Help Support the Gilman Bendo Family

I recently started a Facebook Cause for Georgia Gilman Bendo who is serving as a missionary in Albania. Please visit and join the Gilman-Bendo family cause on facebook (http://www.causes.com/causes/522355) or visit their OCMC profile at(http://www.ocmc.org/missionaries/missionary_profile.aspx?MissionaryId=6&PageTitle=Missionary+Biography)

Georgia Gilman Bendo grew up with her nine brothers and sisters in North Carolina. Her parents had converted to Orthodoxy several years before she was born and thus she was raised in the faith. At Duke University she majored in Russian language and literature and was able to spend 6 months in St. Petersburg. She feels that this time in Russia together with visits to Greece during these years strengthened her in the faith and made her certain of her calling to work for the Church. She spent two years preparing for mission work after her graduation and arrived in Albania in 2004.
Since then she has been teaching English and an after-school catechism class at Protagonists Elementary School, a school started and operated by the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania. In addition to teaching, her work includes curriculum development for the English and catechism program, supervising the Albanian English teachers, translations into English for the Churchs website (www.orthodoxalbania.org) and taking part in a number of youth camps and conferences.
In January 2008 she was married to Theodore Bendo, who also works for the Albanian Orthodox Church.
On November 21, 2008, God blessed Georgia and Todi with a son: Vasili Thomas Bendo, was born on the Feast day of the Entrance of the Theotokos. He was 20 inches (51 cm) and weighed a healthy 8lbs 8oz (3.85 kilos). Vasili Thomas Bendo is named after St. Basil the Great, St. Basil of Ostrog (Montenegro), Vasili (Todi's grandfather), and Thomas (Georgia's great-grandfather).
Georgia needs your ongoing prayer and financial support in order to serve in Albania.
(taken from: http://www.ocmc.org/missionaries/missionary_profile.aspx?MissionaryId=6&PageTitle=Missionary+Biography)

Jason's Pre-Deployment Checklist: St. Kosmas Aitolos

Jason's Pre-Deployment Checklist: St. Kosmas Aitolos: "Tuesday August 24th marks the Feastday of Saint Kosmas Aitolos. He is among the most beloved Saints for the people of the Balkans - especial..."

St. Kosmas Aitolos

Tuesday August 24th marks the Feastday of Saint Kosmas Aitolos. He is among the most beloved Saints for the people of the Balkans - especially in Albania where he was martyred and where his relics can still be venerated today. May he always pray for us!

APOLYTIKION

By teaching the Divine Faith, thou hast richly adorned the Church and become a zealous emulator of the Apostles; for having been lifted up by the wings of divine love, that hast spread far and wide the message of the Gospel. O glorious Cosmas, entreat God that He grants us His great mercy.
 
The Following from the introduction of "Father Kosmas Apostle to The Poor" by Michael Vaporis.

One of the most important and attractive individuals to appear among the Greek people during the period they were subject to the Ottoman Turks was a diminutive monk named Kosmas. Because he was a native of the province of Aitolia in western Greece, he is best known as Kosmas the Aitolian, although among the people of his time he was simply referred to as Father Kosmas.
His love, concern, and tireless labor among ordinary people, his honest and forthright preaching, his unassuming character, his sterling and uncompromising personality, and his great love for and dedication to Jesus Christ earned for him the titles of 'Equal to the Apostles,' 'Teacher of the Greek Nation,' and the 'Apostle of the Poor.'
The impact Father Kosmas had on the people-both lay and clergy-was such that he was considered a saint many years before he was cruelly put to death by the Turks. The secret of his great success was due, above all, to the fact that he not only preached the Gospel but lived it in such a way that many who heard him were moved to follow in his footsteps.
According to Kostes Loverdos, a writer of the past century:
The anchorite and hieromonk Kosmas arrived [in Kephallenia] in 1777. Initially, he preached in the rural areas and then in the city, being followed by thousands of inhabitants of every class and sex. The austerity of his character, the evangelical simplicity of his words and the power of his arguments brought about such a transformation of life that families that were enemies were seen living together as brothers, having exchanged the kiss of peace and asking of each other forgiveness. Men who had committed serious crimes were seen crying bitterly over their sins. Broken marriages of long standing were restored again. Prostitutes abandoned their shameful work and returned filled with repentance and prudence. Rich upper class young ladies gave away their valuable jewelry to the poor or to churches. Court trials ceased. Stolen articles were returned. Insults were forgiven. Depraved men took up the monastic habit and followed the preacher. In a few words, the appearance of the island was transformed." (See Historia tes nesou Kephallenias. . . [Kephallenia, 18881, pp. 171-72.

Kosmas, who was baptized Konstas, was born in a mountain village named Mega Dendron (Great Tree) in 1714 to parents who hailed from Epiros but had moved to the province of Aitolia, where they worked as weavers. Kosmas remained and worked with his parents until the age of twenty. He had received little or no formal education during this time, although his brother Chrysanthos had given him the rudiments, of an education when he was much younger.

Unhappy with his life and with his inability to understand the Gospel which he loved to hear in church, Kosmas decided to leave his village and his parents to receive an education.
Kosmas first attended the school in the village of Segditsa. Later he moved on to the School in Lompotina, where he studied with the teacher Ananias Dervisianos. In four years, Kosmas had made such progress in his studies that he was appointed an assistant teacher in the same school.
Kosmas, however, did not confine himself to teaching; he often preached in the church as well, thus giving an early expression to what would be his life's work.
From the village of Lompotina Kosmas moved on to the school in the village of Gouva, in the area of Vragiana, whose school was directed by his brother Chrysanthos. There Kosmas studied Greek, theology, and even some medicine. The latter would prove very useful to him during his ministry among the poor and often illiterate mountain populations he felt called to serve.

How long Kosmas remained in Vragiana is not known. Nor do we know many details of his life for the next ten years, for Father Kosmas rarely spoke of himself, and his biographer and disciple, Sapheiros Christodoulides, adds few facts. Father Kosmas was too modest, while Christodoulides was more interested in the Teaching of Kosmas and in the miracles that accompanied his preaching and work than in biographical details.

Once, feeling the need to introduce himself to his audience, Kosmas said:
My false, earthly, and fruitless homeland is the province of Arta, in the district of Apokouro. My father, my mother, my family are pious Orthodox Christians. However, I too am, my brethren, a sinful man, worse than anyone. But I'm a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ who was crucified - . . . Leaving my homeland fifty years ago, I traveled to many places . . . and especially to Constantinople. I stayed the longest on the Holy Mountain, seventeen years, where I wept over my sins. (See page 157)

We know that Kosmas went to Mount Athos in 1749 to attend the Theological Academy established there in the same year by Patriarch Kyrillos V (I 748-5 1 ; 1752-57) at the Monastery of the Great Lavra. At Athonias, the name by which the Academy was known, Kosmas studied under such well-known clergymen-teachers as Neophytos Kafsokalyvites, Panagiotes Palamas, and especially Evgenios Voulgares, who was the school's most distinguished director and teacher.

Unfortunately for theological education, within ten years trouble and conflict arose in the Academy which resulted in Voulgares' departure. Months later, Kosmas also left (the Academy would close within the next year) and entered the Monastery of Philotheou where he became a monk, changing his name from Konstas to Kosmas.

In Kosmas' own words: "I stayed the longest on the Holy Mountain, seventeen years, where I wept over my sins. Among the countless gifts which my Lord has granted me, he made me worthy to acquire a little Greek learning and I became a monk." (page 15)

Months later, Kosmas the monk responded to the invitation of his fellow monks and was ordained deacon and then priest. But the life of a cloistered monk was insufficient for Kosmas. He felt the very strong need to leave the quiet of the monastery to enter the 'world' and serve his fellow Christians. "Studying the holy and sacred Gospel," he said, "I found in it many and different teachings which are all pearls, diamonds, treasures, riches, joy, gladness eternal life. Among the other things I also found this teaching which Christ says to us: no Christian, man or woman, should be concerned only with himself, how he can be saved, but must be concerned also with his brethren so that they may not fall into sin." (pages 15-16)

Convinced that he had a call to preach, Kosmas received permission from Patriarch Sophronios 11 of Constantinople (1757-61). For the next nineteen years, beginning in 1760, Father Kosmas became an itinerant preacher, spending most of his time among the poorest and most unfortunate of his fellow Orthodox Christians. Traveling on foot, by donkey and by ship, followed by scores and often by hundreds and even thousands of men and women, priests and monks, Kosmas undertook three 'apostolic' journeys. The first took him from Mt. Athos to Constantinople (Istanbul), through European Turkey and Macedonia, Thessaly, and Aitolia, crossing over to the island of Kephallenia. On his second journey he covered much of the same provinces except that he visited the islands of Skiathos and Skopelos instead of Kephallenia and spent much additional time in Aitolia, going northward into Epiros and southern and central Albania. His third and final journey was spent primarily in Albania, Epiros, Aitolia and Thessaly, but also included the Ionian Islands, the Kyklades, and even some of the Dodecanese Islands.

