Our Story
Martin was born into a Catholic family in West Berlin, Germany, in 1951. After completing elementary and high school, he went on to learn the trade of custom furniture making, design and business. In January, 1973, he wanted to see more of the world and went to the Northwest Territory of Canada, the Yukon and Southern Alaska, to spend time in the wilderness. Later that year, he drove the Trans-American Highway from Seattle, Washington, to Tijuana, Mexico, returning to Brownsville, Texas, and traveling to New Orleans. Thinking he would spend another winter in Saskatchewan, Canada, and heading back in that direction, he visited the Central Iowa Amana Colonies, a German settlement. Liking what he saw, Martin began working in the Amana Furniture Shop. He met Judy in January, 1974, and they were married August 31st, 1974.
Judy was born in West Amana, Iowa, in 1949, graduated from high school in 1967, and went to business college. She then was employed by the medical clinic in Amana. At that time, she was a member of the Amana Church.
Martin and Judy have two daughters, Melanie, 30, and Tracy, 26. Melanie and her husband, Micah, blessed them with a granddaughter, Baylea Mikayla, in 2000, a grandson, Tyler Jesse, in 2002 and a grandson Luke Christopher in 2005. Tracy and her husband, Brian, were married in December, 2002. Martin became a born again Christian in January, 1985, through the ministry of a co-worker and the broadcast ministry of Insight For Living with Chuck Swindall on our local Christian radio station KNWS. Following his conversion, he told the Lord he'd go anywhere HE sent him. Judy and their daughters accepted Christ as Lord and Savior in the Summer and Fall of 1986. They began attending a non-denominational Bible Church and their first missions trip was to former East Germany in 1988. Martin and a friend took twelve suitcases of Christian literature behind the Iron Curtain and spoke in many churches and to different groups.
In 1990, by invitation of the Josh McDowell ministry and Campus Crusade for Christ, Martin journeyed to Moscow, Russia, for the first time to do street evangelism and literature distribution. At one location, his group of 40 people gave away over 10,000 New Testaments in just twenty-two minutes. On the plane, flying back home to the United States, he was asked to join the Josh McDowell Ministry as an associate member to help head up the work in the Midwest. He returned to Russia and Ukraine for six years during winter and summer missions opportunities as team leader and trainer.
The Kolczyk’s joined the Evangelical Mission, SEND International, as Midwest representatives in 1996. They now work in a nine-state area of the Midwest. Martin also trains short-term leaders and teams, speaks in churches about missions, does career assessment interviews with potential future missionaries, helps churches develop missions programs and a vision to serve the Lord, sends pastors to teach in Bible colleges of Russia and Ukraine and serves as student Mobilizer in eight Bible Colleges and Seminaries in the Midwest.
In March/April, 2003, Martin visited the countries of Czech Republic, Croatia, and Poland to evaluate ongoing ministries and discover their needs including recruitment needs. The Lord laid it on Martin’s heart to find workers for HIS harvest field. Past ministry trips included setting up sawmills in Khabarovsk, Blagovashansk, Russian Far East, and Bryansk, Western Russia, help build Bible colleges, Bible camp ministry, TESL (Teaching English As A Second Language) workshops, and training ministry teams and leaders. Currently he is helping to establish the Zakarpati Bible Camp in Svalyava, Southwest Ukraine and a new ministry in Odessa, Ukraine.
Martin took a college team to Odessa, Ukraine in June of 2006 and we saw 20 kids come to Christ through VBS ministries, teaching English and youth ministries in Yuzhney, Odessa, Virsirka and Illyinka. The students did very well and some discovered new spiritual gifts, others are making adjustments for future ministries!
Martin and Judy have served on missions teams for a total of 18 years. Martin visits Christian campuses for recruitment and to assist students in goal setting. We help churches and their missions team develop missions policies and give opportunities to serve in various fields SEND is serving in. We offer opportunities beginning with a junior in high school up to the senior pastor of any given church plus, internships for college students in preparation for future service in missions.
Urbana 2006 Team 
