Katie Wilcoxson's Village Visits, Thanksgiving, and More

Furaha na Amani!

My family, friends, and support team: Without your prayers and gifts, I could not have fullfilled my lifelong dream to be a missionary nurse in Africa. I continue to feel at home; of course I miss my family, but I have been blessed to have a new family here in Tanzania!

My teammates and I arrived in Tanzania five months ago. We have yet to being our "work" that we came here to do, medical work. Some might say, "What is taking so long for you to start your ministry. Why can't you just start working at the hospital and start the 'exciting part'?" We understand that frustration because, in many ways, it doesn't look like we are spreading the Gospel, and bringing people into the Church. But we have been doing this work since we walked off the airplane.

We work towards bringing people into the church many times in a day. We are constantly looked at and seen as outsiders. Lots of times we are judged, and our actions and words are looked at under a microscope. Because we are foreigners and because we are missionaries, we are expected to "act a certain" way. While walking down the street, meeting people in the hostel where we used to live, or waiting in a line at the post office, we are given the opportunity to tell people where we are from and what we are doing here. We have the opportunity to speak about the Church, and many times people actually listen.

Throughout history, Orthodox mission work has taken a long time. Saint Herman travelled from Finland, through Russia and across Siberia before getting to the native people Alaska. Saints Cyril and Methodius developed the Slavic language before even beginning their mission work. Saint Nicholas of Japan, who's story I connect with, had the same frustration that I have with learning a new language. It is hard having people laugh at you because you mispronounce or mix up words. People sometimes laugh when you are speaking correctly. It is hard to hear all the laughing on certain days, after a long language lesson, especially.

So it just takes time, but I'm sure you would also like to know what we have been doing since we arrived in Bukoba.
Metropolitan Jeronymos is our boss, and he is a very busy man. He is constantly traveling to villages where parishes are already established and flourishing or where he feels there is one needed. To give you an idea of what that kind of travel is like, let me tell you about an experience I had. Not too long ago, I had the wonderful blessing to travel to Mibwera, a village about a 2 1/2 hour bus ride from Bukoba. This dala dala (bus) ride was a different experience from my other travels. Father Spyridon insisted that I sit in the front seat with the driver. I thought to myself, "I don't want to be the muzugu (white person) that gets special treatment." Boy, was I in for a surprise: no special treatment here! On this dala dala, which could be described as a workmen's van, there were seats, but also people are required to "stand up" (bend down like they are stuck in a square box). Then in the front seat is where up to 5 +(not including the driver) people can sit in a bucket type seat. The front seat passengers are also required to hold, mainly in their laps, all of the fragile cargo the passengers traveling on the dala dala bring with them (ex: bread, valuables, and children). So that was me: one of the six people in the front row with an unidentifiable package and 3 loafs of bread in my lap.

Father Spyridon and I arrived just outside the village. We walked the rest of the way to the church, St. Demitiros, where Orthos was just about to wrap up. This was the parish's feast day, and Metropolitan Jeronymos was present, so all of the secondary school children were preparing to put on a show for the celebration. A few years ago the secondary school was built by a group from Greece. This is the only Orthodox secondary school in Tanzania. Even though it is Orthodox, children from any type of background are allowed to attend.

The afternoon was filled with celebration for the parish's feast day and for the presence of the Metropolitan. There was dancing and singing, and even some rapping by the children and adults. It was a wonderful show that was put on by the people of Mibwera. Then the Metropolitan asked me to travel back to Bukoba with him in his car. So we all scrunched into this land rover. Seminarians, from the diocese's seminary in Kazikazi, were in the back. Three others and I were in the "back seat", and the Metropolitan, Demtri (a driver for the diocese), and a man named Anastaios were in the front. Laughing and Kiswahili could be heard the whole way to Kazikazi. I was hoping to see Mama Maria, a woman I met when I first visited Tanzania eight years ago, when we dropped off the seminarians, but she wasn't around. I still have a year and a half to reconnect with her. I did get to spend a little time with Fr, Geronimos, our host priest eight years ago in Kazikazi.

I arrived back home and told Michael and Felice about my exciting day. I was so tired; we had Vespers and I went to bed after returning a few more emails.

