Odessa Mission
Weekly Updates
Sunday Service Update January 28, 2007
Hi Friends, For the second week in a row, we were privileged to have a musician
from Odessa's Messianic Church lead our worship time. Roza is not just a graduate
of Odessa's music conservatory but she's also a very mature believer with a
servant's heart. Fortunately for us, Roza has chosen to help KRCC in that particular
area since Ira is getting ready for motherhood. And we're very happy to say
that Roza is such a positive individual who's just so full of life, which means
that her leadership is really inspiring our folks to grow in a variety of ways.
We certainly look forward to collaborating with her further for the sake of the
gospel and we praise the Lord for her willingness to serve with no strings attached.
Sunday Service Update December 24, 2006
Sunday was our Christmas pageant at KRCC and it went extremely well. There were
over thirty people in attendance and many of them were first time visitors.
John opened the program with a short message from Matthew 2:11 and mentioned
four important lessons we should learn from the Magi. Then the KRCC kids did
a puppet show, sang songs, then there was a live performance from our friendly
neighborhood angel (played by Ira) in which she told a story describing the
nativity story. After all this we played games which involved prizes and topped
off the morning with our famous face-painting debut. To paint each face we
charged $1 a piece and all the proceeds will go toward our Christmas pageant
expenses at the cancer ward on Tuesday, December 26th. Finally, a woman named
Natalia made a decision to follow Jesus and plans to be immersed into Christ
in early 2007. She not only attends our English lessons but also happens to
be the daughter of one of my good friends, Gregory. We've been praying for
over a year now that God would open the door to that large family and we
rejoice in the fact that our prayers are being answered.
Merry Christmas, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update December 17, 2006
This morning's service generally went as usual although it was nice having a
guest from the Presbyterian congregation visiting with us. His name is Victor
and he is one of our English students. Several months ago I had loaned him
Jack Cottrell's book on baptism and he returned it today. Unfortunately,
since he was in a hurry, I didn't get the chance to talk with him about his
impressions of the book or if his ideas had changed any concerning baptism.
I'll sure try to do that in the near future. It was also good to see Ella
return especially since she came to our office several times this past
week to rehearse for the upcoming Christmas program. Please keep praying
for her. Next Sunday will be our pageant, so please do remember that
in your prayers also.
Sunday Service Update December 10, 2006
At the beginning of today's service, following an extended prayer time that
really seemed to have a special impact on everyone, Oxonna proposed that our
congregation gather each Sunday to pray before the morning worship time.
Since everyone jumped at the idea, we'll begin doing that next Sunday.
Immediately after Oxonna spoke up, another person asked: "Why don't we all
do a regular fast together too?", and again everyone enthusiastically agreed.
Thus, every Thursday will be considered an official fast for the members at
KRCC and we will focus on special needs, concerns, and an overall revival
in Odessa and beyond. Do feel free to join us if you so desire.
God's Richest, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update December 3, 2006
It was great to be back in the pulpit this morning. There were nine of us
including Rayeesa and her husband Alexander. Larissa is still away visiting
with her mother on the Ukrainian/Moldovan border but should be back soon. Today,
I spoke about the need to live by faith. So much of the time we go to church by
faith, take communion assured of the fact that Jesus saves, and shout "amen"
during sermons on our favorite topics. On the other hand, though, we often fail
to really trust God with our lives, our futures, our problems, and circumstances.
Additionally, we frequently rely on human wisdom and desires instead of God's,
which is a clear symptom of this dual lifestyle. Consequently, when we ask
God for guidance, as James tells us to do, we sometimes don't get it because
we don't really want it. At other times, we don't get it because we're not
really expecting Him to respond (see James 1:5-8). Of course, it's difficult
to pray in faith when we're not living by faith. And the context of
Hebrews 11, a section we covered briefly, clearly emphasizes the importance
of this by stating that it's impossible to please God without this kind
of trust permeating our very thoughts and lives (Heb. 11:6). The Point:
God expects us to trust in Christ for salvation but He equally expects
us to trust Him throughout the roller-coaster ride of life, if we're to
ultimately please Him. So let's all do everything possible to ensure
that our faith is truly the kind that meets His approval.
