Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, It is with grateful feelings that I am writing to you, trying to make you once again aware of both the joy and the difficulties that the Most Merciful God gives us. In the last quarter we have been privileged through baptism to welcome several of our brothers and sisters into the Orthodox Church and to hold seminars for catechists and young people in the interior of Congo (Muzimai, Luputa, Kamida, Kanaga). We were privileged to ordain three new deacons and two elders. A prayer book has also been prepared in French, which is to be published.
Our primary and secondary schools started with a lot of hope and with many children.In mid-October, the Orthodox University, our Theological School and our Information Technology started. Our Theological School gave us again this year new graduates coming from our own Diocese and from the neighbouring Diocese of Katanga. Nine new cadres in the Orthodox Church, nine new theology graduates, nine new theology graduates, nine young men ready for action. With God’s help, we faced the academic year with many weaknesses, with difficulty especially in feeding the students. Patiently the children did not complain that every night, having nothing else to eat, they ate spaghetti sent to us. But that was all over and soon we were off. Our stores are empty. What would over 50 students eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner? And how will the other operating expenses be met: light, water, fuel, staff salaries, sick pay, office and stationery, taxes, building and equipment maintenance, etc., etc.? Dealing with the costs of the illnesses of priests and their families, as well as poor people who knock on our door. The travel of priests and catechists for missionary and liturgical work. The handicapped Orthodox who in the central neighborhood of Kinshasa, where they live, use the road to make their services and expect us to build them a church. All this brings us to anguish and prayer.
I warmly ask you, if you can, to help us by sending us a container with food and other necessities, but also to support us financially, in order to cope with the expenses of the Theological School and the other needs I mentioned above. I hope that the Most Holy Theotokos will grant you personally and all of you Her covering and blessing.
† Kinshasa Nikiforos
