Dear Friends of Mission,
Just a few days before the second surgery that I will undergo, for which I ask for your prayers, I would like to express my deep gratitude for your support to the humble Missionary work which is being performed by the Grace of God and the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore II, and inform you as well as the supporters that despite my forced absence, the Missionary work still continues.
With constant contacts on the part of my humbleness through technology a program was drawn up, and visits of a group of Indigenous Priests with experience in missionary work were organized to all the parishes of the Diocese.
Catechisms as well as baptisms were performed, needs were examined, directions were given, deficiencies were covered, and weaknesses for further improvement were made known.
Praise be to God, the Giver of all goods, who increases our humble sowing in the hearts of our native Malawian brothers.
My blessed brethren, we have a strong conviction that more work needs to be done on young people and children, who are the future of the Church and their Homeland, which is why it was decided that the priests are given written guidance by our Vicar to work with more zeal for organizing gatherings of children and young people so that they will can learn about Christ and His Church and love them.
It is in this direction that the so-called “Sunday schools” were opened and started operating, which, on Saturday, prepare the children for the Sunday Divine Liturgy so that they can learn the spiritual messages that are transmitted to them. Thanks to the Fraternity, a free meal is offered to everyone.
By the Grace of God and the Love of Blessed Donors and supporters, an old building was renovated and extended inside the headquarters of the Diocese. This building is intended for seminars for the training and education of clergy and catechists.
As you have seen and read in the previous issue of the magazine of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, the beauteous Church of the Great Martyr and Healer Saint Panteleimon, already adorns a prominent position of the office space to proclaim to all the greatness of the Orthodox Faith, housing various activities and operating as a place of Worship, which is the most important part of the Orthodox Mission.
Finally, I would like to mention a great project that is taking place in South Malawi and specifically in Chikwawa. It is the Holy Church of the Nativity of the Savior Christ and the presbytery.
Dear partners and donors, the aforementioned activities are some of the many that are done by the Grace of our Christ, who is also the Lord of the Vineyard, Whom we always invoke and tell wholeheartedly, “ “O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine of Malawi and make it strong , for it is the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted”.
I think it would be a grave omission if I did not thank from the bottom of my heart the 0rthodox Missionary Fraternity, the chosen fellow cyreneans on the Cross, which the Church has entrusted to my humbleness, to finance the transport of the container that departed a few days ago from Thessaloniki to Blantyre, loaded with the kind offerings of many brothers, known and unknown, despite the financial crisis that they are going through, whom we thank deeply.
May our Lord God grant them a hundred times more spiritual and material goods, but above all, the inheritance of eternal Bliss.
Finally, I would like to wish with all my heart and soul: May the blessing and the mercy of the Lord come upon you, by His divine grace and love for mankind, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
† Photios of Malawi
