Missionary news from the field in Tanzania

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

With sincere gratitude, I address you, the beloved members of the Orthodox Foreign Mission Fraternity, to share with you certain events from the blessed missionary land of Tanzania.

Africa, a continent of infinite natural beauty but also great trials, daily becomes a place of divine grace’s energy and manifestation. Amidst conditions of poverty and deprivation, the Orthodox Church, under the inspired guidance of our Beatitude Patriarch Theodore II, continues its salvific work with toil, faith, and patience. It enlightens, heals, and ‘resurrects’ souls and consciences. We see faith blossoming, hope being reborn, and the love of Christ transforming the hearts of simple people who thirst for the message of the Gospel. In Africa, Christ becomes hope, comfort, and a source of life.

With particular joy and spiritual emotion, we received in Tanzania the news of the canonization of Saint Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos, the pioneer Orthodox missionary in sub-Saharan Africa.This blessed missionary was a model of humility and self-sacrifice. With faith and devotion, he sowed the seed of faith in barren and difficult land, making it fertile for the glory of God. His life was a practical application of the Gospel, a testimony of faith, offering, and service to our indigenous brethren. His official inclusion in the ranks of the Saints inspires and spiritually strengthens us to continue the missionary work with greater zeal and fervent trust in God’s providence.

With these thoughts, I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the members of the Fraternity for your continuous, valuable, and selfless support for the Church’s work in Tanzania. Your prayers, love, and offerings are a precious treasure for us. Thanks to your help, the missionary work bears fruit. The poor find comfort, children are fed and educated, the sick are relieved, and priests and catechists are supported. Above all, however, the Church of Christ is built in the hearts of people. You are God’s co-workers, offering hope to our brethren who are suffering.

Wherever a school opens…

Currently, we are planning the renovation of two primary schools in the Iringa region, in Sasamambo and Ibogo. Education is of immense importance in Africa. It is the foundation upon which a hopeful future will be built. It is the bridge that leads from poverty to hope, from darkness to spiritual and social progress. Unfortunately, many schools operate in dilapidated buildings, without equipment. Children sit on the ground due to a lack of desks. Yet, they go to school with smiles, full of thirst for learning and life.

Our Church cannot remain indifferent to this need. The work of education is a work of spiritual and social regeneration. We are called to transmit, beyond the light of faith, also the light of knowledge. To educate free and responsible individuals for the building up of the fullness of Christ and society. With the help of God and pious Christians, we strive to make these schools dignified places of learning and creation with desks, blackboards, roofs, and basic infrastructure. For this reason, we seek your support to gather the necessary resources for the completion of these projects.

For a new beginning in Dodoma

At the same time, we pray and work for the creation of a Missionary Center in Dodoma, the new capital of Tanzania. This is a rapidly developing area. Thousands of people are settling there, seeking work and a better life. In this new social reality, as it is taking shape, the presence of Orthodoxy is necessary and decisive.

In the outskirts of the city, with the help of the state, we acquired a plot of land, and we hope to erect there the first Orthodox Holy Temple, which will serve as a center of worship, catechesis, philanthropy, and service. This work is of paramount importance for strengthening the Orthodox witness in the heart of the country, where the first Orthodox nucleus has been formed. We warmly appeal to everyone to contribute, to the best of their ability, to the financial support of this endeavor. Every offering, small or large, is a precious stone for the first Holy Temple in the capital.

Also, a short distance from the city center, we found a large plot of ten acres, which is very expensive, but its acquisition would signify our establishment in the area, where various Christian denominations have long been active, misleading our brethren. The cost for its acquisition amounts to €150,000, a huge sum that, as you understand, we cannot secure on our own. This is a great undertaking, but with the grace of God and the help of all friends of the Mission, we hope that it will eventually be realized, so that our Church can spread deep roots where the heart of the country now beats.

My brethren,

Missionary service is a testimony of faith and love, a living continuation of the acts of the Apostles in the modern world. It testifies that Christ works and acts even today in places where until recently His most holy name was unknown. Here in Tanzania, we see Christ revealed in the tearful eyes of children and the smiles of the poor. Every school, every Holy Temple that is erected is a candle lit in the darkness, revealing the glory of God.

Once again, I would like to thank all of you who support the work of the mission in the remote corners of Africa. May God, through the intercessions of Saint Chrysostomos, the Missionary and Enlightener of Africa, bless your families, repay your labors and love a hundredfold, and guide your lives “unto every good work”!

With prayers and gratitude,

† Arusas Agathonikos