Dear brothers and sisters, Hail in the Lord. With God’s help, we are well. I would like to report some news from our mission here in Sumatra. Here in Indonesia, we have a shortage of priests, so we cannot do much spiritual work because we do not have time to minister to them. But all our schools are functioning, from our elementary school to our theological school.
Many Orthodox have graduated from our schools, thanks to your Brotherhood.
Our Theotokos Hospital in Medan is functioning normally and offers all the help to the sick. But the responsibility I bear for this hospital is very great. How can I organize this hospital, which has so many needs? The only income we have is the very little money paid by the poor sick people who are hospitalized there. Two years ago we bought, as you remember, with the help of the Orthodox Foreign Missionary Brotherhood, some land in the mountain village of Sumbul. This year we planted peppers and potatoes and – thank God – we had a good harvest and good prices.
Permanent needs of the Mission
But we have so many needs and we can’t meet them all. Thank God, the support you send us from time to time helps us a lot. Of this money, most of it is used to meet the following needs:
- At the Apostle Paul Theological School of Medan, we have 10 staff members (secretaries, librarians, cleaners, security guards) and 17 teachers, who serve 450 students every day.
- At Medan Computer Academy, we have 5 employees and 20 teachers, serving 460 students daily.
- At St. Nikita Medan School, we have 4 employees, 15 teachers and 350 students.
- At St. Nicholas Nias School we have 3 employees, 12 teachers and 90 students.
- At Medan Hospital we have 8 support staff, 10 nurses and 2 doctors. The rest of the doctors are outsourced.
- Sister Agnes lives in the Holy Monastery of Our Lady of Medan. Until now, this convent is very small and has not been able to cover its expenses, electricity, water and daily needs. Therefore, we have to take care of the monastery as well.
In fact, the expenses increase when I go to do sacraments in our other communities, or when the government from Jakarta calls me about schools or our Church, so we have to cover the money for the plane and hotel. Also, a major problem, my brothers and sisters, is that our hospital license will soon expire. The expenses for this matter are 3,000 euros. So far we have not found any donors. You better hope we find money, because we are in a difficult situation. Now, you know the great burdens we face. Thank God, in the difficult works of our mission, you have been with us from the beginning. The Orthodox in Indonesia are constantly grateful to you for your great contribution. I believe in our good God that your offerings do not go to waste, but sooner or later will bear fruit to the glory of our Triune God. This, my brothers, is our news. May the Lord, the source of all good things, enrich you with His riches. With many blessings,
π. Chrysostomos Manalu
