island that she calls home. We walked under the palm trees of the quiet village, a group of children following along. Every few minutes veiled women of the village would pass us and give Martina a big hug. These people know her and love her.

Martina is a prophetic artist. She prays for people and paints what she feel like God has for them. In this village she paints prophetic prayers on the doors. All over the village. Prayers of hope and restoration and truth.

She shared with us that she started having dreams about the Muslim people and was called to move to Aswan and then this Nubian village. In her dreams there were pictures of black and white sheep and water and wheels and many different symbols the all led her to make the move. And she listened. We walked around the village and saw the beautiful doors that mark this place. So many colors. Martina’s doors are alive and vibrant and change the atmosphere around them.

Martina’s art is amazing. Her prayers are powerful. But her art and her talent are not the highlight of her story.

The doors in the village are powerful because her relationships here are strong. Her love for each person is great. It’s not her art alone that is impacting the people. It’s the love behind them that brings them to life.

The best part of Martina’s story is the relationship that she has with her community. They are open to her words and they let her paint their homes. They have experienced the love of Jesus because she has loved them with his love.

She is planted. Her art is alive. And her life is a picture of love for the people around her.