Among the factors contributing to Kosmas' enormous success as a preacher were his humility and his identification with the people among whom he moved and worked.

"Not only," he said of himself, "am I not worthy to teach you, but not even worthy to kiss your feet, for each of you is worth more than the entire world." (page 14) On another occasion he said: "I'm a servant of our Lord God Jesus Christ who was crucified. Not that I'm worthy to be a servant of Christ, but Christ condescended to have me because of his compassion." (page 15)

He spoke in their language, taking his illustrations from the experiences and surroundings with which they were familiar. He was selfless, ex ' pending all of his time and energy in the service of others, while never accepting any payment for his services.

Hearing, my brethren, this sweetest teaching which our Christ spoke, that we should labor among our brethren without charge, it seemed to me in the beginning to be very hard. Later, however, it seemed very sweet, like a honeycomb, and I glorified and glorify my Christ a thousand times because he guarded me from the passion for money. So with the grace of our Lord and God Jesus Christ, the Crucified One, I have neither purse, nor house, nor chest, nor another cassock from the one I am wearing." (pages 16-17)

Although he was a monk who believed monks could only be saved if they remained in monasteries, Father deliberately took Ms chances:

A monk can't be saved in any other way except to escape far from the world . . . But you may say, you too are a monk. Why are you involved in the world? I too, my brethren, do wrong. But because our race has fallen into ignorance, I said to myself, let Christ lose me, one sheep, and let him win the others. Perhaps God's compassion and your prayers will save me too." (page 111)

In addition to feeding the soul, Father Kosmas attempted to feed the body as well as the mind. He spoke out against social injustices, against the abuse of the poor and uneducated and against the inequities that existed between men and women. Moreover, Kosmas was a great foe of illiteracy and a strong advocate of education.
Against social injustice and the abuse of the poor by the economically more affluent he said:

We too, my brethren, if we wish to call our God father must be compassionate, and cause our brethren to rejoice, and then we can call God father. If, however, we are merciless, hardhearted, and we cause our brethren to be poisoned, we put death in their hearts." (page 22)
On another occasion he urged:

You elders who are heads of the villages, if you wish to be saved, should love all the Christians as your children and should apportion taxes according to each person's ability to pay and not play favorites. (page 53)

Against what today we could call male chauvinism, Kosmas boldly preached to the mountaineers of Epiros and Albania:

Don't treat your wife like a slave, because she is God's creature as you are. God was crucified for you as he was for her. You call God father; she calls him father too. You have one faith, one baptism. God does not consider her inferior. (page 28)

On another occasion he said:

There are women who are better than men. If perhaps you men wish to be better than women, you must do better works than they do. If women do better works they go to paradise and we men who do evil works go to hell. What does it profit us if we are men? It would be better if we were not born. (pages 97-98)

On the subject of schools and education, Father Kosmas said:
It is better, my brother, for you to have a Greek school in your village rather than fountains and rivers, for when your child becomes educated, then he is a human being. The school opens churches; the school opens monasteries. (page 77)

He advised the people of the town of Parga: "Take care to establish without fail a Greek School in which your children will learn all that you are ignorant of." Kosmas believed that our faith wasn't established by ignorant saints, but by wise and educated saints who interpreted the Holy Scriptures accurately and who enlightened us sufficiently by inspired teachings." (page 145)

Father Kosmas was persuasive enough so that in over two hundred towns and villages he was instrumental in establishing schools where none existed before. His moral authority was such that he was able not only to raise the money needed to establish the schools and to maintain them, but with the consent of the inhabitants to appoint teachers and overseers for those schools, as illustrated from his letters.
I appointed, with the consent of all, Mr. Ioannes, son of Panos, trustee; and Mr. Demos, son of Ioannes the priest, and Mr. Stavros, son of Demos, overseers and his assistants to govern the school as the Lord inspires them. '(page 150)

Kosmas' invaluable and fundamental contribution to education has caused the Greek people to regard him as a 'National Saint' and a 'Teacher of the Nation.'

"My beloved children in Christ," he said, "bravely and fearlessly preserve our holy faith and the language of our Fathers, because both of these characterize our most beloved homeland, and without them our nation is destroyed." (page 146).

Father Kosmas' primary interest in education, however, was religious. He saw in education an indispensable tool for the understanding of Orthodoxy. "Schools enlighten people. They open the eyes of the pious and Orthodox Christians to learn the Sacraments." (page 91 ) In another Teaching he said: "Schools may open the way to the church. We learn what God is, what the Holy Trinity is, what an angel is, what virtues, demons, and hell are." (page 108) Elsewhere he noted: "Blessed Christians, a large number of churches neither preserve nor strengthen our faith as much as they should if those who believe in God aren't enlightened by both the Old and New Testaments." (page 145)

In the eighteenth century the Orthodox Church was faced with a growing number of defections among the poor and illiterate Orthodox to Islam, especially in the areas of Albania and western Greece. There the Orthodox were under especially severe social, economic, and religious pressures by the dominant Moslems. It was Father Kosmas' belief that the establishment of schools where the Orthodox faith would be taught would be able to stem the tide.

So, my children, [he advised the people of Parga] to safeguard your faith and the freedom of your homeland, take care to establish without fail a Greek School. (page 145)

But Father Kosmas was realistic enough to know that this was not enough. "How can our nation be preserved," he asked, "without harm in its religion and freedom when the sacred clergy is disastrously ignorant of the meaning of the Holy Scriptures which are the light and foundation of the faith?" (page 145)

The only schools available at that time, besides the Moslem schools, were those conducted in Greek. This is why Kosmas discouraged the use of other languages (Albanian and Romanian) and strongly urged the Orthodox to use Greek. "Teach [your children] their letters, and especially Greek, because our Church uses the Greek language." (page 80)
Perhaps the most significant of Father Kosmas' teachings is his treatment of Christian love. For this 'Apostle of Love,' love is not something a person theorizes about, but something that one practices.

Kosmas never tired of saying:
God has many names ... but his principle name is love ... All Christians must have two loves, one for God and one for our fellow human beings. Without [these two loves], it is impossible to be saved. (pages 90-91)

Standing on a low pulpit a gift of one of the local Turkish officials-in front of a large wooden Cross, as was his custom, Father Kosmas was not content merely to repeat the above words concerning love, but he immediately challenged people to love and translate this love into effective and meaningful assistance to those in need. Agreeing that love was important and necessary was meaningless for Father Kosmas unless one was willing to prove it with deeds.

"How can I determine, my son, whether or not you love your brethren?" he challenged someone in his audience.
"Do you love that poor boy?" "I do," was the reply.
"If You loved him you would buy him a shirt because he is naked ... Will you do it?"

"Yes." (page 22)

Father Kosmas was able to challenge his listeners to respond Positively to the call to love because he himself was an example of that kind of love. Therefore, when he said: "Perfect love is to sell all your possessions and to give alms, and even to sell yourself as a slave, and whatever you get to give in alms," and "whoever has wronged any Christian, Jew or Turk, return what you have taken unjustly because it is cursed and You'll never get ahead," his listeners responded immediately and Positively. (pages 46, 63)

Father Kosmas took his vow of poverty very seriously and never accepted anything for himself. But money was given to his followers and disciples. This money, however, was used to buy various articles which were distributed by the thousands among the people: kerchiefs, combs, crosses, prayer ropes, candles, booklets, and even baptismal fonts.