Blessings in Christ, John
Pageant practice - After worship service on Sunday, December 3, we had a Christmas
pageant practice. From left to right around the table are: Ira, Oxonna,
Nastya, Ella, Tatyana (holding the parrot puppet), and the back of Oleg's
head. Ella has only visited KRCC a handful of times throughout the course
of 2006, but thankfully, she has volunteered to take part in the pageant.
Hopefully this will lead to even greater things in the future. Please keep
her in your prayers because she seems rather receptive at this time.
Igor and Larissa - We are all very thankful to God for finding someone to fill the
pulpit while I was stateside. Igor and his wife Larissa are on the left
next to Ira in this picture taken at our apartment. Please remember to
pray that God would richly bless them for their willingness to help in our time
of need. To the right of Ira are Oxonna, Rayessa, Oleg, and Nastya.
Sunday Service Update, August 27, 2006
During worship this morning, KRCC laid hands on Tatyana and Oxonna and prayed
for them for the purpose of officially setting them apart for service. Tatyana
will begin her new ministry to children at the cancer ward this coming weekend.
She hopes to spend time with the kids each Saturday, pray for them and their
parents, play games with them, and teach simple Bible lessons, among other things.
When I went to the hospital with her last week, the kids just ran to meet and
greet us and were beaming from ear to ear. Apparently our last concert there
was a huge success which evidently shows that the parents are also happy about
our intentions. With the summer break finally coming to a close, Oxonna plans
to begin teaching English at a school for kids suffering from scoliosis which
will hopefully create many contacts for our church.
Shalom, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, August 20, 2006
Before the service this morning, our crew decided to go out onto the street and
invite folks to worship with us. We gave out church invitations and tried to
strike up some meaningful conversation with anyone willing to chat. I had two
good talks. One was with a woman who lives right near our facility and the
other was with an agnostic who probably lives in that same neighborhood.
Though he's certainly a skeptic, he was still cordial enough to "waste" a few
minutes with me. Unfortunately, not everyone was so favorably disposed. There
were also two women who took a look at our invitation and just scowled at us.
One shouted: "We're Orthodox believers! You're some crazy sect! Nope, we don't
need your stupid invitations!" Her girlfriend immediately turned to me and said:
"You are a son of the devil himself!" Wow, what a compliment! Jesus said:
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged
to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to
the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world
hates you." (John 15:18-19 NIV) Although nobody took us up on the invitation,
it's always great to know that Jesus' words are being fulfilled in and
through us daily.
Blessings Galore, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, August 13, 2006
Summer is always a tough time for churches attendance-wise, especially for new ones
like ours. Nevertheless, we did have two first-time visitors today. One appears
to have been present simply to get a free Bible. Unfortunately, for him, that
didn't work out because we found out before the service that he had been to
another Protestant church in Odessa and got a free-bee there also. When Ira
asked what happened to it, he just said that he gave it to a relative. Then,
when she asked why he didn't continue attending that church, it was clear
that his intentions were suspect at best. After the service, I just told him
that we usually give people free Bibles when they officially place their
membership at KRCC. He didn't like the answer but that's life. However, he did
sit through the entire service first, so hopefully the Lord will work on him
this week. The other guy has been attending the Lutheran church and is actually
German, though he grew up in the former USSR. He did live in Canada, the US,
and Germany, for a total of about ten years until his deportation back in 2001.
He seems to be searching sincerely and may actually return. We'll keep you posted.
God's Richest, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, August 6, 2006
Lately, Sundays at KRCC have had more of a steering committee feel to them than
a typical worship service. That is good in some ways because we really need to
make some changes at our church as well as get all of the bases covered before
Ira and I head west. Although we didn't necessarily come up with any concrete
alternatives to some of the programs we currently offer, we did reach consensus
regarding the fact that several of those programs need to be scrapped and
replaced. Thus, everyone will be thinking and praying about the new direction
KRCC will be taking in the near future. We also ask you to join us as we
seek His guidance during this time of reflection. Please also pray for
our beach outing which is scheduled for August 12. We know at least one
of our English students, Simon, will be spending the day with our group.
Grace and Peace, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, July 30, 2006
During today's service, we discussed some key issues at length and in detail.
One dealt with KRCC's scheduled beach outing which is slated for August 12th
and another issue related to logistics questions linked with our absence during
our upcoming furlough in September and October. A final issue had to do with some
of KRCC's plans concerning evangelism. We all talked about our current ministries
and brainstormed about how to expand them further. In addition, we discussed
what new ministry options we had and/or needed with the goal being toward reaching
unbelievers. So, the round-table talks turned out to be pretty successful overall,
but implementing our ideas may not be that easy. Nevertheless, we look forward
to giving it our best shot and letting God do His thing in response to your continued prayers.
