Spring volume 19, number 1, Called to be. Apostles

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1 ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN MISSION CENTER Spring 2003 volume 19, number 1, 2003 Called to be Apostles

2 M i s s i o n M a g a z i n e SPRING, 2003 volume 19, number 1 Contents FEATURES Cover Story: Rediscovering Our Apostolic Identity in the 21st Century Archbishop Anastasios Of Tirana and All Albania The Universe as our Parish Fr. Luke A. Veronis OCMC Missionary Infant Center Opens in Romania Victoria Goodwin OCMC Missionary Why Medical Missions Dn. Dr. Euthym Kontaxis ALSO IN THIS ISSUE From the Executive Director SAMP: Many firsts in South Africa Mission Teams: India Fr. Nikitas Theodosion AGAPE: Alaska St. Herman s Seminary Drug and Alcohol Abuse Program...16 Missionary Kids: Interview with a Returned Missionary Kid: Hannah Hudson Missionary Dads: Reflections on Being a Missionary Dad Nathan Hoppe OCMC Missionary Mission News Letters to the Editor Help Wanted On the Cover: Archbishop Anastasios carries the Paschal light of Christ which illumines all to thousands of Albanians as a modern-day Apostle. Photo courtesy: Nathan Hoppe ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN MISSION CENTER The Orthodox Christian Mission Center s Mission Magazine is published twice a year for members of the Saints Cyril and Methodios Orthodox Mission Society by the Orthodox Christian Mission Center. EDITOR: MANAGING EDITOR: DESIGN: Fr. Martin Ritsi Sofia Lopoukhine Cameron Thorp The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is the official international mission agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). For more information about OCMC visit our website at or contact us at Orthodox Christian Mission Center P.O. Box 4319 St. Augustine, FL PH: (904) Fax: (904) missions@ocmc.org Program Contacts: Executive Director Fr. Martin Ritsi Missionaries Maria Gallos Teams Nektarios Ferguson Development Warren W. Caterson Capital Campaign Athan E. Stephanopoulos Agape Canister Susan Kleiner SAMP Pres. Renee Ritsi Communications Sofia Lopoukhine Finance Carolyn Crossley OCMC Missionaries and their Families: Albania: Fr. Luke, Pres. Faith, Paul, Theodora and Panayiota Veronis Nathan, Lynette, Tristan, and Katherine Hoppe Dr. Charles, Maria, George, Anthony, Joanna, Adrian, and Melania Linderman Melanie Linderman Shannon Robinson George, Pauline, Christopher and Madeline Russell Romania: Craig and Victoria, Goodwin Floyd Frantz Guatemala: Tamara and Isabel Timko Christina Hagelios Fr. Timothy and Kh. Louise Ferguson OCMC BOARD OF TRUSTEES: Helen Nicozisis, President Fr. Chad Hatfield, Vice President Catherine Lingas, Treasurer Elizabeth Slanta, Secretary Fr. Alexander Veronis, President Emeritus John Andreadis Clifford Argue Fr. John Chakos Dr. George Christakis Fr. Louis Christopulos George Conopeotis Patrick Crosson Cina Daskalakis Dr. John G. Demakis Dr. Peter Fotos Lt. Cmdr. Fr. Milton Gianulis Fr. Peter Gillquist Fr. John Harvey Fr. Jonathan Ivanoff Vice Adm. Michael P. Kalleres Thalia Karakitsios Dr. Spero J. Kinnas Dn. Dr. Euthym Kontaxis Fr. Victor Lakusta Fr. Dimitri Leussis Fr. George Liacopulos Dn. Ihor Mahlay George Maragakes Fr. Luke Mihaly Scott Mitchell Fr. Ted Pisarchuk Teresa Polychronis Fr. Stevo Rocknage Michael Stavropoulos Fr. Mathew Tate Fr. Constantin Tofan Fr. Raymond Velencia Andrew Yiannakos John Yoo Opinions expressed are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of OCMC.We reserve the right to edit all articles and all submissions for length and content. Articles may be reproduced or used with written acknowledgement of the source. One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church Fr. Martin Ritsi, Executive Director Dear Readers, Christ is Risen! We greet you in the peace of the Risen Lord and pray that the love and hope of the Resurrection be with you always. In the Gospel passage read in the Holy Saturday Resurrection service, the words of the Lord to His Apostles are proclaimed in victory and command: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20). In addition to Holy Saturday, this passage will be read in Orthodox Churches around the world throughout the year in the cycle of the morning Gospel readings and then another version of this at the upcoming Feast of the Ascension. When noticing the emphasis that is placed on this powerful moment, and the apostolic sending that goes with it, some questions can be raised; such as: How is our Church today responding to this command by the Lord? When we personally hear this passage, does it resonate within us? Is it familiar and a part of our daily lives? These questions were addressed in a keynote message given by Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania at St. Vladimir s Orthodox Theological Seminary on the occasion of the Symposium on Orthodox Mission and the bestowal of an honorary degree upon His Beatitude Anastasios. Excerpts from that talk, along with an article by OCMC missionary in Albania, Fr. Luke Veronis, are Let the whole world, visible and invisible, keep the feast. For Christ is Risen, our Eternal Joy. Paschal Canon featured in this issue of the OCMC Mission Magazine. Both of these authors draw us to reflect on both the missionary imperative, as well as the universal Church s seeming lack of maintaining the full Apostolic message it proclaims each time the Creed is recited. This becomes clearer if we visualize the world situation in relation to the missionary imperative and an absence of tension that is expressed in our Churches today concerning this central aspect of the Orthodox Christian faith. You see, today only 1/3 of the world is Christian and 1/4 of the world has not yet heard the Resurrection proclamation in such a way that they might understand the claims and message and be able to turn to our Lord Jesus Christ. Considering this situation and the focus which our Lord has given to proclaiming the Gospel, we can then look within our selves and towards our parish and ask: Do we live with a vision and daily awareness of striving to follow out this command given by the Lord prior to His ascension into heaven in a way that is commensurate with the focus that the Lord Himself has placed on it? Archbishop Anastasios brings out these and other themes as he asserts that this commandment was not only for the Apostles, but that missionary outreach is part of the DNA of our Church. It is my prayer that his words, along with the rest of the material in this issue, will be both a challenge and encouragement, such that all of us together may be inspired to a deeper commitment and devotion towards living out the Apostolic commandment that has been passed on to us as members of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! English Christ is Risen Indeed He is Risen Yupik (Alaska) Xris-tusaq Ung-uixtuq Iluumun Ung-uixtuq Spanish Cristo ha Resucitado En verdad ha Resucitado Swahili Kristo Amefufukka Kweli Amefufukka Albanian Krishti u Ngjall Vërtete u Ngjall Korean Kristo Gesso Buhar ha sho nay The Orthodox Christian Mission Center wishes the whole world a blessed Pascha! 2 OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine SPRING

