Odessa Mission
November 2007 Newsletter
Special Convention Edition
The National Missionary Convention (NMC) will be in Cincinnati this year from
November 15-18. Thankfully, Bill and Diane Ware have graciously volunteered to
man our booth, giving us live representation at the convention for the very
first time ever. So this is essentially an historic moment for us. The gathering
at the NMC has been growing steadily over the past few years and some are even
expecting upwards of ten thousand attendees this year. Thus, we're obviously
excited to be a part of this event. In fact, getting a slot for our booth was
not all that easy. However, God worked it out, which means that He's got a
plan in this. Due to our presence at this year's convention, we've chosen
to dedicate this month's newsletter to the attendees by briefly explaining
who we are, why we're in Odessa, and what it is we're trying to accomplish there.
John Who?
John Murphy is a graduate of Roanoke Bible College and Cincinnati Bible Seminary
and has held ministries in Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. He had his first
internship in Ukraine in the summer of 1993. In 1994, he moved to Kharkov,
Ukraine, where he participated in a church plant. Within two and a half weeks,
sixteen people were baptized into Christ and formed the nucleus for the church.
About a year later, after the church was running over a hundred in attendance,
John moved to Crimea to work with Crimea Tatars (Muslims). In Crimea, John
led thirteen former Muslims to the Lord and also wrote Answers in the Book,
which is primarily intended for Muslim readers or those targeting them.
It's also available as a free download on our homepage in both Word and
PDF formats: www.odessamission.com.
Iryna Who?
Iryna Murphy was born and raised on the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine.
She was baptized in 1999 and married John on October 6, 2001. During childhood,
she completed ten years of music school, where she played the piano.
She then studied voice for four years at an institute in her late teens.
Subsequently, she entered Odessa's music conservatory, earning a master's
degree in voice (opera) in 2006.
A Dumb American in a Strange Country
In 2004, John and his wife, Iryna, started Kind Road Christian Church in Odessa,
where they currently serve. After moving to Odessa, John penned A Dumb American
in a Strange Country, a book especially designed for anyone who automatically
assumes that mission trips aren't for them. Please check out our website
for more details on how to order. Or, if you happen to know someone who
has never considered going on a mission trip then why not give them a copy
for Christmas? By the way, approximately 80% of all book royalties go
directly to global outreach. So pick up your copy today!
Why Odessa?
Odessa is Ukraine's largest port with well over a million residents. Before
John and Iryna planted Kind Road Christian Church, there was no Restoration
Church there. In fact, KRCC is the only Christian Church/Church of Christ
in the entire Odessa region. That probably shouldn't surprise anyone since
there are only about ten Restoration Churches in the entire country, whose
population exceeds 46 million. In fact, John actually helped start two of
them and worked extensively in a third. Furthermore, Protestants make up much
less than 1% of Odessa's total population. Needless to say, there is a
tremendous need for more workers in Odessa.
Our Ultimate Goals
One thing we often stress is the fact that the Odessa Mission is not just the
start of a church. Rather, it's the start of a CHURCH MOVEMENT. Our ultimate
goal is not Kind Road Christian Church. Instead, it's planting many churches
just like KRCC throughout the Odessa region and perhaps even beyond it. We
believe that training up nationals is the most effective way to do this, and
that is currently happening at KRCC. However, more missionaries, prayer partners,
and funding are needed to make a greater impact in these particular areas.
So please join us if God is calling you to do so.
Want To Hear More?
John and his family plan to be stateside sometime in the late part of spring
2008 and could be available for speaking appointments. If you're interested in
having them visit your church then please email him at: Murphmission@hotmail.com.
Grace and Peace, John and Iryna
The Odessa Mission, Ukraine