Thanks for being faithful, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, July 24, 2006
After the service this morning, our crew came together and rehearsed for their
upcoming program at the cancer ward. This Tuesday, we'll be going to visit
with the kids at the hospital and bring them some good news about Jesus' love
for them. Keep your eyes open for some news, pictures, and maybe even some
video clips, and please be sure to keep that event in your prayers this week.
After today's English lesson, I also had a good talk with one of the students.
He and his wife have been coming to Sunday's English program for about a
month now and seem to be opening up to the gospel. They even took some
literature this afternoon, which is always a good sign. Regrettably,
Tanya didn't attend the English classes this weekend so we're not sure
where she is in her thinking right now. Do keep praying for her also.
Sunday Service Update, July 16, 2006
This morning's worship service was pretty typical overall but the English class
was especially exciting because two of our students decided to borrow Christian
books today. One of them is Victor [grey shirt back row], who is an active member
at Odessa's Presbyterian Church and the other was Tanya [pink shirt in back row]
who is Orthodox. Tanya seemed to be opening up to NT Christianity and the fact
that she decided to borrow a book from a Protestant author is definitely a good
sign indeed. Furthermore, during today's lesson, I asked her if she had ever
surrendered her life to Jesus Christ and after a pause she replied, "Well, maybe
not completely." Since she's been attending our English classes for about
three months now, I felt confident enough to ask her if she'd like to.
"Possibly," she answered, "but how?" I just told her that she had to make
the decision and stick to it. We finally decided that it would be best
if she put some thought and prayer into it before jumping into anything
prematurely. Please do keep her in your prayers.
Glory to God, John & Ira
These were the six students in the English class on Sunday, June 18th.
(L to R) Sergei, Simon, Natalie, Tanya Victor, and John. John
Murphy is sitting to the right (out of sight) of Al who took this picture.
Sunday Service Update, July 2, 2006
Today, Sergei visited us on a Sunday morning for the first time. He has attended
our video program and I have mentioned him before. If you recall, he's the atheist
who was willing to read Lee Strobel's book: The Case for Christ. He basically
came to return the book, but wound up staying for part of the service too.
During the message, I decided to cultivate a discussion, allowing Sergei to
add some of his ideas as a skeptic. What he probably didn't expect were the
answers he received, exposing the faulty reasoning he was using as well as
the fact that he was taking Scripture entirely out of context, which is to
be expected from a non-believer. Regrettably, when he couldn't adequately
respond to my replies, he chose to get up and leave. I certainly had no
intention of putting him on the spot but he sort of dug a hole for himself
and it made him feel a bit awkward after all the cards were on the table.
Nevertheless, his short visit was certainly a step in the right direction
and our prayers will surely make a difference. We planted the seed and
now God will water it (1 Corinthians 3:6). Additionally, although
Rayeesa is attending another church now, she still decided to visit
with us today and celebrate her birthday at KRCC. Apparently, even
though KRCC is not into the health and wealth stuff and which evidently
appeals to her tastes, she still considers us enough of "her family" to
be willing to join us for this special day. [Her daughter Nastya attends
KRCC regularly.]
Ira and I are praising God for His answering your and our prayers in making
another apartment available. With the July 11th deadline looming on the horizon
to move out of our present apartment, another apartment has become available
and we will be moving into it on July 6th. Although it is more expensive than
the apartment we are currently in, it is affordable and we are so thankful
for the prayers you have offered.
Glory to God, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, June 25, 2006
This morning our topic was forgiving our debtors and helping others forgive us.
During the service, three individuals made public decisions to let go of some
grudges they've been clinging to. In fact, they even briefly explained the
situations so that all of us could make it a matter of prayer. Afterwards,
someone came up to me and told me that she'd been harboring some ill feelings
toward Ira, so I just repeated something I said during the message.
That gave her the strength to talk directly with Ira privately.
Basically, everything was just a big misunderstanding and they worked
it out just fine. In the end, following the tears and hugs, there
was reconciliation. So we praise the Lord for the cleansing that took
place today. We also thank Him for a first-time visitor who's been to
my English classes a few times as well as the video program twice. Her
name is Ella and she seems open to the gospel so please be praying for her.
