Eleven seminarians from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and St. Vladmir Seminary joined Fr. Luke Veronis, OCMC Missionary Nathan Hoppe, and Fr. Paisius Altschul on a short-term trip to Albania. This mission practicum was combined with a three credit academic course entitled “The Missiology of Archbishop Anastasios of Albania,” where seminarians studied the missiological writings of the one of the greatest contemporary Orthodox missionaries, and then visited and participated in the actual mission occurring in Albania.
This inaugural mission class and practicum reflected a cooperative effort between the newly established Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity and the OCMC. The Missions Institute is a new entity which has a specific mandate to create and offer inspiring and educational programs for theological students studying at the Orthodox seminaries in the United States. “Our hope is that through the programs and courses this Missions Institute will offer,” noted its director, Fr. Luke Veronis, “No student will graduate from our Orthodox seminaries without having some knowledge of a missions-minded ministry. Simultaneously, we hope to challenge some students to seriously consider dedicating part or all of their lives to cross-cultural missionary ministry.”
The course ran from May 19 - June 6, 2010, and included one week of class work at Holy Cross, followed by two weeks of a mission practicum in Albania. The experience created an incredible enthusiasm and enlightenment for all the participants. “This was the greatest experience in my life,” emphasized Holy Cross seminarian Kosta Kollias. “It has opened up my eyes in ways I’ve never dreamed of before. My mission experience has helped me to understand the Church in a much healthier, more universal manner.”
Not only did the course readings challenge the students to understand the imperative nature and need of cross-cultural missions, but the practical experience of witnessing one of the most vibrant mission fields in the contemporary Orthodox Church, meeting Archbishop Anastasios and his indigenous co-workers and leaders of the Church of Albania, while also participating in the mission itself through outreach projects at the University of Tirana, at the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy, at a Student Conference, and at the Children’s Home of Hope inspired the seminarians to understand missions in an unforgettably refreshing and even life-changing way.
A highlight of the trip was a pilgrimage with Metropolitan John of Korca. The group spent the first night in the Monastery of St. John the Forerunner in Voskopoja, and walked 12 miles to the Monastery of St. Peter and Paul in Vithkuq. Throughout the pilgrimage, Metropolitan John shared stories about life under communism, faith and persecution, life in America as an immigrant, his time as a seminarian at Holy Cross, and then his return and service back in Albania. Throughout all the stories the Metropolitan challenged the students to dedicate their lives in radical ways to serving Christ. The personal interaction and wisdom offered by His Eminence impacted all of the seminarians.
During the two week trip in Albania, as well as in the follow-up, six of the eleven seminarians expressed serious interest in possibly pursuing cross-cultural missionary service following their graduation from seminary, while the others affirmed that the entire experience solidified their understanding of missions and strengthened their commitment to creating Church communities that will support the missionary work of the Church.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
A Dormition Feastday Greeting from the Orthodox Christian Mission Center
The missionaries, staff, and board of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) join you and your community in celebrating the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos. May she intercede for us that, like her, we would always be given strength to choose a life in humble obedience to God for His glory and for the salvation of the entire world.
On a separate note, Gallery Byzantium will be donating 10% of their sales to the OCMC when customers use the referral code “OCMC” for the entire month of August. Please visit http://www.gallerybyzantium.com to view their fine selection of crosses, jewelry, icons, etc. and be sure to enter the “OCMC” referral code and click submit before you checkout. Your purchase will help the OCMC to take the message of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
On a separate note, Gallery Byzantium will be donating 10% of their sales to the OCMC when customers use the referral code “OCMC” for the entire month of August. Please visit http://www.gallerybyzantium.com to view their fine selection of crosses, jewelry, icons, etc. and be sure to enter the “OCMC” referral code and click submit before you checkout. Your purchase will help the OCMC to take the message of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Tanzania and James - Transfiguration 2010 Update
Dear Friends,
Furaha na amani! Joy and peace!
And greetings from Geita, Tanzania! I have spent the past two weeks here participating in a youth seminar at Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church. Teaching staff members at the seminar are mostly from overseas: I have joined OCMC Missionary Charita Stavrou as well as a Teaching Team sent from the Orthodox Church of Finland and from OCMC in the United States. Together we are nine foreigners working together with local staff directing a program for over seventy young adults from Geita region and the surrounding area.
