Howdy!

A long while has passed and I have been seriously neglecting to write. The Bible Study Center has been busier than ever! Session 2 came to a close on the 25th of April. We didn't have any baptisms, but many of the students are still studying with us, so we still have a crack at 'em. Session 3 was held May 12-June 20, ending with the immersion of both Joselito and Brenda Paredes. Please be praying for our new brother and sister in Christ.

At the end of April beginning of May I was SICK. I caught some strange form of gastritis, causing all kinds of stomach pains and was unable to work. For about a week after it started I thought it would just go away, but it didn’t. I eventually decided to go to the emergency room and get medical advice. The medicine the doctor gave me worked remarkably well and almost instantly, but after time the effect seemed to lessen, as if my body was getting used to it. I’m still not sure that it was just gastritis, but thank the Lord I am sick no longer. As of yet it has not reoccurred.

I turned 19 on May 3! My last year as a teenager... Being 19 is a reminder that I am getting older. Not that I feel OLD, but that now I am expected to be more mature and responsible. Besides, I feel that "old" is an overused adjective. I think we should follow the saying "You're only as old as you feel". In that case, however, I am ancient. As far as the age goes, I don't feel any different. Birthdays used to be an exciting time. When I turned 10 I was finally a "double-digiter", 13 showed that I was finally a teenager, and 18 meant that I was independent. Now I'm just 19. From now on it's not as exciting, just another year.

In May, we had some visitors. May 6-12, Alpha Nolasco, Allan Lumagui and John Begin from Murrieta, California came and joined us for enrollment week. John taught a seminar for titled “Encounters with Jesus from the book of Mark” and they all helped us distribute invitations for classes. We thoroughly enjoyed them being here and hope they will visit us again!

In case you haven’t heard, I have some wonderful news. My sister Rachael is pregnant! Officially she is 3 months along. We are all so excited, especially my parents! This is the grandchild that they have been waiting for. They have been looking forward to being Grandma and Grandpa. I must say, being an Auntie is going to be fun! Please keep Rach, Clint and the baby in your prayers.

May 23-25 we were able to attend the First Annual Waray-waray Fellowship on the island of Leyte. Waray is the name of the language spoken in northern Leyte and the island of Samar, thus the name. Leyte is an island to the east of Cebu. We had a great time and enjoyed the fellowship. We were invited by Jack Belo, a longtime missionary in the Philippines and supervisor to my parents when they first came here in 1980.

This last June, we celebrated a very special occasion. We remembered June 14, 1980, when Barry Murrell and Sharon Wilkey tied the knot. I wonder if they knew what impact they might have on the future of the Lord’s kingdom. Their effect on me was somewhat great, but that goes without saying ;). It’s amazing how the lord can take two willing people without much training or experience and put them to work. They are living proof that the Lord can use anyone to advance his kingdom.

There has been a tragedy in the shipping industry that you may have heard about on the news. A passenger cargo ship owned by Sulpicio Lines (one of the major shipping companies here in the Philippines) capsized during Typhoon Frank in June. The final story about what happened is still not certain, however the theory is that during the typhoon, the boat lost power and was at the mercy of the waves. The majority of the passengers are dead; once the ship flipped they were trapped inside. It is such a great reminder to as Christians. The majority of the passengers on that ship were probably not in Christ. Not everything is certain in life.

We started Session 4 of classes on July 14th, this last Monday. We have about 20 students. I am teaching 3 courses: Major Religions of the World - 1, Can We Believe the Bible?, and Jesus: Man of the Bible. I have two students in Major Religions, 4 in Can We Believe the Bible? and 2 in Jesus: Man of the Bible. Please keep them all in your prayers.

As always, thank you for your continued support. I ask that you keep us and all our students in your prayers. God bless!!!

In him...

Sara Murrell