The Church of God seems to many of us to be a given that it is right next to us, close to us, and at any moment it is easy to leave our home and in a few steps we can be in the Temple, to worship and receive the grace of God and the Saints.
But it is not so easy in remote parts of Africa, as in many other parts of the world, where an Orthodox does not have his own church to worship in. A similar place is East Africa, at the equator, and in the farthest parts of the diocese of Kisumu and western Kenya, in an area called Kisi, Nyanza. In this particular place, before 2004, there was not a church for the few Orthodox who lived there. So with the blessings and benedictions of then Metropolitan Makarios of Kenya, a church was started near the road, called Gesono, Nyamarambe. Mass was held under a tree with 4 people and later 2 more people were added. This way the worshippers were protected from the hot sun but not from the heavy rains in this area, that is why there is plenty of vegetation and the land is fertile and so they produce fruits and vegetables from all and at least people can survive this way. The Church was dedicated to the Thessalonian Saints Cyril and Methodius. The first priest who took over the church was Fr. Zacharias who is now in another area not far from Kisi, called Migori. After a period of two years, Despot Makarios helped laboriously so that some work could be done on the church so that there was at least a roof. Since then, Bishop Makarios of Kenya has done a tremendous work that cannot be described in words in the mission field so that there are now churches, schools and clinics. But this church has remained at this stage to be at least a half-finished church of mud and tin. Another priest took over for a short time, Fr. Philip.
It is also noteworthy that because many churches are not paved but still have dirt on the ground, there is on top of that and among many other diseases such as yellow fever, typhoid and malaria, a disease which comes from parasites that are in the earth and enter the bodies of mainly people who, due to poverty, do not even have shoes to wear. This disease is called jiggers and causes horrible pain and takes time to cure.
The blessed Bishop Athanasios ordained during his archpriesthood Fr. Athanasios Kamanda to serve as a priest in this Church. When my humility took over, with the blessings and benedictions of His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria and All Africa and a decision of the Holy and Sacred Synod, as Bishop of Kisumu and Western Kenya, I transferred Fr. Athanasius to the offices of our diocese because of his humility, to assist us in the offices. This left the church without a priest again. But by the grace of God we ordained Fr. Athanasius’ father, Fr. Panagiotis, who took over to do the liturgies for the parishioners. Fr. Athanasios several times begged God to help him so that the church could be renovated and have a permanent and finished and decent church for the parishioners. And we have asked many times who will help us with the many needs we have and in the difficult times we are living in now. With God’s help and through the Orthodox Foreign Missionary Brotherhood, we hope that some devout Christian will be found to help this church take a decent shape in the future.
The cost of doing such a project is recorded as follows:
- 5 trucks of soil, cost 580 euros
- 5 pieces of bricks, 320 euro
- cement 150 bags, 810 euros
- gravel and stone materials 2 trucks, 510 euros
- materials for support structure, EUR 430
- carpentry, EUR 850
- fitting of a new external roof, 920 euro
- nails, 160 euros
- PVC, 20 euros
- installation of 3 doors and 10 windows, 1.580 euro
- painting of the temple, 390 euros
- transport of materials, EUR 80
- connection to power supply, 470 euros
- water supply, EUR 240
- internal roof installation, 430 euros
- costs of authorising work, EUR 390
- renovation project costs, EUR 160
- paving, 390 euros
- labour costs EUR 930
- benches and seats, 470 euros
Total cost of works 10.130 euros
In Kenyan shillings 1.317.200
Please help us to offer a decent Temple to our brothers and sisters.
It is noteworthy to mention that we are also now in the process, with the help of the Brotherhood, of making two water pumps in two schools where there is no water and the school children have to go to a nearby river in order to get their necessary drinking water.
† Kissoumou Markos
