Eric Murphy Update May 2015

ARTICLES:

—LIFE Romania Is Growing
—Health Report
—Anything Important Coming Up?


LIFE ROMANIA IS GROWING

Director Iulian Avramescu sends a glowing report that April was a banner month for LIFE Romania. Sports Rallies is one of our main ministries during the school year. Just a few weeks ago eight teens received Christ at one of these evangelistic events in Titu, a town about 45 minutes away from one of our main youth camp locations in Targoviste. 

The Sports Rally is our way of connecting with the churches that send campers to our summer youth camps. We help the churches reach out to their communities using sports, soccer and/or volleyball to bring in unsaved youth. The campers can use this as an opportunity to invite their classmates to participate in the sports rallies. Trophies are awarded putting smiles on many young faces. We are planning many more of these in the future. Please pray for the follow-up as Luca, one of our staff members, who lives in Targoviste is meeting with these eight new converts. 

Not only is Luca, a former professional soccer player, involved with follow-up, but, Denis, a dynamic volleyball player with a “mean” serve is doing follow-up with young people in the western part of Romania where we have another youth camp in Sistarovats, close to Arad. Roxana, one of our lady staff members is also doing follow-up in that part of the country in Timisoara, where the Romanian Revolution started ending communism in Romania. In Bucharest, the capital, Beni and Andrea [who also serves as Iulian’s associate or secretary] are meeting with those who received Christ at camp during the last two or three summers. 

One of the challenges that mission teams face is follow-up or discipleship. With much enthusiasm I can tell you that LIFE Romania has made this a priority and they are doing an incredible job staying connected to young people who have made decisions for Christ. Pray for this because it is so, so important. We strongly believe that we should be active in outreach and we are committed to follow-up. This is Iulian’s heartbeat, his deep desire to reach Romania for Christ and to see fruit remain.

Iulian was a speaker at the recent CCI [Christian Camping International] conference in Romania. He enjoyed meeting other key leaders across the country who are leading youth camps. He learned a lot, yet, he contributed to their growth as well as he reported that there were several meaningful discussions after the teaching sessions. God is using him in a great way in his native country.

The month of May got off to a good start with an exciting Counselor Training at LIFE Romania. I had planned to be there in addition to the CCI Conference, but, I had some health issues that prevented me from traveling. Iulian sent a video greeting from the counselors which warmed my heart. Boy, it was easy to see that his camp counselors are excited. Pray that we will have an outstanding Camp MIA in 2015. 


HEALTH REPORT

God is at work! A year ago I had major issues with my blood pressure, then, I needed hernia surgery. After a long recovery, six months, I’m almost fully recovered from that surgery. Early in April I noticed severe fatigue and dizziness which landed me in the emergency room, then, a hospital stay for a couple of nights. My blood pressure medication, too strong, was reduced. In fact, it is 1/4 of what my dosage was last summer when a Romania doctor increased the dosage when my blood pressure was almost out of control. I feel so much better with the reduced dosage.

At the ER, emergency room, they thought I might have had a stroke, so, extensive tests were conducted, EKG, CAT scan, MRI, Echo Cardiogram and a MRA. I aced my tests until the MRA showed a possible blockage in my right vertebral artery in the back of my brain, so, I was off to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida for consultation. This is one of the premier hospitals in America and the service there is outstanding. The neurosurgeon determined that I did not need invasive action such as an angiogram or stent. What do I need? Would you believe “baby aspirin”? Whew! Still, he wanted a premier neurologist to give his opinion. When I told him about a second visit to the ER as I described an unusual numbness in my right leg and right arm he told me that I had had a TIA or mini-stroke. I am waiting on a heart monitor because the neurologist wants to check my heart for irregular heartbeats. When I receive this I will wear this for 30 days. They did a scan of my thyroid finding a couple of nodules and did a biopsy. I am waiting for this report, but, the doctors say that my chances of not having cancer are very high. After all, I do not eat sugar and I have learned that cancer feeds on sugar in order to survive. I will update you later regarding these reports. Thank you for your prayers!

Does this mean that I am stopping my ministry with the mission. Absolutely not! If my heart has an occasional skip it can be treated with medication. The TIA is a warning that I need to lose weight and I need a baby aspirin each day. Overall, the doctors said that I’m in very good health and my new chiropractor has been treating my dizziness with about 90% success so far. Thank you, Lord! 


ANYTHING IMPORTANT COMING UP?

As a matter of fact, something very important is on the horizon … our wedding!!! June 7 at 4:00 PM Stephanie and I will join hands in matrimony! It was so good of the Lord to organize a complete physical examination for me before the wedding. I see some humor in this. By the way, with a twinkle in his eye, the neurologist said that I could take the heart monitor off on the day of our wedding. Seriously, I am so, so thankful that the Lord has provided a sweet, precious woman to join me in the mission. Stephanie has been praying that God will prepare her and use her to help me in God’s calling for my life. Incredible! God willing, Stephanie will travel to Romania to the summer youth camps with LIFE Romania.  

You know, both of us have gone through difficult times with me watching Lynne suffer as she lost her battle with MS passing 17 months ago and Stephanie's precious husband losing his battle with COPD on March 12, 2014. He was so good to her, a very special man and Stephanie was very faithful caring for him. Because of all that we both suffered we have a great appreciation for the love that God has given to us. We discuss this again and again that God is SO good to us and how fortunate we are to have each other. God is putting together an incredible relationship, very special! Pray for God’s blessing upon our lives and that we will find favor with God.


Eric Murphy, Executive Director
Life Impact For Eternity

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Address for Donations: 
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Bradenton FL 34208