Maria Roeber: Help Me Serve as Missionary in Tanzania

Dear friends and family,

As many of you know, I’ve been accepted as a Missionary Candidate with the Orthodox Christian Mission Center and am now starting to invite others to join me in ministering to God’s people in Tanzania! I will be living and working in Bukoba, Tanzania, for the next two years, using my skills as a registered nurse to provide health care to those in need. In order to join the other Missionaries who are currently serving, I need to raise prayerful and financial support. My goal is to be completely funded and ready to depart for Africa in early January, 2010. In order to meet that goal I need your help!

I am so grateful to the people in my life who have helped me to grow in faith, and who encourage me in the process of becoming closer to God. I have tried to do the same for others, and I truly believe that I am being called by God to do this for the people living in Tanzania. The Church has been given the task of making disciples of all nations, and we each have our own way of doing this. There have been times in my life when I was called to be “an ambassador of Christ” here in the United States. I do believe that I have the opportunity now to help spread the Gospel in other parts of the world, especially where Orthodoxy is relatively unknown and where my skills as an obstetrical nurse are very much needed.

There is no way for me to become a Missionary and serve in this capacity without the participation of others. We are all called to minister to those who do not know God’s loving care for them. By helping to support me in this mission, you will be following in the footsteps of those who supported the Apostles and Missionaries throughout the history of the church! Not everyone is called to leave their family, their jobs, and their culture in order to reach out to others—you can reach out to those in your community here! But you can also help to reach people outside of your home community, and this is a way for you to do so!

I’ve included a prayer card and a pledge envelope with this letter. Please use the card to pray for me and for Missionaries all over the world. Your prayers are the most critical part of supporting missions! Please pray for the salvation of those I will meet and minister to, and please pray that God grants me strength and safety in this journey! Please pray for a strong and faithful support team to join me!

If you would like to become a partner in supporting my work financially, please consider making a monthly pledge for the two-year term of my service. No contribution is too small to make a difference! You can use the pledge envelope to make your contribution, or you can do so online at www.ocmc.org. When you send in an envelope or donate online you will be entered into my list of supporters and will receive updates on my progress in raising my support team, along with letters and pictures about the ministry in Tanzania once I am there. Remember--as you participate with me, this becomes your missionary effort as well! Please feel free to contact me at the email address or phone number on the prayer card! I would love to hear from you! Thank you for your support and God bless you!

“And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.” (Mark 16:20)

Yours in Christ,

Maria Roeber