3 REDISCOVERING OUR APOSTOLIC IDENTITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY Archbishop Dr. Anastasios (Yannoulatos) Of Tirana and All Albania Professor Emeritus of the University of Athens Archbishop Anastasios, who has been involved in missions for 50 years, lives out his conviction that the Apostolic obligation is not limited to the Twelve, but that it belongs to the whole Body of the Church. No one questions it in theory. On the contrary, we confess it solemnly and repeat it nearly every time we gather to worship. We profess our belief in One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and proclaim our membership in it. But in practice, it would seem that many Orthodox believers, and even many local Churches, commonly embrace a rather limited definition of Apostolic Early in his ministry, Jesus sent out those whom he had called to Himself He called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named Apostles: (Lk 6:13). Jesus did Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and all Albania was the key-note speaker at a two-day Orthodox Mission Symposium, February 27-28, 2003, held at St. Vladimir s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York. An excerpt of his talk, Rediscovering our Apostolic Identity in the 21st Century is printed here and the complete text will be in an upcoming issue of St. Vladimir's Theological Quarterly, published by the faculty of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary. not found a static community that withdrew from the world. Nor did he attach himself to one particular place. He traveled from city to city, town to town; and was always on the move. He sent out His Disciples, still imperfect beings with their weaknesses and shortcomings, who were at once his Disciples and his Apostles. The community He established had missions, a sending out, as its inner force. The work of this Apostolic community had a centrifugal energy, moving outward from the Lord, the Teacher, to the others. At the same time, a single person, the person of Christ, provided a steady, centripetal attraction The view was formulated that Apostolic identity was limited exclusively to the Twelve who were eyewitnesses to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Naturally, the Twelve hold a unique position in the life of the Church Nevertheless, Apostolic obligation is not limited to the activities of the Twelve. These in turn transmitted to others the work of their Apostolic calling. Already in the Gospel of Luke we find the tradition according to which Jesus appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him two by two (Lk 10:1). The aim expressed here, to send them out into the world, was the same as that assigned to the Twelve.Besides the Twelve and the Seventy, the Risen Lord also sends out Paul Paul insists again and again that he is a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, set apart for the gospel of God (Rom 1:1) In the New Testament, the name Apostle is also given to other less eminent personalities: Barnabas, Sosthenes, Epaphroditus, Timotheus, Titus. Broadly speaking, apostolic activity is the work of every disciple who is the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Mt 5:13-14) Christ s teaching and the other commandments that He gave to other groups of His followers, both large and small, did not concern those particular audiences exclusively, but were of relevance to the entire Church. Let us consider how absurd it would be to interpret in such an exclusive fashion the Lord s words at the Last Supper, when he said to His Twelve disciples Do this in remembrance of me (Lk 22:19). Would it be possible to support the proposition that this commandment was of exclusive concern to His circle of Twelve? If that were the case, there would be no Church. Instead, the commandment concerns the entire lifespan of the Church. Likewise, the final commandment given to the Eleven is determinative not only for those Eleven, but for all who believed in the Gospel message, for the entire body of the Church that would come into being from the seeds of the first Apostles words and deeds The Lord s last commandment, as it is preserved in the Gospel of Matthew, defines the Church s scope and character. From the stirring words with which the Risen Christ directs His disciples emerge three main themes that constitute a seamless, organic whole. The first is a statement of universal importance: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. The second, a final commandment: Go ye therefore (oun), and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And with the third comes a promise: And (kai) lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. The conjunctions oun (therefore) and kai (and) emphasize the cohesion of thought. These three sentences are interlinked, intertwined like the muscular, circulatory and nervous systems of our bodies. They make up an organic, indivisible whole. They determine the origin, the orientation and the strength of Apostleship. Many people prefer to focus their attention on the last sentence: And (kai) lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age, which reinforces intellectually and emotionally the certainty of Christ s presence in our everyday life. No doubts have been expressed as to whether the first, as well as the last, verses refer to the fullness of the Church, that is to say, to all believers, without exception. But it is peculiar and inconsistent to consider that the middle link, the verse Go ye therefore (oun), and teach all nations, refers exclusively to the Twelve. If we take away the conjunctions oun and kai, the logical connections are lost. The revelation that all authority in heaven and in earth has been given to Christ implies a specific obligation on the part of the Apostles and their successors. This obligation is the consequence of the great truth described in the first verse. Upon the fulfillment of their Apostolic duty, they will have the guarantee of Christ s presence. Without the kai, the promise of Christ s constant presence is left hanging. The obligation belongs to the whole Body of the Church A basic characteristic of Apostolicity is that the disciples are obliged to go out. Their lives will unfold on a wide open horizon, with challenges, dangers, successes and failures forever in Mission is part of the Church s genetic material, a fixed element in its DNA. It is a gift of grace organically fused to the Church motion. No frontiers should bind them. Their duty is to go out and teach all nations without exception Christ completed His salvific work. The translation both literal and figurative of His message to all the world was not to be His own work. He entrusted the responsibility to His Apostles (the Church He founded). And the Apostles in turn entrusted the continuation of their work to their successors. This spiritual relay race continues in the hands of the Church as a whole until the Lord comes again. This characteristic of Apostleship is indelibly wrought in the very nature of the Church and should be lived in every age, under new conditions and against new challenges. Mission is part of the Church s genetic material, a fixed element in its DNA. It is a gift of grace organically fused to the Church, nourished as it is by the Eucharistic community; and the Church is, in turn, constantly renewed by the Apostolic calling. And this calling will be realized with the continual presence and energy of the Holy Spirit, until the end of time Archbishop Anastasios is one of Orthodoxy s leading missiologists. He has published eight books and more than 150 articles, as well as lectured internationally on modern Christian global witness, economic justice, peace-making and reawakening of the missionary consciousness of the Orthodox Church today. Archbishop Anastasios new book, Facing the World: Orthodox Christian Essays on Global Concern, published by St. Vladimir s Seminary Press, will be available June 1, In this work, Archbishop Anastasios presents his conviction that the ecumenical [or universal] vision of the Orthodox Church is the best response to the forming global conditions. In Orthodox tradition, everything is understood in a universal context, from the creation of the world to the vision of the new heaven and earth. 4 OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine Spring

4 The Universe as Our Parish Fr. Luke A. Veronis, OCMC Missionary in Albania St. John Chrysostom preached, There are two kinds of bishops. One bishop is a pastor who says, my parish is my universe, while the other bishop says, the universe is my parish. One of the most common yet subtle dangers I may even say heresies that has plagued the people of God, from the time of ancient Israel until today, is the illness of parochialism in its individual and communal forms. My parish is my universe many faithful still believe today. Instead of a worldview where God the Creator is at the center, a view where all creation points to God and gives Him glory, slowly the ego whether the individual ego: I, me, my, mine; or the communal ego: my people, my parish, my language, my culture gradually takes over and this self-centered mentality distorts an authentic Orthodox worldview. Our Triune God has a love and vision for all. In the Old Testament, we may remember how God chose a certain people as his prized possession, but we often forget why he chose them. When God called Abram in Genesis, he said, Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father s house to a land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make your name great, SO THAT you will be a blessing And all the families of the earth shall find blessing in you. This central verse of the Old Covenant reveals God s overarching plan of salvation for all. Abraham was called to leave what was familiar, to leave his own, to depart from his tiny ego, and to follow God in faith, so that he would be blessed by God, and, SO THAT he and his nation would become a blessing for ALL the families of the earth! The universe is my parish! That is the mentality that God wanted us to have from the beginning, and this represents an authentic Orthodox worldview. Unfortunately, we see time and again how God s people forget, ignore, and even deny their universal calling, and choose instead to become a closed, parochial, often ethnocentric community. Jesus Christ, the supreme example in the New Testament, made abundantly clear that no boundaries could limit His unconditional love for all people. Whether it was a heretical Samaritan, a Roman centurion, a foreign Syrophonecian woman, a corrupt tax-collector, or an immoral adulteress, Christ saw each and every person as a beloved child of His. He fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: Although a mother may forget her child, I can never forget you. I have carved you on the palm of my hand. The whole meaning of Orthodox Christianity has to do with looking outward, remembering the other! The Philokalia teaches Blessed is the one who rejoices in his salvation, but even more blessed is the one who rejoices in the salvation of the other. St. John Chrysostom said a similar message, I do not believe in the salvation of anyone who does not try to save others. When we are baptized, we become not only a part of a parish, but of the whole Church and as Fr. Luke Veronis says we are called to be yeast within the general society where we live. My parish is my universe? or The universe is my parish! Our Church Fathers represented a truly ecumenical, universal and missionary spirit that we need to practice today. Why is it that so many of our local churches and leaders too often lack a vibrant worldwide vision and outreach? Why are we, as individuals, so weak in cultivating this universal spirit in our own spiritual journeys? The answer is simple, because it is a problem that has plagued humanity since Adam and Eve. It is the ego. Our little ego continually limits our worldview, poisoning not only our perception of self, but corrupting our understanding of the Church and the world around us. Our spiritual journey becomes a self-centered pursuit for individual happiness, comfort, pleasure, and self-fulfillment an idea completely foreign to the theology of the Great Fathers. Even many of today s churches reject the universal vision and become nothing more than proud, closed, social clubs. For example, how many of our communities will spend 95% of their church budget on themselves? Even if we are spending all our money on something good like catechetical work, youth ministry, and beautification of a church, we still have to ask ourselves, what percent of the church s money and time goes outside her own people? Surely, a church and her pastoral team must take care of their own people, but simultaneously, the church community must remember that she is called to be yeast within the general society where we live. She must be a light to the non-orthodox and secular people around her in America, as well as participating in the overall witness that is needed throughout the entire world! What a terrible distortion of God s vision when a community focuses only on its own! Archbishop Anastasios of Albania says, The opposite of love is often called hatred. But its real name is egoism. This is the denial of the Triune God who is a koinonia (a communion) of love. Christian life means continual assimilation of the mystery of the Cross in the fight against individual and communal selfishness. We must recover this life of asceticism and self-sacrifice. We must make Fr. Luke Veronis, OCMC Missionary in Albania, invites everyone to ask themselves, How am I helping to fulfill God s universal vision? as he presents a worldview where all creation points to God and gives Him glory. every effort to flee from our self-centered wills, and enter into the mind of Christ. Through this struggle, we can overcome our destructive egos, rejecting the parochial view of the parish as the universe, and united to Christ, develop a worldview of the universe as the parish. This is the reason why my family and I left America nine years ago to serve the Church in Albania. Yet, over the years, so many people have questioned us, Why did you leave America? You should have stayed here. There are so many needs in our own country! These people cannot see that the Church in Albania is connected to the Church in America. We are one Church with the mission churches in Africa, Indonesia, and Mexico, because we all are part of the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. We can never view it as us and them. I remember when I lived in Kenya. At times, I would travel to villages that rarely, if ever, saw a white person. In most places, the children would flock around this wazungoo (white man), but in some cases, little children who had never seen a white person before would start crying because they thought I was a ghost! One day a friend of mine put my arm next to his and asked, Do you know what the difference is between you and me? Then he pointed to the color of my skin and then his and said, Only this color. What is in our hearts, what is in our souls, what is in our minds, is the same. We are brothers. And truly we are! When people ask us why my family and I left our homeland and our loved ones, I now answer Because we felt that we were not only fulfilling St. Paul s command to be ambassadors of Christ, but we understood that the Orthodox Church in the United States also needed to send ambassadors into the world, and therefore, we are your representatives! Please understand, in order to be faithful Orthodox Christians, each of us should be asking ourselves, How am I helping to fulfill God s universal vision? When we hear about someone interested in becoming a missionary, are we saying, Why are you going to Albania, or Africa, or elsewhere? We should be saying, Great! You can be our representative there. We will be behind you with our prayers, our finances and our encouragement. Godspeed! Are we thinking, You should stay here because there are many needs in this country? A better response would be, That s great that you are going over there and will be a witness of God s love. You go there, and I ll stay in this country and offer my witness of God s love to all the people here. Together we ll make a great team! The parish is my universe. Hopefully, not too many of our parishes will think this way. The universe is my parish! This is our calling, and I pray, that many of our communities will fulfill this vision! 6 OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine Spring