Consequently, when he advised men to allow their beards to grow, he provided them with combs which they could not buy for themselves. When he urged women to cover their heads, he gave them kerchiefs. When he advised parents to baptize their children, he helped provide various churches with baptismal fonts, and finally, when he counseled Christians to practice the Jesus Prayer he distributed prayer ropes to aid them in their concentration.

Any preacher who deals with social issues is bound to alienate some people whose interests are threatened. This happened to Father Kosmas as well. This attempt to elevate the educational level of the people and to eliminate illiteracy displeased those who preferred people ignorant. Village elders, landowners, and wealthy merchants felt their interests threatened when Father Kosmas called for just taxation, fair prices, and equitable rents.

The atmosphere created by the unsuccessful revolution of the Greeks in the Peloponnese in 1770, inspired and led by the Orlov brothers, together with the real and imagined presence of Russian agents among the Orthodox people of the Balkans, made it easy for the Ottoman Turks to believe that Father Kosmas was himself an agent. Undoubtedly, the thousands of people who left their fields and jobs to follow Father Kosmas from place to place added to the uneasiness of the Turks and raised grave suspicions about his activities.

Father Kosmas waged a strong battle against the desecration of the Christian Sabbath. Town fairs and country bazaars were often held on Sundays, something Kosmas opposed and did everything in his power to change. He insisted that they be held on Saturdays. In this he was opposed by Jewish merchants, who naturally did not wish to engage in commerce on their own Sabbath. Allied with them were Christian merchants for whom Sunday was also more convenient. Consequently, Father Kosmas' death was fashioned by many interests: Christian, Jewish, and Turkish.

On 24 August 1779, Father Kosmas was in the city of Berat, Albania. Permission to seize him was secured from the local governor, Kurt Pasha, who was generously bribed and who heard Kosmas falsely accused of various crimes. To prevent any demonstration on the part of Father Kosmas' followers, he was apprehended in secret and many of his closest friends were imprisoned in a neighboring monastery.

Father Kosmas was taken to the neighboring village of Kalinkontasi, where he was hanged. After he died, his body was thrown into a nearby river from which it was retrieved a few days later by the priest Markos of the same village. Father Kosmas was buried in Father Markos' church with Metropolitan Ioasaph of Velegrada in attendance.

It is interesting to note that the initiative for the first church to be built in memory of Father Kosmas was taken by the Moslem ruler of Albania, Ali Pasha, who held Father Kosmas in high esteem not only because he believed Kosmas to be a holy man but also because Kosmas had earlier predicted great success for him.

In 1810 Ali Pasha became master of the city of Berat and its environs. Within four years he succeeded in raising the money required to build the first church in honor of St. Kosmas. Moreover, he personally contributed not only toward the building of the church but paid to have a silver reliquary made in which Kosmas' skull was placed and saw to it that the Saint's service (akolouthia) was composed. It was later printed in Venice by the Epirot printer Nicholas Glykys.

The people whom Father Kosmas loved and served did not wait for any official proclamation of his sainthood (this took place almost two hundred years later on 20 April 1961) to honor him as one of God's special servants. Father Kosmas became one of the most popular saints among Greek and Albanian Christians, a popularity which has increased as time has gone by.

Seminarians Have Life-Changing Experience as Part of an OCMC Mission Team by. Fr. Luke Veronis (8/12/2010)

This article was recently posted by Father Luke Veronis on the OCMC website. Fr. Luke among other places was a missionary in Albania for ten years, and is a major source of wisdom for people like us who are learning about what goes on in the Mission field. His Book "Go Forth" is an excellentvresource for anyone who wants to read first-hand about missionary life in Albania. 

Eleven seminarians from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and St. Vladmir Seminary joined Fr. Luke Veronis, OCMC Missionary Nathan Hoppe, and Fr. Paisius Altschul on a short-term trip to Albania. This mission practicum was combined with a three credit academic course entitled “The Missiology of Archbishop Anastasios of Albania,” where seminarians studied the missiological writings of the one of the greatest contemporary Orthodox missionaries, and then visited and participated in the actual mission occurring in Albania.

This inaugural mission class and practicum reflected a cooperative effort between the newly established Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity and the OCMC. The Missions Institute is a new entity which has a specific mandate to create and offer inspiring and educational programs for theological students studying at the Orthodox seminaries in the United States. “Our hope is that through the programs and courses this Missions Institute will offer,” noted its director, Fr. Luke Veronis, “No student will graduate from our Orthodox seminaries without having some knowledge of a missions-minded ministry. Simultaneously, we hope to challenge some students to seriously consider dedicating part or all of their lives to cross-cultural missionary ministry.”

The course ran from May 19 - June 6, 2010, and included one week of class work at Holy Cross, followed by two weeks of a mission practicum in Albania. The experience created an incredible enthusiasm and enlightenment for all the participants. “This was the greatest experience in my life,” emphasized Holy Cross seminarian Kosta Kollias. “It has opened up my eyes in ways I’ve never dreamed of before. My mission experience has helped me to understand the Church in a much healthier, more universal manner.”

Not only did the course readings challenge the students to understand the imperative nature and need of cross-cultural missions, but the practical experience of witnessing one of the most vibrant mission fields in the contemporary Orthodox Church, meeting Archbishop Anastasios and his indigenous co-workers and leaders of the Church of Albania, while also participating in the mission itself through outreach projects at the University of Tirana, at the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy, at a Student Conference, and at the Children’s Home of Hope inspired the seminarians to understand missions in an unforgettably refreshing and even life-changing way.
A highlight of the trip was a pilgrimage with Metropolitan John of Korca. The group spent the first night in the Monastery of St. John the Forerunner in Voskopoja, and walked 12 miles to the Monastery of St. Peter and Paul in Vithkuq. Throughout the pilgrimage, Metropolitan John shared stories about life under communism, faith and persecution, life in America as an immigrant, his time as a seminarian at Holy Cross, and then his return and service back in Albania. Throughout all the stories the Metropolitan challenged the students to dedicate their lives in radical ways to serving Christ. The personal interaction and wisdom offered by His Eminence impacted all of the seminarians.
During the two week trip in Albania, as well as in the follow-up, six of the eleven seminarians expressed serious interest in possibly pursuing cross-cultural missionary service following their graduation from seminary, while the others affirmed that the entire experience solidified their understanding of missions and strengthened their commitment to creating Church communities that will support the missionary work of the Church.

Please Help Support the Children of the Orthodox Home of Hope in Shen Vlash Albania

taken from www.orthodoxalbania.org
Five years ago, in the summer of 2003, the doors finally opened on a long awaited ministry of the Orthodox Church of Albania – The Orthodox Home of Hope. This family-structured home for children in need was started with the blessing and funds secured by His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios. It was built on the beautiful campus of the Theological Academy “The Resurrection of Christ” at the Monastery of St. Vlash near Durres. Although it began with only 8 children, within a very short time it reached its maximum capacity of 30.

This home is a blessing and gift to the children, ages 5-18, who come from particularly difficult backgrounds. Some came from dire economic situations, others from unstable or misfortunate families, while others from families where one of the biological parents had died or left. As with all children, their needs are many, but more than anything they need unconditional love from the people who surround them. They also need to feel safe, valued, respected, and not be treated differently than any other kids their age. This has been the ongoing focus of the caring people who work at this home.

As in any family, the directors, like good parents, try to attend to all the needs of the children: physical, emotional, and spiritual.

The Home provides the children with 3 healthy meals a day (prepared by a staff of cooks at the Home) and the children make regular medical and dental check-ups. The children are able to stay healthy and happy also through free time and organized time for games and sports.

Some of their clothing comes from donations, but to ensure that they have all they need; the Home also employs a seamstress who makes everything from curtains to Sunday dresses!

A number of the 28 children, who presently reside in the Home of Hope, had not been attending school before they came to stay there. Some of the children were even completely illiterate although they were well into school age. Now all the children (19 girls and 9 boys) attend the local public school, from 2nd – 10th grade. Their education is further supported at the Home where tutors work one on one with those who need extra help and they are all given ample time and encouragement to study and complete homework. With this extra attention all the children get along fine at school, some even receive the highest grades in their classes.

