Dear brothers and sisters, I humbly wish you that the benevolent God will bless you, your families and your missionary work. I too especially ask for your prayers so that I may face here the many difficult daily problems that present themselves.
Lately the situation has become increasingly difficult. But what makes me very sad is when, after the end of the Divine Liturgy, Orthodox students come to me and beg me to help them continue their studies. Others do not have to pay the university fees and are turned away from the university – here there is no free education like in Greece; the attendance, the exams, the notes, everything is paid for. Some students have nothing to eat and beg with tears in their eyes, others are kicked out of the houses they have rented because they can’t pay. You see thin faces but full of eagerness to learn. Looking at them I feel great shame that I cannot do anything for these young people to help them continue their studies. I even avoid going to the office, I avoid receiving visits from young people because I have nothing to say to them.
What should I tell them? Comforting words? But to starving people or to students who are kicked out of universities and for a little money are forced to interrupt their studies or have no money to pay the meagre rent for the room they live in or to buy their food? What can I say to them when you have nothing to give them to continue their studies?
Today, when I came out of the Church, again several students were waiting for me and begged me to help them, among them were two law students and they told me with great pain: “Since 2010 we have stopped our studies because we could not pay. We tried to find money, we worked and what we collected is not enough. We need another 150 dollars. We don’t have it, we will miss the year again this year, please help us.” My heart tightened. What should I do? Where can I find it to give to these and other Orthodox young people who are forced to interrupt their studies every day? That is why I was forced and took the courage to appeal to our Brotherhood to warmly beg you, leaning on your merciful heart, to grant us 25 scholarships for needy studentsand to help the Orthodox young people of our Metropolis, who are facing this problem, to continue their studies, so that the bishop can gaze upon their faces. It was with great emotion, therefore, that I was informed of the decision of the Board of the Brotherhood of our Orthodox Foreign Missionary Brotherhood of Thessaloniki, in which you inform us of the approval of the fund:
- scholarships for needy students of our Metropolis, 12.000 euro,
- emergency financial assistance of EUR 6 000,
- 4.000 euros and
- baptisms 1.350 euros.
Thank you, because you got me out of a daily pastoral dead end. I will already be able to help needy students to continue their studies. I especially thank the donors and pray that God will grant them the Heavenly Kingdom.
We had the great blessing from God to lead 53 of our indigenous brothers and sisters after catechism to holy baptism. This was done in the baptistery of St. Mark’s Church in Kinshasa. After the baptism, two marriages took place. This group of newly baptized is the fruit of the ministry of Mr. Vaios Prantzos in our Metropolis, who organized the catechetical work and monitored and guided the catechists – our students and young theologians – in their missionary activity here in Kinshasa. Thank you again, wishing you every blessing in your God-given work as well as to the members of our Fraternity and their families.
† The African centrist Nikiforos