5 Victoria Goodwin, OCMC Missionary in Romania Unto the Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me, but Him who sent Me. Mark 9:37 least of these Center for abandoned infants opens in Romania. OCMC Missionary in Romania, Victoria Goodwin, has been working diligently to open a home to receive abandoned infants and reports on the first few infants brought into the care of the Protection of the Theotokos Family Center. Baby Angela, the first abandoned infant in the care of the new Protection of the Theotokos Family Center, being brought from the hospital to her new home by Victoria Goodwin, OCMC Missionary in Romania. It is with great joy that I can finally announce that The Protection of the Theotokos Family Center, located in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, has received all the necessary governmental inspections and approvals to open. The first infant was turned over to our care on February 6, After months of remodeling, staff training, and waiting for all the required governmental approvals, we finally received the call to go pick up our first beneficiary, baby Angela, at the Hospital for Premature Infants. When we arrived at the hospital, we were directed to the second floor where we observed three rooms full of tiny cribs and incubators. The staff was very friendly and seemed to love their job and the babies. The day we were there, they had fifteen tiny ones, yet we saw only four staff members on the floor to care for them. They asked if we brought clothing and who was going to dress the baby. I raised my hand and so they gave me a gown and led me into one of the wards lined with tiny cribs. I set my eyes on little Angela and it was love at first sight! The attendant changed her as I pulled out clothing from the diaper bag. My husband Craig, the Center s social worker Monika, and Child Protection s social worker all smiled through the window at us. At three and a half weeks of age, little Angela weighed only 2.7 kilos (just under 6 pounds). She was swimming in the 0 3 month size clothing I brought for her. When we got her good and bundled up to protect her against the subzero temperature, we said our goodbyes to the staff and headed to Angela s first home The Protection of the Theotokos Family Center. Two of our caregivers, Ana and Agneta, our cleaning lady, Firutsa, and our cook, Elena, were all looking out the window and rushed out to greet us His Grace Vasile, Bishop of Vad, Feleac, and Cluj in Romania, baptized baby Angela, who, having been abandoned by her mother at the hospital, is now a part of the Holy Orthodox Church and, as Victoria Goodwin says, for the first time in her young life she finally belongs. 8 OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine Spring

6 The devoted, faithful staff of the Family Center acts like an adoring fan club of the babies. On the first day the Center was open the staff didn t want to leave the baby s side even once their shift was over! The staff of the Protection of the Theotokos Family Center provides loving care that the abandoned infants need for healthy physical, emotional and intellectual development. when we arrived. Through all of this activity, little Angela was wide eyed and quiet as a mouse. It was quite amusing to watch all the adults fuss over our first baby. I had to shoo out all the extra staff, as it was obvious Angela was overwhelmed by all the noise, color, and strange faces, after her silent, white, environment during her first three weeks of life. When it was time for the shift change at seven that evening, the first shift kept fussing over the baby and giving the ladies on the next shift instructions for a good thirty minutes. I finally had to order them to leave the baby and go home! Angela has flourished under the adoring fan club we call the staff. Every one has volunteered to be her Godmother. We decided to let our social worker, Monika, be the first, since she will start maternity leave at the end of April. Since Angela s arrival, we have received two more baby girls. We were called for an emergency placement and went to the maternity hospital to pick up three-day-old Daciana. Her mother is single, unemployed, and has another child at home. She fears she won t be able to provide for baby Daciana and so, after Child Protection was notified, Mama checked out of the hospital without her baby. It is uncertain what the future will hold for little Daciana at this point and so she will remain in our care until a solution is found. The other little girl we were called to pick up at the Child Protection Center is twelve-month-old Minerva. Little Minerva was taken from her mother by the police, as her mother carried her from car to car at a busy intersection in sub-zero temperatures, begging. She has now been placed with us while her future is decided. She is surprisingly healthy, well adjusted, and developmentally right on target. Our staff is thrilled to finally have a baby old enough to play with the toys. It gives them an excuse to play with them too! On March 1, we called in our two reserves to watch Daciana and Minerva, while the rest of the staff met at the chapel at Christiana s School and Social Center for the Baptism of little Angela. His Grace Bishop Vasile baptized Angela, with Monika and her husband, Tudor, serving as her Godparents. I was so moved as Monika held Angela in her arms and I realized that for the first time in her young life, Angela was going to finally belong. She was entering into the Holy Orthodox Church, she was now going to have Godparents, and as Bishop Vasile immersed her in the Baptismal font, I was overwhelmed with tears of joy with the realization that she has now been blessed with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is her Lord and Savior! I have always been blessed by the joy of a baptism, but was shocked by the overwhelming tears of joy that came upon me at that moment. I still tear up everytime I think about it. Talking to Craig later, he reminded me that the Holy Fathers have described tears of joy as a special grace that the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon us at that special moment. Thanks be to God for His everlasting grace and mercy! On behalf of Craig and me, and all the staff at the Protection of the Theotokos Family Center, we thank each one of you who has helped make this dream a reality by your prayers, material, and financial donations. What a privilege for all of us to make a difference in the life of a child and to welcome them into the Holy Orthodox Church. For more information on our ministry to Romania please visit our website at For more information on OCMC s long-term missionary program please visit What is the Protection of the Theotokos Family Center? The Center was established in response to the critical social/economic situation and increasing poverty level in Romania. At present, 70% of the population lives on less than $1 a day. This is below the world poverty level. The problem has reached the point that approximately six infants are abandoned in Cluj County each month, because their mothers do not think it is possible to provide the home and care they need. This new Center is a project of Christiana-Cluj, under the patronage of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj in Romania. The Family Center was designed to provide the loving care an infant needs for healthy physical, emotional, and intellectual development, while the local Child Protection Department determines whether family reunification is possible and locates a permanent home and family for the baby if reunification is ruled out. Child Protection predicts that it will take three to six months to complete this process for each infant. The Center provides a family-like environment for four infants, age newborn 24 months, who have been abandoned or given up for adoption and left at the hospital after birth. The Center also provides rooms for two mothers in danger of abandoning their babies, to assist in reunification and abandonment prevention. It is estimated that this project will provide care for 12 to 24 infants per year. 10 OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine Spring