Often the children who have come to live at the Home of Hope have passed through severe family traumas and need psychological and social support and stimulation.

This too is offered by specialists and many of the children have recovered basic social skills and a lost sense of joy thanks to this and to the loving atmosphere in which they live. Some of the changes noted in the children have been dramatic. Over the years very aggressive children, others with serious emotional problems, or some who were extremely introverted, have made great strides and are now noticeably more child-like and well-adjusted. The children are always encouraged to have healthy self-esteems and to realize their ability for continuous improvement in life. All of their development in this field is naturally aided by their faith which is an ever-present aspect of life at the Home through morning and evening prayers together and frequent attendance in Church services.

One of the most important aspects of the Home is that it keeps the children in constant contact with their parents and relatives (when possible), always keeping in mind the goal of returning them to their families. With this view, the staff not only sees to the immediate needs of the children, but also gives a lot of support to their families, trying to improve their circumstances and encourage a safe and stable family environment. Furthermore, the Home of Hope does not care only for those currently within the Home, but continues to look after those who have left, taking interest in their well-being and education. This is evident in the case of two children who returned to their biological family last year and also a girl who is in her senior year of one of our Church’s high schools where she lives in the dormitory there and makes excellent grades.

In the “Orthodox Home of Hope” children are raised as unique individuals, respected in all their rights and needs, both material and spiritual, always with the purpose to allow them to be well-adjusted and positive people in the future society.

To my Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
The Orthodox Home of Hope has been such a rich blessing from our Lord for the Church of Albania from the time of its founding in 2003. It truly warms my heart to share the good news of the hope and progress that I myself have seen from my recent visit to Albania earlier this spring from spending time with the children there with the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC).
However, we still must always remember that any momentum of progress needs our cooperation by means of prayer and financial stewardship.

It is with great humility and love that I make my appeal to you as my brothers and sisters in Christ to consider supporting the Orthodox Home of Hope.

In His Service,
Jason Dickey



If you are interested in supporting this cause, please visit our facebook website http://www.causes.com/causes/514300
 
payments can also be sent to
 
OCMC 220 Mason Manatee Way, St. Augustine, FL 32086, Attn: Home of Hope

Our Lady of Bishkek: The Story behind the Black and White Icon of the Mother of God

Social networking can be a very wonderful thing. It has given me a chance to get to know those of you who have taken the time to read my blog and who have endured my postings on facebook. Many of your responses have given me quite a bit of encouragement and perspective on many things. 

Some questions of yours have encouraged me to make this posting that might be helpful for the purposes of helping you get to know more about myself and about the process for anyone else who might be trying to discerning how they themselves might be able to serve the mission field in the future by the gifts that God has given them along with the circumstances He has allowed them to experience.

One of my greatest motivations for serving in the mission field revolves around my travels that took place at the end of my two combat tours in Afghanistan eight years ago. In fact, this is where my first encounter with the Orthodox faith took place. I suppose that this experience has gone hand in hand with my becoming an Orthodox Christian! Thanks be to God!

Afghanistan confronted me with many things. One of these confrontations was the damage that was committed by the Soviets on the Afghan people as well as the entire countryside throughout the course of the 1970’s and throughout the early 1990’s. I was also given the opportunity to travel back and forth from the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan during this time. When I think about the damage that was done to those two countries as a result of the abuses of the former Soviet Union, it’s impossible to not sympathize with people who have struggled to regain their Christian identity after the fall of communism throughout eastern Europe.

In my own experience, it seems that the need for outreach may not as recognized in countries such as Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on account that they do not share the fame and notariety of Afghanistan. Yet, these countries clearly have their own share of problems that include everything from ethnic violence, abusive governments, the Russian Mafia, landscapes that are littered with chemical bunkers, and fields of unexploded ordinances.

Regardless of these circumstances I still have to remember that it was in Kyrgyzstan where I was first encountered the Orthodox Faith, and it was at that moment where I was welcomed into the fullness of Christ. I mention this because was there where I was welcomed home by the Mother of God as I was wandering through the airport of Bishkek on my way back from my second and last combat tour in Afghanistan.

The whole ordeal at the airport was a very surreal experience for me. Originally I was wandering through an empty airport terminal at the crack of dawn to stay awake on my way back from a war zone. When I suddenly looked to my left hand side to see the the Mother of God and our Lord looking right at me, there is nothing that I can say now other than it was and still is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

Having been in a very harsh environment for longer than I had ever wanted to, seeing such a thing reaching out to me was like having my family reaching out to comfort me when I didn't expect them to. I had never experienced anything like this in my twenty-one years of life.

I almost missed my connection flight to Germany on account that I had such a difficult time leaving this icon. I thought I would miss something if I would have left. Maybe I did? At any rate, after pacing back and forth from the terminal about seven or eight times, I did my final cross (I knew how to do this because I was raised Catholic!), I snapped the last picture with my cheap CVS wind-up camera and I left to make it on time for my flight.

The complete significance of my encounter with the Mother of God that day didn’t actually occur to me until about seven years later when I was listening to a sermon by a priest who was on a furlough from his mission in Kyrgyzstan. He was speaking at the Chapel at Holy Cross this past year during the OCMC missions week. While I have no doubt that God does as he pleases and could have placed the icon there by his own direct intervention had he chosen to do so was the fact that an entire process of labor and witness of a group of people had actually taken place for a specific reason before I wandered up to it.

What occurred to me was that perhaps the most important aspect of my experience in the airport  was that the icon of our Holy Mother was placed there to reach out to me and to everyone else who would have been fortunate enough to walk by her. The icon was not hidden in an airport chapel or behind some desk, her presence and that of our Lord was a window to heaven, it was and still is a truly evangelistic witness to the life and Glory of God!

It may sound strange, but I actually spent days and nights completelly fascinated with how incredible it must have been for whoever put that icon on the wall of the airport terminal in the middle of the airport before I wandered up to it! I thank God to this day that I was able to take a picture of our Holy Mother with the last picture of my cheap wind-up camera. This photograph that hangs on the wall of my home today always serves as a reminder to me that Christ is always in our midst, and that the Mother of God is always comforting and interceding for us when we least expect her to be.

I can’t help but feel that as a soldier returning home from the war in Afghanistan that I may very well have been converted to the Faith by the fruits of the missionary efforts that resurrected the Church in the former Soviet Union. For this reason, I feel so much love for all people who under communist oppression.

This is one of the things that motivates for me in my love for the mission of the Church, and by God's grace I pray that I will be able to serve Him and his people in whatever capacity I can.

As a former member of the Special Forces and as the son of a Green Beret, this gives an entirely new meaning to the Special Forces motto: ("De Oppresso Liber" - "Free the Oppressed")

To God belongs the Glory. Amen.

"Lord, it is good for us to be here" - St. Peter (Matthew 17:4)

I would like to first thank Ms. Pamela Barksdale for the article that she recently published about the visit of our mission team to the Roma/Gypsy camp on the outskirts of Tirana Albania. Pamela is a wonderful person and she is a long term missionary in Albania. Her article can be accessed on the OCMC website http://www.ocmc.org/resources/view_article.aspx?ArticleId=360. Please keep Pamela, all of the people on her team, and all of the people who they are ministering to in your prayers.

If any of you who are interested and would like help by donating to International Orthodox Christian Charities, or are interested in helping the efforts of OCMC missionaries such as Pamela and the other fourteen long-term missionaries, feel free to follow these two links:
https://www.iocc.org/giving/giving_donate1.aspx
http://www.ocmc.org/donate/index.aspx

While many of the details have been well documented in Pamela's article, I will mention a few key points before I continue with my reflections 1.) We did visit a Roma encampment at a certain point during our stay in Albania. 2.) I wish we could have spent more time there. 3.) This brief visit for me, although I have certainly seen similar things, or even worse things in my own experiences was very transfiguring for myself, the other people in our group, and I believe very strongly that it allowed us all to see how visiting our Roma brothers and sisters allowed us to fully realize the Greatest Commandments of our Lord which were summarized in the Law and Prophets and revealed on the Mountain of Transfiguration is to "love the LORD your God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind," and to "love our neighbors as ourselves." (Matthew 22:37-40)  

I suppose that each one person in group (as well as the Gypsies themselves) probably looked at this situation from their own perspectives. For many reasons I feel very comfortable meeting and talking to Indo-Aryan people with whom at first glance I would have almost nothing in common with. My time in Afghanistan where many Indo-Aryan peoples originate from broke me of the habit of what some people refer to as "culture shock" or "cross-cultural awkwardness."