[Al speaking: I just wanted to say thanks to all of you that were praying for me
during my trip to Odessa last week and Praise the Lord for a safe trip.
Although the trip to and from Odessa was long and tiring, the time I had with
John, Ira, and my brothers and sisters at KRCC was well worth it. John and Ira
were great hosts and I'm certain that if any of you just happen to be passing
through Odessa they would be happy to extend the comfort of their home to you.
I have many impressions to share plus a slew of pictures. The task now is to
find time to sit down and organize it all into an understandable format plus
write the captions for the pictures. Please bear with me.]
John and Ira
Al Kunkel is on his way to Odessa
Al Kunkel, Mission Forwarding Agent departed Washington Dulles Airport on
Tuesday for his first visit to the Mission in Odessa. We are all looking forward
to hearing all the stories of his journey as well as pictures.
Sunday Service Update, June 18, 2006
This morning was especially cool because our cool brother Al Kunkel was with
us for the first time ever. It was great seeing him in action today. He did
a superlative job sharing a personal testimony and then following that up
with an hour and a half lesson for our six English students. In addition,
we showed pictures from the outing (read McDonald's Restaurant) and shopping
spree at a local toy store (similar to 'Toy's R Us') our kids enjoyed
yesterday, all due to Northampton Church of Christ's generosity and Al's
willingness to bring it all with him. The kids all wished Al a happy Father's
Day and expressed their appreciation both to him as well as Northampton for
all they did to make yesterday such a wonderful experience. In fact,
Nastya noted that yesterday had to be one of the highlights of her entire
life! Yeah, what more can I say?
Thanks, John
Sunday Service Update, June 11, 2006
It was neat to see Oxonna's mother attend KRCC for the first time this morning.
It was also good to see a visitor from KRCC's second birthday/anniversary return.
Her name is Larissa and she actually brought a friend along. Since our
service went a little longer than usual, some of our English students were
also forced to sit through some of it. I continued preaching during their
lesson too, so they got quite a dose today. Please be in prayer for Oxonna
and Tatyana as they both began their five-day fast today, which leads into
next weekend's seminar.
God's Richest Blessings, John and Ira
Ira singing - By far the biggest test in Ira's singing career will be on
june 6, 2006,which will be her mini-concert at the conservatory for all the
professors and students. It's a requirement in her masters program and she's
currently preparing for it with a certain amount of fear and trepidation.
She'll also have another test in early July, but we're trying to take each one as
it comes. Please be praying for God's peace and success as she completes
this chapter in her life.
Sunday Service Update, June 4, 2006
Since almost all of our adults were out of town today, the only thing to write
home about is the children's program, which went just fine. We were also missing
a couple of our kids, but that happens a lot during the summer months, as you
know. Nevertheless, let's just say that we did well with what we had to work
with this morning. Our English class was especially successful this afternoon
because we translated half of a tract called "Creator or Liar?" from Chick
Publications, which is a great way to explain the gospel to people. We'll
probably cover the rest of it next time. If interested, you can read the
tract yourself on his website: www.chick.com. We definitely don't agree
with everything he writes, but the majority of his stuff proves to be
rather useful for witnessing.
Sunday Service Update, May 28, 2006
Today's service was a little disappointing because a couple of new folks who
had attended KRCC last week, for our big celebration, did not return today.
That's certainly no surprise but it is discouraging. Nevertheless, we're
looking forward to next week and whenever we'll be able to see those visitors
come back. On another note, Oxonna's niece and nephew have come two weeks
in a row. Moreover, our English lessons are returning to their evangelistic
roots and we seem to be seeing some results.
Sunday Service Update, May 21, 2006
Today, KRCC celebrated its second birthday as a congregation and the service
was outstanding! Nastya sang, Tatyana and Oxonna put on a small skit, Ira did
a fantastic job leading music, and I showed a bunch of pictures on the big
screen accompanied by selected music which gave everyone an overall glimpse
of the last two years. The memories even brought tears to people's eyes.
Rayeesa also joined us and two additional surprises were two people from
my English class. Afterwards, we decided to top everything off with cake
and pizza. Thanks to your prayers, it was great day and a definite
step forward for KRCC!
