ARTICLES: —Costa Rica: Successful on All Fronts —Groups Needed in Romania —Camp Monty Preparation COSTA RICA: SUCCESSFUL ON ALL FRONTS LIFE Costa Rica celebrated a special moment in January 2016 … our first ever youth camp with 35 teenagers. Fourteen, mostly boys, received Christ and all 35 dedicated their lives to the Lord at the campfire service. I remember dedicating my life to the Lord at age 16, so, I know that this is a very significant decision setting the course of their lives. It’s exciting to see 14 make life changing decisions. One of them was a boy with the nickname of Nene [nay-nay]. School dropout who recently returned to high school making A’s & B’s, he realized his need of giving his life to God. Yet, he needed to do something else and it was a very difficult decision: stop using and selling drugs. On Thursday night he was the first teenager to move forward when the invitation was given responding to the question, “Would you be willing to do whatever God would want you to do?” He knew that he wanted to change his life completely getting drugs out of his life. This 16 year old has tremendous potential. Another boy, 14, Marconi, also has so, so much potential. Pray for him as he was an unchurched guy invited by one of the boy camp counselors. He came up to Stephanie and me after the first night when I gave the Gospel and he responded to the invitation. He thanked me for the message that it meant so much to him. Doubtless, he had never heard the Gospel before. Stephanie told me that his sweet statements to us were very precious to her. We are praying for this boy, Nene and the others for their spiritual growth. We kindly ask you to do the same. Director, Cris Vidaechea, was ecstatic as he saw God bless the invitation at the campfire meeting when he spoke. I was thrilled as well as I watched him speak, happy that the youth of his country responded with enthusiasm to his message. After the campfire none of the campers wanted to leave to return to their rooms. Most of the boys were arm-in-arm standing close to the fire, many of them weeping. The girls seemed very serious also as they contemplated their decisions. It’s not easy for most of them because many of them do not have Christian parents to support and encourage them regarding their decisions. Pray for this please. GROUPS NEEDED IN ROMANIA LIFE Romania director, Iulian Avramescu, is sending forth an urgent call asking churches to send people to Romania to help in his youth camps this summer. To do what? Help as junior counselors [being placed with Romanian counselors who speak English], teach conversational English, help with the afternoon activities and sports and hang out with the Romanian youth building relationships. Your help is needed! Here are the weeks when we have our greatest need: June 27-July 1, 2016 in Sistarovats [Fly into Timisoara, Romania] Children’s camp, ages 7-13. Depart the USA on June 24 arriving June 25 in Romania, then, depart on Saturday, July 2 to return to the States. July 25-29, 2016 in Targoviste [Fly into Bucharest, Romania] Youth Camp, ages 14-16, Depart the USA on July 22 arriving July 23 in Romania, then, depart on Saturday, July 30 to return to the States. Call me at 321 663 5710 ASAP … this is a wonderful opportunity for you or your loved ones to have a very meaningful experience helping us reach Romanian youth for Christ. CAMP MONTY PREPARATION Our leadership team for Camp Monty is hard at work gearing up for another incredible Camp Monty in 2016. Camp dates are July 25-29, 2016. Not only that, our staff in Montenegro is hard at work following up with campers who attended Camp Monty in 2015 or earlier at the Youth Center. Pray for them to work hard making contacts and the discipleship process. There are many ups and downs in young people’s lives. Much prayer is needed. Finally, it was a delight for Stephanie and me to serve in Costa Rica last month. What an incredible experience! God willing, we travel to Romania where we will minister at the Counselor Training set for April 8-10. Plus, we will have staff meetings and discipleship. What a joy to mentor our young directors and see how God is blessing their ministries. Can’t wait! Thank you for making all of this possible through your faithful prayers and financial support. We could not do this without you partnering with us. Thank you from the depths of our hearts. God bless you! Eric Murphy International Director, Life Impact For Eternity www.lifeimpactforeternity.org ADDRESS FOR DONATIONS: Life Imapct For Eternity 3984 Manatee Avenue East Bradenton FL 34208
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On the first night I spoke giving the message of God's love for the Costa Rican teens and nine of them made life changing decisions. Historic! On the second day four more made this decision. It is exciting that most of them are teen boys.