7 SAMP Support A Mission Priest Father Athanasios is the first SAMP mission priest as a missionary outside his own country. Many Firsts in South Africa SAMP s Fr. Athanasios Akunda: Kenyan Missionary in South Africa SAMP is involved in many firsts in the country of South Africa, mostly due to the work of Fr. Athanasios Akunda, a young missionary priest from the Orthodox Church in Kenya, who is fully supported by OCMC s Support A Mission Priest (SAMP) program. He has been working in South Africa since June 2002 and is the first SAMP mission priest to serve as a missionary outside of his own country. Just recently, the first Orthodox service was offered in the Zulu language. It is the first time many people are receiving catechism and being baptized. Also, the first parish was formed in which the majority of the members are indigenous South 12 Africans. For many South Africans, this is the first time the Lord s message is being heard in the language of their hearts through the efforts of Fr. Athanasios and others. Father Athanasios was born in Ebukhubi, Western Kenya. He graduated from the Makarios Patriarchal Seminary in Nairobi, Kenya in Ordained to the deaconate shortly thereafter, he served in Kenya until 1998 when he received an OCMC scholarship to attend Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA. Upon completion of his degree, he returned home to Kenya but then responded to a request from South Africa to help teach leaders and prepare them to be received into the Orthodox Church. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2002 in Johannesburg and now serves the Archdiocese of Johannesburg and Pretoria, under the leadership of His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim. In the 1980 s, a group of South Africans began the St. Nicholas Society. This society was made up of some people who had been exposed to canonical Orthodoxy outside of South Africa and wanted to offer Orthodoxy to the people of South Africa (both black and white). The St. Nicholas Society evolved into the Mission Committee in South Africa under the leadership of His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim. His Eminence was elected by the Holy Synod to serve in the Metropolinate of Johannesburg and Pretoria in A well thought out plan unfolded for the Mission Committee, which is under the spiritual guidance of His Eminence Seraphim. Two regions, one north of Pretoria and the other south of Johannesburg, have been very receptive to Orthodoxy. A three-year plan is now in place which will teach a general Introduction to the Orthodox Church, Orthodox Worship, Orthodox Tradition and Orthodox Morality. The goal is to equip people to be teachers of teachers and leaders in ministry. In the Dennilton area, which is about 80 miles from Pretoria, a full schedule is planned with catechism for people interested in Orthodoxy and more detailed teaching for those interested in becoming catechists. Courses will also be offered for potential candidates for ordination and those interested in serving the Church in a more active role, such as lay leaders. In addition, a one-day seminar on the problem of AIDS is scheduled. The growth of Orthodoxy in South Africa is evidence of one of the many wonderful things happening around the world supported by OCMC s SAMP program. Orthodoxy offers joy and peace to many people who hunger and thirst for salvation and SAMP is at work in fifteen countries so that priests, deacons and catechists can offer the salvation which comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, to people who desire to learn about Him and our Holy Orthodox Church. OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine Spring indigenous clergy supported monthly in 15 countries helping the Orthodox Church grow. For more information contact Pres. Renee Ritsi at (904) or samp@ocmc.org

8 MISSION TEAMS INDIA On Fr. Nikitas Theodosion, along with Fr. Stephen Callos, made up the 2-person 2002 OCMC Mission Team to India. Fr. Nikitas reports on the work being done by the Philanthropic Society of the Orthodox Church in Calcutta, India and how he was affected by what he did and saw. Ican t tell you about all of the excellent work being done by the Philanthropic Society of the Orthodox Church in India run by Fr. Ignatios Sennis, Sister Nectaria (missionaries from Greece) and their staff. I marvel at all of the work they have been able to do for the people of India. The Philanthropic Society of the Orthodox Church was started by Fr. Ignatios Sennis and Sister Nectaria in the early 1990 s after they arrived in India to serve as missionaries and to continue the work started by Fr. Athanasios Anthides. Fr. Athanasios was the first, recent, modern, Orthodox missionary from Greece to India and worked for ten years teaching and preaching the Truth of Christ. He baptized more than 1,500 people, built a church dedicated to St. Thomas and translated many liturgical texts into the local Bengali dialect. Since Fr. Ignatios and Sister Nectaria arrived in India in 1991, eleven churches have been built, thousands have been baptized and the poorest of the poor have been fed, housed and clothed. In just the three and a half weeks that I was in India on an OCMC mission team, I saw so much of the good work being done there. Fr. Stephen Callos and I went to India to teach and to baptize. Our job was to teach the basics of the Orthodox Faith to catechumens and inquirers. We did so in three separate sessions lasting five days each with 5 to 7 classes that the people attended faithfully. About 120 to 150 people attended each five-day session. Each day began with Orthros (Matins) in the morning then breakfast. The class sessions were followed by lunch, more classes, Vespers, a question and answer period and finally the day ended with a light dinner. We didn t have much time for other things during the time that we were teaching classes. The Retreat Center where we OCMC s Mission trip to Calcutta, India, Fr. Nikitas saw the extreme poverty of the people and how the Church is reaching out to them with, among other things, a weekly feeding program. taught is located about 70 miles from Calcutta. It is a walled in community consisting of a church, housing for staff and portable tents for the people attending the sessions to eat and sleep. While we were there, we were blessed to attend the consecration of the church by His Eminence Nikitas, Metropolitan of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Many of the people who came to the classes live in an environment where they have no control over their own lives. Obtaining their basic needs is so difficult that they literally have to spend their lives merely getting enough food each day for themselves and a place to sleep for the night. And what is even worse, since they are part of the class structure influenced by Hindu beliefs, they believe that this is their deserved lot in life and that they need to accept it. As we taught the retreat classes, I could see people begin to realize that they had value as God s children. They began to understand that knowing Christ could offer them hope out of the spiritual despair natural to their extreme poverty. It was fascinating to me to see how many people wanted to be baptized. We were supposed to baptize about 20 people. That number soon swelled to 31 and Fr. Ignatios had so many more who wanted to be baptized that a second day was set up where 44 more were brought to Holy Illumination. It was indeed inspiring to see this kind of dedication and recognition of Christianity. This was a lifechanging experience for me. In addition to the teaching, baptizing and overall pastoral work of meeting people s spiritual needs, we also saw many philanthropic projects in action that are meeting the physical needs of thousands. Calcutta is a huge city of 11 million people; most are very poor and over 2 million are homeless. The church in Calcutta is a jewel in the dirt and mire of poverty. More than 200 children gather daily in the yard of the church and are fed a glass of milk and some biscuits with added vitamins. They are not all homeless but it is very obvious that they are at least very poor with very little to eat. Many times this may be the only food they eat for the day. In additition to this daily program, the Philanthropic Society also runs a weekly feeding program. Every Monday they hand out to registered families enough food for at least a week. Some of the recipients are blind or lame. Others suffer from diseases of a biblical nature, for example, one woman was bent over just like it is described in Luke 13: Each family receives about six or seven items including rice, lentils and other staples of the Indian diet. The items vary according to how much money the Society has to work with that week. The items are distributed by the priests and volunteers who staff the various positions of the Philanthropic Society. Both of these feeding programs are recipients of OCMC s Agape Canister program grants. While we were there, we traveled to a girl s orphanage outside of Calcutta that Fr. Ignatios and Sister Nectaria also started. I was overjoyed at what I saw. Two years ago there were 85 girls and today it has increased to 150 girls between the ages of three and fourteen. Many of the girls are actual orphans, having neither mother nor father. Others have only one parent who, because they were unable to take care of their daughters, sent them to the orphanage. Three buildings make up the complex of the orphanage. The administration building includes a kitchen, office, chapel, two sleeping rooms, a health clinic, and dental clinic for the children as well as the villagers near by. There is a newly built and consecrated church at Fr. Nikitas Theodosion of Holy Trinity in St. Augustine, Florida had a life-changing experience by going on a mission trip to India. the center of the complex where morning and evening services are held daily. A dormitory with living quarters for the children also has classrooms and a large cafeteria. After just a short visit, it was obvious to us that the children were well cared for and appeared very happy in this environment. Just outside of the orphanage, the Philanthropic Society is also building a tech center, which will train the girls so that they will be able to live and work as responsible citizens. Such things as computer classes, sewing and bookkeeping are some of the planned subjects to be taught. The next phase of the preparation for the girls is to give each a dowry to help them find a suitable spouse after graduation from the orphanage. Not far from the orphanage complex another school is being built to help blind people become self-sufficient. While I was there it was in the very beginning stages of construction. This school should be up and running within a year. The Philanthropic Society also runs an orphanage for boys, but we didn t have time to visit it while we were there. Another aid project that is putting Christ s love into action is the building of homes on parcels of land that people own but can t afford to build a home on. The work that is being done by Fr. Ignatios and Sister Nectaria through the Philanthropic Society of the Orthodox Church in India is very inspiring. The needs are great and appear to be insurmountable, yet there is incredibly great work being done. My hope and prayers are that they can continue to do this great work and help the poor people of India live a more fulfilling life. Fr. Ignatios and Sister Nectaria are truly great missionaries fulfilling what the Lord has asked of us. This ministry needs to be supported with our whole heart and might. Both, Fr. Nikitas and Fr. Stephen Callos (seen here) spent long days teaching the Orthodox faith to hundreds of inquirers and catechumens in India. 14 OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine Spring