Geita is a gold-mining town inland, about a two-hour drive from Mwanza. The mineral wealth of the soil is apparent: it is a deep red clay studded with iron ore and other rocks. The roads are lined with kilns and stacks of red bricks for sale; nearly all the local houses are built either from baked red brick or unbaked brown brick. In the dry season (right now), the soil turns into a powdery red dust that blankets everything-- buildings, trees, clothes, cars, even the beaks of the four-foot-tall marabou storks who are Geita's equivalent of pigeons. (Pigeons are prettier.)
I was grateful to be invited at the last minute to join the Finland/OCMC Teaching Team. We met in Dar es Salaam, and traveled together to Mwanza where we were greeted at the airport by His Eminence Metropolitan Jeronymos and diocesan staff. This was my first visit to the city where I will eventually live, and my first opportunity to meet my bishop face-to-face. At last!
Everyone says that Mwanza is beautiful. They say this because Mwanza is beautiful! It is a city of rocks. Nearly one million people live among huge granite boulders and steep stony hills cascading down to Lake Victoria. From anywhere in the city you can look up and see the great rocks, or you can look down to the shining Lake. Hawks, eagles, ibises, storks and cranes circle overhead. Some buildings are perched on top of boulders, and others have walls hewn from the living stone. The mineral wealth is staggering. I'm told that Heaven paves its streets with gold. I'm also told that Mwanza fills its potholes with amethyst.
This rich land provides rich food. Lake Victoria fish are as tasty as anything I can imagine. Geita pineapples are sweeter than anything I could ever imagine. The abundant fruits of this soil produce a cuisine that is varied and flavorful. I've never eaten better in my life. (Sorry, Mom.)
Spending this time in the Archdiocese of Mwanza, among the faithful of one of its regions, is giving me the opportunity to observe the local Church in action. I am very impressed. I'm impressed at how well local leadership has integrated us foreign visitors into their educational program, and at how well the local Church has been caring for the youth at the seminar. Every day begins either with Liturgy or Matins, and concludes with Vespers. Since the Dormition Fast began on 1st August, we also pray Paraklesis following Vespers. Being immersed in the liturgical life of the Church is a great joy-- and it's really helping my Kiswahili!
Our students are aged roughly 15 to 30, and are mostly from the regions surrounding Geita, from subsistence-farming families of the Sukuma ethnic group. All of them speak Kiswahili, most are literate, and many have completed a basic primary education. They are baptized Orthodox Christians who are serious about their faith, but there is a wide range in knowledge about the faith that they confess. Some are trained catechists, while others are still learning about the Incarnation.
Observing classes and listening to students' questions, I am getting a glimpse of the lives of local Orthodox Christian faithful. The challenges faced by people here are not trivial. There is real suffering, and there are great problems. The enormity of these problems, and the difficulties of daily life, seems overwhelming at times. I am reminded hour by hour that we can depend on God alone. At the same time, there is true and abundant beauty.
And so, profound difficulties are mixed with great blessings. There is unrivalled joy in Geita and Mwanza, in the midst of deep sorrow. The Orthodox Christian temples are monuments, built to proclaim Christ's Resurrection for generations to come. The ranks of the faithful increase daily. The bishop shines with love for his flock, and Church leadership is of the highest caliber and devotion that I've seen anywhere. By God's grace through your prayers, the Church of Mwanza strives to be worthy of the great task set before her.
And I really get to live here! I get to be part of it all!
God willing, I will return to Dar es Salaam on Sunday 8th August and begin preparation for a permanent move back to Mwanza. There are two immediate practical considerations. First, I have visa issues yet to be resolved. Second, I have to find a place to live. His Eminence has given me two criteria for a house: that it be safe, and that it be close to Church property so that I can participate fully in the daily liturgical life. Please pray as I work to finalize my immigration status and search for a suitable home in Mwanza.
Thank you for sending me here. Thank you for the financial support that allows me to live in Mwanza and participate in this great work. Thank you for your friendship, for your encouragement, and especially for your holy prayers that will sustain and enrich my joy in this beautiful and needy land. May the uncreated light of Tabor transfigure your lives on this joyous feast and, by your prayers, may the light of Christ shine ever more brightly here in Tanzania.
Please stay in touch.
By your prayers,
James Hargrave
PS I'd like to tell you a little about the Finland/OCMC Teaching Team that I was blessed to join at the youth seminar in Geita.
