Odessa Mission
December 2006 Newsletter
C Prozdnekum! (Happy Holidays!)
Indeed, the holiday season is upon us. It was great celebrating Thanksgiving with family this year. It has definitely been entirely too long since I had the chance to eat sweet potato casserole and crescent roles, not to mention Mom's famous stuffing. And what about that homemade gravy? Oh, did I mention the turkey yet? True, Ukraine also has a few dishes that I love sinking my teeth into, but, as you can imagine, they don't quite match up to the typical American Thanksgiving feast. I sometimes think that only a banquet in heaven could beat that. In fact, on Thanksgiving, I distinctly remember standing up to begin clearing the table when I immediately sat back down and filled my plate one last time. It's an especially vivid memory because Debbie, my sister, brought that to everyone's attention at least sixteen times (though I'm not counting). So, yes, if you're wondering, I have put on a few pounds recently.
Needless to say, with that backdrop, arriving back in Odessa was certainly an eye-opener. In neighboring Moldova , average working-class citizens are selling their own body parts to make ends meet, which could be happening in Odessa too. Ira returned to Ukraine a month earlier than I did, and in a phone conversation we had before my arrival, she warned me about how things have really worsened in Odessa . "Ira," I replied, "just relax. That's highly unlikely because it's only been a couple of months. I'm sure it just seems that way after being in America." Well, I was wrong. Costs for some utilities have actually doubled in the last three months. I went to get a haircut at my usual place and the price has jumped 20% since the summer. "What about groceries?" you ask. Well, let's not even go there. Prices are just soaring at a record pace, which is an obvious problem since salaries are not. In fact, Ira almost had her purse sliced open a few days ago which was a first for her since we've been living here. Ira said that in the early 1990's many Ukrainians would cut leather bags or coats just out of spite, not necessarily to steal, because the economy was so bad. The mere sight of a new bag was more than most folks could handle. Will that kind of activity return? At present, we can only wonder. One bit of consolation was noticing a mountain of piglets (stuffed animals) for sale at the supermarket to honor 2007 as the Year of the Pig, in the Chinese zodiac. In other words, apparently there are still quite a few who have money to throw away.
Well, if you just happen to be one who's waiting for a copy of my book then there's good news - it's still not ready! Actually, the final draft is in the publisher's hands but they're still typesetting it, so it probably won't be available until mid-January. Please be checking our website for updates throughout December just in case it's released sooner. We certainly want to apologize for the delays and thank you for your continued patience.
A few weeks ago, after teaching a Sunday school class in Virginia, a couple approached me and requested that we add them to our e-newsletter list. The following evening, I shared with a small group from another church and four individuals made that same request and at the Eastern Christian Convention at least fifteen people joined on. So the list keeps growing and we're thankful to God for that. If you or somebody you know would like to be added to that list, then please do contact us. We're of the philosophy: "The more the merrier!" [The list advises addressees that something new has been posted on the web site and where on the site it can be found.]
We now have at least three people who have chosen to be on our Board of Directors which is the minimum requirement for incorporating in Virginia. Additionally, three others are currently praying about the possibility. Hence, the process has begun and we're excited about what that could mean for The Odessa Mission in the future. Plans are also in the works to change our name so it will be more in line with our long-term goal of planting many congregations all throughout Ukraine . Three potential names are up for consideration: 1) Ukrainian Outreach, 2) Ukrainian Church Development, and 3) Ukrainian Church Strategies. We also covet your prayers for all of our Directors.
In October, I spoke at Roanoke Bible College to challenge students to pray about potential ministry opportunities in Odessa . At that time, four students agreed to seek God's will in that regard. Shortly thereafter, the list grew to five. So, before leaving the States, I chose to meet with them again. During our time together, two seniors made tentative full-time commitments of at least a year, two others expressed great interest in doing summer internships with us in 2007, and another indicated that she may pursue an internship in 2008. It's so exciting to see how open they are to God's leading and I'm sure He has BIG plans for each of them no matter where they end up. Do keep all of them in your prayers as they continue to listen to His voice and strive to honor Him. Oh, and please also pray that the second paragraph of this newsletter won't make them change their minds.
Finally, I'd like you to introduce Megan Lease, a name you'll surely be hearing a lot of in the coming months. She recently graduated from Milligan College, in Johnson City, Tennessee and majored in English. She is scheduled to arrive in Odessa on January 16, 2007 . Megan intends to serve Jesus Christ at KRCC for at least three months, so we especially ask for prayer on her behalf.
Seasons Greetings from all of us at KRCC,
John and Ira Murphy (and soon to be baby boy!)