9 Seminarians at St. Herman s in Alaska receive training to become ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE PROGRAM ST. HERMAN S ORTHODOX SEMINARY St. Herman s Seminary, a longtime recipient of OCMC grants, is equipping future clergy and church leaders with an ability to help deal with the widespread problem of substance abuse in Alaska. For the last five years, the OCMC s Agape Canister Program has provided grants to fund St. Herman s Seminary Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program where seminarians receive training to become treatment counselors. By going through this program, the seminarians gain an understanding of addiction as a disease and how to counsel and aid people with substance abuse problems. For those who will become priests and Church leaders, they receive an increased sensitivity and basic ability to deal with those suffering from these dependencies. Fr. Chad Hatfield, Dean of St. Herman s Seminary said, There is another great benefit of this program which is that, as our students become certified counselors, they have a means of income. In the villages the employment rate is only 12%; that is an unemployment rate of 88%. This low rate of employment makes having a paid priest virtually impossible. Orthodox parishes in the villages can usually only provide a place for their clergy to live at most. This program not only develops much-needed treatment counselors for the local communities but, most importantly, it equips Church leaders in Alaska with the tools to help bring health and wholeness to the Body of Christ. Another great benefit of this program is that when our students become certified counselors they then have a means of income. Fr. Chad Hatfield, Dean of St. Herman s Seminary alcohol and drug treatment counselors. Future Church leaders are being equipped with the tools to bring health and wholeness to the Body of Christ. Fr. Chad Hatfield said, The Seminary is participating with other agencies coordinated by KANA (Kodiak Alaska Native Associations) to provide wellness programs in our villages, which are predominately Orthodox. As we work with medical and educational groups in this wellness project, the Orthodox Church is also able to address the spiritual needs of the people. The problem of substance abuse is very prevalent in Alaska. A summary report of recent findings from the Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of the Alaskan State Department of Health and Social Services found that Alaska is among the states with the nation s most severe rates of alcohol problems based on death, arrest and treatment data. The influence of television and an influx of monetary corporate dividends since the 1970 s have impacted the traditional culture and values of the Native Alaskans in harmful ways. It has led many to despair and created a sociological climate for substance abuse, suicide, violence and other selfdestructive behaviors. St. Herman s program is designed to reduce these detrimental aspects and influence the prospect of economic prosperity, as well as bring social and spiritual benefits to the Alaskan people. The program is already starting to bear fruit. A recent graduate from the program, Alexandra Kashevarof, was hired by Safe Harbor, a local treatment program, as a counselor. Through her connection, the Orthodox Church is visibly helping to meet this critical need of the Alaskan people. For example, the local Orthodox priest was elected to join the Board of Directors of Safe Harbor and several of the local clients have begun participating more fully in the life of the Church as they receive regular confession and communion. This year, four of the trainees will be participants in field work under the direction of Joseph Lind, a substance abuse counselor of the South Central Alexandra Kashevarof, certified through St. Herman s Alcohol and Drug Abuse program, was hired by a local treatment program as a counselor. Through her connections the Orthodox Church is visibly helping to meet the critical needs of the Alaskan people. Foundation in Anchorage. Other clergy in the Diocese are becoming more and more involved in treatment programs. In Kodiak, where the Seminary is located, an increased effort has been made by a local treatment program to be more in tune with the Native people s religious beliefs and have invited Orthodox clergy to speak at their recovery camp. The same State Department Report found that, "while the problems remain extremely severe, overall the alcohol and drug abuse problem in A G A P E Alaska showed some significant improvement by the mid-1990s compared to the early 1990s. Overall treatment admissions increased at the same time that mortality rates and injury rates from accidents declined." The Orthodox Church in Alaska is playing a role in the decrease of this societal problem through the St. Herman s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program, an OCMC Agape Canister Program grant recipient. 16 OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine Spring

10 M i s s i o n a r y K i d s INTERVIEW with a Returned Missionary Kid: While in Romania the Hudson family discovered the beauty and Truth of Orthodoxy. At the age of eleven, Hannah was baptized into the Faith with her family. Not long after they became Orthodox, they joined the OCMC family as long-term missionaries. Hannah Hudson OCMC Hi, Hannah, thank you for taking the time to be interviewed by us today. If you wouldn t mind why don t you start by telling us a little bit about yourself? Hannah Well, my name is Hannah Laura Hudson. I am Father David and Preoteasa Mary s youngest daughter and I have two older sisters. I am 15 years old and have been a missionary kid since 1991 when our family went to North Carolina for cross-cultural training before going overseas. In 1992 we spent the fall in India, and in the winter we moved to Romania, where we lived as missionaries until we returned to the USA last summer. Today I am a freshman at Centennial High School in Alpharetta, Georgia. I became an Orthodox Christian through baptism in 1999, when I was 11 years old, in Romania. OCMC We were wondering what it was like to grow up as a missionary kid. What was the best part of being an MK for you? Hannah I always thought that the best part of being a missionary kid, or an MK, was that, even from a young age, I was never shy. I learned the Romanian language very easily and I don t even remember not knowing it. Some of the most memorable moments of my life happened there; moments like my first day at school, my first piano recital, making my first real friends, learning to ride a bike on my own OCMC It sounds great, but was there another side to it? What were some of the biggest struggles you faced as a missionary kid? Hannah Of course there were many struggles also, especially when we returned to Romania after our long and extended furlough in the United States in Before we became a part of the OCMC family, we had some financial problems and sometimes just never knew what we would eat the next day. We were also in an awkward position as Americans many people and even close friends wanted and expected help that we could not give them such as financial, visas/immigration, etc. However, there is no doubt in my mind, that these hard times brought us closer as a family. They made us all wiser for the future and helped us realize how much we actually had in our Church and our family. OCMC Your family has recently settled back into life in America. Describe how it felt for you coming back to the USA. Hannah I am now convinced that my parent's decision to come back to America was the right one, even though I didn't agree with it at the time and was very upset about it. I was apprehensive about what life here would be like after living in Romania most of my life. But I can now see God s hand in the decision and in our new life in America. I always thought that coming back here would be a nightmare to me. I would lose all my independence and my friends. In Romania you did not have to drive to get places, you could walk or take the trolley. In the USA, as we all know, most everything is too far to walk to and that had always bothered me. Now that I am here, I have not felt at all the lost feeling I thought I would. I have basically started all over again. I have made new friends, tried things that people here do to have fun and still keep in touch with my old friends. OCMC Besides all your old friends, what do you miss most about living as a missionary? Hannah There are many things that I miss living as a missionary. I miss visiting different churches with my parents. I miss the great feasts we had at monasteries. I miss the wonderful people in Romania with their open arms and great food. I miss looking out our kitchen window and seeing the rolling hills across the way. OCMC So, what do you most enjoy now that you have returned to the USA? Hannah One of the nicest things about being back in the States after so many years is that I am able to be with my whole extended family. We are able to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries together with all my cousins and aunts and uncles. Communication is much easier now because we can just pick up the phone and talk without worrying about the phone bill. Overall, we have grown much closer. OCMC How do you think having been a missionary kid will affect the way you live the rest of your life? Hannah I think that in the rest of my life, I will probably never really believe what the news says about what is going on in the other side of the world, because it is probably not the whole story. OCMC Hannah, what do you think is the greatest thing you learned from your experiences? Hannah I have learned, that in the future, I should always take every chance I get to visit all around the world. There is so much culture and tradition out there that most people don t even know about. OCMC Thank you for sharing your story with us and our readers. Hannah You re welcome. Thanks for asking. Some of the most memorable moments of my life happened when I was a missionary kid, like my first day at school, my first piano recital Hannah Hudson, Returned MK Today 15 year old Hannah Hudson is adjusting to life in America after having spent most of her life in the mission field. While she is making new friends here, she misses her old friends in Romania. 18 OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine Spring

11 Being a missionary dad is not much different from being a Christian dad anywhere else. Nathan Hoppe, OCMC Missionary Dad says, As a father it is my responsibility to be an icon to my children, Tristan and Katherine, of their heavenly Father and His unconditional love. Missionary Dads Reflections on Being a Missionary Dad Nathan Hoppe, OCMC Missionary in Albania What is a missionary? What is a dad? I have the privilege of being both of these, and I consider both to be among the highest callings one can have in this world. To be a missionary dad is to have a missionary family. Being a missionary is not a job that I do in order to pay the bills. I am not a missionary from 9 to 5. Being a missionary is a way of life that encompasses all areas of life. In my life as a missionary, my role as a father and a husband are just as important as my role as a teacher at the Orthodox Church of Albania s Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy. I can teach my students many facts about the Church Fathers and the Bible, but these can be useless or even harmful if the students do not see these things lived out in my life. Being a Christian Family One of the areas in which Albania was most devastated by the Communist regime, which had total control of the country from 1945 until 1991, was the structure of family life. Traditional Albanian society is composed of strong family units based on mutual trust and support. Under Communism this was replaced by suspicion and self-interest. Totalitarianism also destroyed traditional methods of communication, problem solving and child-rearing. As a result, young people have few models of the Christian family after which they can pattern their own families. An anecdote, recently told to me, illustrates how living as a Christian family is a model to the Albanian people. When an Albanian friend was describing to some visiting foreigner what the work of the missionaries was all about, he said, Some years ago not everybody brought their children to church. When the missionaries arrived, bringing their children to church and standing in the front through the service this was an example to many. Today, this is the children s corner and many more people bring their children and stand together with them in the front of the church. Five years ago, I stood in the Annunciation Cathedral in Tirana, Albania. The weather was unseasonably cold and I held my three-monthold son, Tristan, bundled inside my coat to keep him warm in the cold church. In the weeks, months and years that have followed since then, we have been scolded many times by the old ladies for bringing our children to church when it is cold, or for not having them dressed in sufficient layers, or for letting them sit on the cold marble steps at the front of the church. Nevertheless, we continue to bring our children to church. We never considered that taking them to church was part of our missionary work; we simply took them because it is the natural thing for Christian parents to do. Our goal in Albania is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to build His Church by helping the Albanian Church proclaim the Gospel, which is the good news of salvation. If this good news is to be recognized as truly good by the Albanian people, they must see its good effect in the lives of those of us who proclaim it. One of the primary ways in which the goodness of the Gospel can be witnessed is through a transformed family life. Therefore the modeling of Christian family is one of the most important aspects of our missionary ministry. From Missionary Kid to Missionary Dad I have the impression that many people believe it is somehow unfair or unkind to raise children in the mission field. I am blessed by the fact that I can consider this question not only from the perspective of a missionary dad, but also from the perspective of a missionary kid. I myself was raised on the mission field in Colombia, South America, and I can wholeheartedly affirm that I am very grateful for this experience. I have never felt that I was deprived, even though the conditions under which I lived as a child were much more difficult than those that we face in Albania. My parents worked with a group of native people who lived in the mountains thirty miles from the end of the road. We had no running water and no electricity and we lived in a mud hut with a thatched roof and dirt floor. I fail to see how the quality of life of my peers who grew up with the comfort and opportunities of the United States was in any way superior to mine. In fact, I feel that the diversity and richness of my life experience was far superior to that of most of my friends. I believe that my children will have the same blessing through their missionary upbringing in Albania. My parents always believed that mission work was an activity of the entire family. They always incorporated us into the mission work of the Tristan and Katherine are an important part of our ministry team and we seek to involve them in our missionary activities as often as possible. Being an example of a Christian family is one of the most important aspects of our missionary ministry. Nathan Hoppe, OCMC Missionary Dad 20 OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine Spring

