It is true that the missionary work of our Church here in Africa is a spectacular work. However, this God-given work is facing many difficulties, now that the whole world is in economic crisis. More typically, our Greece, which has always stood by this work, is going through difficult times.
The agony and the struggle of the mission in Africa was mainly Greek. It helped, supported, prayed and supported the work spiritually, morally and materially from its own resources. With a sense of missionary responsibility we pray for our Greece: “Lord, have mercy on us and on your world and save our souls as a good and charitable person”.
The missionary work at I.M. Mwanza in northern Tanzania is essentially a work of the Lord. In this work we are simply his instruments. We live it and feel it, that without the Lord we can do nothing. We ask him in our struggle and our agony to be “our strength and our firmament”. We emphasize to Him that “besides Thee we have no other helper in tribulation. He is our only hope ‘that he may have mercy and save us’.
Only God knows when and how we will overcome this critical economic situation that is now prevailing around the world. Only God is the one who is making openings for missionary activities in this time of crisis.
It is worthy and just to thank the Lord for the openings of opportunities for our missionary activities. These openings for us are miracles. What sustains us basically is the liturgical and sacramental life. It is accompanied by catechesis, preaching, seminars and the biblical study of the newly enlightened.
Thank God that the two monasteries are still standing, our seminary is functioning, albeit with difficulty, two high schools are functioning, scholarships are granted to orphans, poor but exuberant children from high school to university, our hospital in Bukoba is functioning with the help of Kedas, a new high school is being built in Bukoba.
Especially for the lakeside town of Mwanza on Victoria, which is now the seat of the Holy Metropolis of Mwanza, here is built the Metropolitan Church of St. Nicholas. Also, the Higher Seminary for the training of the staff of our Holy Metropolis is being built. .
Mwanza and Mbeya are big cities. The towns of Bukoba, Musoma, Kigoma, Shinyanga, Tabora, Geita and Sumbawanga need well-trained staff for good and effective missionary activities. For example Mwanza has about 800,000 inhabitants. But it is claimed that out of these, 30% of the 800,000 inhabitants are unabated in the delusion of idolatry. As is evident, “the harvest is plentiful”. Workers are needed, above all trained, truly orthodoxly trained.
The systematic and proper continuation of our missionary activities in our opinion requires at this time that we have many of our liturgical books in Swahili, the language of the Tanzanian people. Also to have many beneficial Orthodox books translated into Swahili. Our converts and those interested could have access to the wealth of treasures of our Orthodoxy. Thus, Orthodoxy would be able to take deep roots in the hearts of Tanzanians. Something that would guarantee the creation and development of a local Orthodox Church on good and solid foundations, since the guardian of Orthodoxy is the people of God.
From the Holy Metropolis of Muanza
