In the most joyful time of the year, the Resurrection season, my mind and heart cannot help but be filled with joy, hope and nostalgia as I remain with the Orthodox missionary team in Sierra Leone, just one month after my return. Where I experienced the touching adventure of Faith, where the First Chancellor Archimandrite Themistocles Adamopoulos chose to follow Christ crucified in the corner of Africa where the poorest of the poor live. By the grace of God, with the blessings of the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Mr. With the blessing of the Pope, Pope and Pope Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and Pope Alexander II Theodore and the financial assistance from the bequest of friends of the mission, for the last seven years the newly established but so sacrificially struggling Orthodox Church of Sierra Leone has been carrying out a wonderfully diverse missionary, charitable and educational work against the whirlwind of problems that arise at any time. First of all, with regard to the catechetical and devotional work, I was particularly struck by the spirit of freedom and love with which the Church embraces souls who seek the Truth and come to hear the Word of God preached in a simple and experiential way. The baptisms of the catechumens are not done en masse and hastily, but after a long period of teaching and a conscious decision. Two of the touching devotional moments were the Divine Communion of the handicapped, with the priest kneeling to give them communion in their wheelchair, and the Vespers of Forgiveness with the whole faithful exchanging sincere apologies with each other and with the priests, making a circle of unanimity in the solemn atmosphere of Lent. As for the charitable part on the outskirts of the capital in the Waterloo area, Father Themistocles established what Patriarch of Charity Theodore in his recent missionary tour in Sierra Leone called “the pride of the Patriarchate”, the village of St. Moses of Ethiopia, for the disabled of war. This housing complex includes accommodation for the disabled and their families, a clinic, school, workshop and church, and offers its services to the most defenseless citizens of this country, the homeless disabled. The recent fifteen-year tragedy of the civil war, combined with diseases such as polio, has left countless people with amputations and disabilities. These stigmatized and marginalized people found an embrace of God to house their dreams.
In this special place is the orthodox clinic of Agia Magdalene and Agia Olympia, where for one week together with a local cardiologist we examined and helped more than 350 patients from the surrounding area. In addition to malaria, malnutrition, tropical and skin infections we observed increased rates of hypertension due to psychosomatic effects of the war. The next step is to set up a special clinic for the manufacture of prosthetic limbs for the disabled, an effort that deserves to be strengthened. Father Themistocles places special emphasis on the part of education, especially for children with varying educational abilities. The capital city of Sierra Leone has been called the “Athens of Africa” because of its tradition of education. The Orthodox Church school on Syke street provides free education to over 1,500 children with primary and secondary schooling. An unforgettable memory is the wall of the school where the phrase “Agapa Godo Agapa Gnosis” stands out in clear Greek letters. In the school premises we conducted dental examinations of the students by class and lectures on oral hygiene, preventive hygiene and emergencies. The same area also hosted the activities of the Orthodox Youth Brotherhood where we held a Sunday School lesson and a presentation showing images from the Orthodox tradition. There is also a college for students with distinguished teachers from all over the world. Before departing for Sierra Leone I filled my overweight luggage with icons, crosses, books, toothpaste, school supplies, balloons and the offering my mother brewed for the Mass. On my return, the same suitcases carried some solid diamonds from the bloody soils of Sierra Leone. These were the pure and unfeigned communion of love with the brothers there, the clear smiles of the children, the worship opportunities in the Orthodox Churches and Father Themistocles’ phrase “to glorify God and not to grumble.” Unconsciously, a saying of St. Simeon the New Theologian came to mind that is fitting for this humble Orthodox missionary cadre: “There is a little joy that mocks death.” Christ is risen! Georgiou Christos
Doctor – Dentist
Regular member of the Brotherhood