This openness lead me to a particular family, and to a very fruitful conversation that I had with one of the older men of the encampment. God forgive me - I forget his name but he was a very dignified, sober, well dressed, and well spoken man. We were very blessed to have been able to understand each other on account that he could understand a little bit of Greek, and I could understand a little bit of muslim terminology (Most Gypsies in Albania are Muslim).

We spoke for about twenty minutes, and I just listened as he told me about his faith in God, and about how he is content with his life because he has God in his heart. After this, I expressed our wished and prayers of God's blessings on him and his family. After we spoke, the rest of our group caught up, and the man's daughter started teasing a few of the guys in our group as they came. I assume that this was the case because I think that she called one of our team members (Rob) a "German" which made everyone laugh.  

It was very good for us to be there! I suppose that one of the main differences between us and the disciples on Mount Tabor however was that there were already tents in place. Christ also wouldn't not have minded if we had stayed longer than an hour or so. We had to leave because we had a tentative schedule to follow. We had to go to a clergy meeting with His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios and the rest of clergy of the Archdiocese.

As we left, I noticed how terribly my hands were burning from shaking hands with the gypsies and having other contact with them (slapping them on the shoulders, petting their dogs, horses,etc). When I was in Afghanistan my unit was often responsible for working with local people for a variety of reasons and it was never an issue for me to have personal contact with people. The reason why I was never afraid to touch anyone was because I was always wearing thin leather gloves whenever I went outside of our camp. This was in the event I had to touch anything such as an over-heated such as a gun barrel, expelled ammunition, anything that might be sharp, or whatever might be "unclean."

This trip to the Roma camp was the first time I had ever had "real" physical contact with people who are living in unsanitary conditions, might be diseased, and by our own standards are considered to be unclean. Since then I have thought to myself: How similar was the scene and the people that we had encountered to the biblical age? How many times have I overlooked situations like this in Afghanistan? Would these people have been considered the unclean gentiles that would have been scoffed at had it not been for God coming into the world and the Church's mission to the gentiles? What can we do to help these people from where we are right now? How soon can I get back over there?

Thank God that now these people are not untouchable gentiles. They are just people in need of Christ who need of help. By God's grace we can offer them both. For me this was truly a glimpse of what the Church's mission can be. Amen.

From War to Missions: a personal reflection on Ezekiel 33:1-6

As a twenty year old paratrooper at Ft. North Carolina in 2001 I would often hear about Sgt. Alvin C. York. Alvin York was a Christian who lived a reformed life after living a life of alcohol abuse and violence, and he entered the First world war as a declared pacifist. Despite this however, while serving in the 82nd Infantry Division (This was before the Army introduced airborne infantry!) he received the Congressional Medal of Honor for killing 28 German soldiers and capturing an additional 132 when leading a small group of soldiers under heavy machine gun fire at the battle of Meuse-Argonne in 1918.

The reason that I bring this up on a blog that is dedicated to missions is for the reason that I have to admit that as a soldier I was both mystified and inspired by the scripture verses from Ezekiel 33:1-6 that Sergeant York's battalion commander used to persuade him to fight the Germans. He did this by comparing York to Ezekiel in Chapter 33 where God likened Ezekiel to a sentry who must man his post at all costs when his people are confronted by war ("the sword") in order to save them:

And the word of the LORD came to me saying, 2 "Son of man, speak to the sons of your people, and say to them, 'If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman; 3 and he sees the sword coming upon the land, and he blows on the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. 5 'He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life. 6 'But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand.' (Ezekiel 33:1-6)

I would like to make s few observations. 1.) Eight years ago in Afghanistan, as a twenty year old soldier in Twentieth Special Forces Group (Airborne) in assigned to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, and then again as a twenty-one year old, I was nowhere near as brave nor as honorable as Sergeant York ever was, nor was I as holy as the Prophet Ezekiel. 2.) In retrospect of the past eight years, I can't help but feel that York's commander was wrong when he applied God's calling of Ezekiel as the sentry of Israel to York's need to take up arms. 3.) I've also misunderstood these verses over the years. God help me!

As an Orthodox Christian who prays for peace and for the salvation of all, it is now very difficult for me not to look at verses such as these without looking at them in the greater context of God's intentions of our own need to cooperate with Him by proclaiming the gospel despite the turmoil that exists in the world. Warlike themes are certainly present in the scriptures to varying degrees, and there is room for discussion as to the various directions that these themes have gone throughout the history of our salvation, but I no longer see this particular message as one of them.

The calling of Ezekiel to stand watch over his people shows how we have a profound responsibility as the people of God to share the good news that we have received - especially when our Lord has commands us to share the news of salvation with such a profound sense of urgency. Our situation of living in a world that has yet to fully realize the love of Christ might not be entirely identical to that of Israel's at the time of Ezekiel's ministry, but it is no less urgent.

What was once my own un-orthodox understanding of God's calling to Ezekiel in comparison to what I now see as a calling for us to engage in the life giving endeavor of the Church's mission, it almost seems as if I have been struggling between whether or not the scriptures in instances such as this and ultimately God justifies the waging of war, or does He desire that we proclaim his Word to those who are in need of it.

We know when look to the history of our Church that includes our warrior saints, and our canonical tradition that has canons that pertain to warfare, we know that the Church has always been aware that the self-defense of society at large, and the preservation of the Church will be a reality until all wars come to an end (Is 2:4; Mic 4:3). With this in mind, I suppose that choosing the former outlook joins us to the momentum of the corruption that brings about the conditions of war. But, perhaps choosing the latter outlook as our goal, and acting upon it as if it is something that can be fulfilled in the present age could be the difference between living by the sword and continuously dying by it (Mt 26:52), or living in the fullness of Christ in order to offer it to the rest of the world for His greater glory. Amen.

OCMC Executive Director Fr. Martin Ritsi Visits East Africa

I came across this video that was made by Fr. Martin Ritsi who is the director of the OCMC during some of his recent travels through east Africa. This is truly amazing to me. Seeing something like this reminds me of St. Paul's words of becoming all things to all people for the sake of the gospel and for the salvation of others (1 Cor 9:23). This principle of the incarnation that is truly taking place in the lives of people throughout the world is a reminder that we are to become CHRIST'S witnesses throughout the world and not our own. Our Lord did say "you will become MY witnesses." May God bless these people!

Orthodox Church of Albania 1991-2008, part 2 of 2

Orthodox Church of Albania 1991-2008, part 1 of 2

Here is the first of a two part slide-show that provides some background into the missionary efforts that have taken place in Albania over the past two decades thanks to the Grace of God, the leadership of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios, the missionaries and local leaders that supported him, and most importantly the Orthodox Christians of Albania. I would like to thank the person who took the time to make these slides and posted them on Youtube for us.

Korca pilgrimage with Metropolitan John of Korca

Many thank to Fr. Paisius Altschul for his slide shows that I will be posting on this blog. Fr. Paisius serves at a very well known urban parish in Kansas City (St. Mary of Egypt http://www.stmaryofegypt.net/ ) and he is a part of the Serbian Archdiocese. We were very blessed to have him as a part of our short term mission team to Albania this summer. Maybe if we are lucky enough we will be able to learn more about his outreach ministries in Kansas City on this blog?

At any rate, the title explains itself! We went on a pilgrimage with His Eminence Metropolitan John of Korca. We visited His Eminence in Korca which is a city not that is far from Greece and Macedonia The Metropolitan is a fascinating man. He's a very sober pious and godly man, and we were very fortunate to have had an opportunity like this. We spent a few nights in Korca, another in Voskopoja, and we (even the mules and horses) hiked through the mountains trying to keep up with the metropolitan both physically and spiritually.