One boy, Marconi, came to me thanking me for the messages. This young man has much potential. Stephanie watched as he talked to me in broken English and it touched her heart to see how sincere he is. Today I gave a talk to the boys on the subject of purity. At the end I asked them to join me in a circle similar to what a basketball or football team does putting their hands together with mine. I explained that I wanted them to join me in a pledge for purity. They nodded their heads in agreement. Then, I counted "Uno, Dos, Tres!!" and we all lifted our hands in the air as we yelled "HEY!!" It was an electrifying moment! Cris, who was translating, was beaming and so was I ... the young teen boys loved being challenged to make a commitment. Special moment! By the way, I was near the limit of my Spanish with uno, dos, tres. Need to learn some Spanish. I'm picking up some words this week & the kids love it when I say things to them in their language. DILEMMA Cris Vidaechea works for Amazon in one of their call centers. It provides a salary to provide for his family and he is grateful for his job. But, he longs to be full time leading the work at LIFE Costa Rica. He needs mission support in order to do so. The catch is that he cannot work part time for Amazon ... it's either full time or no job. This is his dilemma. So, what would it take for him to have a salary and some money for ministry expenses to get started? Glad you asked. $2987 per month. Am I serious? That's not much you might say. Yes, he can live on a salary of $2300/month [some changes in his mortgage probably means that he needs $2300 instead of $2000 per month that we talked about earlier]. Plus, $687/month ministry expenses for fuel [$4/gallon in Costa Rica], phone, internet, printing, ministry events, etc.]. I am praying that someone will step forward to cover his need for two years to give Cris time to raise his support. Right now, he has about $250/month. So, we need $2737 each month for at least two years. I realize that not everyone can do this, but, there are some who could. Are you that person? Will you stand in the gap for the Cris Vidaechea family? Watching Cris closely this week I've noticed how happy he is leading the camp. He is SO happy! I love to see this. To be honest, I've seen him "down" earlier because of the daunting task of raising all of his support before he can quit his job at Amazon. It's a tough, uphill battle. I would love more than anything to see this big smile on his face all the time ... doing what he loves to do. Will you help? $20 per month will help. $50, $75, $100 or $250 or $500 per month. Will somebody step up to help? Would you kindly do so? Pray, that's the first step. Ask God what you should do. Then, email me at ericmurphy_life@hotmail.com or ericwmurphy@gmail.com to let me know. Or, call me at 321 663 5710 [not this month as my phone is not working here ... we return on 1/31/16 to Jacksonville]. Designate on your check or online giving: LIFE Costa Rica--Vidaechea Support. Mail your check to: Life Impact For Eternity 3984 Manatee Avenue Bradenton FL 34208 Online: www.lifeimpactforeternity.org Thanks so much! PRAY FOR THE CAMPFIRE MEETING The second most important meeting of the week is the Campfire Service. Watching a bonfire the young people will be challenged to answer the question, "Would you be willing to do anything that God wants you to do?" It's a life defining question. I made this decision years ago at a youth camp when I was 16. Never regretting this decision I can tell you that God has been faithful all of these years guiding me to do what He wants me to do. Pray for these teens as they ponder this question this week. ARTICLES:
—Sizzling News —Toeing the Line —End of the Year Giving —Merry Christmas! SIZZLING NEWS!!! Unless you live in an area where you receive lots of sunshine and warm weather or whether you are in freezing cold your heart will be warmed by this sizzling news. “Romania Is On Fire” … well, LIFE Romania Director Iulian Avramescu and his team are on fire. They have an outreach ministry called Sports Tournaments where they go to towns and churches who have sent their youth to the summer youth camps using sports to bring these young people with their friends. The results are sizzling hot! Two or three times a month on weekends, Iulian presents a message to share that God loves his fellow Romanians and that He sent His Son to die for them and their sins. 32 came to Christ in one month alone. Recently, the LIFE Romania team held a new event giving away Christmas presents to Gypsy young people partnering with a church plant that primarily focuses on the Gypsy population. Would you believe that 100 of them trusted Christ? Now, that’s “sizzling news”. Keep up the good work, Iulian and Roxana, and their staff. TOEING THE LINE What on Earth could this be about? Poor Stephanie’s toe found a suitcase during the middle of the night right before we were to travel to Costa Rica in November where I was scheduled to teach in a Bible Institute for three weeks. Yep! Broken toe! After seeing the x-ray myself I could see that she really broke it. That hurt so, so bad. No, we did not make the trip because of this. The director of the school usually teaches the Book of Hebrews that I was supposed to teach. So, he pulled his notes out allowing us to remain in Florida so Stephanie could stay off her feet. This allowed me to have some quality study time during November. The other day Stephanie went back to the doctor who told her after looking at another x-ray that not only did she break her toe, but, she tore her ligament as well. In fact, he told her that she has another 6 weeks to heal adding to the seven weeks that have already passed. Of course, he added to the sting telling her that twenty somethings can heal in five or six weeks total … that she needs extra time. Thanks, Doctor. Ouch! END OF THE YEAR GIVING Our mission account is presently in the “red”. Red is one of the favorite colors at Christmas, but, it has an ominous meaning for ministry finances limiting what we can do in our planning for the next year. Although “black” is not a special color at Christmas time it is a color that our accountant uses to denote that our account needs to have a “plus” figure rather than a “minus” figure [red]. Would you be so kind to consider giving a special donation for the Murphy Mission Account? We are about $6,800 in the “red” or minus. Your generous gift would be welcomed with gratitude. In advance, thank you so very much for all that you do. Life Impact For Eternity 3984 Manatee Avenue East Bradenton FL 34208 MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Our first Christmas together … we are SO excited! Hey, we did not even meet in person until February 18. So, we are so excited about our first Christmas as a married couple. Stephanie has our home beautifully decorated … presents are wrapped … plans are made for Christmas Eve and for the 25th as well. Imagine in your mind Stephanie and me standing close together arm and arm with both of us waving at you warmly calling out to you, “Merry Christmas … God bless you … We love you … and we wish you a Happy New Year!!” Eric Murphy Executive Director Life Impact For Eternity 3984 Manatee Avenue East Bradenton, Florida 34208 WHAT'S HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES RIGHT NOW?
