Murray's Mission Prayer Update

Murray's Mission Prayer Update Dear Prayer Warriors, Family, and Friends, Again, we cannot thank you enough for your prayers and continued  support and thoughts of us in our  ministry!  We appreciate all of you staying involved with us as Jim has adjusted back from deployment and  appreciate your understanding as  our family has gone through a  "hibernation mode" just enjoying  being home together! The picture to the left is of Jim at the new  battalion he will be Chaplain for come  August 2013 (I'll give you more details below). We have been very blessed this summer to  participate in lots of activities for our squadron, brigade, installation, and personal  time to visit family and go on family vacations!  Below are some of our praises and prayers!

Praise Updates: • We have had a busy, productive, connected summer.  We were able to get away as a family of three and vacation with both sides of our family.  Jim has been busy with installation duties at our chapel and duties for Fort Campbell.  I helped with VBS and kept families connected in our Family Readiness Group through volunteering during our many squadron activities this summer. • Jim has continued to connect and counsel with soldiers in his squadron and the Lord has blessed his time meeting with soldiers and their families for counseling.  In May, Jim led a marriage retreat using The Five Love Languages with 22 couples.  We were also able to welcome home all of the 101 Combat Aviation Brigade where Jim led reintegration training and participated in welcome home ceremonies. In June he was able to do multiple changes of command within our squadron’s leadership team and preparing families for some well needed time off during the opportunity leave from mid-June thru the beginning of July. •   We will be able to attend Vision 2020 South, the Grace Brethren Leadership Conference, at the end of July and are always refreshed and rejuvenated by the encouragement we receive from missionaries, fellow chaplains, and supporters! Prayer Requests: • As I mentioned above, Jim has been transferred to a new unit here at Ft. Campbell.  He will join 3-187 Battalion of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team “Rakkasans” on August 1st.   This is a big praise and a big prayer request! They have a rich history and are notorious for being hardcore and intense!  The number of soldiers Jim will be ministering to is more than double the amount of soldiers from his current squadron, it is a physically challenging battalion (they do 20 mile ruck marches every quarter), and all of this comes as a sort of “promotion” only without the pay – just like the Army likes it! ☺ Pray for Jim as he mentors a different type of soldier, the infantry soldier.  We praise God that a fellow Grace Brethren chaplain is also a battalion chaplain for 3rd Brigade so Jim will be able to connect with him.  Pray for Jim’s command team, supervising chaplain (he no longer has the famous Billy Graham!), and the soldiers who he will interact with.  Pray that God would grant Jim favor and blessing in this new role. • Pray for me as I seek to get involved in this new battalion.  I will step down as the FRG leader for headquarters troop in our squadron but have seen a great benefit to being involved with the FRG as an avenue to connect with family members and battalion leadership, so I want to stay involved in our new role. A praise within this is that I had four ladies who I considered my "band of sisters" during the deployment - three of the four are from the battalion that Jim is going to and I know a number of their friends already - so I feel somewhat connected already!  I am going to begin homeschooling Margo in 4K, co-teach the preschool children’s church at our chapel, and continue involvement with Protestant Women Of the Chapel so I need wisdom to know what to focus most of my energy and time on.  Pray also that I would give special attention to Jim and Margo as Jim transfers to 3rd Brigade.                                                                           • On a personal note, I ask for you to pray for our continued journey down the path of infertility.  I have started attending a more well-known and specialized physician that we feel comfortable with.  Please pray for God’s guidance and direction to know what steps to take for our future.

Margo saluting the American flag during the National Anthem at our recent Change of Command at the end of July.  She's become our little Army brat!

Standing near our seats for the 101 Combat Aviation Brigade Ball at Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville in July!

Jim's children's message before preaching 
on July 21st at ChapelNext!

Thank you for your faithful prayers and encouragement to us as we continue on in 
the calling God has on our lives.  
We remember James 1:17 "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from 
above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation 
or shifting shadow."  As we transition to a new unit, we are so thankful for 
God's blessing on Jim's first year and a half of active duty Army and we are 
excited about what will come in the future with the Lord's leading!

In Christ,

Ashley (for Jim and Margo)