By Laura McKillip Wood
“We were sound asleep until a nearby explosion woke us up at about 4 a.m.,” John Murphy says of his family’s experience in Odesa, Ukraine, on the morning of Feb. 24. They looked outside, immediately suspecting a Russian invasion. Cars were passing by and nothing looked out of the ordinary. They thought perhaps they were just paranoid . . . that maybe they had heard a heavily loaded train racing over the nearby tracks. They went back to bed.
“Minutes later, we heard a massive explosion,” John says. “When we peered out the window, we saw the night skies of Odesa light up. It was time to flee.”
The next bus with available seats did not leave until 2:30 p.m., so the Murphy family spent most of the day listening to more blasts. After finally boarding the bus, traffic was horrible.
“I’ve never before experienced traffic like that,” John says.
The trip to the border of Ukraine and Moldova usually takes 50 minutes. That day it took about 11 hours. They arrived early the next morning. John feared Moldova would close their border before they could cross over, and the border did close about an hour after his wife and two children made it across. John says they were tired and afraid, and “we were also witnessing tanks, other combat vehicles, Ukrainian troops, and even rocket launchers speeding on ahead of us, which only heightened our fears since we were heading in the same direction.”
John Murphy has been a missionary in Ukraine since 1994. He has served in Simferopol, Kharkiv, and Odesa after graduating from Roanoke Bible College (now Mid-Atlantic Christian University) and Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary (later Cincinnati Christian University). He married Ira, who was born and raised in Crimea, in 2001. They have two children, Stefan, 14, and Charleze, 12. They moved to Odesa in 2003 to start a church there.
Now that the war has started, John and Ira are changing directions with their ministry. They have started Love for Ukrainians, an organization focused on providing relief for those displaced or severely impacted by the war.
The Murphys did make it back to America. After arriving in Moldova, they made their way to Romania—staying in homes of acquaintances and at a refugee center—and then on to Virginia. The Bonnie Brae Church of Christ in Henrico, Va., is providing a home for them for as long as they need it. Family and friends are donating supplies and funds since the Murphys left everything behind.
Ukrainian friends report long lines for food. Gas is not available. People have been staying in underground bomb shelters and basements. At the time of writing, the Russians had surrounded the city, and they appeared to be building up their forces in preparation for an intense attack. Despite the danger facing Odesa and its people, there is a silver lining.
“I got a note from a new member of our church asking if she can baptize people because many of her neighbors are open to the gospel, given the circumstances,” John explains. Other friends have texted them, asking questions about faith and describing how this has increased their dependence on God.
UPDATE ON MARIUPOL
Mariupol, in southern Ukraine, has been hit hard by Russian forces and outside aid is being blocked. Food is scarce and utilities are down since power and water stations were destroyed. This week a humanitarian corridor opened, and 20,000 people left the city.
Pray for those people who are fleeing to safer areas. Pray for the people in the places flooded by refugees. Pray for families who have suffered traumas and for those who have stayed in war-torn areas.
If you want to donate to help relief efforts in Ukraine, consider donating to one of these organizations:
• John Murphy’s new ministry, Love for Ukrainians has a new website and donation portal.
• Mulberry International provides relief to refugees through Ukrainian organizations on the ground.
• IDES (International Disaster Emergency Service) — be sure to designate your gift as “Ukraine relief.”
• Mountainview Christian Church is collecting money to send to Tavriski Christian Institute staff on the ground doing relief work.
• Proem Ministries is welcoming, sheltering, and feeding refugees from Ukraine as they arrive in Poland.
Laura McKillip Wood, former missionary to Ukraine, lives in Papillion, Nebraska, and writes about missions for Christian Standard.
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