Articles: —Teaching the Book of Hebrews --Eric and Stephanie: How Are We Doing? —What does your staff do when there is no youth camp? TEACHING THE BOOK OF HEBREWS Stephanie and I will travel on October 31 to Costa Rica where I will teach the Book of Hebrews at the Bible Institute Strom near Artenas, Costa Rica. You may recall that I spoke at Camp Britney in Costa Rica during January this year and last year. The director, Alonso Angulo, leads both the camp and the Bible Institute where the students serve as counselors at the camp. Pray for God’s blessing as I teach the great Book of Hebrews to these students. Can’t wait! During that time I will meet with LIFE Costa Rica director, Cristian Vidaechea, as we make plans for our youth camp to be held this coming January. We will minister in three churches in San Jose, the capital, while we are there. God is at work putting together the final details. Pray that God will give us wisdom and guidance as we prepare for this exciting new youth camp. ERIC AND STEPHANIE: HOW ARE WE DOING? Great! Absolutely great! Fantastic! By the time you will be reading this we will have been married for about four and one-half months. I was sharing with some friends that we have been focusing on building our relationship with a focus on prayer together and good communication. Stephanie loves to pray and she loves to listen to me pray. We have traveled to some of our supporting churches and have met with some of the individuals who support our ministry. She has been well received and people seem to be so happy with how happy we are. People are blessed with our story how that both of us suffered so much with the loss of our mates and how God put us together. This is great! We desire to encourage people with our example. So many marriages are struggling because of one reason or another. God is putting smiles on faces through our marriage because people love a good story, a happy story. Both of our mates suffered so much before their deaths. It was hard for both of us to watch this and we both suffered grief. Yet, God, in His supreme goodness, has given us to each other to build each other up. We have a deep respect for each other as we know what we both have been through. Both of us give praise to God for helping us through the difficult times and we happily tell others how good God has been to us through the hard times. Now, we are gladly sharing the good hand of God how happy we are with each other and in Him. It’s a great story and God receives the glory. Some people ask Stephanie how she is handling this change in her life joining me in the mission to disadvantaged young people. She admits that it is a big change, but, that she enjoys this very much and she is finding her place in various ways. Her experience as a counselor is being utilized and she loves to share with small groups or one on one. Her role as an encourager to me is highly esteemed by me. I am grateful to God for her encouragement. Yes, she is truly “with me” in what God has placed upon my heart to reach out to young people. WHAT DOES YOUR STAFF DO WHEN THERE IS NO YOUTH CAMP? Good question and thanks for asking. Iulian Avramescu is building up young adults which include his staff, camp counselors and others. He does this through sessions at a new training program that he started called MIA University. I spoke of this last month in the Update. He is preparing for Champions Weekend in November where he brings together a sizable group of young men, teens and guys in their 20s and 30s, for a special weekend meeting using sports, speaking sessions and group discussions. These young men eat this up! Men sharing with younger men. Not only this, but, he and his team organize Sports Tournaments in various cities in Romania to re-connect with campers as well as do evangelism. In fact, two were held in Romania this month in Sighisoara [two decisions] and another one near the Black Sea where some Turkish refugees live [30 decisions]. All of his team are involved with follow-up and I can tell you that they are making much progress in this area. They are having great results doing discipleship with the campers who received Christ during the youth camps. Oh yes, they are gearing up for their Winter Camp, December 28-January 2. There is much to do “behind the scenes” to prepare for such events and to follow-up with those who make decisions. In Montenegro we now have the Niksic Youth Center [NYC] in a partnership with Danijel Petkovski who serves with Inter Varsity Ministries. Danijel, 32, is intimately involved with Camp Monty and our staff member, Sasa Olah, 22, is helping Danijel with the university student meetings that are held at the NYC and Danijel helps Sasa with the teen meetings with campers who have attended Camp Monty. This partnership is working quite well and we are seeing great results in the lives of these campers. Several of them are becoming leaders at Camp Monty and will be building blocks for the future. My point is that there is a lot happening right now in both countries. Thrills my heart! Hope it thrills your heart as well! Join us in prayer for God to work mightily in the lives of these young men as they lead these ministries. My task is to mentor them as well as encourage them. Yes, I love what I am doing and Stephanie is right with me in all of these ventures! It is quite an adventure for both of us. Thank you for praying for us. Eric Murphy Executive Director www.lifeimpactforeternity.org OFFICE FOR DONATIONS: Life Impact For Eternity 3984 Manatee Avenue East Bradenton, FL 34208 ARTICLES: —Camp Monty 2015 —MIA University/School —What’s Happening This Fall CAMP MONTY 2015 Around 50 salvation decisions! Another incredible Camp