Adios, December!

Let me start off by saying, Merry Christmas!! Happy New Year!! I am feeling so joyful and hopeful about what's coming, though I don't know exactly what that is. I hope that this letter finds you experiencing something similar.

One and a half months down, ten and a half to go! It's amazing how quickly time passes. December was full of new experiences for me, one being the lack of snow, or any coldness at all for that matter! Christmas is a big deal here in Peru, so there was no lack of holiday spirit. On the 19th I attended my first Chocolatada at PEPE's school, which is basically a party for the students involving games, hot chocolate, pannettone (the traditional Christmas treat) and presents. It was nice to see the students and teachers let loose and have fun together :)  The next day was the Clasura, which is like a graduation ceremony. The students with the highest grades in their class are given their diplomas up front, and the rest of them go to their classrooms to receive their report cards. At the beginning of the event, the students presented a dramatization of the Nativity story, along with a chorus of Christmas songs. I led two age groups in the presentation of the songs/dances I taught them in English, and let's just say that their cuteness made up for any lack of accuracy. I am looking forward to teaching regular English classes at the school when the new school year starts in March.

On the 22nd, we had a Christmas service at the church. We were expecting about 70 people to come at the most, but more than 100 people came! The children sang the songs we had been practicing for the past few Saturdays, and the older children recited a Christmas poem. There were baby dedications, gifts, prizes and of course pannettone!! It was a great time of fellowship and joy.

Jon Edwards and I also traveled to the city of Chiclayo to meet Bob and Karin McClure, a missionary couple who have a semi-new ministry to orphans and widows, called El Padre de Esperanza. While Jon and Bob talked about the ministry, Karin and I got to know each other and we got along quite well. She is native to Peru so we spoke in Castellano (a dialect of Spanish that the people in this region speak). Jon hopes to connect with them more in the future to see if our ministries can work together.

For anyone wondering how Pastor Julio is doing, he still needs your prayers. He has had a few appointments at a medical clinic to take  care of some pain in his leg, and is on medication and a diet. Please pray for complete healing and peace for his family.

In January, we at the church are participating in a fast and study of the book of Romans. Each week has different guidelines, finishing with 1 1/2 hours of prayer each day. Please pray for me in regards to this as fasting is not one of my stronger points :) Above all, I desire to be a blessing and grow more intimate in my relationship with God.

Blessings to you and your families, may you keep God at the center of your everyday living.

Much love, Laura Beth

Saludos de Peru!!

Hello friends! I am excited to be writing my first newsletter from Peru!! I arrived here on November 13 and it has been a whirlwind of activity since then. A small team from Jacksonville, Florida was already there when I arrived, so I went to a night service with them my second night here. It was a great feeling to worship with my fellow Peruvian Jesus lovers. On the 15th we celebrated Pastor Julio and Janet's 25th wedding anniversary with a ceremony in which they renewed their vows. It was a special time with family and I was privileged to be part of it. The following week was spent getting my room put together and spending time with the pastors' relatives.

This past week I started volunteering as the English teacher at a nearby school called PEPE's, teaching Christmas songs to the students. The students and the teachers are all fun to work with and it is a Christian school so it is nice to hear lessons being taught from the Bible! The school year ends in mid December, but I will be returning to teach when classes begin again in March.

Here at the church (Betesda) we have Sunday morning services, Wednesday evening services and the children's class on Saturdays. Jon Edwards, Deborah (Ps Julio's daughter) and I are putting together a Christmas presentation with the children so they can perform it when we have the Christmas service on December 22. My favorite part being here, I am not ashamed to say, is getting to know the kids! They are so eager to love :)

 I am impressed with the faithfulness and honesty of the leadership here. Every message I've heard has been life-giving and challenging, but it's not just the way they talk - they live it as well. I look forward to learning from them and finding what God has in store for me here!

Lastly my wonderful friends, I want to thank you for being the best support family a girl could ask for. I have received many words of encouragement, which strengthen me each day. Never forget that you are a part of this work, too! Love you!


Laura Beth Murphree

Leaving the Known

In five days, I leave for Peru.

Today is the last full day I will spend in NY before I leave the country. Today is also the last full day I will spend in this house - ever. It is a strange feeling, knowing that your life is about to change pretty drastically and not only by one factor. My parents and I have lived here for almost 15 years and my father has turned what he bought as quite frankly, a mess, into a charming and welcoming home. Now, we are selling it and moving to a new town. Some people I know have lived in the same house their whole lives and feel no real attachment to it. Not so with me. I have purposely explored every inch of this property, getting to know it like a friend. I have specific memories attached to certain parts of the house and yard, landmarks of how I have grown as a person. Yes, I am very sentimental.