His Eminence has been walking the countryside since the time of his youth as a spiritual exercise. I have to say that I envy him having done similar things in my younger days but to fight. I'm glad those days are behind me. Thank God that we have witnesses such as the metropolitan and the countless lives that he has touched to attest to the glory of God that does far more than we can ever ask or image.(Eph 3:20)

My assessment of our mission trip to Albania

Below is an assessment that I wrote after a two week mission trip to Albania. It briefly summarizes our experiences and it also provides a very brief summary of Orthodox Missiology.
Summary

Our Mission Team that was lead by The Rev. Fr. Luke Veronis was composed of seminarians and one clergyman from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and St. Vladimir’s Seminary along with another clergyman from the Serbian Archdiocese and participated in a two week mission trip to Albania. This short term mission trip was preceded by an accelerated period of preparation over the course of five days that entailed 25 hours of class time instruction where we were provided with a general overview of the concepts of Orthodox missions and evangelism, introduced to the life and teachings of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios (Yannoulatos) of Albania, and prepared for our time in Albania by Fr. Luke himself along with Nathan Hoppe, The Rev. Fr. David Rucker from the OCMC, and His Grace Bishop Ilia (Katre) of Philomelion.

There were many tasks at hand for our “Historic Team” that arrived in Albania on the 25th of May, and departed on the 7th of June. In the spirit of His Beatitude’s teachings on what are the immediate and ultimate foundations and goals of Orthodox missiology, the experiences that we shared with one another as a team and more importantly with our Albanian brothers and sisters in Christ allowed us to set our eyes on a very important glimpse of what it means to participate in the life of Christ as it acts upon the world, breathing new life onto everything it encounters. In the process, all we could do was offer our two mites of gratitude during such a short stay.

Still, such a thing allows one to realize that we all must walk with Christ for the purpose of sharing the love and joy that we have received as having been blessed as inheritors of the Faith with the world around us. When we’re confronted with the challenge of Christ in his commandment to "Go forth and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you,” and that “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth," for the life of us we must affirm this knowing that Christ is in our midst to the end of the ages, knowing that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit in our endeavors as Christians who have been charged with spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.

Discerning an Orthodox Missiology

With the task at hand being to provide an assessment and critique as to how we perceived the resurrected life of the Church in Albania in light of the missiology of Archbishop Anastasios, I would first like to provide a very brief framework so that we can better appreciate the “presuppositions and principles” that have guided the Archbishop in the formation of his mission witness. Regardless of the fact that a comprehensive or systematic scheme of missiology has yet to be developed in the Orthodox Church as James Stamoolis points out in Eastern Orthodox Mission Theology Today, aside from being grounded in the essentials of Orthodox theology, the foundations that have been established by the Archbishop in his contributions to the understanding of missions find their grounding in the fact that they are independent of any arbitrary aims that would impede our need to respond to and join the momentum of God’s salvific and glorifying actions upon the world. This is why when we encounter Orthodox missiology as being viewed as a theologumena, that the basic tenets of missiology as they have been laid down by the Archbishop can allow us to articulate mission as a “profound inner necessity” that must take place in our lives not only for the validation of our own relationship with God and for the rest of mankind.

Herein lies the definition of mission where God’s plan for the salvation and glorification of both mankind and the world occurs “’in the Holy Spirit’ for the sanctification of all things, their recapitulation in Christ, and their access to the Father (Eph 2:18). This cooperative and mobilized effort is furthermore defined as a “universal mobilization for a catholic glorification of the universe” that is multi-dimensional with respect to the diversity of every person and nation.

The Aims of Orthodox Missiology

It could be said that the purpose of mission encompasses a united movement of aims that are both ultimate in the grand scheme of God’s plan for the glorification of the world as well as immediate for the purposes of serving as a means to that very end. The aims of mission when responded to in the proper perspective will also entail certain responses regarding the motivations and approaches that are often seen taking place in the Christian’s participation in the missionary endeavor.

Ultimate and Immediate Aims

God’s desire for the glorification of the world is a constant leitmotif in the process of our salvation history. This process that preceded the very foundations of the creation of the world and has as a goal the eschatological fulfillment in its transfiguration is the framework in which the central themes of love and glory that are key elements of Orthodox theology come into play as manifesting themselves in the world.

This is in itself what the present author views to be the foundation, momentum, and ultimate goal of the Church’s mission. This must also be distinguished as an aid to the aims of the Church’s intentions for the reason that it is our mission that must be dependant of that of God’s on account that the “Christian mission is incorporated into God’s mission,” and that ”our mission surely cannot be different from his.” The fact that we are participants in this mission is made possible by the Pentecostal reality in the life of the Church itself and in the commission of Christ to preach the gospel to all of God’s creation.

Because the mission of the Church is understood as a reality that takes shapes as a result man’s relationship with God (In this instance the Archbishop uses the term “theandric reality.” ) our mission is dependant on certain immediate principles that are both the “beginning and the preparation” for the ultimate purpose that embodies the living presence of the Holy Spirit acting upon the world. These immediate actions consist of 1.) The invitation for people to live a transfigured life in Christ by means of the proclamation of the gospel, and 2.) The establishment of a faithful community that will nurture one another and transcend its own dimensions that are in need of both transformation and healing in order to become the local manifestation of the Church.

This approach which is considered by many in Orthodox circles as an “incarnational approach” is in itself an incarnation of the “Logos of God into the language and customs of a country,” and is the most basic of concepts in the tradition of Orthodox missiology that the Archbishop identifies as being necessary for a particular group of people to find their individual identity and voice in their own worship and in joining themselves to the “common doxological hymn” in praise of God.

A praise of God that is described as a chorus that is both universal and polyphonic of course means for us that the upmost sincere love and respect must be shown towards the people for whom the gospel is proclaimed and for whom the local Church is planted. The natural consequences of this effort is that 1.) The Gospel is proclaimed in a language that the people understand along with all other important texts such as liturgical, hagiographic, and catechetical literature 2.) The people are encouraged to worship in their own language and 3.) Native-born clergy and other leaders are brought up for the purpose of the local Church becoming an autonomous extension of the Church.

Constantly expanding and evolving, this movement towards glorification as it has been described by His Beatitude can finally be understood as a part of the process for “every tongue, people, and nation” to be brought into the fullness of the Triune God, proclaiming by means of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father that “Jesus Christ is Lord.”

The Church in Albania

In the aftermath of centuries of various forms of oppression and persecution that culminated in the devastating policies of most recent communist led government that had been in power for nearly half a century before its downfall in 1991, there is no doubting that the missiological principles of Archbishop Anastasios have thrived in Albania in what has been almost two decades in what has been referred to as an atmosphere of resurrection. As a benefactor of these principles, the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania amid circumstances that have been entirely unique from any other mission field in the recent history of the Church has “pulled itself together and has risen from the ruins, making very swift progress” throughout these formative years. This in turn serves as an important reminder for those of us who for are looking to draw from the practical wisdom and experience of the Archbishops missiology in the sense that the same momentum that we see taking place in Albania comes from the very same Spirit that has given new life to the world from the time of Pentecost.

But how exactly has this reality manifested itself from the moment Christ was once again proclaimed as resurrected in Albania? While our purpose here is not to provide a detailed summary of the progress that has been made in the Church in Albania over the past nineteen years, we can still based on our observations and small experiences, begin to assess and discern as to how these principles have been immediately embodied in the life of the Church itself. In turn perhaps discerning these immediate effects will allow us to catch an even further glimpse into the underlying reality that is continually revealing itself in mission fields such as Albania and follow this momentum to the ends of the earth in our own lives?

As the providers and recipients of the various ministries in the Archdiocese, it is the individuals of the Church at all levels of involvement that best validate the principles of mission. For example, if we were to begin with an assessment of the clergy – aside from the fact that the Church has moved beyond having only twenty-two priests and not a single Albanian born bishop in 1991, to having over one hundred and forty clergy, two bishops and a metropolitan that are native to Albania, Albanian clergymen who have responded to the gospel in an evangelical atmosphere, and have risen to positions of leadership in the Church such as Bishops Andon of Kruja and Nikolla of Apolonia, and Metropolitan John of Korca certainly affirm the greatest of missiological principles.

