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