Odessa Mission
June 2003 Newsletter
Hello friends!
We're thrilled that God is using Ira's
contacts at the conservatory as a successful platform from which to reach out
to those that do not know Jesus as their Lord. Several students have been over
for dinner numerous times and some have just come over for coffee and conversation,
however, we constantly let them know that our door is always open. We've also
bought groceries and gone to people's houses to help cook dinner, which can be
a project here in Odessa. We are emphasizing hospitality as one of our church's
main missions, and right now, there's a group of about seven with whom we're
actively pursuing relationships. There also are probably another half dozen
we would put in the acquaintance category. Lena, Yulia, Casha, Vadik, Kolya,
Elona, and Olya, are definitely some names to remember in your prayers.
Lena and Yulia are already helping develop our worship program and assisting
with our servant evangelism in a nearby hospital. We minister to children
in the cancer unit on a regular basis. It's tough work, but we feel that
it's a great example of Christian service for anyone within our sphere of influence.
We also ask that you pray for open hearts. The overall attitude towards any form of Christianity other than Orthodoxy or Catholicism is that it's some kind of weird sect. One woman, after hearing that I was an American Christian, immediately turned to her husband and said: "Oh, he's like those Jehovah's Witnesses." Of course, this is understandable since there are just a few Protestant churches in the entire area. Most of our new friends have never even been in a church before, but they still seem somewhat intrigued by our conversations. It's clear, though, that most people think that your average Protestant believer is uneducated and fanatical. It's true that, under Communism, many Protestant believers were banned from institutions of higher learning as a form of discrimination, but the majority of this mentality lingers because of the former Soviet propaganda. Back then, practicing one's faith was not only considered a crutch, but also the outworking of a type of mental disorder. So, you can imagine how the people view missionaries like us. Our first task is showing people that we're basically normal. For my wife that shouldn't be too hard, but for me . . . well, that's another newsletter altogether.
Ira and I visited the Crimea part of the Ukraine recently and many of you may recognize the name Nezamika. He was our oldest convert from Islam, who was immersed in 1999. A few weeks ago, I was informed that this dear friend went to be with the Lord. And though I'll miss him dearly, I'm very confident that we'll meet again. Nezamika was an eighty-year old man with a cane, who made it to church every Sunday, even though he had to walk an hour and a half each way. And even towards the end, after becoming partially paralyzed, he still was committed to attending every Sunday morning service. Nezamika, a man who grew up as a Muslim, left this world as a dedicated disciple of Jesus. I mention him for two reasons: 1) many of you were instrumental in reaching Nezamika, and 2) he is a typical example of the kind of faith that new Christians have in the former USSR. We thank you for helping us reach Nezamika, and we appreciate your desire to share Christ with others like him in Odessa.
Love, John and Ira Murphy - The Odessa Mission
Mission Area Facts:
The currency used in Odessa is the Russian gryvna and one gryvna is equal to
100 kopecks. Depending on the exchange rate (which fluctuates daily), one U.S.
Dollar equals about 5.30 gryvna (rate on June 3) and therefore, one gryvna
equals about 19 U.S. cents. A U.S. nickel equals about 26 kopecks. In Odessa,
a loaf of bread costs about 125 kopecks (or about $ .24) and an apartment
renting for 795 gryvna would be about $150.00 in U.S. dollars.
From Al's Perspective
"I sent a check the 25th of April, why didn't it show on the April report?"
To keep things simple, I use the last Sunday of the month as the cut-off date
for reporting the support checks I receive for a month. Each Sunday, I give
all of the checks I have received during that week to the Northampton Church
of Christ Missions Treasurer for deposit the next day. Sometimes, I don't
receive checks until the tenth of the month following the month they were
written/dated and some checks are for two or three months support. Therefore,
it is easier to report just the funds received by the cut-off date. Since
I did not receive the "example" check until April 30th (the last Sunday
for April was the 27th), it will show on the May report. Please be assured,
all support will be reported. I do keep the date each check was written
and the month it was received if anyone ever needs that information.
In His Service, Al