12 family. As a result we did not feel like extra baggage but, rather like part of the team. From a very early age, I was involved in many aspects of missionary work. Things like carrying water for household use from the stream, a 15-minute walk, and caring for chickens and rabbits (that we raised as a source of protein) were basic chores that needed to be done to make life possible. Other things were more active parts of our ministry to the people. I learned to hold a flashlight and pass instruments to my dad as he pulled teeth and sutured gums. I also traveled with him on medical trips to other valleys. This often meant walking for several hours along narrow trails through the mountains. While our situation in Albania is very different from that in which I grew up, like my parents, I believe that our children are part of our ministry team and we seek to involve them as often as possible. My wife Lynette and the children visit the Theological Academy quite regularly and their presence gives a much greater personal element to my relationship with my students. When the students play with my children, it makes my relationship with them much broader. More importantly when my students see me playing and having fun with my children they see me in a different perspective. I am no longer simply a teacher who requires work from them in class. I am a person who lives in the real world with them. Joys and Struggles Being a missionary dad is not much different from being a Christian dad anywhere else. Children are much the same whether they grow up in Albania or the United States. As a father, it is my responsibility to be an icon to my children of their heavenly Father, who is unseen. This is an overwhelming 22 responsibility. In many ways, the relationship that my children will have with God is based on what they learn about fatherhood from me. It is my desire to model for my children God's unconditional love and concern for their well-being. It is important that they are introduced to a life of daily prayer in the home. Each night before I am not a missionary from 9 to 5 because being a missionary is a way of life. My role as a father and a husband are just as important as my role as a teacher. the children go to bed, we say family prayers together in front of the icon of Christ. We also read children's stories from the Bible together as part of their bedtime routine. Another joy in my relationship with my children is introducing them to the wonders of the world which God has made and teaching them about history, science and theology. My son Tristan, who just turned five, is extremely inquisitive and always has a stream of questions about all sorts of things. It is my personal challenge to provide him with an answer for every question. If he asks scientific questions, I give him simple, but accurate scientific answers, which then stimulate further questions and answers. Eventually, we arrive at a basic scientific principle for which there is no explanation. Then I have to say, "It is that way because God made it that way." With children, almost every day brings something new and different. Much of my work is done from home, which allows me to be involved in the life of my children throughout the day. It is also one of my great joys that the children can participate with me in many of my ministry activities. My daughter Katherine, who will soon be three years old, is full of adventure. She is always anxious for the slightest excuse to go out and see the world. I take her on all sorts of errands. One of the greatest struggles that I face as a missionary dad is balancing the different aspects of the missionary life. Because the needs here in Albania are so great and because there are very few of us working here as missionaries, the demands placed on each of us can at times be overwhelming. My primary responsibility as a missionary involves teaching at our seminary, but I am also responsible for a number of other ministries, including the translation and publication of catechism books and developing ongoing relationships with Albanians in Kosovo. Because of the time constraints and pressures of these activities, it is often far too easy for time with my wife and children to be squeezed out. The ministries are important for Christ and His Church, but they must be balanced by time with my family because family life is an extremely important part of my ministry here. I have tried to share a part of what it means to be a missionary dad. It is not simply teaching good theology as a missionary, but it is also dealing with the regular everyday moments of life as a parent with grace and joy. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail. It is a high calling one of joy, but one of struggle, as well. Please pray for each of us who have this responsibility and this joy. OCMC mission magazine Be a Missionary! Is God calling you to the mission field? Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 8:34 OPPORTUNITIES Alaska: Religious educators This was the first land in North America to receive the fullness of the Gospel in the Holy Orthodox Faith. Consider serving in what some call "America s Holy Land" teach and strengthen the Orthodox faithful so that they in turn can teach others. Albania: English teachers, youth workers The Orthodox Seminary in Durres, Albania is seeking people to teach English. Through their teaching, presence and outreach, missionaries will uplift the future leaders of this land. Argentina: Spanish or Greek speakers encouraged! Priests and lay people are requested to consider mission service in South America. Priests are needed to train indigenous clergy and to serve parishes all over the continent. Lay people are needed to further the Church s ministries of communication, religious education and youth development. Ghana: Priests, medical personnel, teachers In 1982, the Orthodox Church in Ghana was born - today the Church has grown to over 4,000 people. In order to assist the Church to expand its outreach to the people of Ghana, priests, medical personnel and teachers and "anyone who loves the Lord" are invited to apply for service. Guatemala: Spanish speakers encouraged! People with a background in elementary education, early child development, physical therapy or speech therapy, child care and other related fields are needed to interact daily with the children of the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage. They are especially in need of positive male role models for the children. Korea: Religious Educators, English teachers The Church in Korea celebrated its 103rd anniversary last year and continues to grow. This year the Church plans to start building a mission center in Ulsan, Korea. The center will include a church, museum, cultural center and a kindergarten. Missionaries will use the center as a base for their outreach. Madagascar: French speakers needed! Orthodoxy continues to spread on this island nation, despite the difficulties faced by the people. Seminary teachers, including a Byzantine music teacher, are needed to instruct indigenous people who are training in order to serve our Church. Share the good news of the gift of salvation with the world! Inquire today! For more information: Contact Missionary Director, Maria Gallos; missionaries@ocmc.org (904)

