Odessa Mission
Ira and I are getting so excited about beginning the work. Ira is already in Odessa, anxiously awaiting my arrival (I hope). And I'm sure looking forward to seeing her smiling face too. My visa and ticket are in hand, and my departure date is April 13. It's great to think that, while we've been talking a lot about touching lives in Ukraine for about a year now, soon we'll actually be doing it. Recently, Ira told me that she's already assembled a quartet and a five-member praise team. All we need now, she quipped, is a preacher. I guess I'd better get over there. We certainly praise God for the opportunities that He's already creating for us.I keep remembering Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." (NIV)
Since my departure is imminent, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for making this happen. It's because of your willingness to put your faith inaction that His church will soon be born in the former USSR. It does appear that we've met our minimal budget requirements, though I do hope that we'll eventually be able to expand on that some. I was looking at the budget several days ago, after brainstorming about some of our potential benevolent programs, and realized that $100 a month will probably restrict us considerably. So, I hope and pray that God will provide more for the sake of our benevolent outreach. I also request that any church interested in adopting us as their VBS mission point this summer inform us of the details so that we can prepare adequately.
Finally, please: 1) Pray for our safety, considering the circumstances; 2) Pray that Ukraine will keep its doors open to western missionaries, despite the fact that many neighboring countries are closing their doors; 3) Pray that, as a couple, we'll be able to make this transition smoothly; 4) Pray for open hearts; and 5) Pray that God will remove all of the unforeseen barriers along the way, giving us the wisdom and resolve needed to be successful for the sake of His glory.
Love,
John
and Ira Murphy
Mission Area Facts: In addition to the Black Sea, the republic of Ukraine borders seven countries: Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova. The Hungarian border is only 64 miles long. The Ukrainian coastline is 1,729 miles long which is about the same as the combined coastlines of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. Odessa is sometimes spelled with only one "s" (Odesa) but is usually spelled Odessa in English publications. Likewise, the capital of the republic of Ukraine has several spellings including Kiev, Kyyiv, and Kyiv.