Praise God, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, May 14, 2006
Since KRCC will be two years old on May 23rd, we'll all be celebrating together
next Sunday. This morning, we even had several people volunteer to do something
special for next week's birthday/anniversary service. Tatyana and Oxonna are
planning to work on a skit, Nastya wants to sing, and Larissa volunteered to
make a cake. Ira and I have decided to order pizzas so that we'll all be able
to celebrate in style after the service. So the big upcoming bash promises to
be an event that we'll all remember for quite a while. Today, I also challenged
everyone to do everything possible to make sure that a friend comes with them
to the service. Please be praying about next Sunday's 'special service and
celebration' and we'll surely join you!
Blessings galore, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, May 7, 2006
Have you ever had a day in your life when nothing exciting happened except that
you were alive, God's beauty was all around you, and the ones you love (God and
your family) were there with you. Well, that was this morning at KRCC and I
don't really have much specific to mention about today's service that would
qualify as exceptionally newsworthy. However, we did honor Andre who is one
of our kids that has been coming to KRCC for approximately a year now. He
received an award for his consistency regarding church attendance. He has
only missed worship a few times and only then because his mother, an unbeliever,
forced him to go the Russian Orthodox Church instead. She temporarily attempted
to discourage his involvement at KRCC but she was unsuccessful thanks to Andre's
constant vocal opposition. Thus, because of his dedication and example, Andre
was given a Game Boy Advance, which Olivet Christian Church (Newport News, VA)
donated back in July of 2005. On second thought, maybe today really was exciting!
I'm certain that Andre will remember today and maybe the rest of us should take
his lead and be more faithful to our Lord and Savior in our everyday walk with
the Lord.
Sunday Service Update, April 30, 2006
This morning was neat especially because Ira's folk were with us for the
service today. They've been with us for a couple of days now and it seems
like we've been talking so much about God that even I'm just about ready to
change the subject, which is pretty astounding to say the least. It's
exciting to see them asking so many questions and finding so many answers.
My message this morning was from Haggai 2 and was definitely a textual
sermon so they got a lot of Bible study today. Nevertheless, they seemed
to stay with me throughout and probably learned a few valuable things
along the way too. I spoke about how Jesus fulfilled the imagery of the
old covenant temples and explained how we too, as the New Testament Church,
are the end result. This society here in Odessa has all but made an
icon out of the Orthodox churches themselves and not only do their
"church" buildings resemble temples but are even called "temples"
in the Russian language. Therefore, my sermon today was surely a
foreign concept to them. The fact is that most people immediately
write off KRCC as a church simply because of its appearance, but
gradually with your prayer support we intend to change that - make
that we ARE changing that.
Partners in the Gospel, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, April 23, 2006
Today's service was wonderful since it was Easter here in the Ukraine. We had
several visitors and even some old friends returned to celebrate with us.
Tamara came today and that was the first time in months. Her son, Pavel
[baptized by John at KRCC on November 14, 2004], died recently [at the age of 55]
and she said: "I just had to be here this morning." Rayeesa and her husband
also joined us today since their kids [Oleg and his older sister Nastya] were
participating in the Easter program. It was good to see them. We also had a
visitor who attends our English program. Levon came today for the first time
and had the chance to hear Rick Deighton speak. Rick's interpreter didn't
show up so I covered for him and I think it went very well. There were also
some new kids today. Praise God for today's successes!
He Is Risen, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, April 16, 2006
Today's service was very encouraging because everyone seemed to have some good
news to share. We didn't have a large group but we did have a lot of zest.
I also felt as though we were able to cover some material that was especially
relevant to everyone's needs. All of our folks are actively involved in
evangelism, whether amongst family members, colleagues, or friends. We've
also made it a habit to discuss any developments and progress with each other
on a regular basis. Having said that, I'll just add that this morning's
discussion seemed more promising than it usually is because hearts that were
once calloused are apparently beginning to soften a bit. Additionally, this
afternoon's English lesson was a pick-me-up because it confirmed that the
current group we're serving is continuing to stick around. Next week is
Easter here and I issued a formal invitation to the group to come hear
Rick Deighton preach in 'English' even though there will be an interpreter
for those non-English speaking individuals. It will be an excellent
opportunity to try out their new 'English listening' skills. So please
be praying that all of the folks will show up for worship which will be
a first for those that are in the English program but do not attend KRCC.