Here we have what would be a prime example of a particular missiological aim taking a firm hold in the life of the Church. However this is not to say that the mere presence of native born clergymen automatically validates these principles. It is the example and witness that these leaders continually offer to the Church that validate the living presence of Christ in the midst of the people for whom the subsistence of God continually provides.

Subsistence if it truly is sustaining at all will a catalyzing subsistence, and while the story of the clergymen of Albania is truly valuable for the purposes of the witness to mission, I can’t help but feel in my critique that the remainder of our focus must be people who are the current and rising lay leaders of the Church. After almost two decades of retrospection, such an observation I feel is important for us to take note of in light of various attitudes within Orthodoxy that might lead to attitudes towards a laity in a mission field that might be caricatured as unsophisticated, simple minded, or overly passive – particularly in a mission environment where there is still much needed room for cultural sensitivity on our end.

Knowing that an empowered laity confirms the immediate principles of mission and that the vast majority of the people with whom we encountered and directly participated with in ministry throughout our time in Albania happened to be lay people, leaders like Garentina (Nina) Gramo who leads the efforts of the Diaconia Agapes foundation proves this very notion. This is not only due to the fact that as a non-government organization that the Diaconia Agapes (Service of Love) has a complex system for the delivery of humanitarian aid services and has the ability to reach out to the entire country of Albania, but this ministry with the exception of financial independence is a complete example of a successful transference of leadership from foreign missionaries to leaders such as Nina Gramo.

The strain of leadership that has risen from the ranks of the laity can be seen elsewhere. The ministry to the youth at the Archdiocese is perhaps the best example of this principle as having manifested itself in the localized leadership of the youth. The young people themselves have even actively taken initiatives of their own regarding their own walks of faith, for the well being of youth, and for the community at large. Such blessings are apparently the result of the example and direction of Ana Baba and others who support various aspects of the youth ministry such as her brother John, and Jani Meni.

The focus of the youth ministry in the individuals with whom we interacted with were among the most noteworthy manifested mission principles that we encountered during our time in Albania for the reason that what we have in the youth is a second generation of Albanian leadership that has been brought up and cared for by the first generation. While the powerful witness that many Orthodox Christians who had endured the severe hardships of the communist years, as well as the fragile years of the nineties often overshadow this rising generation, the fact still remains for all people that what is continually revealing itself is an empowering and perfecting presence of the Spirit. With this in mind, maybe it’s time for the stories of the rising generations of Orthodox Christians in Albania to be told?

Having spent a good amount of time with several of these people; listening to their stories in conversation and through later correspondence, I can personally attest to the fact that their walks with Christ have been no less remarkable than many of the saintly patrons of Albania themselves. Whether it’s going by one’s own self to serve the poor in a gypsy camp or whether it’s volunteering in the many summer camps throughout Albania and even Kosovo, their service to the Church at such a young age is nothing other than a direct a response to God’s love in their lives, and to their love for the world itself.

On a different note, to say that offering themselves as such examples of service for the Church is no longer taken at any risk in relation to their predecessors is simply not true. Given the religious and cultural diversity of Albania in relation to the great number of converts in the Church, we have to remember that many converts still face great domestic and social risks when they make a commitment to live their lives for Christ. Hearing this first hand is an important reminder that the principles of mission are deeply personal. There is no doubting why this is mentioned in the gospels themselves.

Despite this, the image of the resurrection trumps the image of the dead burying their own dead. In a resurrectional atmosphere it is the living who we see offering life to the dying by their own sense of mission in their presence, love, and witness so that by God’s grace the dead will no longer be left to bury their own, and that they will be raised up to Glorify God with their own unique voice. It is here where we can see the ultimate aim of mission taking place in the lives of these individuals as they take part in the chorus that continually glorifies God.

Conclusion

The doxological hymn as it is described by His beatitude is a continuous one whose end will only come at the fulfillment of time as God sees it. While the Church in Albania still has many imperfections, it is important that we see these shortcomings as temporary problems that have not yet been mended by people who have the innately profound ability to cooperate with God in their lives.

The difficulties themselves must still not be confronted passively. For example, issues such as financial autonomy may one day prove to be every bit as important as the issue of the autonomy of indigenous leadership. But, at a time when the momentum of financial subsistence is still supporting much of the infrastructure of the Church, is it really an appropriate time to encourage that the people of a developing country radically re-asses how they manage the finances of their own Church? At the same time however, maybe getting the average person more involved in the basic principles of simple stewardship for example could still be stressed during these times.

There is a multitude of potential set-backs for the Church in Albania. One might ask: How will they handle the increasing attitudes of materialism as they become a more developed country? How will they respond to the potential mass exodus once visas become more available to the people of Albania upon their acceptance into the European Union? The Church will no doubt be tested by the circumstances of time itself. This is no different than any other time period in her history. But for our purposes, casting judgment over our own brothers and sisters in Christ over situations that are merely hypothetical will only create a negative atmosphere that is detrimental to a posture that must be oriented towards the direction of constantly reaching out to the ends of the earth as a response to the Love of God and our neighbor. If we are going to be of any help to our brothers and sisters in Albania or in any place in the world for that matter, our primary focus must always be in the present moment with the people themselves. Thanks God!



Bibliography
Bria, Ion. The Liturgy After the Liturgy: Mission and Witness from an Orthodox PerspectiveGeneva: WCC Publications, 1996.

Lekos, Andrew. "Historic Team Arrives in Albania." http://www.ocmc.org/.

Stamoolis, James J. Eastern Orthodox Mission Theology TodayMinneapolis: Light and Life Publishing, 1986.

Veronis, Luke. Go Forth: Stories of Missions and Resurrection in Albania. Ben Lomond, CA: Conciliar Press, 2009.

Yannoulatos, Anastasios. "The Doxological Understanding of Life and Mission." Epopteia, 1984: 1123-1232.

---Facing the World: Orthodox Christian Essays on Global ConcernsGeneva: WCC Publications, 2004.

—. "Purpose and Motive of Mission." Go Ye, 1967.

—. THE CHURCH OF ALBANIA (http://www.orthodoxalbania.org/English/Brief%20History/BH%20Book5.htm).

—. "The Global Vision of Proclaiming the Gospel." 1-7.



 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Some Thoughts on the Great Commission

Matthew 28:16-20 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (RSV)



Initial Summary

In the fullness of his resurrection prior to his ascension, and prior to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ was preparing the men who will become the apostles of the Church for their mission to be witness for him in “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

The words of our Lord that conclude the gospel lesson on Holy Saturday (Mt 28:1-20), and that are also included in the readings of our yearly matins cycle (Mt 28:16-20) contains within it the “Great Commission” to the eleven apostles to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to all nations.

This is not to say that this was the first time Christ had commanded his disciples to reveal the news of the kingdom. The synoptic gospels inform us that he had given similar instructions to the twelve disciples, and later to the seventy-two in order to share His news with the people of Israel in Jerusalem. We also know that prior to his death on the cross that our Lord foretold that the “good news of the kingdom would be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (Yannoulatos 1967, 297; Mt 24:14; Mt19,20)


However, As the recipients of the efforts of the apostles who went forth proclaiming the good news to the nations, these words of Christ are an essential commandment for all of Orthodox Christians to cooperate with God in His plan for the salvation and glorification of all peoples and the world in which we live. Furthermore, this commanding invitation implies for us, as it did for the apostles that the aim of making disciples for Christ is to be an ongoing process of inviting all peoples to be initiated into the fullness of God for the purpose of conveying the goodness of the gospel while they are transformed by the experience of God in their lives. (Yannoulatos 1967, 19; Rom 8; Mt 28:20)


Finally, the immediate expectation of the Great Commission is then pointed towards the final goal where our vocation of cooperating with God in His plan for bringing all people under His loving embrace is brought into an eschatological perspective. But this end is one of hope in the sense that the presence of Christ is assured to be in the midst of His people throughout this constant missionary endeavor while we invite all of God’s creation that has been groaning for redemption to join in the praise and glorification of God to the end of the ages.
Reflections

Our Tradition has witnessed the missionary endeavor take place as a “profound inner necessity” in a way that has conveyed the key elements of God’s love and glory. This has taken place through a mobilization of mankind, as we have at times united our mission to God’s in a way that has allowed us to cooperate with God as he has moved the Church towards the salvation and glorification of mankind and the world “‘in the Holy Spirit’ for the sanctification of all things, their recapitulation in Christ, and their access to the Father (Eph 2:18). This “universal mobilization for a catholic glorification of the universe” (Yannoulatos, The Doxological Understanding of Life and Mission 1984, 5) is a multi-faceted effort that calls all Christians to use their gifts as members of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27-31). It takes place as we are sent by our Lord in the Holy Spirit just as Christ was sent by the Father with such an immense love for the world that our heart’s desire and prayer to God is driven by the salvation of others (Rom 10:1).