Some might say that I am too attached to passing things, especially in the light of a missionary calling. They are right. Probably the biggest lesson I have been learning in all of this preparation is that you can't hold on to anything except for God. I have been reminded of that phrase, "You can't take it with you," every time I feel like holding tightly onto what I have. It's not just because it won't fit in my suitcase (you can't fit an acre of land in, trust me) but because GOD HAS BETTER THINGS IN STORE FOR ME THAN MY PAST. All of my experiences, whether pleasant or painful, have been overseen and orchestrated by my loving heavenly Father. No object or piece of land has taught me anything, but rather has been a tool that He used to show Himself to me. That is what I long for, to see Him more clearly. To love like Him. To be more like Him. Holding on to what I know makes me comfortable is the best way to stall that kind of growth.

So, as I finish packing my suitcase and prepare to have my life changed (which is something you cannot really ever prepare for, it's always a surprise), my eyes must be locked on my Savior. There's no denying the pain of leaving behind what I love, but with Him at the helm there is no need for fear. As I write this I can't help but smile, my heart beating in anticipation of what we will do together in the coming days! A new chapter, a new adventure!

YES

Wonderful news!

God has provided all of the funds I need to go to Peru!!!! I want to thank every one of you who has given financially, prayed, hoped for me etc, it means so much to me. I am so excited that the time has finally come, and I know that the biggest part of the adventure is yet to come.

My parents and I will be flying out to Colorado on November 9th to visit my sister and brother-in-law and their new baby girl. On November 12th, I will leave for Peru from the airport in Denver, arriving in Peru the following day. Jon Edwards tells me that a missions team from Florida will be arriving the same day, so I will not be the only new arrival ;) Some of the people coming I met in 2011 when I was doing my internship there, so it will be nice to see them again. On the 14th, Pastor Julio and his wife Janet will be celebrating their anniversary by renewing their vows. I am very happy that I will be there for that, as I consider them my family.

I will continue these updates while I am in Peru, so don't forget to look for them! If you have any questions, feel free to email or message me. Again, thank you so very much  for all your support and love!

Laura

This is the day..

 This is the day that the Lord has made. That is the thought that just came to my mind as I prepared to write this blog.  Each day, "a clean slate without any mistakes on it," is a gift from my Redeemer. The truth is, pretty much as soon as I wake up, I start making mistakes. That is my nature as a human. The beauty of grace is that those mistakes do not hold me down, keeping me from ever overcoming them. The God who makes the sun rise each day also makes me an over-comer. If He, who beat sin and death has placed His Spirit in me, then I can do the same. One day at a time. Every day.

If all this waiting for my time to go to Peru has taught me anything, it is that I cannot just "wait". I must pursue by faith. I believe that a calling that is truly from God will take hold in your heart and remain there, pushing you on like nothing else. Mistakes, doubts, set backs...these hurdles test the strength of your faith. I have come to such hurdles and it is by the grace of God that I have overcome them. And what does grace look like? It looks like a friend who encourages me with their own passion and faith, it looks like a phone conversation with a pastor who promises to pray for me,  it looks like the promises Jesus made to me in the Bible, or His quiet voice speaking to me in times of worship. I look forward with anticipation of what God will do, both here in the States and in my beloved Peru.

On this day that the Lord has made, I can praise Him for His provision! He has used many people, those I know and those I don't know, to provide funds for the calling He has placed in my heart. Since last I wrote, I have received money from places I did not expect, in amounts I did not expect! I have more than half of what I need for monthly support!! To me, that is amazing. It reminds me of how small my faith is in comparison to God's faithfulness. But even faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.

Thank you, dear friends, for having faith with me. Thank you for praying and believing and giving. May the Lord bless you with more faith :)

Laura Murphree

Contact Information:                                   

Laura Murphree     

4701 Buffalo Road

Warsaw, NY 14569

Phone: (585) 322-2618

Under Appointment by:

1703 Dalton Road

Lima, NY 14485-9516

Tax-deductible contributions: Checks to Elim Fellowship

"Preferred for Laura Murphree's support"

OR Online Giving at www.elimfellowship.org                                                  

This is Why

Hello every one!

First off I need to apologize for my lack of communication (aka no blog) last month. Time seems to slip away and I get distracted, and then I realize that I have left you all hanging. Despite my schedule being rather crazy lately, God has been doing good things in me. He is not hindered by my schedule :)

To be honest with you, a few weeks ago I was losing heart. Seeing the financial support come to what seemed a plateau discouraged me. I questioned if God really wanted me to go on this trip. You see, I was so busy looking at how difficult it is to get on the missions field, that I lost sight of WHY I am going and WHO is sending me. Thankfully, God is faithful to catch my attention through His Word, friends, and His Holy Spirit. He is bringing to light again what I had let slip into darkness.

