Ian Murphy

Please Pray for Ian....



Ian was in a terrible car accident exactly one year ago. The Lord graciously and miraculously spared his life, after medical professionals were certain hope was gone. Ian is still working arduously to recover, but remains very ill.

Ian's family has been loving him, supporting him, and caring for him along this journey. They passionately believe in God's abounding, steadfast love. Because of their love for Christ, they are able to care selflessly for Ian day after day. They are faithfully preaching the gospel to the world as they live this trial with Ian - loving their Savior ever more - trusting Him.

And then there's, Larissa - Ian's beautiful girlfriend. On a personal note, Larissa amazes me. She has remained so genuinely in love with Jesus and with Ian throughout this difficult trial. This post from Larissa will give you great insight into who God has created her to be:

"The struggles of this affliction are pale compared to the glories of the cross. It is the simple yet profound truth of the gospel that gives myself, the Murphys and Ian strength each morning. When we get to heaven, Jesus himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Ian will one day be completely healed. His soul is entrusted to Christ. When we focus on that truth, there is no room for fear." - Larissa

Please visit this blog: http://www.prayforian.com/ and pray for Ian Murphy, the Murphy family, and Larissa. Pray for Ian's complete healing. Pray for a fresh hope, joy, and strength to be delivered to them all today. Pray that the Lord would work in these circumstances to advance the gospel.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

A closer look...

I know it must feel so far away, so here are a few pictures of the children and families that you are praying for when you pray for Sudan, as well as a brief description of the conflict there.

"Since early 2003, Sudanese government forces and militia called “Janjaweed” have been engaged in an armed conflict with rebel groups called the Sudanese Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). As part of its operations against the rebels, government forces waged a systematic campaign of “ethnic cleansing” against the civilian population who are members of the same ethnic groups as the rebels. Sudanese government forces and the Janjaweed militias burned and destroyed hundreds of villages, caused tens of thousands of civilian deaths, displaced millions of people, and raped and assaulted thousands of women and girls. "

"As of September 2007, approximately 2.2 million displaced people live in camps in Darfur and more than 200,000 people have fled to neighboring Chad, where they live in refugee camps. In addition to the people displaced by the conflict, at least 2 million additional people are considered “conflict-affected” by the UN and many need some form of food assistance because the conflict has damaged the local economy, markets, and trade in Darfur. "

"Today, the situation is transforming from a highly destructive armed conflict between rebels and the government into a violent scramble for power and resources involving government forces, pro-government Janjaweed militia, various rebel and former rebel factions, and bandits. Between January and July 2007, more than 200,000 people were displaced, many of them for the second or third time. " -Human Rights Watch, 18 Sept 2007

Please continue to pray for Abdul Rahman, Mohammed Almahady, and Essam Saddiq. Please pray for the men who attacked them - for their salvation. Please also see the comments & prayer requests from World Vision staff member Rose Kimeu:

"We are grateful that God has given us the opportunity to be able to show the people of Darfur the love of Christ...We ourselves are the hands and feet of Jesus. We really urge the listeners to pray for us and to pray for our staff that God would protect them, that God will enable them to show the love of Jesus through what they do.”

"In the desert, prepare the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the Glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Isaiah 40:3-5

Urgent Prayer: Abdul Rahman, Mohammed Almahady, Essam Saddiq

Please see the article below and pray for our Christian brothers in Sudan. I will try to post more shortly....

3 humanitarian workers wounded when World Vision international aid is ambushed in Darfur
ASSOCIATED PRESS
6:41 a.m. September 22, 2007

EL FASHER, Sudan – Armed men ambushed an aid convoy in Darfur, wounding three humanitarian (World Vision) workers, the U.N. mission to Sudan said Saturday.

The convoy from U.S.-based World Vision International, which included eight staff members, was attacked some 25 miles south of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, on Thursday, the U.N. said. All three wounded aid workers were Sudanese. Two were shot in the head and one in the arm, World Vision said. Two are in stable condition, and one is serious condition, the group said. It did not provide more information.

The attackers have not been identified but the U.N. statement said Arabtribes have been regularly clashing in the area. “This is a horrifying and brutal attack on aid staff who are working to save the lives of Sudanesepeople,” U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes said.

Attacks against humanitarian workers have increased by 150 percent from June 2006 to June 2007, the U.N. says. Since the start of the year, 105 humanitarian workers were temporarily taken hostage and 66 were physically or sexually assaulted in Darfur, the U.N. says. Meanwhile, 61 convoys have been ambushed and looted, and 98 vehicles hijacked.

Darfur hosts the world's largest ongoing humanitarian effort with some 14,000 aid workers including 1,000 international deployed to help the region's 2.5 million refugees. A hybrid force of 26,000 U.N. and African Union peacekeepers is due in Darfur by Dec. 31 to try to end four years of bloodshed that have already killed more than 200,000 people.

Ethiopia: James, Sarah, and Noah

Who: James, Sarah, and Noah
Where: Ethiopia, East Africa
What: Samaritan's Purse's ministry to the people of Ethiopia

"In the wake of anti-Christian violence, Samaritan's Purse is responding to the plight of the hungry and homeless."

"Samaritan’s Purse has been working with Ethiopian believers for more than 25 years, providing famine relief, agricultural aid, clean water, orphan care, and other types of assistance. We are committed to supplying food, shelter, and other essentials for those who have lost homes, possessions, and livelihoods. Please pray for an end to the violence in Ethiopia, and pray that local believers will continue to stand strong for Jesus Christ in the midst of persecution."

Ways you can pray (from their friend Phil):

• For James as the Country Director and Sarah working part time for SP and asa full time mother
  
• Pray that they would find/develop meaningful relationships with fellow believers
• Pray that the Lord would bless their work and that the gospel would be spread in Ethiopia
• Pray for the believers in Ethiopia, that they may be encouraged and blessed as they face many trials

"All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit...

We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in te kingdom of light.

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Colossians 1:6,9-14

Treasuring Christ

Where: Bethel Park, PA USA
Who: Providence Church of Pittsburgh
What: Bethel Park Community Day Outreach
When: Saturday, 8 September 2007

"Treasuring Jesus Christ and inviting others to do the same."

Providence Church of Pittsburgh is a group of local "missionaries" who love Jesus Christ and desire to share the love of Christ with their community. Specifically, this weekend at Community Day, they will be be handing out cotton candy, facilitating fun games, and building relationships in order to communicate Christ's love.

How we can pray for Providence Church (from Pastor Jeremy):

• As we serve, that we would be treasuring Christ so much that it overflows to people we meet
• That God would give us some Gospel opportunities even at the Community Day
• That people would not only receive the free lemonade and cotton candy, but that they would also receive an invite to Providence Church and be interested in coming to check us out (not just for numbers sake, but that people would come to know Jesus through all of this and join with us in treasuring Him above all else!)
• That we would find favor with the BP Community folks, and that it would only give us more avenues in the future to be able to reach out to the community
• For weather like this past weekend’s weather (no rain, plenty of sunshine, and a lack of humidity!)

"And it is my prayer that love would abound more and more, with all discernment so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through JESUS CHRIST, to Glory and Praise of GOD."
Philippians 1:9-11

Thank you so much for praying with us! May Jesus be Precious to You.

To God be the Glory!