Yet, as far back as the first century, even St. Paul, the first and greatest missionary of the apostolic age, when he proclaimed to the Romans that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" still presents us with a very important challenge when he posed the following questions: “How are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?” (Rom 10:14-15)

These words of Paul have a way of helping us focus on our own vocation as missionaries in relation to the Great Commission. Moving beyond the usual criticisms as to why missions have had variable peaks and valleys throughout the history of the Church, my thoughts bring me back to an encounter that I once had with His Eminence Metropolitan John of Korca.

The very first thing that the Metropolitan mentioned after we were properly introduced was that the primary obstacle to the missionary effort is fear: “People do not come to Albania, or leave the comfort of their homes [to respond to the commandment of the Great Commission] because they are afraid to do so.” These words spoke truth to the Balkan saying that he would later tell us: “Never seek out a prophet, God, or Abba, and don’t ask him anything because you might not like what they have to say!”

As with everything else that I encountered in Albania the Metropolitan’s words touched me in a way that I never would have anticipated. It revealed my own reservations that I carried with me to Albania. Certainly I was aware of both the positive and the negative sides of Albania’s history along with their present day circumstances. However, after having grown up in a family where fighting communists came as natural as breathing, and after witnessing the devastation left behind by the Soviets throughout southwest Asia during my two tours of combat in Afghanistan along with eight years of trying to forget about it, and even having relatives on my wife’s side of our family who had come from Albania both before and after the communist years by means of everything from escape to immigration, going into a country that has a Muslim majority and a history of communism was not at all appealing to me. As a matter of fact, even though I had always had a strong desire for making evangelism a part of my ministry, I had never envisioned my work in evangelism to take me beyond the United States. Maybe the Metropolitan was right? I thought to myself “Did the fact that I did come to Albania with all of these reservations made me a fool?”

Something changed when I found myself in Albania – particularly after I began interacting with people. I found a gentle power gradually washing over me, and a most loving sensation drawing me to everyone and everything. It was as if I had been waiting to come here all my life and the people who I had constantly encountered had been waiting for the same thing. It seems they were equally being drawn to me. This love grew to the point where everything became brighter, everything smelled sweeter, and everything sounded like a hymn to me, whether it was chanted in church or it was coming from the streets.

The impact of this presence of God was intoxicating! The thought of the same God whose voice alone once caused the Israelites to fear for their own lives, and the same God who cannot be seen but experienced in this love that I had been confronted with as something that “lives in us and is being made complete in us.” (Ex:20:19; 1Jn 5:12) This brings to mind what His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios had told me a few days earlier when in echoing the words of St. John, he reminded me that “God is love,” and that it is our responsibility to re-direct the freedom that God has given us; out of his love for us back to Him for our own salvation and for the greater glory of the world that we live in.

As a result of my conversation of the initial words of the Metropolitan, I decided to disregard the advice of the previously mentioned proverb that concerns one’s need avoid council. I asked Abba! I asked him: “What are your thoughts concerning what the scriptures tell us about the ‘perfect love’ that casts out all fear?” (1 Jn 4:18) He simply looked at me and said: “The love that casts our fears away can only come from God, and that this perfecting love is God himself working in us. People do not respond to the needs of others because they are not receptive to this perfecting love – hence they are afraid to come to places like Albania. This is why we must repent and begin with the fear of God which is the beginning of all wisdom as Solomon once said in the proverbs (1:7) ; only then can we begin to cast out our fears with love because it is God himself who is love.”

I quietly wept as I hid the tears that poured down my face from the rest of our group. This was to be the first of several conversations with the metropolitan that took place before we left Tirana and ultimately, for home. I have since then been occupied with thoughts of what it means to join one’s self to the momentum of the Great Commission in light of our need to do so in love. Of course, I have no doubt that our Lord desires that we all take part in the effort of mission. But, how do we truly reveal the commandments of God to the nations as our Lord commands us to when we ourselves are still in the process of fearing God, and how do we seek the perfecting love that guides us while we work with God while he acts upon the world?



“Let all that you do be done in love…” (1 Cor 16:14)



As St. Kosmas tells us that “God has many names ... but his principle name is love ... All Christians must have two loves, one for God and one for our fellow human beings. Without [these two loves], it is impossible to be saved.” (Vaporis 1977, 90-91)



Our own Orthodoxy depends on whether or not we preach Christ crucified with a sense of mission in our lives. (1 Cor 9:16; Yannoulatos 1967, 293) From God’s creating man from the dust of earth, to His commandment to the first couple to fill the earth and subdue it, to His calling of Abraham to get out of his soil that had been corrupted by the fall, and to leave his father’s house for the land in which his descendants would be a blessing to the nations; (Gen 12) it’s apparent that in the age of Pentecost that our vocation as men and women who have been made by God and for God is intended for the endeavor of mission. This is why our history from the time of the Great Commission, has such a broad witness of people who have manifested this Orthodoxy changing the course of their lives towards the glory of God. (Yannoulatos, 1967)
The Church’s calling of mission has been modeled by such figures as St. Paul a zealous persecutor of Christians who himself became a martyr, St. Patrick, one who escaped slavery only to evangelize the land of his captors, and the martyr St. Kosmas Aitolos who left the serenity of Mount Athos believing that he did so at the risk of his own salvation in order to re-evangelize the people of the Balkan Peninsula at the time of the Turkish occupation. Witnesses such as these command us to recognize that a failure to act upon the Great Commission is a denial of what God intends for us to become as Christians. It is a denial of what should be our own hope in the salvation of the world in its entirety.

Could it be that all of the fear, loneliness, and nightmares that arise out of what Archbishop Anastasios refers to as the exaltation of the human will – the will that remains free from the will of God is in part, what prevents us from fulfilling the forgotten commandment? It is one thing to affirm that the Church must make disciples of the nations. To truly teach people His Commandments and to convey His love in a way that changes those who are sent in order to show people the way that leads to new life.

The reality of the Great Commission is that going out to the nations is still frightening even when we feel we are seriously compelled to do so. Twenty centuries of retrospection confirms this. We know that like many witnesses after them – all but John died a martyr’s death. We also know of Paul’s various hardships that ultimately led him to his own martyrdom in Rome. For the rest of us who will never likely endure these hardships, we must also compete with other problems such as cultural immersion, the difficulties of language, being separated from our loved ones, and maintaining the spiritual, emotional, and financial welfare of our families.

Despite this, perhaps it is not a coincidence why the Great Commission is proclaimed on Holy Saturday while we anticipate the resurrection of Christ. Father Alkiavidis Kalivas reminds us that “It is the day of watchful expectation, in which mourning is being transformed into joy,” and that it is this expectation that “embodies in the fullest possible sense the meaning of xarmolipi - joyful-sadness.” (Calivas, 1992) More importantly, we must remember that Holy Saturday was once reserved for the baptism of catechumens! If we pray as we do in the anticipation of our own celebration of Pascha: “that the Lord may reveal to them the Gospel of righteousness, and unite them to His holy catholic and apostolic Church…it is necessary to engage in mission.”(Yannoulatos 1967, 296) It is for this reason that the promise of Christ to be with us “to the end of the ages” is an invitation to orient the rhythm of our lives into that of Christ’s, bringing our mission in harmony with His resurrection in order to be his witness to the nations.

In the spirit of St. Seraphim of Sarov, to do so will not only bring thousands around us to salvation, but it will bring thousands more. Amen.

Sources:

Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version (Meridian)
The purpose and motive of mission: From an Orthodox theological point of view
Missionaries, Monks & Martyre: Making Disciples of All Nations