Monty was enjoyed by Montenegrin youth again this summer in July. One of the exciting developments is that some of the young people who have attended Camp Monty in the past are helping with the camp program. It is wonderful to see our work there bearing fruit. The Niksic Youth Center that we started in the spring partnering with the ministry of Danijel Petkovski is hosting meetings for teens from Camp Monty as well as college students from Danijel’s student ministry at the university. Sasa Olah, our staff member at LIFE Montenegro, is involved with both ministries. We are thrilled that a discipleship and follow-up ministry is being done through the NYC. Pray for these meetings each week. Check this link for a brand new video that Jim Compton organized using the skills of Ben Foster, pro videographer, who attended Camp Monty this year. Maybe your church would like to get in on the action in Montenegro. http://youtu.be/KIImXd6M1k0 MIA UNIVERSITY/SCHOOL A dream deep in the heart of LIFE Romania Director, Iulian Avramescu, is to educate his young staff, camp counselors and other aspiring young adults. He calls this MIA University which works in partnership with a couple of Christian universities in the States. Guest lecturers and pastors come to teach modular courses with classes up to eight hours a day for five to six days in a week. These are held every two or three months. The first one was met with much excitement from 25 young adults who listened to the teaching ministry of Jimmy DeYoung Jr. and Dr. Heath Marion, both from Texas, during the last week in August. Exhausted, yet happy students, were raving about the studies. Perhaps the one who was the most tired that week was Iulian who translated eight hours a day plus handling questions from the students before and after the sessions. MIA U came after the heels of Camp MIA which featured eight weeks of youth camps this summer. Stephanie and I were there for four of those weeks. What a blessing it was! Hopefully, we can be at one of the next sessions set for April 9-16, 2016. Pray that we can organize outstanding speakers to travel to Romania to teach. Iulian and Roxana’s staff have SO much potential. If you can help sponsor these students please get in touch with me. Your investment can make a huge difference in their lives. WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS FALL? Introducing Stephanie to some supporting churches and individuals this month is a present focus for us. Plus, it gives me an opportunity to give a report and update about the ministry and ask certain churches to consider organizing to come to serve on one of our fields next year. We were in two churches in Charleston, West Virginia as well as three churches in Florida. Hang on, we have many more that we need to visit. Hopefully, we can meet more this fall and winter as well as into the next year. In November, we travel to Costa Rica where I will teach the Book of Hebrews at IBS, Institute Bible Strom. I spoke the last two years at the youth camp that they conduct each January, Camp Brittney. The Bible Institute students are the counselors for these camps. It will be a joy to serve with Alonso Angulo, Director. Pray as I teach there three of the four weeks in November. Hopefully, we can see the location for our youth camp planned for LIFE Costa Rica,January 18-22, 2016. Pray as LIFE Costa Rica Director, Cristian Vidaechea, is organizing volunteer camp staff. The camp site is beautiful as I have seen pictures. If you would like to support this camp by providing a scholarship for needy campers we need $100 per camper. Pray that God will abundantly bless this youth camp! Thank you very much for your faithful prayers and financial support. Please pray that there will be special gifts to help with our mission account which is in need of donations. We are grateful to partner together with you to be your outreach to disadvantaged young people who need God’s love. Eric Murphy Executive Director www.lifeimpactforeternity.org Office for Financial Contributions: Life Impact For Eternity 3984 Manatee Avenue East Bradenton FL 34208 ARTICLES: —Romania: Off The Charts! —Hungary: Visiting Where I Used To Serve —Prayer Requests ROMANIA: OFF THE CHARTS! Stephanie made her first ever trip to Europe with me to Romania. You may find it interesting that the first time she ever heard me speak was at Camp MIA at LIFE Romania near Cluj, Romania. It’s true! As we became acquainted with each other in January, February and March before I proposed to her there never was an opportunity for her to hear me speak or sing a solo. Certainly, she married me “by faith”. It appeared that she was so happy to hear me speak and see a tremendous response to the message with 28 young people making decisions for Christ. The final three weeks we moved to another location about 90 miles northwest of Bucharest at Targoviste, Romania. One of the highlights of that time was seeing 69 out of 70 children beginning a personal relationship with God. The lone boy that remained, age 12, exclaimed “I don’t need to make this decision tonight because I did this last year when Mr. Eric was here.” That brought a smile to our faces. The final week we had a young adult camp with 50 campers of which 8 young men opened their hearts to Jesus Christ. 