Sunday Service Update, April 9, 2006
Today was my birthday so we obviously had cake and great fellowship after
the service, which was a little shorter than usual. All of our kids made
beautiful cards for me and really wrote some nice things. Our church members
all chipped in and bought a wooden cross for our church, which actually
turned out to be my birthday present. Some gave flowers and other things
too, but the thing that really impressed me most was the spirit in which
everything was done because it just showed how much they all appreciate
me. Before I opened my present I said: "I just can't get over all of
this attention." Immediately, Oxonna replied: "If anyone deserves it,
you do!" After the service we also had our English lesson and it was
encouraging to see that our group is growing again. Our number of
students, though it had dropped considerably for a while is back up to
ten or more.
Sunday Service Update, April 2, 2006
In the service today, we had a visitor named Kostya. He had visited with us a
long time ago but never returned until today and he actually happens to be Oxonna's
neighbor so they just came together. I asked him why he decided to come to
church today and he paused briefly, cracked a smile, and replied: "I don't
really know the answer to that one. All I can say is that some people just
sort of wake up on a particular day and realize that that's something they
need to do." I thought his response was fairly encouraging so please be
praying for him. After church we also had two new people join our English
class and their names are Igor and Lena. Igor is someone I've been
acquainted with for some time now, though I barely know him as a person.
However, I hope and pray that the Lord will give us many chances to
develop a friendship that will benefit God's Kingdom in some way.
Sunday Service Update, March 19, 2006
Today's worship service was pretty ordinary except for one thing which basically
deals with how I personally worshiped this morning. I think that my worship
time was much more meaningful than it usually is and there are a couple of
reasons why. First, during yesterday's Bible lesson I really emphasized
the sincerity aspect of worshiping in Spirit and in truth. I stressed the
significance of focusing solely on Him during worship, rather than allowing
anything to distract us in any way and I'd say that if nobody else benefited
from that lesson, at least I did. Secondly, I've been praying a very
dangerous prayer lately: "Lord, please show me my weaknesses". Well,
God has been answering that prayer in some amazing ways, in-turn helping me
to see some fairly ugly things. So, while the picture might not be all
that pretty, let's just say that it still has potential.
Sunday Service Update, March 12, 2006
Today we enjoyed having Oxonna and Tatyana share their impressions from a recent
three-day seminar they attended on finding one's calling in Christ. It was
thrilling to hear how both of them "found it" and how that's filling them with a
renewed sense of joy and purpose. Oxonna plans on teaching English at a local
school for the handicapped in order to eventually develop youth-oriented
programs for KRCC, while Tatyana plans to create a drama-based ministry for
our congregation. In fact, both of them not only announced their plans but
also have already started acting on them. The fact that I've been preaching
on one's calling for about two months now just shows that God's hand has
been in this all along. It was also encouraging to hear our folks make
an official request this morning for additional systematic Biblical
teaching which clearly manifests spiritual growth and maturity. We've
chosen Saturday afternoon March 18th for our first lesson in the Book
of Genesis.
Sunday Service Update, March 5, 2006
Today's worship service basically didn't happen because there was no electricity,
which meant not only that there were no lights but no heat either. However,
we still gathered together for about an hour and just fellowshipped with one
another. The one thing that a dark cold building couldn't stop was our devouring
a record number of cookies (for us at least), which actually turned out to be a
nice alternative given the circumstances. Since Ira was "under the weather"
(pun intended) because she threw her back out earlier in the week, the kids
especially had a blast doing their own thing even though I provided some
periodic supervision of course. So things were very different this morning
but still a blessing overall since they didn't have to listen to me. Did I
hear an amen muttered out there somewhere?
God is good,
John and Ira Murphy
Sunday Service Update, February 26, 2006
Today we continued talking about finding God's will which is a topic we've been
discussing for about a month now. In this morning's message, I began by
explaining how Socrates was hailed not for giving the right answers but for
asking the right questions. I then challenged our people to ask themselves
five key questions in order to be sure that they're moving in God's
direction: 1) Are my aspirations consistent with Scripture?, 2) Am I currently
using godly wisdom to navigate my life?, 3) Will my current hopes and plans help
me use all of my potential to honor Jesus Christ?, 4) Do I have genuine peace
about the direction of my life?, and 5) What do my Christian leaders think about
my aspirations? We also discussed several other related issues and tried to
draw Biblical conclusions on each front. Thankfully, the response seemed
especially positive indeed.
