You may or may not have heard, but we're expecting our third (and likely last) child in late March of next year. Heather will deliver it here in Africa again, and so far everyone is healthy and normal. Our school break starts on March 25, so if the baby is a proper and well-behaved missionary kid, she'll wait until we have some days off to break into the world. And if not, well, our students might get out of final exams!
The video above is the explicit conversation we had with our two boys on the day we found out about the gender of the baby.
Episode 27 is my podcast is available HERE or on iTunes. In the first 20 months, it's garnered over 4,000 downloads and that's not even counting those that listen directly on the Internet. It's exciting that people are interested in worldwide missions, and I pray that my efforts will inspire, amuse, and educate many towards greater service of Jesus Christ.
The past two months have been some of the most demanding I've faced in my life. While I expect this year will settle down after December, that doesn't help make the days longer in October. There aren't enough hours in the day to lesson plan, grade, lead worship, and coach. Not enough minutes to be a mentor, be a friend, be a father, be a husband. And the last two are the ones I feel most passionate about. I wanted to share a song that is kind of a prayer for me right now. Here are the lyrics. Or if you'd rather listen yourself, click the link below.
"Lead me" by Sanctus Real
I look around And see my wonderful life Almost perfect from the outside In picture frames I see my beautiful wife Always smilin' But on the inside... I can hear her sayin'...
"Lead me with strong hands Stand up when I can't Don't leave me hungry for love chasin' dreams What about us? Show me you're willin' to fight That I'm still the love of your life I know we call this our home But I still feel alone."
I see their faces Look in their innocent eyes They're just children from the outside I'm workin' hard I tell myself they'll be fine They're independent But on the inside... I can hear them sayin'...
"Lead me with strong hands Stand up when I can't Don't leave me hungry for love chasin' dreams But what about us? Show me you're willin' to fight That I'm still the love of your life I know we call this our home but I still feel alone."
So Father give me the strength To be everything I'm called to be Oh Father show me the way To lead them Won't you lead me?
To lead them with strong hands To stand up when they can't Don't wanna leave them hungry for love Chasin' things that I could give up I'll show them I'm willin' to fight And give them the best of my life So we can call this our home Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone
Through personal stories, cultural insights, and perspectives on the mission movement in Africa, Ryan Murphy shares what the missionary life looks like in the 21st century. The author's first book--All That You Can't Leave Behind--offers an entertaining bridge into the unknown lands of missions work and challenges you to make a difference in your world for God's glory.
