Patrick “Pat” Murphy is the first to admit that he wasn’t always on board with giving to missions. His wife, Darcee, was the one who drove their charitable giving. “When we started giving, there were times when I thought we couldn’t afford it. We fought about it quite a bit,” said Pat. “Not coming from a family that talked about giving a lot, it was new to me.”

The Murphys financially partnered with Wycliffe through the ministry of missionaries Mark and Patti Bean. Darcee and Patti met at a Bible study at Purdue University, and Patti had been a bridesmaid in Darcee and Pat’s wedding. Pat said, “[When] we started giving to Patti and Mark, I didn’t think we had the finances to support anybody. But my wife was adamant about tithing. She always said, ‘You can’t out‑give God.’”

Darcee and Pat were a part of the Beans’ “home team,” supporting their translation work in Peru through prayer and giving, despite their own family responsibilities and health concerns. Over the years, the Murphys talked about visiting Mark and Patti. Pat said, “We loved [travel and] adventure. But we never had the opportunity to do much of it, with raising our kids. We made the plan that when I retired we’d go [to Peru].”

Changing Places

In April 2017 Darcee relapsed from cancer and before the year’s end, she was gone. Pat began looking for ways to process the loss he was walking through.

He said, “When Darcee passed in December 2017, I had a lot happening emotionally. In the spring, I was looking at the letters from Patti and Mark and started thinking [visiting them in Peru] was something I wanted to do. He continued, “That was something Darcee and I always talked about. So I decided to go down [for the dedication of Scripture Mark had helped translate].”

Pat asked his three adult daughters if they’d like to accompany him to the dedication of the full Huaylas Quechua Bible in August 2019. His daughter Karis Troyer was able to join him.

Karis watched her mom and dad faithfully partner with the Beans throughout her childhood, so the trip invitation came with mixed emotions. Karis said, “We grew up helping Mom pack care packages for the Beans — Christmas presents in July, because it took so long [for them to get there]. For me, [Dad’s invitation] was a bittersweet thing, knowing I was there in my mom's place. She wanted to go so badly, and I had been excited for them to go.”

Witnessing the Fruit

Traveling from Ohio to Peru to attend the Huaylas Quechua Bible dedication was an aha moment for both Pat and Karis. Llamas brought boxes of the newly printed Bibles into the arena and the community celebrated with special music, greetings from team members — including Mark Bean — and a pachamanca lunch (meat, potatoes and vegetables cooked in an earth oven).

Karis reflected on the dedication day: “[After] hearing about Peru my entire life, seeing it in person was intense. [My dad and I don’t know] Spanish or Quechua, but you could understand [the joy]; you could follow along. I expected people to be excited but not ... emotional.”

Pat said, “The thing that woke me up spiritually was seeing the faces of the people [receiving] their Bible for the first time and knowing that Darcee and I were part of that process. They now had a Bible that was theirs.”

Patti Bean was grateful for Darcee’s friendship and generous partnership in the Beans’ Wycliffe ministry. Patti said, “Darcee was a faithful cheerleader all along the way. She and Pat were among our very first financial partners when we were just starting our training. They faithfully supported us for nearly four decades! It hasn’t just been with finances — the Murphys generously shared their lives with us.”

A Family Marked by Generosity

It’s safe to say that Pat’s view of generosity has changed quite a bit since his newlywed days. He now makes giving a priority and shares it with those around him — his siblings, men’s Bible study group and with his grandkids. Pat said, “You can change a lot of lives with a little bit of giving. [At the dedication] my hard-headed self was thinking of all the times I argued with Darcee over giving. Giving at your dining room table, you just don't see [the bigger picture]. I had a wife [with] a bigger vision. It takes people like that to accomplish [the work].”

Karis agreed: “This was really her trip and her story. It was sad but good seeing my parents’ legacy of giving to Wycliffe. [Mom] left a legacy for us, Mark and Patti, and the Quechua.”