21 dedicated their lives to God at the campfire service where our Romanian director, Iulian Avramescu, spoke. Incredible response from young adults age 18 to 30! This is why I chose to name this article “Romania: Off The Charts!” A huge response to the messages where I spoke is only part of the reason. Our staff has grown so much since last summer. They have matured and they are working hard. One of our Advisory Board members, Nathan Randel, noted this as well seeing the personal growth from last summer to this summer. He wrote an excellent report about the camp that really fired me up! Our team finished the summer in Brasov leading a summer camp there having an excellent response as one of our staff members, Adrian Dinu, spoke. We attended the Bible Institute in Hungary that was started under my ministry there years ago. He is one of their star graduates and he is excelling under the leadership of Iulian at LIFE Romania. Isn’t this great? HUNGARY: VISITING WHERE I USED TO SERVE After our ministry in Romania the Hungarian Brass joined us at the Budafok Baptist Church in Budapest for a concert. This was the first time for Stephanie to hear me speak in a church and the first time to hear me sing a solo in a church service. Our Brass Team played “How Great Thou Art” as I sang. What a joy it was to return to this great church where I have served again and again over the years. Many friends there, so, the fellowship was sweet. Right now we are at Word of Life Hungary where I was the director from 1989-2004. Stephanie is enjoying seeing the beautiful grounds and meeting with various staff members. We had an evening together with the staff for a pot luck supper where we told how we met and how good God is to give us a deep love for each other. There is a big work project going on right now as workers are installing new heating pipes to the castle and to the dorms and meeting room. I am so happy to see this work being done. Many wonderful things have been done there since my ministry ended there in 2004. Thrilled for them as they have told me that they will have 82 students this fall, a new record. Go team, go!! I dearly love the ministry of Word of Life and pray God’s blessings upon this ministry. PRAYER REQUESTS Stephanie and I are grateful for your prayers and your faithful support. Please continue to pray for us that our marriage will be a source of encouragement and an example for others. Pray as we prepare with Cris Vidaechea, our director at LIFE Costa Rica, for our first youth camp there,January 18-22, 2016. Not only do we ask you to pray for us, but, we want to pray for you also. Please send your prayer requests and we will take this to the Lord in prayer. It would be a joy to pray for you and your needs. God bless you! Eric Murphy Executive Director, Life Impact For Eternity [LIFE] www.lifeempactforeternity.org Address to send support: Life Impact For Eternity, 3984 Manatee Ave. E, Bradenton FL 34208 Copyright © 2015 Life Impact For Eternity|, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Life Impact For Eternity 3984 Manatee Avenue East Bradenton, Florida 34208
... super group of adults and teens ... Bryan Nelson is an awesome leader. More than 20 young people came to Christ during that week.
This week we are in Targoviste, Romania, 90 minutes northwest of the capital city, Bucharest. So far 27 have made life changing decisions. Pray as there are about 10 to 12 more teens who are considering what to do whether to accept God's love or reject Him. Of course, it is their choice, but, we hope that they will make a positive decision. The counselors are doing great and the staff is superior. Four of Iulian's young staff have completed at least one year at the Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute that was started under my ministry in 1994. In fact, this is how I met Iulian in 2001 when he came to us as a student. Some of them will return for another year of study along with Emanuela Petrescu, a counselor, who will attend this September. Adrian Dinu graduated in May, so, he is already full time on Iulian's staff. Iulian's team is growing! Some Texans are here this week with Phil Doane and Nathan Randel. Nathan is serving as a member of Iulian's Advisory Group which is based in Dallas, Texas. Children will be attending next week's camp here in Targoviste and we can hardly wait for them to come. They have so much enthusiasm! I love to speak to children. Come to think of it I love to speak to teens. Well, I love college age as well. Adults too. Seniors too. Needless to say, I am having a fabulous time speaking to the youth and to the counselors and staff in special sessions with them. Stephanie came to me after watching 20+ teens come to Christ on Tuesday night this week telling me that God has touched her heart as she watched these young people and watched me speak. Would you believe that the first time that Stephanie ever heard me speak was last week in Cluj? It's true! Why am I telling you this? She agreed to serve God with me when I proposed to her on March 21. She really meant what she said because I can see that her heart is here and she loves to be with me wherever God sends me to serve. It's not just me who is serving because she is finding her place to serve as well. This will only grow and grow as God is at work! Thank you for praying for us ... for our marriage ... for our ministry! God is answering your prayers in a big way! NOTICE SOMETHING NEW? Yes, we are using Mail Chimp to send the Eric Murphy Update. You are receiving this because you have been receiving the Update earlier. Why did we change? It's easier to send as it took five days to send it like I used to do via direct email. There was a limit of how many I could send each day with the old method. With Mail Chimp I can write an Update and send it to everyone on the list with one click saving me time. Plus, we hope to add some photos and videos in the future. Links to special reports or to our website can be used enhancing communication and involvement. Stay tuned for the next report. God bless you!! Eric and Stephanie Murphy P. S. You might enjoy