Martin Barlau served as a Christian teacher in Lutheran schools for 30 years. He began as a teacher of grades 5-6, became a principal three years later, and taught among grades 5 - 8 thereafter. His primary goal was always to help children come to enjoy life with God, as he had learned to do from a young age with his father's guidance.

 

After 30 years as a teacher, Martin was asked to help lead the start of new Lutheran churches in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and El Paso, TX. And after 13 years of doing so, he was asked to lead a program to assist with the start of Christian early learning centers throughout the nation. from 2000 to 2013. His favorite memory comes from a Sunday morning visit to one of the congregations that had begun such a center. After an opening hymn, the pastor baptized a 4 yr. old from the new center. Then he baptized the mother of the 4 yr. old, and then he baptized the grandmother of the 4 yr. old. Martin's travels took him and his wife from Fairbnks, Alaska to Ft. Myers, Florida.

 

In between, Martin found time to do some writing in support of Christian education. Several of his pieces were selected for publication. Lenny Was a Leaf is the only published book among his writings. Martin has read the book to children in several Christian schools, while his wife, Jean Marie showed the related illustrations on a screen. A number of parents gifted their children with an autographed copy of the book following a reading.