Dear Friends & Prayer Partners;

I don’t think any of us can say that the last couple of months have been boring. Between the economy and the elections, there’s been plenty to keep the blood boiling, ears pricked up to the latest news, and pants knees worn out from prayer. Personally, I’ll be glad when the news starts talking about something else.

I must say, if I didn’t have the Lord to trust in, I’d be a nervous wreck right now. Praise God that we are not limited by what happens in the world, but serve an unlimited God. Even though the world may be in trouble, we can count on Him to watch over and protect us.

I’ve also needed the Lord with me a lot in the last couple of months of ministry. We have been hit with some problems, and a few setbacks, but the Lord has come through for us. He truly works “all things together for the benefit of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.”

-- IN THIS ISSUE --

• INTERNET VIDEO BIBLE SCHOOL
• ILLAHERMOSA, TABASCO, MEXICO
• YURLADIS SIERRA
• THE WORLD’S FINANCES
• MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE
• FAMILY NOTES

-- INTERNET VIDEO BIBLE SCHOOL --

The last few months have been largely occupied with preparations for the Internet Bible School. I now just about have the entire video recording system ready to go. In fact, I have done some recording, and full system tests.

Unfortunately, in those full system tests I found the need to make some modifications to my system. For one thing, the final video signal wasn’t strong enough for good quality recording. That problem required the addition of a video distribution amplifier, and some rewiring to the system. I’ve completed those steps and am in midst of testing the results.

The other problem I ran into in the tests was that my laptop computer isn’t fast enough to record onto. I left a videotape recorder out of my system design, planning on recording directly onto my laptop. This way, I could avoid the time consuming step of transferring the recorded classes from the videotape into my computer. However, as I said, the laptop isn’t fast enough. Now, I need to buy a faster laptop computer in order to have the system complete.

That doesn’t mean that my existing laptop computer isn’t useful in the overall plan. I had always intended to use a laptop for the professors to show their notes and Bible verses in Microsoft Power Point. So, the “old” laptop will be used for the professors, while the “new” laptop I have to buy will be used to record.

The other thing I’ve been working on is training a group of teens to work as volunteers in recording classes. The local homeschooling group offers a number of “cooperative” classes for the students. As part of this, I am giving a class in video production, to the same homeschooling students who will be working with me on recording bible school classes.

One more detail that needs to be completed is the design of the web site. I have most of it designed, but still have to work out registration forms, and how to make it so the students have to sign in to use the site. If any of you know how to set up a web site for password access, or how to work with forms, I could sure use some help. Otherwise, I’ll keep studying until I find the answers I need.

-- VILLAHERMOSA, TABASCO, MEXICO --

Last year, about this time, I wrote you that the city of Villahermosa in the state of Tabasco, Mexico was seriously flooded. Well, we’re looking at the same problems again. Although the city hasn’t flooded yet, the government has evacuated large parts of it in preparation, and the water is one meter above flood stage. If it wasn’t for some drastic work on the part of the Mexican government, Villahermosa would once again be flooded.

We have two rather large churches under our covering in Villahermosa. I’d like to ask you to pray for the brothers and sisters of those churches, along with all the believers of Tabasco. People have been out of their homes, businesses and churches for three weeks now, which affects their income, their families, even the children’s schooling.

I was scheduled to go minister in one of those churches for five days this coming week, but had to cancel. The government will not allow the church to use their building, except on Sundays. So, once this problem has passed, I will make that trip.

-- YURLADIS SIERRA --

We have three churches under our covering in the city of Cartegena, Colombia. I was able to travel there to minister to those pastors, and their congregations, last year. It was the first time that I had seen any of these people face-to-face. Before that, all of our contact was through the Internet.

Pastor Edwin Sierra had married about six months before my trip. His wife, Yurladis, had been abused in her first marriage, before becoming saved. As part of my ministry time in Cartegena, I ministered to them, and the other pastors, about their marriages.

Shortly after returning from Colombia, I received an e-mail informing me that two of the pastor’s wives, Yurladis and Luz, were pregnant. Both gave birth to their first child this year.

Unfortunately, Yurladis won’t be able to see her baby grow to maturity. On August 26th of this year, just a couple of months after giving birth to her baby, she died of a viral infection. The first notice I had that anything was wrong was when they called to tell me she had died.

There are still many diseases in the world that medical science doesn’t know how to treat. No antibiotic or medicine known to man can treat viruses; that’s why so much emphasis is placed upon childhood vaccinations in this country. But, vaccinations don’t exist for all the viruses in the world.

-- THE WORLD’S FINANCES --

As I mentioned in the opening of this letter, I’ve heard much more about the world’s financial situation that I want to. I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t raise my faith one bit to hear news reporters talking about bank closings, the meltdown on Wall Street, or the housing crisis.

This phenomenon has struck the Body of Christ as well. One day, I was sitting in the office, working. My wife was listening to a report on CBN’s web site; which talked about how missionaries were having to cut back on their work, because of the reductions in church offerings. Hearing that report, I almost fell out of my chair laughing. You see, at the same moment CBN was trying to tell me I was cutting back on my missions work, I was building the editing console for the video bible school. I don’t think that’s called cutting back.

I want you to know that this ministry isn’t cutting back. We are continuing to do everything we have been doing in the past, and more. I refuse to bow my knee to the world’s system, and ask you to take that stand with me. One way or another we will continue to minister to pastors and to the Body of Christ in general.