the following story from Iulian ... Eco is a 17 year old orphan kid who is the “boss” over the orphanage where he lives and also over all the orphans in Lipova, Romania. He came during our 2nd week of camp and from the first moment I saw him I knew that he is going to be trouble. This proved to be true. He was smoking in the room in front of the other campers as well as criticizing all of our staff using profane words and he didn’t want to listen to any of our conduct rules. Literally, it was only Mondayand I was already tired like never before, emotionally exhausted. I got down on my knees and started to pray: God, it’s only the 2nd week of camp, it’s only Monday, and I don't know what to do ... What do You want me to do? Do you want me to send this kid back “home”? How can we teach the kids about You, if Eco ruins our program? Please, tell me what to do?! Tuesday mornings we have the leaders devotionals and George (our cook whom some of you already know) grew up in an orphanage and he shared some great wisdom with us. You see, in the orphanages it’s not the social worker who is the “boss” but actually the biggest and strongest kid. George's advice was for all of us to focus on wining Eco to Christ and that will help us win the whole group. WOW, it was like the light came on! You see, Eco was just missing attention trying to get it by beating all the kids and making a mess out of everything. So, here we go, all our counselors and staff started praying hard for Eco loving him like never before. The result came much faster than we expected. Tuesday night before I preached I asked George (the guy who also grew up in an orphanage) to share his testimony and talk about his fears. It was not even half way through it and Eco was crying like a big baby ... I could not believe my eyes ... That night Eco prayed to receive Jesus into his heart and because of his testimony all the kids followed him. Of course, all our counselors spent one on one time with each camper to make sure they understood what they just did and what should be their main motivation. The 3rd week Eco came 4 out of 5 days to visit us, which is a 10 km (about 6.5 miles) distance from his “house” (one way) because his life was forever changed. He helped us organize the games for the kids and kept the chapel quiet so we can do our program. That 3rd week we had another “boss” from another orphanage trying to make fun of Eco that he become a repenter (that’s what the believers are called in Romania, but Eco was quick to close his "big mouth" by saying: “I am not a repenter, I am a follower of Christ now!” This is a testimony of God’s redemptive power and grace that shows that when wisdom and love are applied the results can be spectacular! ARTICLES:
—I AM MARRIED!! WE ARE MARRIED!! —OUR PLANS —PRAYER REQUEST FOR MY MOTHER —OUR NEEDS I AM MARRIED!! WE ARE MARRIED!! God is at work. This is a phrase that I’ve often quoted when trying to make sense out of changes in my life or when Lynne was suffering from MS as she went through physical changes in her body. It is a statement of simple trust in God. I cannot explain why God does this or that, but, I can trust Him that whatever He does IS for my good. Years of suffering have been replaced with the present joy of God bringing a precious woman, Stephanie, into my life. You cannot imagine how happy I am. I am happy beyond measure! We were married on Sunday, June 7, at 4:00 PM on the grounds of the Epping Forest Yacht Club that faces the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. The director of our mission in Romania, Iulian Avramescu, performed the ceremony. His wife, Roxana, joined him at the wedding. Long time friend, Jimmy Compton served as my Best Man and Sharon Pruett, a dear friend of Stephanie’s was her Matron of Honor. My daughter, Jackie, and her daughter, Jessica, came to celebrate our special day. Stephanie’s daughter, Sara, and her family joined us as well. Rick and Sara DeYoung were able to join us for this special event. Rick leads our work in Montenegro at Camp Monty. Around 40 of Stephanie’s friends who had stood by her when her dear husband, Jerry, passed in March, 2014, came to express their joy that Stephanie’s tears have been wiped away with the smile of hope and new beginnings in her life. Yes, I also have a broad smile on my face as well. The Psalmist in 30:5b writes “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Truly God has wiped away tears from our eyes to give us the joy of love. Both Stephanie and I have suffered greatly in the loss of our mates, so, we deeply appreciate the love that God has given to us. This is why I say that we are happy beyond measure. God is good! We have enjoyed our honeymoon and will soon return to Jacksonville, Florida, where Stephanie has been living for a number of years. This will be our base as she will join me in the mission. From there we will travel to our fields in Romania, Montenegro and Costa Rica. Of course, we will continue to serve in churches in Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and Germany where I have ministered in the past. New fields are on the horizon as we pray for the needs in Cuba, Colombia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Albania and a number of other nations. Our passion and vision for the needs of disadvantaged and underprivileged young people continues as we seek to live close to God and reach out to the world. Join us in prayer and invest in our endeavor to put smiles on young faces bringing them into a personal relationship with God. OUR PLANS Stephanie is full of questions regarding the youth camps at LIFE Romania where Iulian and Roxana are serving. We both can hardly wait for our departure