Why am I going to Peru? I am going to Peru because I have been anointed to preach good news to the poor. Because God so loves His people that He searches for those who will show that love to those who cannot see it - and I have said, "Here am I. Send me." Because when I sit with a child and speak to him or her in my stuttering Spanish, God uses it to plant life in that child's heart. Because my life is a living testimony to the undying grace and mercy of my heavenly Father, and I cannot keep it to myself, in my comfortable boxed in life at home. Because when one person says "Yes" to the Lord, thousands of lives have the chance to be changed.

Who is sending me?  The only one who matters. He is my savior and closest friend. He is the God of angel armies, my provider, the one who gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. He is Jesus Christ, Father God and Holy Spirit!!!!!!!!!!

Now that we have that cleared up :) I'll let you know how things are going.

I need $400.00 each month, for 12 months. So far, I have $80.00 promised for each month. That leaves $320.00 more I need in monthly support. That's $3,480.00 total for the whole year. If you are confused as to how monthly support works, I will tell you.  If you pledge $20 a month - once a month, for one year's time, you would (as you are able) send $20 to Elim Fellowship designated to Laura Murphree. That $20 would be placed in my Elim Fellowship account, from which I would draw the money needed for each month.

I am still looking to have all the funds raised in time for me to leave for Peru this September. Time is short, but I am sure and confident that God will provide for all my needs. He will do that through whatever and whomever He pleases.  Please pray and listen to hear His voice on this.
If you know anyone who would be interested in my mission, feel free to share this blog with them!!
Thank you!

You are wonderful, because you are His special treasure. 

Let's Talk

You know, it really is amazing that God would let me, yes call me to travel thousands of miles away to bless people in a different country. I don't know if all of you know this, but the country of Peru has been intriguing to me ever since....well before I got interested in missionary work. How beautiful that is, that He prepared my heart ahead of time. He knew. And I know that there is more to come! Where, when, I do not know. But I have surrendered my life to His use, and He has promised to bless it!!!


I am going to break away from my usual format here, if that's ok with ya'll. As much as I'd like to sit down with each of you and spend some quality time talking about what God is doing in your life, what your dreams are, as well as the mundane daily things, I cannot. There are just so many of you wonderful people and we are all busy! SO. Here are a couple of things that have been going on with me.

1. Something really nice that I have been doing is meeting new people and getting to know acquaintances better. For example, I have met with several pastors to talk about my trip to Peru. Without fail, these meetings have resulted in my receiving love, wisdom, and encouragement. I understand that pastors are "suppose to" do that, but let me tell you - each man and woman that God calls to be a pastor has their own struggles and challenges. Knowing this, I am humbled and blessed that they would take the time to listen to me ( a youngster in this ministry thing :) and share their life lessons with me!

2. I got to meet a woman whom I now consider a friend at my job this past month. We were sort of thrown together to handle a bunch of kids, without having previously met. It turned out that we could relate to one another well, and it was nice to have that in a what can be trying environment :) I really appreciate her and am thankful that God let us get to know each other!

3. I have two jobs, one working with kids and another at a hotel, doing housekeeping. The housekeeping job is pretty much a seasonal deal, and I have been wondering if I should look for something closer to my home. I very much dislike leaving jobs because I do not want my employers think ill of me (which is ridiculous really). So, I was trying to figure out how/when to quit that job, getting myself all nervous. Then God did His thing. A few days ago, I received my pay check in the mail and with it a letter from the owners of the hotel, saying that they had just signed the papers to sell the business to new owners, and that they would be doing their own hiring. They suggested that I start looking for a new job, thanking me for all the work I had done for them and praying for blessing ( yes, they are Christians:) You see that?!! I am now training for a new summer job.

For those of you still reading this, I applaud you :) I know this has not been the conventional missions trip blog update, but I felt like this was a good idea. If you are anxious to find out how my support is going, then you can read this:

Any gift is still welcome! A one-time gift will bring down the amount I need for monthly support. Monthly pledges can be $5 a month, $20 a month... $100 :) or whatever you feel is right! However the MOST IMPORTANT support I ask for is PRAYER!! Right now I ask that you would keep Pastor Julio Cavassa in your prayers. He is back home and going through therapy, but He still needs more strength and all the blessings you can send His way! The doctors want to give him a mouth guard to keep his jaw from healing crooked, but he cannot open his mouth wide enough to get one in. This is slowing down the healing. His wife Janet also needs prayer, as she is giving her energy in caring for him.