My brothers, rejoice in the Lord!
I am writing to you from the Malawi Mission once again to thank you for your valuable support.
I would like to thank you very much for your donation, which helped us to build the priest’s house in the Church of the Resurrection in Blantyre, as well as to equip the church with furniture, holy vessels, holy vestments, books and everything else needed for the church to function properly.
We know that you are praying for us and that is why God is strengthening us through your blessings that the Orthodox Mission here in Malawi may progress, even if only in small steps.
We pray to Almighty God to send a donor to build the Church of the Nativity of Christ in Blantyre, whose foundation stone was laid by our Patriarch last year.
We are pleased to announce that recently our Mission has acquired four plots of land in key locations in the Lilongwe area. It would be a blessing to find donors who will fund the drilling of wells on these plots. The cost for one well is 3.500 € and will serve 5 to 7 villages of each region.
Here, as you know, there is no end to poverty, poverty is desperate and generally people continue to suffer in all areas. In this situation, the Orthodox presence exists and gives confession where and when it is needed.
Reasons for admiration and praise
The first blessed fact is that by the power of God we were able to send three indigenous seminary students to the seminary in Kenya. Gregory, Simeon and Constantine will study there for three consecutive years and will then be able to come well trained and offer their services in Malawi. The theological training of the candidate clergy is one of our highest priorities, so that future clergy can teach the Orthodox faith correctly and unadulteratedly to their neighbours.
The second miraculous and blessed event is the two ordinations of deacons Anthony and Ezekiel to the office of presbyter. Deacon Anthony, for the past 5 years, has shown miraculous zeal, has established an amazing parish at the Church of the Archangels in Palombe and recently he has also overseen the establishment of a school in the area.
Deacon Ezekiel studied at the School of the Patriarchate and, when he returned from it with very good results, he was ordained and now serves the Church both as a priest and as a translator, translating Orthodox pamphlets from English into Chichewa.
The third miraculous event really strengthened us because we see God’s presence and providence in spite of all our sinfulness. And the Most Merciful God we know that He performs His miraculous signs in order to stimulate the newly enlightened of His Church, who really need it.
So, two years ago in the Church of St. Anastasia of Pharmakolitria, the catechist and parishioners woke up at midnight, after the first Mass had been celebrated, and heard angelic voices singing in the Church without seeing anyone.
Now, these days, at the church of Saints Athanasius and Cyril, which we are building in the town of Zomba, a strange “madman” appeared, stood in the middle of the plot and addressed in a loud voice our masons and catechists who were there. This “madman” is well known in the area. He is homeless and goes from village to village with holes and dirty clothes. Everyone mocks and ridicules him. Young and old alike refuse to talk to him and when they do, it is either to mock him or to throw a piece of dry bread at him. We did not know him until now.
The catechists who were there were preparing to send him away from the courtyard of the Church and he stood among them with a loud voice and said to them:
“Don’t send me away! I came to talk to you about Orthodoxy! Here, in this church you are building, is the true faith! Here is salvation! Your bishop has now come to Malawi!!!”. This and more was said by the strange madman and soon he left to continue his wanderings…
How did this man, to whom we never spoke, living this strange way of life, stand so boldly and speak to everyone about saving Orthodoxy? The Holy Spirit, of course, “wherever He wills,” and He enlightens whomever He wills, so that the awesome, exquisite, and wondrous works of God may be manifested.
On the one hand, as human beings we may be drowning in sin, but our all-loving and loving God the Father holds our hand, leads us and strengthens us in faith and salvation.
π. Hermolaus Iatrou
