Dear brothers in Christ,
From far-off India we hope the Lord blesses your life and leads everyone’s steps to the road of salvation.
On 21st November there was a solemnl Divine Liturgy at the Holy Church of the girls’ orphanage, “the Presentation of the Theotokos”. Our joy was double those holy days since we were honored by the presence of His Eminence Metropolitan Constantine of Singapore. Actually, two ordinations took place by our Metropolitan on the same day, that of our brother and worker of the Mission Raphael to a deacon and that of deacon George to a priest. On the 25th of the same month we had the ordination of deacon Raphael to a presbyter.
Despite the serious difficulties that the financial crisis has caused to the Mission, with great struggle and God’s help we still manage to maintain the most important of our charity programs: the two orphanages and our school, the common meals for the poorest of the poor and the breakfast for the homeless children of Calcutta, while in the villages our five schools and surgeries are still operating.
The course of the school “Saint Ignatius” is upward, judging not only by the actual progress of our children but also by the large number of applications on the part of poor children of the region for enrollment in the new school year. Thanks to a donation from Thessaloniki, we have started the construction of outdoor hygiene facilities and additional fire exits, which are required for the certification of the school for the higher grades. This work, which is expected to be completed within two months, was a big relief as far as the educational future of our children is concerned.
Thanks to a number of donations from America and Australia the operation of our orphanages was given a life extension. We sincerely thank all of you, who, despite the severe economic crisis with all its negative consequences, thought of us and eased our anxiety.
One of our main targets remains the creation of a farm in order to cover as much as possible not only our own needs in food but also the needs of the institutions and the common meals. Especially now that food prices have doubled and the cost of covering the feeding needs has risen dramatically, this important project is of utmost importance! However, due to the dramatic decrease in the donations because of the crisis, the pace of creating the facilities required is very slow. We have made big progress regarding the fencing of the area and its partial land fill, but there is still a long way till its final configuration in a fertile land.
Even the slightest donation removes the possibility of our children going back to the streets where they were born. We are grateful for your continuous support. Every single contribution -spiritual and material- makes us witnesses of your compassion, your spirit of solidarity and your Christian love.
Sister Nectaria
