Odessa Mission
June 2004 Newsletter
S Dnome Rozhdenya Doroga Dobra!
(Happy Birthday Kind Road!)
Well, it's official folks: Kind Road Christian Church is meeting every Sunday at 11 a.m., so if you're ever in the neighborhood then swing by for a visit. Hopefully, we'll have a group from America coming next May to celebrate her birthday with us and maybe you could join them. Our first service was on May 23rd and we had a total of seven people present. I invited Peter Pavluk, a local leader at the Baptist church, to give his testimony since he is a former alcoholic who should have been dead years ago. Due to his addiction, the doctors said that it would be nothing short of a miracle if he lived past 35, but he's now approaching 50 and healthier than ever. Moreover, he's written eight Christian books that are touching lives throughout Ukraine. One of his latest books, The Cross and the Rose, gives a detailed account of his past addictions and how the Lord delivered him from them all. Tatyana also joined us for our first service. She's been attending the charismatic church in Odessa, but seems really supportive of our efforts also. In fact, she's been at both of our services so far and appears rather enthused about all that's happening with The Odessa Mission. Olya was also a part of our first service given the fact that she's been helping Ira develop the worship program, but it's becoming increasingly obvious that her Orthodox roots aren't letting her go very easily. Please do keep her in your prayers because the devil is waging quite a battle for her. Also, please remember Ira in your prayers with the prospect of possibly having to carry the weight of the worship program alone. Artyome, one of this year's graduates from the school for the handicapped, also worshiped with us and told me that he even shed a tear during the service. He's got a good heart and we'll certainly miss him as he continues his education elsewhere in Ukraine. Lena, a friend who formerly helped us at the cancer ward, also attended our first service. That was a big surprise for us and we are sure hoping and praying that her heart will remain open for the gospel. Finally, the owner of the cafe that we rent, Nicolai Demitrovich, also stayed for the service, and he too seems fairly open despite his initial hunch that we were American spies working with the CIA. He's a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and automatically has his suspicions regarding the west, but because of an alleged vision he had several years back, he's still willing to listen attentively. Thanks to you, a new church has been born in Odessa and we'll be more than happy to keep you updated regularly.
We also got to spend some quality time with our little friend Alyosha in Crimea recently. He's growing like every normal five-year old boy and seemed to be in good spirits overall. As you recall, we previously paid all of the outstanding debts they had accrued on their flat, but that was all we could afford to do last time. However, this time we were able to get them a refrigerator, which was desperately needed since theirs hasn't worked for over a year. You should've seen the look on their faces when we carried it into their apartment. It was almost as joyful as the look on my face after finally getting that fridge up to their sixth-floor apartment. We had to take the stairs since the elevator doorway was too narrow. We also covered the rest of the bill for the tombstone we had promised to help provide for Lena, Alyosha's Mom. [Since May 2003, $795.00 has been specifically designated by individuals and Sunday School classes for Alyosha's support. Praise the Lord!!!]
While in Crimea, we also got to see Ira's parents. Unfortunately, they are not Christians yet, but we're continuing to lift them up in prayer. When I first met them, we would never pray before a meal, but he gradually has changed since Ira deliberately began requesting that we do so. We were all rather surprised by her Dad's (Vladimir's) initial response when she first decided to speak up. "Well," he replied, "to be honest, my parents never ate a meal without first saying a prayer. So, ah, that actually sounds like a pretty good idea if you ask me!" Eventually, Vladimir began making that request himself, whenever I happened to be in town. This last visit, though, was a bit different, and the reason is because Ira's Dad decided that it was finally his turn to say a prayer. Of course, it was a little rough around the edges, granted, but it was from the heart nonetheless.
Friends, THANK YOU SO MUCH for allowing us to be here, in Ukraine, to touch the lives of people we dearly love and also witness the birth of a new congregation, Kind Road Christian Church, that the Lord will ultimately use for the sake of His Name and Glory. "This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." (2 Corinthians 9:12-13).
Love, John and Ira Murphy - The Odessa Mission