My dear brothers! With God’s help we are well, thank God. I would like to report to you some events from our mission here in Indonesia.
- A few months ago I opened an Orthodox community in a village called Sumbul. Sumbul is 120 km from our mission centre. These people were Roman Catholics. As soon as they heard about the Orthodox Church they decided to embrace the Orthodox faith. That is why early in the morning on July 11, 2010, the parishioners of St. Demetrios Medan rented a bus to celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing and Mass there. There were 23 ordinands; the young children and youth will be baptized in November 2010. This community has a small chapel and I celebrated Mass in there and we could not fit everyone. So we are planning to build a church right on the big road (highway) because we just bought a plot of land (2700 meters). I am sending you pictures of our ministry there and pictures of the land where we want to build the church. The church measuring 10 x 24 m will cost 40,000 euros. Also in the village called Hiligeo, Lahumi Nias wish to become Orthodox. There are 36 families with 180 people there. When the baptisms take place we will have to build a new church for them. And this will cost 40,000 euros. Please help us. Tell your friends and we are praying for a donor for these two churches.
- Dear brothers and sisters, on July 12, 2010 all our schools start a new school year. In our “Agia Sophia” School 40 children enrolled in the kindergarten, 50 children in the primary school, 20 children in the secondary school, 24 children in the high school. In our school “Agios Nikitas” enrolled 30 children in kindergarten, 56 children in primary school. In our school “Agios Nikolaos” Nias enrolled 14 children in the high school. In our Theological School “Apostle Paul” of Medan 70 children enrolled.
- Sotiria finished a year of medical school. She likes it a lot. Every afternoon she goes to our Medan “Theotokos” clinic and helps the doctors and nurses. I am sending you pictures of Sotria and the Medical School. Dear ones, in August 2010 her new school year will start and we have to pay the tuition of Salvation. The amount is 3000 euros per year. If it is possible, my brothers, help us in this matter.
- Work on the construction of our Academy building is progressing normally; we have now put the slab up. We are on schedule, if possible, to finish the work soon. So far we have received 60,000 euros of money and we are continuing the construction of the building. I understand the difficulty you are facing in Greece regarding the economic crisis. That is why I am afraid to ask you for the rest of what we have planned for the construction. Of course, of the EUR 100,000 that I have asked you for, EUR 5,000 is for the furniture. That is why, my dear gentlemen, you know best what to do for the Orthodox mission in Sumatra, Indonesia. Again, thank you very much for your great contribution to the Orthodox mission in far-off Indonesia. May our good God bless you.
With many best wishes
π. Chrysostomos Manalou