Our leader, Outi Vasko, is from Helsinki and serves on the board of the Finnish Orthodox Mission. This is her third time in Tanzania, and she is a leader in the missionary and inter-church activities of the Finnish Orthodox Church. She is joined by a fellow board member, Father Tapio Rautamaki, who pastors two Helsinki parishes in addition to his day job. This is his second visit to Tanzania. Outi and Father Tapio are here together with Jaso Possi, a young theologian from Jyuaskyla who is preparing for ordained ministry.
Among the Americans is Jean Jolly from Tampa, FL. It was a special joy to see Jean here because her home parish, St Philip's, welcomed me warmly last summer as I began raising support for my work in Tanzania. She is joined by Irene and Anastasios Sakkas, a young couple from Falls Church, VA. Irene and Taso's presence here together gives seminar participants a living example of healthy Christian marriage, which is as valuable as anything any of us could teach. The youngest member of the Team is Nicholas Petrogeorge from Pittsburgh, PA. Niko came here fresh from a month as a camp counselor back in the States-- and I'm not sure which was more challenging.
And of course, we are blessed to have fellow OCMC Missionary Charita Stavrou teaching with us. Mama Stavrou has been in Mwanza since March. She is creating vestments and liturgical fabrics for the parishes, teaching at events such as this one, praying faithfully and loving everyone. Wherever Mama Stavrou goes, joy and peace surround her.
There is only so much that a group of Americans and Europeans, working through translators, can accomplish during two weeks in rural Tanzania. If you can't understand the language, and if you aren't familiar with local culture, the ways that you can participate in people's lives are limited. These truths cannot be ignored.
Nevertheless, the Team's presence here has been of great value. Local Sukuma faithful are meeting fellow Christians whose love has brought them to the other side of the world. Team members know and love their faith, they are good teachers, and their work is making a real impact. They bear witness to the love that Christians of two distant nations have for the people of yet another country. Each of these Team members now will return home and spread the news of the life and witness of the Tanzanian Orthodox Church. This is of no small value to us who remain in Africa. It was also a personal encouragement for me to have the Team here, and I am eager to welcome next year's guests. If you'd like to come help us out in the summer of 2011, you can inquire by emailing teams@ocmc.org or by visiting http://teams.ocmc.org.
Furaha na amani! Joy and peace!
And greetings from Geita, Tanzania! I have spent the past two weeks here participating in a youth seminar at Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church. Teaching staff members at the seminar are mostly from overseas: I have joined OCMC Missionary Charita Stavrou as well as a Teaching Team sent from the Orthodox Church of Finland and from OCMC in the United States. Together we are nine foreigners working together with local staff directing a program for over seventy young adults from Geita region and the surrounding area.
Geita is a gold-mining town inland, about a two-hour drive from Mwanza. The mineral wealth of the soil is apparent: it is a deep red clay studded with iron ore and other rocks. The roads are lined with kilns and stacks of red bricks for sale; nearly all the local houses are built either from baked red brick or unbaked brown brick. In the dry season (right now), the soil turns into a powdery red dust that blankets everything-- buildings, trees, clothes, cars, even the beaks of the four-foot-tall marabou storks who are Geita's equivalent of pigeons. (Pigeons are prettier.)
I was grateful to be invited at the last minute to join the Finland/OCMC Teaching Team. We met in Dar es Salaam, and traveled together to Mwanza where we were greeted at the airport by His Eminence Metropolitan Jeronymos and diocesan staff. This was my first visit to the city where I will eventually live, and my first opportunity to meet my bishop face-to-face. At last!
Everyone says that Mwanza is beautiful. They say this because Mwanza is beautiful! It is a city of rocks. Nearly one million people live among huge granite boulders and steep stony hills cascading down to Lake Victoria. From anywhere in the city you can look up and see the great rocks, or you can look down to the shining Lake. Hawks, eagles, ibises, storks and cranes circle overhead. Some buildings are perched on top of boulders, and others have walls hewn from the living stone. The mineral wealth is staggering. I'm told that Heaven paves its streets with gold. I'm also told that Mwanza fills its potholes with amethyst.
This rich land provides rich food. Lake Victoria fish are as tasty as anything I can imagine. Geita pineapples are sweeter than anything I could ever imagine. The abundant fruits of this soil produce a cuisine that is varied and flavorful. I've never eaten better in my life. (Sorry, Mom.)
