A Container and the First Drilling in Togo
With feelings of gratitude and great joy, we glorify the Almighty God who never ceases to show us His infinite love through the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, which sent us a container with food, clothes, shoes, and various other items for our flock in the Holy Diocese of Benin, Togo, and Burkina Faso. And the other great achievement for us is the drilling project they built for us in Togo, which waters and quenches the thirst of thousands of souls who find relief by drinking and washing from the clean well, the water of life.
While our purpose as the Orthodox Church in Africa is to spread the message of the Gospel and the salvation of all people, we cannot overlook the other major aspect that has to do with the earthly bread, as Orthodoxy is also orthopraxis.
We show our practical love for our fellow human beings by participating in their pain and offering a warm plate of food and a glass of clean water, especially to our African children, who unjustly die every second from hunger and lack of clean water. We are sure that this container you sent us and the drilling you built will be a source of joy for all of us and in this way, we will have strength and courage to ring the bells of Orthodoxy loudly throughout our Holy Diocese.
To all of you who contributed to filling this container, know that we will be grateful to you, and God, who saw your efforts, will reward you on the day of judgment because you practiced the great commandment of love toward God and your neighbor who is in the image of God: I was hungry and you gave me food, I was naked and you clothed me, I was thirsty and you gave me water. Whoever did these things to the least of his brothers did it to God, so the Holy Scripture tells us.
We assure you that you are our oxygen and you are the ones who give us wings to fly high, keeping the flame of Orthodoxy alive and vibrant in our hands. May this act of love toward us not be the last and may it be a source of inspiration for many others to know that whatever they give has an impact and that they should not hesitate to take action.
May God keep you well.
† Bishop Athanasios of Benin and Togo