13 WHY Medical Missions? Dr. Dn. Euthym Kontaxis C hrist s and the Apostles early ministry revolved around the healing of illnesses. The basic interaction between Jesus and the people He was witnessing to had to do with addressing the very real physical needs of all of humanity. Jesus was on a mission to bring salvation to all of mankind. That mission began with ministering to people with very real health and physical needs. ABOVE: Simple clinics, run by the Orthodox Church, with the most basic supplies are sometimes the only place for suffering people in developing countries to receive medical aid. God s grace is as evident in the healing power of medicine and its practitioners as it is in miraculous cures St. Basil the Great Through His Incarnation, Christ restores all of creation. This is a unique perspective of Christianity. God became man in order to restore man to his original state in paradise. Christ s ministry was a healing one: the paralytic, lepers, the woman with an issue of blood, Lazarus, the man born blind, the widow s son, Jairus daughter, epileptics and many more. Christ always related physical healing with spiritual healing. This was the beginning of the idea of the Church as a spiritual hospital. The only two who approached Christ for spiritual healing only were the thief on the cross and the harlot who anointed Christ s feet. They sought only forgiveness and salvation. Christ used physical restoration for people to understand their need for spiritual wellness through repentance and belief in Him. Go, your faith has made you well. Your sins are forgiven. Go and sin no more. These are all spiritual exhortations for those who were restored physically by Christ. In the Gospel of Matthew, Christ exhorts the Disciples to...heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons In the book of Acts, we read of the Apostles healing those to whom they were witnessing. In the Synaxarion, there are a multitude of saints whose healing miracles characterized their ministry. What is our role in this witnessing of the Gospel through a healing ministry? A person who does not know Christ is not always witnessed to by words alone. Love in action is the way to their hearts. In Matthew 25, in the image of the Final Judgment, we hear: I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me... Often the window to a person s soul is through a physical illness. Mother Gavrilia, a modern saint ( ), served the ill as a physiotherapist throughout the world, including Indian leper colonies. Many of her writings were compiled in a beautiful book entitled The Ascetic of Love. One particular passage stands out. She was asked by someone how she found in her work a way to speak to a person s heart: When a sick person goes to a doctor or nurse or therapist, he feels the need to talk with an open heart. At the moment he wants to talk of his life, of everything. To be a doctor, a nurse, a physiotherapist, is not an irrelevant occupation. Whatever has to do with a person s body has to do with his soul. If you treat a painful hand or leg, you will see that the soul is in greater pain and that the patient s heart is full of disappointment. Then, you can truly help. And you will eventually understand that God sent you there for this purpose... To all who ask for my advice as to how they can help their fellowman, I always tell them that they can start with something physical. Because the moment your hands touch the body of an ailing person soothingly, he will respond by saying How wonderfully you are relieving the pain and he will open his heart to you. This is how it starts. Medical mission in its essence is not a general curing of a diseased population, or a societal upgrading, or even a promise for more years or better health. In its essence, Medical mission is an opportunity to touch another person in an intimate way. It is an intimate relationship in which the love of God is exchanged between people on a personal level. A person who does not know Christ is not always witnessed to by words alone. Love in action is the way to their hearts. The icon for this witnessing of the Faith is the image of Christ on the Cross who spent His entire ministry healing the ills of all who approached Him, even raising them from the dead. He willingly suffered in the flesh, giving up His precious Body for the salvation of all. He emptied Himself for the restoration of others. Our medical missions are a vehicle to carry the love of God to all people. The seed that is the Word of God finds rich, fertile soil in the ill person. It is in the decay of the flesh that the flower of salvation can bloom in a person. It is up to us to plant the seeds. LEFT: In 2000 the Mission Center sent an all-medical team to Uganda which provided health care to over 2,800 people. Dr. Joseph Weaver (left) and Nurse Adele Wagner (right) are seen here ministering to the sick in the Name of Christ. BELOW (center): Dr. Dn. Euthym Kontaxis seen here with fellow team members in Uganda, has participated on OCMC Mission Teams, is a Deacon in Palm Desert, Ca. and serves on the OCMC Board of Trustees. 24 OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine Spring

14 MISSION NEWS SPRING 2003 Some of the very first Orthodox Christians were baptized by the first Orthodox priest, Fr. Jeremie Behanzin, in the lagoon of Abidjan, in the Ivory Coast. New Baptisms in the Ivory Coast The Orthodox faith is new to the people of the Ivory Coast. It has only been a year since His Grace Panteleimon made his first visit to this West African country in his diocese to see if there were people there searching for the Orthodox faith. Since that time, Rev. Fr. Jeremie Sylvanus Pepin Behanzin was ordained to the priesthood and named Vicar in Côte D Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Many people have been catechized and baptized and the local Orthodox community is continuing to grow. Recently 18 new members were added to the Body of Christ when they were baptized in the lagoon of Abidjan. The local Orthodox Church in the Ivory Coast is facing very difficult conditions because of a civil war, which is creating many serious needs and problems throughout the whole country. Moving around the country and over borders is very difficult because soldiers regularly stop and investigate all travelers. Obtaining land is also very complicated since the civil war has left much uncertainty. For now, all church services are celebrated in private homes, but the people are praying for the chance to buy land and to begin to build the first Orthodox Church in the Ivory Coast. Mission Center honored as Co-Recipient of the Athenagoras Human Rights Award The Orthodox Christian Mission Center was honored, along with IOCC, as co-recipients of the Athenagoras Human Rights Award. The award was given by the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, at the organization s grand banquet. His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios presented this award and said, This evening s recipients of the 18th Annual Athenagoras Human Rights Award, the two SCOBA agencies, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) exemplify the rich apostolic mandate upon which the life of the Church is built. The Orthodox Christian Mission Center is the vehicle for the accomplishment of our work set before us by the Lord in His Great Commission to go forth into all the world to preach the Gospel. Fr. Martin Ritsi, OCMC s Executive Director said, The honor of this award goes out to a myriad of persons who make the ministry of OCMC possible, including our hierarchs, the board of trustees, the staff, the benefactors, those who pray for missions and, most especially, for our missionaries in the field, sacrificing to see the love of Christ spread and made manifest to the ends of the earth. Churches built in Tanzania Two church building projects were recently completed in Tanzania. The Church of All Saints stands shining in Kasikizi, thanks to the 2002 OCMC Mission Team to Tanzania, Fr. George Livanos and his parish of All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Cannonsburg, PA. The Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, donated by Mr. George Brown from Columbus, OH, in loving memory of his wife, is completed in Kibizi. The people of the Bukoba diocese in Tanzania thank all the Americans and Canadians who helped to build these churches: We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for these wonderful gifts. They are gifts of love to the body of Christ, His Church. OCMC was blessed by the visit of many hierarchs: (l-r) Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta; Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago; Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America and Chairman of SCOBA; Metropolitan Anthony of San Francisco; Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos, the founding director of the Mission Center, and the current Executive Director, in traditional dress from the country of Benin, Fr. Martin Ritsi. Mission Center Blessed by Official Visit of Hierarchs & Laity Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America and Chairman of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in America, along with Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago, Metropolitan Anthony of San Francisco, Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos and 70 members of Leadership 100 made an official visit to the Orthodox Christian Mission Center in St. Augustine, Florida. The visit was in conjunction with the 12th Annual Leadership 100 Conference which was held February 19-23, 2003 in Amelia Island, Florida. Leadership 100 is a group of benefactors who are dedicated to seeding and nurturing ministries that advance the Orthodox faith. The Orthodox Christian Mission Center is the second largest recipient of grants from Leadership 100 for the establishment and support of various missions programs. This visit was a great encouragement for all of us at the Mission Center, said Father Martin Ritsi, OCMC s Executive Director. We are honored and strengthened by the visitation of the Archbishop and the other hierarchs along with the members of Leadership 100 who came to see the Mission Center. Gambia Meets Orthodoxy His Grace Panteleimon, Bishop of Ghana, made his first visit to the smallest country on the continent of Africa, officially called the Republic of The Gambia; which is one of ten countries in his diocese. Gambia is three countries away from Ghana in Western Africa and is bordered on three sides by the country Senegal. With an estimated population of 1,456,000, 90% of the country is Muslim. Gambia is just over 4,360 square miles of which approximately 366 square miles are water from the Gambia River that runs through the whole country. This is a very peaceful country and the people are friendly. Orthodoxy is completely unknown here, His Grace Panteleimon said. There is a great possibility to establish a small school or a medical clinic to help the people here and demonstrate Christ s love. His Grace visited several villages along the river and near the capital city, Banjul. One of the villages he discovered was named "Ghana Town." The people of Ghana Town are 26 OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine Spring