on July 14to Bucharest, then to Cluj where we will our first youth camp in central Romania. My wife has her master’s degree in counseling, so, you can envision her ministry to our camp counselors and our girl campers. I will continue my role as the camp evangelist and mentoring our staff. Sounds like we will make a great team! The last three weeks of youth camp will be held in Targoviste in southern Romania about 90 minutes west of the capital. From there I plan to take Stephanie to visit friends and places where I used to serve in Hungary. Part of my job description calls for me to introduce Life Impact For Eternity in churches and recruit missionaries. This will be my focus in September and October in various locations before we travel to Costa Rica in November where I will teach the Book of Hebrews at a Bible Institute in Atenas, south of San Jose, the capital. God willing, we will be back in Costa Rica in January where we will lead the first ever LIFE Costa Rica youth camp as well as speaking at Camp Brittney in Atenas and in churches in the San Jose area for the entire month. PRAYER REQUEST FOR MY MOTHER My dear mother, Glenna, 85 in December, entered a senior care facility, Bayberry, the day that I left her home in West Virginia when I went to Jacksonville for our wedding. We do not know what God has in mind for her regarding the future, but, I can say that she is slowing down. God willing, I will be back in WV in early July to check on her and move more of my things to Jacksonville. She prefers to remain in WV where she has lived the majority of her life. Pray that God will use her to lead a Bible study at Bayberry. She reports that they are taking very good care of her and we are thankful that she has people around her because she is a people person. OUR NEEDS Our mission account took a serious hit early this year when our insurance carrier closed its doors leaving me with unpaid medical bills exceeding $23,000. Actually, the total was considerably higher until I negotiated reduced amounts at the hospital where I had my hernia surgery last October. Our Board of Directors stepped in to pass a resolution that the mission pay for these outstanding debts. Our mission account has been depleted as a result. Would you be so kind to help us with this great need? We need your investment to help with this critical situation. If you would like to help please send your donation to Life Impact For Eternity, 3984 Manatee Avenue East, Bradenton FL 34208. In advance, thank you very much for your help. Eric Murphy, Executive Director, Life Impact For Eternity www.lifeimpactforeternity.org ericwmurphy@gmail.com or ericmurphy_life@hotmail.com Address for Donations: Life Impact For Eternity 3984 Manatee Avenue East, Bradenton FL 34208 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 ericwmurphy@gmail.com or ericmurphy_life@hotmail.com Address for Donations: 3984 Manatee Avenue East, Bradenton FL 34208 ARTICLES:
**Costa Rica **Recovery From Hernia Surgery **Montenegro on the Move! **LIFE Romania Continues to Grow **Passing of an Old Warrior COSTA RICA Personal Spiritual Retreat: This was a highlight of my recent ministry in Costa Rica during my 3 1/2 weeks there in January. Studied the books of Isaiah [two times through this great book], Jeremiah [incredible study going through this book twice] and Job … so meaningful, challenged my heart! Then, on January 7th God spoke to me about getting up earlier to spend more time in prayer. This thought or impression in my mind was very strong with 5 AM as the targeted time to connect with God. Still doing this at the time of the writing of this Update. God is really working in my heart and life. The personal revival has really encouraged me in my daily walk with God. Last year in January I spoke at Camp Brittney in Atenas, Costa Rica, and I returned there again this year. They bring in teens from the inner city of San Jose, the capital. The youth responded so well to the daily messages, the evangelism and the time of a closer commitment with God at the Camp Fire service. Yes, I’m planning to return there again next January. My next trip to Costa Rica, God willing, is set for November when I will teach the book of Hebrews to the students at the IBS school, a Bible Institute that is connected with Camp Brittney. These young students have much potential and I look forward to spending extra time with them. They serve as the camp counselors at Camp Brittney. Last, but not least, I enjoyed speaking in four churches on each of the Sundays that I was in San Jose. Our LIFE Costa Rica director, Cris Vidaechea, served as my translator and I stayed in his home enjoying the cooking of his sweet wife, Alejandra. Beautiful children, Jessica, 7, and Adrian, 3, brought smiles to my face again and again Cris and I desire to organize Vision Teams, business people and pastors, to come to Costa Rica for an extended weekend to see the country and get a vision for the needs there. Please let me know if you would like to be involved. We would like to host 3 to 6 people at a time departing the states on a Thursday and returning homeon Sunday afternoon. We can organize a trip for you in April or May or in September or October … the sooner the better. RECOVERY FROM HERNIA SURGERY You may recall that I had two serious groin strains that happened in our youth camps in Montenegro and in Romania this past summer. It took two months to find out what the problem was and find a specialist to do the surgery. Finally, I had the surgery on October 15th. Well, the recovery time for “young guys” like me [ahem!] takes longer. So, I was in the bed recovering for the next 8 to 9 weeks. This surgery really slowed me down. Yet, I thank