Spending this time in the Archdiocese of Mwanza, among the faithful of one of its regions, is giving me the opportunity to observe the local Church in action. I am very impressed. I'm impressed at how well local leadership has integrated us foreign visitors into their educational program, and at how well the local Church has been caring for the youth at the seminar. Every day begins either with Liturgy or Matins, and concludes with Vespers. Since the Dormition Fast began on 1st August, we also pray Paraklesis following Vespers. Being immersed in the liturgical life of the Church is a great joy-- and it's really helping my Kiswahili!
Our students are aged roughly 15 to 30, and are mostly from the regions surrounding Geita, from subsistence-farming families of the Sukuma ethnic group. All of them speak Kiswahili, most are literate, and many have completed a basic primary education. They are baptized Orthodox Christians who are serious about their faith, but there is a wide range in knowledge about the faith that they confess. Some are trained catechists, while others are still learning about the Incarnation.
Observing classes and listening to students' questions, I am getting a glimpse of the lives of local Orthodox Christian faithful. The challenges faced by people here are not trivial. There is real suffering, and there are great problems. The enormity of these problems, and the difficulties of daily life, seems overwhelming at times. I am reminded hour by hour that we can depend on God alone. At the same time, there is true and abundant beauty.
And so, profound difficulties are mixed with great blessings. There is unrivalled joy in Geita and Mwanza, in the midst of deep sorrow. The Orthodox Christian temples are monuments, built to proclaim Christ's Resurrection for generations to come. The ranks of the faithful increase daily. The bishop shines with love for his flock, and Church leadership is of the highest caliber and devotion that I've seen anywhere. By God's grace through your prayers, the Church of Mwanza strives to be worthy of the great task set before her.
And I really get to live here! I get to be part of it all!
God willing, I will return to Dar es Salaam on Sunday 8th August and begin preparation for a permanent move back to Mwanza. There are two immediate practical considerations. First, I have visa issues yet to be resolved. Second, I have to find a place to live. His Eminence has given me two criteria for a house: that it be safe, and that it be close to Church property so that I can participate fully in the daily liturgical life. Please pray as I work to finalize my immigration status and search for a suitable home in Mwanza.
Thank you for sending me here. Thank you for the financial support that allows me to live in Mwanza and participate in this great work. Thank you for your friendship, for your encouragement, and especially for your holy prayers that will sustain and enrich my joy in this beautiful and needy land. May the uncreated light of Tabor transfigure your lives on this joyous feast and, by your prayers, may the light of Christ shine ever more brightly here in Tanzania.
Please stay in touch.
By your prayers,
James Hargrave
PS I'd like to tell you a little about the Finland/OCMC Teaching Team that I was blessed to join at the youth seminar in Geita.
Our leader, Outi Vasko, is from Helsinki and serves on the board of the Finnish Orthodox Mission. This is her third time in Tanzania, and she is a leader in the missionary and inter-church activities of the Finnish Orthodox Church. She is joined by a fellow board member, Father Tapio Rautamaki, who pastors two Helsinki parishes in addition to his day job. This is his second visit to Tanzania. Outi and Father Tapio are here together with Jaso Possi, a young theologian from Jyuaskyla who is preparing for ordained ministry.
Among the Americans is Jean Jolly from Tampa, FL. It was a special joy to see Jean here because her home parish, St Philip's, welcomed me warmly last summer as I began raising support for my work in Tanzania. She is joined by Irene and Anastasios Sakkas, a young couple from Falls Church, VA. Irene and Taso's presence here together gives seminar participants a living example of healthy Christian marriage, which is as valuable as anything any of us could teach. The youngest member of the Team is Nicholas Petrogeorge from Pittsburgh, PA. Niko came here fresh from a month as a camp counselor back in the States-- and I'm not sure which was more challenging.
And of course, we are blessed to have fellow OCMC Missionary Charita Stavrou teaching with us. Mama Stavrou has been in Mwanza since March. She is creating vestments and liturgical fabrics for the parishes, teaching at events such as this one, praying faithfully and loving everyone. Wherever Mama Stavrou goes, joy and peace surround her.
There is only so much that a group of Americans and Europeans, working through translators, can accomplish during two weeks in rural Tanzania. If you can't understand the language, and if you aren't familiar with local culture, the ways that you can participate in people's lives are limited. These truths cannot be ignored.