15 MISSION NEWS continued Sunday school students all over Korea learn about their Orthodox faith and the work of the first Orthodox missionaries who brought the Faith to their nation as they celebrate the 103rd anniversary of the first Divine Liturgy in Korea. Ghanaians who came to Gambia generations ago. They speak the same language as in Ghana and were gracious and hospitable to His Grace Panteleimon. His Grace calls on all Orthodox Christians to pray for the people of Gambia, as they are being introduced to the light of Orthodoxy. The Strength of the Orthodox Church in Korea The Orthodox Church in Korea celebrated the 103rd anniversary of its first Divine Liturgy. The celebration held at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Seoul was a time for the Orthodox faithful in Korea to learn more about and to remember the first Orthodox missionaries who brought the Orthodox faith to their nation. The work of those early missionaries has brought forth much fruit and today, a vibrant Orthodox Church is thriving in Korea under the guidance of His Eminence Dionysios, Metropolitan of New Zealand, and His Grace Soterios, Bishop of Zela. There is a full schedule of services celebrated regularly in Korean in seven churches around the country. The Cathedral in Seoul has daily services and a regular worshipping community made up of people from various cultures and ethnicities. Fr. Daniel Na, a Korean Orthodox priest who has been working for over 20 years to help the Orthodox Church grow, was the featured speaker for this season s OCMC Spring Lecture tour. Fr. Daniel spoke to over 20 communities about the great work God is doing in our sister Church in Korea. For example, what was once only a family of four celebrating monthly liturgies with a visiting priest is now St. Paul Orthodox Church in Incheon, Korea. The church now has 136 baptized Orthodox Christians, a full schedule of services, bible studies, Sunday school and philanthropic activity. The work of spreading the Orthodox faith in Korea continues as new areas are being evangelized and communities are growing steadily. Commission on World Mission and Evangelism Fr. Martin Ritsi, Executive Director of the Mission Center, is a member of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) of the World Council of Churches (WCC). As a commissioner of this 43- person committee, Fr. Martin is one of seven Orthodox representatives and the only one from North and South America. The Commission s main task is to plan the next World Mission and Evangelism Conference. A recent meeting of the Commission held in Geneva confirmed that the World Mission and Evangelism Conference will be held in Athens, Greece from May 12 to 19 in This location was unanimously chosen and the synod of the Church of Greece has officially accepted and welcomed this event. This international Conference being held in an Orthodox country will provide an important opportunity for witness to Orthodox mission work, as well as further motivate the Orthodox Church on the ministry of mission. New Missionaries: George & Pauline Russell with Melanie Linderman Anew missionary family is entering the mission field in Albania in order to help meet the needs of the growing Orthodox Church in Albania. Over 20% of Albanians are Orthodox and, yet of all the Christian denominations, the Orthodox Church currently has the least amount of missionaries there. The majority of Albania remains non-christian. George & Pauline Russell and Melanie Linderman are all related to current OCMC Missionaries in Albania, Dr. Charles and Maria Linderman. Pauline Russell is the sis- New Missionaries: George & Pauline Russell and Pauline's mother Melanie Linderman are all getting ready to become long-term missionaries and join Pauline's brother's family, Dr. Charles and Maria Linderman, in Albania. ter of Dr. Charles and Melanie Linderman is their mother. Pauline and Melanie will be working to open and run a soup kitchen in Tirana, Albania. Melanie, a grandmother describing her motivation to go, said, Being an empty-nester, I wasn t ready to just retire and sit and enjoy my grandchildren. I wanted to contribute to their, and my own, spiritual growth. George Russell, Pauline s husband, will be working to open a technology center to train engineers in the latest engineering software. George hopes that his business skills, coupled with his witness as an Orthodox Christian, will provide new opportunities, both economic and spiritual, for young Albanians. George and Pauline both feel that becoming missionaries will benefit their two children, Christopher and Madeline. Pauline stated, it is actually because of the children that we made this decision to set an example of leading a Christcentered life. Lara and Anthony Callas returned OCMC Missionaries THANK YOU ANTHONY & LARA CALLAS! After two years in the mission field Anthony and Lara Callas have completed their missionary term and have returned home. As OCMC Missionaries in Albania we have been blessed with many diverse experiences and opportunities to know and share the love of Christ, Anthony said reflecting on their missionary experience. Anthony has served as the director of the Technical Engineering Office of the Orthodox Church in Albania which has been responsible for, among other things, overseeing the construction of churches and schools. Lara has worked in a legal capacity on a variety of projects including helping the Church in its efforts to reclaim properties seized during the communist period. She has worked very closely with parliamentary representatives to help draft new laws regarding restitution and compensation for former property owners. Lara has also been involved in the creation of witness protection mechanisms and laws in Albania to help people be less afraid to testify against criminals, especially those who send women out of the country to be forced into prostitution. We feel blessed to have participated in this great missionary effort and look forward to continuing to support missionary work at our home parish and through OCMC. Fellow OCMC Missionaries in Albania hosted a farewell dinner for the Callases. Dr. Charles Linderman recited a poem he had written expressing thankfulness for their work and sadness at their leaving. Also present was OCMC s Executive Director, Fr. Martin Ritsi who was in Albania meeting with the missionaries. On behalf of the Mission Center, he thanked the Callases for their ministry to the Albanian people. An additional blessing was the gift of an icon from the group. The whole evening demonstrated the mutual support, respect and friendship that exists among the OCMC Missionaries in Albania. Thank you dear friends we will miss you O Anthony and Lara the day has finally come Once thought so far away has quickly come upon We understand that the world needs you too How blessed the world will be to receive you two Thank you dear friends we will miss you Anthony what can we say, you changed our lives in a very real way We now have a place where the neglected children can stay The home will be dry and warm and loving Thank you dear friends we will miss you Lara a new road is made where those who stand for truth can live You set a standard that will point the way to protect future generations to give To fight for justice and truth and live Thank you dear friends we will miss you The homeless now know whom to trust With many now having a place to rest The love shown to those that need love proved to be a reminder for us on how to be Thank you dear friends we will miss you With the days running low and the emotions running high We remember the days gone nigh With Christ as our guide and friends like you on the ride Please know that you will always be in our hearts and minds Dear Friends we will miss you Dr. Charles Linderman reading his poem 28 Correction: On p.28 of vol. 18, No. 2 Quito, Ecuador was spelled incorrectly. OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine Spring

16 Letters FROM THE PATRIARCH Dear Editor, We would like to thank you for your letter and the enclosed 2003 Orthodox missions calendar. We take this opportunity to congratulate you for this piece of work and your contribution to the mission work of our Patriarchate within the African continent. Such work supports and helps out African brothers and sisters who are suffering a lot and they are in desperate need. May the grace, love and abundant mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. With Patriarchal blessing, +Petros VII Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa FOUNDING DIRECTOR Dear Editor, Many times the Holy Spirit answers prayers with people. His Grace Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos, the founding Director of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center, is one of those people. He answered the call of Jesus. As Executive Director, his leadership was strong and quiet. He began with a dream and the result was spreading the word of God, with the help of dedicated missionaries through the establishment of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, we give thanks for answered prayer and His Grace Bishop Dimitrios. Sincerely, Constance Fotiou Gaitanis St. Augustine, FL MISSION SUNDAY Dear Editor, This year on Mission Sunday, I and two other former OCMC team members from Ss. Constantine and Helen Church in Orange, New Jersey presented our mission experiences to our parish. In lieu of the sermon, we spoke about becoming missionaries and sharing God s love. A display table was also set up during coffee hour to display photos and trip memorabilia from our team experiences to Mexico, Galilee and Guatemala. A basket was passed and the parishioners donations were matched by the church. I am proud and grateful to be part of such a generous community. Thank you OCMC for giving me Mission Sunday Witness: Paul Koutouzakis, Florence Givelis and George Kottas from Ss. Constantine and Helen Church in Orange, NJ. the opportunity to be part of mission teams. God bless you all in your mission endeavors. In Christ s Love, Florence Givelis Ss Constantine and Helen Church Orange, NJ WITNESSING ORTHODOXY Dear Editor, With all due respect to the marvelous work you are doing, I believe our greatest mission is to teach all Orthodox Christians, especially in the United States, the art of sharing our Faith. Your article, Mission, Evangelism and Proselytism did not present a program, a method of how to evangelize. Almost all Christian denominations teach a program on how to share the faith. We don t have to change one thing in Orthodoxy, except the attitude and mind-set of many Orthodox, particularly laity, regarding being willing to share our faith. Keep up the good work, Ted Borgeas Alexandros La Jolla, California MISSIONARY VISIT Dear Editor, With much love we forward the enclosed checks to the Orthodox Christian Mission Center to be applied to Fr. Luke Veronis missionary account in Albania. Fr. Luke has visited our community on several occasions and we are honored to offer this humble support to him and to our Mission Center. May God continue to bless you, Fr. Luke, and all those who serve our Lord in the active mission field. With love in the Lord, Fr. Theodore J. Barbas Watertown, MA SAMP IN SUNDAY SCHOOL Dear Editor, My name is Jeni Papadakis and I teach 8th grade Sunday School at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Salt Lake City. Our curriculum for this year is "Sacraments of our Church," and since a priest is essential in administering these Sacraments, we decided to join in the Support A Mission Priest Program. The kids raised money through bake sales and enjoyed seeing the picture of the MUCHAS GRACIAS Dear Editor, To your big hearts from our little ones Thank you very much for your donations. Thank you!!! The boys and girls of the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage Guatemala City, Guatemala priest they are helping to support. Having a picture, biography and a bit of history about the country has helped the children be able to connect. It was wonderful to see our teens spending a few Saturday afternoons doing something for someone else. Thank you, Jeni Papadakis Holy Trinity Cathedral Salt Lake City, Utah HELP WANTED Director of Finance The Director of Finance is responsible for financial matters and to establish OCMC financial administrative objectives, policies, programs, and practices which insure the OCMC of a continuously sound financial structure. Controlling the flow of cash through the organization and maintaining the integrity of funds, securities and other valuable documents is key to this position. They must have a Bachelor s Degree in Accounting and five years experience with financial statements, the ability to prepare written reports, maintain accurate records, and communicate effectively. 30 OCMC mission magazine OCMC mission magazine Spring

17 A Prayer For Missions God of truth and love: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, hear our prayer for those who do not know You. That they may come to a saving knowledge of the truth, and that Your Name may be praised among all peoples of the world. Sustain, inspire, and enlighten Your servants who bring them the Gospel. Bring fresh vigor to wavering faith; sustain our faith when it is still fragile. Continually renew missionary zeal in ourselves and in the Church, and raise up new missionaries who will follow You to the ends of the world. Make us witnesses to Your goodness full of love, full of strength, and full of faith for Your glory and the salvation of the entire world. Through the prayers of St. Paul, St. Fotini, Ss. Cyril and Methodios, St. Kosmas Aitolos, St. Innocent of Alaska, St. Nicholas of Japan, and all the missionary saints, have mercy on us and save us. Amen. ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN MISSION CENTER P.O. Box 4319 St. Augustine, FL