Sunday Service Update, February 19, 2006
We were thrilled to have three individuals visit KRCC this morning. First,
Andre who is a boy in our kid's ministry brought his little sister. Her name
is Nella and it was her first visit to Sunday worship. Second, our long-term
regular Vladimir brought his friend Ruslan with him. Vladimir has mentioned
Ruslan on several occasions and we were expecting him to show up sooner or
later. Third, Ruslan's mother also came with Vladimir and Ruslan. I had a
chance to talk with Ruslan for probably twenty minutes after the service
and I'm pretty sure that he left with a fairly good impression of KRCC.
His Mom even made a remark about experiencing some positive emotions during
the service. Moreover, Ruslan seemed to express an interest in the English
program which KRCC hosts. So please be praying for them.
On Saturday, February 18, at the kids' matinee, there were close to twenty
visitors from the school of the handicapped which was a response that far
exceeded our wildest dreams. We showed "Prince of Egypt" and then as people
were leaving, we handed them our church's official invitations to return and
join us for worship. Afterwards, three individuals visited our office at
different times throughout the day and all of them seemed to have serious
spiritual issues. In fact, a few even generated an air of hostility and
it was clear that the devil himself was making his presence known through
them. In fact, one unbeliever from the neighborhood even showed up drunk
and chose to threaten me as I gently escorted him out the door. It
appears clear that the devil is obviously sensing that something wonderful
is happening at KRCC and he isn't too happy about it. That just makes
me want to say even louder, PRAISE GOD!
Hallelujah, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, February 12, 2006
While we didn't have any new visitors in today's service, we still had some
wonderful news! During prayer time, Oxonna publicly confessed that God was
moving her to make a ministry-related decision. As she began to pray audibly,
she thanked God for convicting her of the need to begin serving by resuming her
English lessons for beginners. As you recall, she previously taught English
at our church for a couple of months, way back in early 2005. So, needless to
say, we're overjoyed. If that weren't enough, we'll just add here that
Gregory's entire family came to our English class after worship today. In fact,
that's the third consecutive time they've all attended together, which is
obviously a pretty good sign, but please keep praying because I am under
obligation to touch on at least one very sensitive issue with them very soon.
Group celebrates birth in Christ - Although Elijah was baptized into
Christ on Saturday afternoon, February 4th, the folks at KRCC celebrated
his new birth after the Sunday morning worship service on the 5th.
(From left to right): Nastya, Andre, Oleg, Sergei, Elijah, Ira, Oxonna, and
Tatyana.
Sunday Service Update, February 5, 2006
Today, we had two exciting things happen at KRCC. First, we had a newcomer by
the name of Vladimir visit with us and he was actually a contact from our English
classes. He mentioned he had checked out our web site recently and he is somehow
connected with web development. He made a few suggestions for the current
Odessa Mission web site that could prove beneficial indeed plus he even hinted
at wanting to help us with some development of the site. Vladimir even went
so far as to hint he might possibly help us design a site in Russian. That
would be terrific and it would allow us to expand our outreach to Russian
speaking individuals around the world that visit our site plus as you can
imagine, it would greatly enhance the readability for those individuals that
do not read/write English very well. Sometimes we fall into the trap of
thinking that the web site is only an "American" thing when it is actually
available and read by individuals in other countries (e.g., Poland).
Praise the Lord for the opportunities He opens to us to reach out to
individuals wherever they may be and please do be praying about the this
possibility. You probably have forgotten by now that I said there were
"two" exciting things today at KRCC. Well, the second thing happened
this afternoon when Elijah was immersed by his dad Sergei. I thought
it would be good to let Sergei do it for several reasons, one of which
was to convince Sergei of the need to be an example for his son.
Moreover, 12-year old Andre was also present and this allowed him to
see his first baptism in a Protestant congregation. As you may remember,
two months ago Andre expressed a desire to be baptized but his parents
were (and still are) vehemently opposed to the idea since he was christened
as an infant in the Orthodox Church. However, it was still a very good
thing for Andre to witness and we all praise God once again.
Praising God, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, January 29, 2006
Well, what can I say? The excitement just never seems to end around here and
today's service was yet another instance where the Lord did some pruning at KRCC.