God for this time because I pressed into Him rather than chafe because it changed my routine. In fact, I consider this a “breaking” experience similar to those experienced by Moses, Joseph and many others in the Bible. God had a reason for this and I chose to embrace it rather than be upset. It was for my good as I learned so much about God and He ministered to me in a mighty way during this time. How am I today? Much better after 4 1/2 months, but, not 100% yet. I have learned that six months is needed for my full recovery. I am not able to exercise much although I have been doing push ups, the kind that some women do with their knees on the floor which does not put a strain on the area where I had the surgery. Feels good to do 120 to 200 a day! I can walk now and I thank God for this possibility. One of the youth camps in Costa Rica was cancelled. We had planned to serve with teenagers from the Incan Indian tribe in the mountains. Truth is, this was a blessing for me because I really was in no condition to hike up into the mountains where the camp would be conducted. Instead, I took a week for a personal spiritual retreat which I spoke of in the first article. I thank the Lord for protecting me, so, I was not upset at all that God changed my schedule. It was for my good! MONTENEGRO ON THE MOVE! Camp Monty has experienced the blessing of the Lord summer after summer. We have had limited success with follow-up through social media and some personal contact. But, things are moving forward with the opening of a Student Center/Coffee House located close to the university and not far from the town center. Danijel Petkovski, who serves with a ministry to students, Inter Varsity, has helped us with Camp Monty for several years. We are partnering with him which is a big help for our missionary there with LIFE Montenegro, Sasha Olah, a very capable young man is in his early 20s. So, it is a blessing for both of these men to work together to encourage each other. I am hearing some very good reports that they have the Student Center up and running, connecting with both university and high school students. Rejoice with us that the owner from whom we rent this brand new storefront property is the father of one of our Camp Monty teenage guys. He gave Rick DeYoung and Jim Compton a very good rental price, an outstanding discount price to help us. Rick and Jim were there to check it out and the negotiation went very well. I was able to see this as well when I was there for Camp Monty this past summer. It was under construction at that time. Rick directs Camp Monty and Jim is recruiting people to come to teach English or sports for Camp Monty 2015. Do you want to get in on the excitement? Some good, good things are happening there! LIFE ROMANIA CONTINUES TO GROW While I’m on the theme of discipleship and follow-up it is a great joy to report that our director in Romania, Iulian Avramescu, has recruited an outstanding staff who are actively involved in follow-up. More than 240 young people are involved in their program with weekly contact and Bible study. Three young men and two young ladies are actively involved in this ministry right now and they are doing an excellent job. Recently they conducted a Sports Rally in Iulian’s absence as he was out of the country being in the Dallas, Texas area raising funds for Camp MIA 2015. Can you imagine how thankful Iulian is that the ministry continues even when he has to be away? Again, LIFE Romania continues to grow! Four more staff members are studying at the Bible Institute at Word of Life Hungary where I was the director for 15 years. In fact, this is how I met Iulian, 2001-03, when he was a student there. One of these students will graduate in late May to return full time to serve with Iulian. Pray for Adrian Dinu as he wraps up his studies. The other three, Andrei, Emilio and Oana, will return for the second and final year this fall after serving this summer at Camp MIA. We are thankful for the good relationship with WOL Hungary and its school to help train and prepare our young adults at LIFE Romania. One more time LIFE Romania continues to grow! PASSING OF AN OLD WARRIOR My dear wife, Lynne, went to heaven 15 months ago. Her father, Jim Stanley, 91, joined her and many others as he passed on February 22. He was vitally interested in Life Impact For Eternity, always asking me questions how the mission is going and praying for me every day. He wanted me to speak at his funeral service. It was an honor for me to do this. Yet, as I had some private time next to his casket the night before I reflected on what I realized that I am now missing … his prayers, his intense interest in what I’m doing and that he believed in me … so, so important. Who will fill his shoes? He was a pastor and he was a strong witness for Christ. To me, this is the passing of an old warrior. Who will take his place? Speaking from Isaiah 61:1-3 God used the message to encourage Lynne’s siblings, close relatives, friends of the family and a number of pastors who attended. His life, his faithfulness and zeal for the Lord will not be forgotten. In 2009 I was the speaker at my mother-in-law’s funeral and did the same at my father’s funeral in 2010. Then, I did this for my wife in December 2013 and now for my father-in-law. For a believer it is a comfort to know that I will see them again in heaven. With this thought I am encouraged. Eric Murphy, Executive Director of Life Impact For Eternity www.lifeimpactforeternity.org ericwmurphy@gmail.com or ericmurphy_life@hotmail.com ADDRESS FOR DONATIONS: Life Impact For Eternity, 3984 Manatee Avenue East, Bradenton FL 34208 |
Eric Murphy
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