With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan George of Guinea, I visited Sierra Leone, a country affected by the deadly Ebola virus. The biggest obstacle was that I had to communicate with the Sierra Leoneans, but I did not know English. And yet this was done without any difficulty! I remembered my English from school, although I was made fun of by the children. But with the language of love, I became a child with the children, young with the young, old with the old. Many people ask how they can become missionaries. But the answer is simple: you don’t have to be rich to be a missionary, but you need the will. Because if you want to, then you can.
During my stay, I was welcomed by the militant missionary Fr. Themistocles. I was involved in the formation of priests, because most of them come from Islam, Methodist and Protestant backgrounds and need to learn the liturgical life of the Orthodox Church. I was also concerned with the youth who, with your help, will be the future leaders of the Church of Christ. The mission strives to relieve people, according to the saying of Jesus: “Come unto me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” It builds educational centres, cares for the handicapped and provides hot meals every Sunday after Mass, not only for the Orthodox but for everyone, regardless of religion. I was very touched by a girl when I asked to meet her mother. “No, Father, you cannot meet her because she is illiterate and does not know English…”! At that moment I was in tears! I told her: ‘My mother is also illiterate and yet she brought me into the world. I love her and I am proud to present her without shame and say: This is my great love.” Her mother came. At the end of our conversation, this woman says to me in a moving voice: “I, Father, am illiterate, but I want my daughter not to be pregnant by a boy but to study. Please help her, because my two other children got pregnant and did not know school. Right now, these words are coming back to my ears. I promised her that our Mission, which loves youth, will make every effort to make her dream come true. This is our Africa… Can anyone save it? Only the Orthodox Christian would answer this question.
I watched how young and old were killing themselves for a plate of food or the clothes they were taking, and I couldn’t stand it. So I ask all readers to say just one Lord have mercy on this people. After all, St. Gregory the Theologian says that: “I consider best love for the poor and compassion and sympathy for one’s fellow man. Nothing is more pleasing to God than this sympathy”.
† Archim. Athanasios Kayembe