I have a hunch that He even did some chopping and sawing too. While that
certainly may be unpleasant at times, it's surely necessary if we're to be the
kind of congregation that pleases Him instead of the kind that just coasts
on into stagnation. Indeed, growth is painful - period! Unfortunately,
since KRCC is forcing its members to set some concrete goals for 2006, there
are still a couple of folks who remain vehemently opposed to "the pressure"
to step up and take responsibility. (By the way, the only two who are
opposed to "stepping up" both missed my message a few weeks ago concerning
the connection between strategic planning and spiritual breakthroughs
in our lives.) Consequently, they decided to make their opposition known
during the service this morning and that sparked a rather heated discussion.
One KRCC member and her daughter (an unbeliever) got up and left
the service. I've got a meeting tomorrow with the other woman (a KRCC member)
that voiced her opposition and hopefully we'll be able to share some
relevant passages of scripture and she will reconsider her position.
Please be praying about this situation at KRCC and my meetings with
the various individuals involved.
In His Grace, John & Ira
Sunday Service Update, January 22, 2006
This morning's service was one of the most encouraging that we've had for some
time because it showed the level of dedication in our core group members. Since
Thursday, it's been extremely cold and the snow has continued to fall. Because
of the lack of trucks plowing the roads, the main public transport system which
is busses is almost at a complete standstill. So, in all honesty, we were expecting
almost nobody to show up for worship today, however, all but two of our regulars
were present and in great spirits. Of course, that really says a lot especially
given the fact that some of our folks live close to an hour away under normal
conditions. Another encouraging sign of the dedication of our KRCC members is
that in response to last week's message, several people shared the personal
goals they've set for 2006 and it was just exciting to hear details about what
direction KRCC might be headed this coming year. I'll elaborate on some of
the details in the upcoming February newsletter so do stay tuned.
Sunday Service Update, January 15, 2006
During the service today we had a special time of prayer for Oxonna because her
Dad died recently. We all gathered around her to pray with and for her, to
mourn with her, and to encourage her with appropriate passages from the Scriptures.
Just before I got ready to close our prayer time, Oxonna decided to thank
God for her Christian brothers and sisters, and she also thanked the Lord
for His comforting hand during this trial and asked Him to open her family's
heart to the gospel. It was definitely an emotional moment that I believe will
probably stay with Oxonna and the others present for some time to come. Please
do remember her in your daily prayers.
In His Grace, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, January 8, 2006
Since yesterday (January 7) was the Orthodox Christmas in Ukraine, today we
decided to show Clive Lewis' movie "The Chronicles of Narnia." Although our
group was rather small this morning, we still enjoyed the film and derived much
from it. It's truly a powerful movie and we highly recommend it to anyone
regardless of their age or church affiliation. In all honesty, we were somewhat
disappointed that there were no visitors with us this morning, especially
considering all the effort that went into our Christmas pageant and how well it
was received. However, we remain hopeful that some will eventually return to
visit us again sometime in the near future.
In God's Grace, John and Ira
Sunday Service Update, December 25, 2005
We had the debut of our Christmas program today at KRCC and it was just fantastic.
I can't say enough about all the work that Ira did to put it together and pull
it off. Many thanks also go out to the rest of the crew also. Although we
had a poor showing today for the program, we're looking forward to Tuesday
evening which is really the day that we've publicized for the last month.
We have been selling tickets for twenty cents a piece with all the proceeds
going to a special school for handicapped kids. Please be praying for God
to work wonders on that special evening.
Love, John, Ira, and all of the folks at KRCC
Sunday Service Update, December 18, 2005
A week ago, we gave Sergei all the materials needed for painting something
relevant to our upcoming Christmas program and today he came to church with
the finished product, which is just out of sight. It's a painting of Jesus
with children on a large sheet and we hung it in our sanctuary after worship
this morning. We sure praise God for Sergei's talent and willingness to serve
in this way. Next Sunday will be the debut of our Christmas program and we
are thrilled that things are coming together fairly nicely. However, Satan
as usual is trying desperately to foil God's plan. Oleg has really been
misbehaving recently, regardless of all the warnings he's been given.
So Ira had a talk with Rayeesa his mother. Unfortunately, Rayeesa not
only chose to side with her son but she even took offense to the whole
situation. Consequently, she pulled Oleg from the pageant and announced
her decision to leave KRCC altogether. Unfortunately, finding someone to
fill that role in the pageant will be next to impossible with only seven
days remaining. We will definitely recover but please especially keep Ira
in your prayers as she's dealing with ever increasing demands and stress
at this time.
Blessings, John