Odessa Mission
March 2007 Newsletter
New Book Published
John's new book, A Dumb American in a Strange Country, is finally published.
I can't even believe that I'm writing this because it seems as though this whole
process has taken at least an eon, or maybe two, says John.
If you attend one of our supporting churches, you qualify for a special order
discount. Email Bill Ware at: wmrware@verizon.net for more details. Or you can
call him to place your special order at 804-779-7528.
If you're an individual who is actively supporting our mission then you will get
a free copy of the book as a small token of our appreciation. If you do not
receive your free copy by mail before spring's end then please contact Bill
Ware or email me: johnmurphy@odessamission.com.
All regular orders should be placed directly through Xulon Press' toll-free
number: 1-866-909-2665. We sincerely hope that God will use this personal testimony
to challenge every reader in a special way.
New Webmaster
Our prayer for a new webmaster has been answered, and our ministry is blessed.
Linda Hammell is a web developer who has volunteered to serve as our new webmaster.
The impact of her talent is obvious to anyone who is a regular visitor to our
web site, http://www.odessamission.com/.
Linda is an active member of Community Christian Church, in Lanoka Harbor, NJ.
We surely praise God for answering our prayers and we greatly appreciate her
addition to our team.
Prayer requests for this ministry
- Our potential partnership with the staff at the school for the handicapped
for the purpose of meeting social, economic, psychological, and spiritual needs.
- Oxonna's new relationship with a young man named Gleb, who seems fairly open
to spiritual dialogue. Also pray that she will make good on her pledge to enter
seminary and devote her life to full-time Christian ministry.
- A possible one-time a month ministry opportunity for John in Crimea,
which could enlarge the Odessa Mission's territory and increase our level
of support.
- Ella as she follows through with her decision to be baptized and starts
a new life.
- Ira and I as we enter into the thrills and spills of parenthood with the
birth of our firstborn son, Stefan.
Street Literature Sale
In mid-January, KRCC began selling Christian literature to the public at
bargain prices. All sale proceeds go to help support the mission. We've
obtained a license to do so right out on the street, which solicits a
variety of responses. The use of the Russian version of my book here will
hopefully build bridges to the community and help encourage some to visit
our church. We've also chosen several hot-topic books that we think might
even attract the average unbeliever here. One booklet is called: Is the
Bible Trustworthy? Another small book focuses on astrology--a fascination
for about 80% of Odessa's population. Josh McDowell's More than a Carpenter
is another example we use, along with some colorful children's literature.
We're also offering a great little booklet on abortion. According to the latest
statistics, the average abortion rate in the US is 24.3% and has never exceeded
30.3%. Ukraine's average abortion rate in 2000 was 53%. Its peak was in 1970
when it averaged 61.1%. The current average in Ukraine is probably around 45%,
but Odessa's rate is even higher than that. Even NY State's average is only
about 35%, which might help put things in perspective. One member of our church
formerly underwent thirteen abortions before she came to Christ, and there
are many Ukrainian women who could begin to relate to her. So please pray that
God will open hearts and get some of these books into the hands of those who
need them most.
In February, we also took advantage of the opportunity to sell the Russian
version of my book at a local Christian conference. Since that book was the only
one we decided to sell, we started noticing an interesting trend. On the street
we've been cursed at and labeled a cult, told to repent and ordered back to
America, among other things. That's to be expected. Surprisingly we also met
opposition at the Christian conference. One man tried to evangelize me,
although he knew full that I am a church planter in Odessa. Another woman
yelled at me and told me that I should be giving books away for free rather
than trying to make a buck off of them. And there were other similar reactions.
"John," my wife noted, "I'm starting to get the impression that your book
is going to make a real impact because the devil is doing everything possible
to stop us from selling it." Let's all pray that Ira's got a valid point
there.
Grace and Peace, John and Ira
The Odessa Mission, Ukraine