Dear Brothers and Friends of the Foreign Mission,
I greet you and embrace you in the Lord from South Madagascar, this beautiful island, the earthly paradise of travel guides and at the same time the harsh reality, marginally unsustainable for the indigenous population culminating in the catastrophic onslaught of two fierce typhoons.
Houses were leveled, schools were demolished, hospitals were flooded, people were killed, countless others are still missing, roads were destroyed, crops were buried under water, and the tragic list of consequences is endless.
In all this full of pain and sorrow situation that our fellow human beings experience, they come once again and teach us what Faith in Christ is.
Specifically, with the cessation of the severe weather phenomena and when crossing the roads was feasible, after the waters -which in some areas exceeded one meter – had receded, our main concern was the visit and autopsy of the needs of those affected by the devastating typhoons.
The situation was far more tragic than one would expect. Eyes weeping, red from fatigue and sleeplessness for days, children crying sickly asking for food and old men dipped in the mud to save their meager possessions. People who had lost everything they owned, that is, their thatched huts, or for the most “privileged” their brick huts, the few domestic animals and their even fewer clothes.
And me, their Bishop, was standing in front of them, once again not being able to articulate any words of consolation and support. Unfortunately, my embarrassment was another burden on them. Not wanting to subject me to the torment of tears, they gave the floor, as is customary in local communities, to the oldest in the village. I looked at him in the eyes and prayed secretly not to hear: “why did God allow this?”.
I expected him to ask me for help, money, means of rebuilding the settlement and other obvious things. On the contrary, his words came as a real surprise. ”
“Our Father, Bishop, We thank God that you are with us today, close to your children. We thank God that you are in good health. We thank God that you are alive after such a difficult journey in non-existent roads. Thank you very much for your love and interest. We want to ask you the following: To rebuild our common home. Erect the Church and the Cross on the roof so that we can have the help of our Father. This is the greatest gift for us and the source of our joy. “
In the end, the venerable old man sat down.
Many things were going on in my mind. The tears escaped and the cause this time was my horrible fall. How could I forgive myself for my petty thoughts?
I came here a few years ago to teach Christ – so I thought – and Christ taught me through people. Like now, with their agony to find their center of worship again and not a roof for their bodies. The Church and the Cross, this is what gives them joy and hope.
Hours later, with the promises weighing on me, I left for a place of new surprise. People were waiting for me on the road. Everything around looked like a wasteland. I approached the church and distinguished the smoke from the hearths which warmed the elderly and the soaked clothes. Again, the oldest of them took the floor:
“Our Father, welcome to the House of God and to the house of us all. We ask you to forgive us for this, but we had nowhere else to go. We thank God, you and all the people who helped you build this church for giving us a place of rest. All these days, we have resorted to our church for comfort and consolation. As you can see, our village has been destroyed, our houses have been flooded and our animals have been swept away in flood waters. We were saved because we ran into the Church. We all thank you so much!”.
I personally want to thank all of you who love Mission and support our work.
I would also like to thank wholeheartedly the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, which is always by our side, and which, through the two churches it offered as a blessing to South Madagascar, those of St. Athanasius and St. Catherine, it enabled so many brothers to be saved body and soul.
May the Lord cover you with His loving hands and protect you accordingly!
† Prodromos of Toliara and South Madagascar