Nevertheless, the Team's presence here has been of great value. Local Sukuma faithful are meeting fellow Christians whose love has brought them to the other side of the world. Team members know and love their faith, they are good teachers, and their work is making a real impact. They bear witness to the love that Christians of two distant nations have for the people of yet another country. Each of these Team members now will return home and spread the news of the life and witness of the Tanzanian Orthodox Church. This is of no small value to us who remain in Africa. It was also a personal encouragement for me to have the Team here, and I am eager to welcome next year's guests. If you'd like to come help us out in the summer of 2011, you can inquire by emailing teams@ocmc.org or by visiting http://teams.ocmc.org.
Monday, August 9, 2010
OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz Receives "Crucea Transilvania" for 10-years of Service in Romania
On a very beautiful summer morning in the beginning of July, Bishop Vasile invited Floyd and me, along with Christina Semon, Fr. Marcus and Preotasa Barbara Burch (St. John of the Ladder, OCA) , and an OCMC mission team from the United States to attend a special Divine Liturgy in a small village outside of Cluj. The occasion was the ordination of Simion, who had been appointed by the Cluj archdiocese to be the new spiritual advisor for the St. Dimitrie Program.
This small village named "Risca", rests at the very heart of Transilvania set in the Carpathian Mountains. It is a place of unusual beauty where the local Romanian's still respect their traditions, and so many people attended the Liturgy wearing their ancient traditional costumes. We were also joined by more than 10 priests and deacons, and our most blessed Bishop Vasilie.
It was a great surprise that after the ordination of Simion, and the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Vasile announced that he was bestowing the "Cross of Transilvania" on my husband Floyd. This was in recognition of his 10 years of service to the Orthodox Church in Romania and the Republic of Moldova which has focused on helping the Church to provide substance abuse counseling to people who struggle with this debilitating disease. It was quite remarkable that this honor was given to Floyd in the name of Metropolitan Bartalomeu because it is infrequently given.
The following was written on the certificate which accompanied the silver Crucea Transilvania: "This high medal was conferred to Mr. Floyd Frantz, coordinator of the St. Dimitrie Program in appreciation and recognition of sincere love for the Romanian Orthodox Church, and for the remarkable help accorded the Archdiocese of Cluj through charitable missionary and pastoral service."
Floyd was very pleasantly surprised by this honor, and graciously accepted the blessings from Bishop Vasilie to continue his work with strength, love and good health. All of this came as Floyd is completing 10 years of service to the Church here in Romania, and the award was a sign of the gratitude of the hierarchy, and a blessing to continue his work, which they hold in high regard.
Please continue to pray for us here in Romania. Pray that the work we do serves as a witness to the hope, love, and salvation made possible through Christ. Pray that His name will be glorified among all people around the world.
This small village named "Risca", rests at the very heart of Transilvania set in the Carpathian Mountains. It is a place of unusual beauty where the local Romanian's still respect their traditions, and so many people attended the Liturgy wearing their ancient traditional costumes. We were also joined by more than 10 priests and deacons, and our most blessed Bishop Vasilie.
It was a great surprise that after the ordination of Simion, and the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Vasile announced that he was bestowing the "Cross of Transilvania" on my husband Floyd. This was in recognition of his 10 years of service to the Orthodox Church in Romania and the Republic of Moldova which has focused on helping the Church to provide substance abuse counseling to people who struggle with this debilitating disease. It was quite remarkable that this honor was given to Floyd in the name of Metropolitan Bartalomeu because it is infrequently given.
The following was written on the certificate which accompanied the silver Crucea Transilvania: "This high medal was conferred to Mr. Floyd Frantz, coordinator of the St. Dimitrie Program in appreciation and recognition of sincere love for the Romanian Orthodox Church, and for the remarkable help accorded the Archdiocese of Cluj through charitable missionary and pastoral service."
Floyd was very pleasantly surprised by this honor, and graciously accepted the blessings from Bishop Vasilie to continue his work with strength, love and good health. All of this came as Floyd is completing 10 years of service to the Church here in Romania, and the award was a sign of the gratitude of the hierarchy, and a blessing to continue his work, which they hold in high regard.
Please continue to pray for us here in Romania. Pray that the work we do serves as a witness to the hope, love, and salvation made possible through Christ. Pray that His name will be glorified among all people around the world.
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