By the way, the rest of the world is in much worse financial crisis than we are here in the United States. Our economy is the strongest in the world, and we are the biggest nation of consumers in the world. What we do, and what happens in our economy affects the whole world.

The Mexican Peso has dropped 25% in comparison to the American Dollar in the last month. A month ago, I was exchanging pesos for dollars at a rate of 10 pesos per dollar. Today, I exchanged them at a rate of 12.5 pesos per dollar. Since much of our ministry income comes to us in pesos, that’s the same as saying that the ministry has had a 25% reduction in income in the last month. Once again, we will not be moved by what is happening in the world’s system, and will continue doing the work of the Lord here on the Texas/Mexico border.

-- MINISTERIAL ALIANCE --

I am still active as the president of the Hispanic Ministerial Alliance here on the Texas side of the border. Since the focus of this ministry is to minister to Hispanic pastors, I consider this an integral part of our ministry. Ever since we came to the Rio Grande valley, we’ve ministered on both sides of the border. This way, I have a greater influence on the pastors and their churches.

We have become very active as a ministerial alliance. So far this year, we’ve had three seminars for the pastors, a joint service, and a fellowship day at a Christian retreat center. That’s in addition to developing a web site, starting a radio program (on 25 stations) and revising our constitution. We also have a conference in each of our monthly meetings to help the pastors in their ministries.

In November we have a night of praise and worship in the park planned. This will be the first time that the ministerial alliance has held an event in public. I’ve been trying to get the churches outside their four walls, and have high hopes for this event.

We also have Morris Cerullo coming in November. This will the first big event the ministerial alliance has held in over 10 years. I never realized how many hours of preparation go into hosting an event of this type; before having to do it.

-- FAMILY NOTES --

The whole family (except for me) is up to their eyeballs in school once again. Debbie is teaching at the same school, and Rebekah goes with her every day. They’ve had a lot of problems with the school district over the bible club in the school; not only them, but the other schools in the district. The students have a right to have a bible club, so please pray for the obstacles to be cleared out of the way.

Three weeks into the school year, the school changed half of Deborah’s classes, taking away her three Spanish classes, and giving her four more French classes. What happened was that the other French teacher quit teaching, and they had to shuffle the classes to keep the French program going. It was a lot of hassle for Deborah, but now she only has to teach French (which she prefers). She also has the advantage of not having to “align” with another teacher, so can teach the way she wants to.

This is Jenni’s last year of college. She has finished her music classes, and is now taking the education classes necessary for her degree. Over the summer, she was part of a special program for non-education majors, working on a specialty education degree (music, art, sports, etc.). She completed one semester of studies in a grueling four week marathon. But, with that, she can graduate this year, instead of waiting until next year. She had to be selected for that program, because only the best students are allowed to do it.
Next semester she will be doing her student teaching, which is the last part of her education degree. She already has schools fighting over her; wanting her to come not only as a student teacher, but to work there once she has her degree and certification.

The other thing that Jenni has to do this school year is her recital. All music majors must give a one hour music recital in their senior year. Hers is scheduled for January 15th of next year. Any night you pass by our house, you’re likely to hear her singing opera in preparation for her recital.

Josh still has two years to go on his music degree; although he might decide to take three years to complete it. He’s been taking a bunch of extra classes, in order to be qualified in the most different types of music possible. His major is classical guitar, but he has taken classes in band, orchestra, and choir as well. This will probably serve him well when he graduates and starts teaching. It will also serve him with his ministry plans of training worship teams.

Since the beginning of the summer, Josh has been working for Starbucks (you know, the coffee people). I have heard more coffee trivia than you can imagine. I also have eight different types of coffee in my office. There are benefits in having a Starbucks employee in the house.

Rebekah is really busy this year. She is still taking ballet, but now she’s doing it three days a week. She also has a part dancing in the production of the Nutcracker this Christmas. With that, we basically don’t see her on Saturdays, because after her class, she’s tied up in rehearsals all afternoon.

Additionally, Rebekah decided she wanted to try out for the swim team at school. Actually, she’s on the diving team, not the swim team (although it’s considered part of the swim team). The coach found out she was a dancer and twisted her arm pretty hard to get her to sign up. He thought with her dance background, she could learn to dive really easily, and do it really well. So far, it appears as if he was right. Even though she never dived before, she’s doing back flips now.

Deborah and I have recently joined a local gym/spa. Three times a week we go sweat and grunt with the rest of the crazies. Someone told me this was supposed to be fun, but I haven’t found the fun part yet.
We’ve needed to do this for a while, in order to maintain our health, and not leave a door open for the enemy to take us out of the ministry. Since moving to the valley, I’ve gained much more weight than is good for me. I don’t believe it is God’s will for me to start the Internet Video Bible School, only to have to stop the work because of health problems.

Don’t forget to pray for the presidential elections; and don’t forget to vote. These elections are critical for our nation; not just for financial reasons, but even more for moral ones. This next president will probably pick at least two justices for the Supreme Court. We don’t need people sitting on that bench who don’t fear God, and are going to help the nation move farther away from the Judeo-Christian ethic.

Please keep us in your prayers; that He keeps us in the center of His will. We also need prayer for workers; with the Internet Bible School, the amount of work we are doing is just going to increase. Finally, please pray for ongoing provision for the work of the ministry. Increased work also means increased costs. This is God’s ministry, and we believe He will provide.

Blessings in Jesus,

Rev. Rich Murphy
Maranatha Life