Finding a language teacher, or nurturer as the program we use calls them, is a hard process. The person has to speak and read English fairly well, have the availability to spend two to four hours with you five times a week, and be really, really patient. These are just a few of the qualities that one person needs to have for you to get the best language training possible. Glory to God, after many false starts on finding a nurturer, Felice Stewart, my fellow missionary teammate, and I found a nurturer that we can share!

Thanksgiving was figured out at the last moment. We wanted to invite our new friends and family. Since Thanksgiving isn't celebrated here, many people were not available to celebrate with us. We had just hired our cook/housekeeper and guard/gardner, and James Hargrave, our fellow missionary teammate, arrived a few days earlier to help us restart our Kiswahili lessons. Since James lived in a remote village in Africa for many years of his childhood, unlike us, he knew how to cook from scratch. And, surprisingly, he loves to cook. So God, as always, had the perfect plan for our celebration of Thanksgiving. My name day fell on Thanksgiving Day this year. So the day was extra special for Papazia Katherine, Fr. Spyridon's wife, and for myself. In celebration of both occasions, James cooked a chocolate cake from scratch! It was a wonderful day. We also had some unexpected guests which made the celebration bigger.

Again, I can't say this enough: I could not have come to Africa to fulfill my lifelong dream without your prayers, my family, friends, and wonderful and generous support team.

My Travels to Albania and Kosovo : An Update from Missionary Christina Semon

I have been serving as missionary in Romania for about two-years. Recently I was able to spend some time in Albaina and Kosovo as well. It was a special blessing to spend time with OCMC team of missionaries in Albania. During my stay in Tirana, I saw the useful ministries that the Orthodox Church in Albania offers to the faithful. One of the most valuable aspects of the trip was meeting the Albanians, who provided an atmosphere of enjoying the present moment with each other. They told many interesting stories and shared the current situation the Church was addressing through its different ministries. One example is the youth camp in Kosovo.

The majority of my time was spent in Kosovo participating with the Albania staff running the youth camps. I never experienced anything like this camp in my life. I was learning, offering support, and engaging with the staff as we worked together to offer an intense and quality-filled camp to the youth in Kosovo. I was like a fish out of water as I entered an unfamiliar culture, including, the way they prepared for camp and the activity of dancing traditional dances. What made this unfamiliarity less fearful was that the staff immediately became like a family to me and was such a support beam for me—so much that I cannot express how vital it was to feel that there. We all partnered together to give ourselves as big brothers and big sisters to the youth that we were interacting with in the camp. It was something else to receive from the children their unique personalities and authentic expression of life.

Now that I am back in Cluj, I am viewing things with a new pair of glasses from this experience. I believe God perhaps will use this experience in my future ministry work. I want to say thank you for OCMC missionary team in Albania for offering their hospitality, love, and labor to show me a glimpse of their work in Albania. My gratitude is also extended to my new Albanian friends who truly made me feel welcomed in their country.

OCMC is Seeking an Additional Major Gift Officer

The Orthodox Christian Mission Center is now accepting applications for the position of Major Gift Officer. OCMC Major Gift Officers are responsible for all facets of fundraising for the Mission Center. The successful candidate will identify, cultivate, solicit and steward major donors. He/she will nurture long-term relationships with contributors including individuals, corporations, and foundations.

The Major Gift Officer will report to the Associate Director and work closely with the Executive Director and other Development Department staff providing support for identification of potential donors, cultivation and solicitation.

Minimum qualifications for the position include experience in major gift fundraising. Managerial, organization, interpersonal, and communication skills are required. Knowledge of fundraising and ability to prepare proposals from start to finish are essential.

TO APPLY: Submit your resume and cover letter, including a brief statement of fundraising qualifications, to: Fr. Martin Ritsi, Executive Director, Orthodox Christian Mission Center, 220 Mason Manatee Way, St. Augustine, FL 32086 or by email to missions@ocmc.org.

Application Deadline: Open until filled

Salary Range: $60,000.00 - Negotiable

2 By 2: Katie Wilcoxson's Interview of Two Priests from Two Different Continents

If you have 11 minutes to indulge in something very goofy (and, in a lot of ways, very touching), this is a video of a Skype session that the parish and Church school children, of Saint John the Forerunner, where my father is the parish priest, Father Aidan Wilcoxson, did with my teammates, our parish priest, Father Spyridon Kaizilege, of Holy Apostle's parish in Bukoba, Tanzania, several of our Tanzanian friends, and myself.

Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsUlXVsOhHw

Practically, though, the experiment might also prove helpful to priests and folks who work with young people throughout the world since the Saint John's parish used a (free) Skype session on their bookstore computer right after Divine Liturgy (around noon their time); as you can hear in the video, that's about 9:00PM Tanzanian time. But my team and I would love to talk with other communities in the same way, and it's a wonderful opportunity to learn about Orthodoxy around the world (and the interesting things other Orthodox Christians eat). Those who are interested in doing this can contact me at k.wilcoxson@ocmc.org.

Christmas Unplugged: An update from Missionary Michael Pagedas

As I thought about what I would write for my Christmas blog, I kept thinking of things I wanted to address, like being away from home (and overseas no less), being away from the Christmas commercialism that I’ve come to expect, and even focusing on how people in Tanzania celebrate Christmas. At no point did I ever consider parasitic disease as a discussion topic, but that is exactly how I’ll be starting this entry.

On December 21, at around 10PM or so, I noticed that my muscles and joints really started to ache. I had noticed a similar sensation several days before during dinner, but the pain was minimal and went away soon after. This time, I felt like I was coming down with the flu--a bad flu. I went to bed and when I woke up at around 2AM, I felt horrible. The aches were still there, plus I had a fever and chills. I couldn’t stop convulsing until I put extra clothes on, but that did little to stop the other ailments. I immediately thought malaria, but I wasn’t 100% positive and didn’t want to jump to that conclusion without knowing for sure. I had felt similar symptoms in the states, and those could usually be dismissed simply as the flu. I also learned at the travel clinic back home that it is still very possible to get the flu here in the tropics, even though we only think of the flu existing in cold weather climates. When I woke up again in the morning, I felt well enough to get out of bed but still a little iffy about what was bothering me. Later that morning, I was bed-ridden again. I attempted to get up and move around in the early afternoon, but I was very wobbly and becoming somewhat delirious. That was all Felice and Katie needed to send me to the lab to be tested for malaria. I somehow managed to get into a cab with Felice and our interpreter and down the short, bumpy road to the lab without incident. The clinic was a a small building close to the main hospital in Bukoba. We walked into a small room with a desk and some chairs lined up against the wall. On the desk were a jar of cotton balls, a container of wrapped lancets, and another container for their disposal. I remember being relieved at seeing the lancets individually sealed in paper wrappers, indicating that they were most likely sterile, but in my condition, they could have had a jar of rusty nails, and I probably wouldn’t have objected. The technician stuck my finger, did a blood smear on a glass side, and then went into a side room to do the analysis. About 10 minutes later, which seemed like 20, she came out and delivered the news: I really did have malaria. On one hand, I was relieved that it was something easily identifiable and could be treated, but I also felt like I had been betrayed by a close friend. I had done all I could to prevent getting malaria (a daily doxycycline pill, burning a mosquito coil next to my bed every night, and using a mosquito net) but it didn’t matter. I still had malaria, and Africa didn’t care. Over the days since I have both contracted the disease and been treated for malaria, I have been putting a lot of thought into this and have come up with the following philosophical perspectives:

I am OK, and the world will go on.

Malaria is a serious disease and can be fatal, but most everyone here regards it like we would the common cold. That’s not to say that there is a nonchalance about it, but the fact that it is so commonplace, in addition to advancements in modern medicine, make malaria one of those “it’s just part of life in Africa” things, for better or worse. Millions of people have had the disease before me and millions more will get it from this point on, unless someone stumbles across a cure before then. By the way, there is no known panacea for malaria prevention. There are simply ways of managing it once you get it. The ways of managing it are so advanced now that many people no longer find it necessary to take prophylactic medications for malaria. It’s actually easier to be treated for malaria once you get it than it is to prevent getting it! This opens up an obvious point of debate within the medical community. I have been told by both a medical anthropologist and a local pharmacist with reputable training that drugs like the doxycycline I am taking daily to prevent malaria don’t work, especially over the long-term, and that it’s better not to take anything at all and then be treated for malaria once it hits. I now believe the first part of that to be true, but I’m not sure about the mentality of giving up completely on trying to prevent getting malaria. To be continued.

I have been given a firsthand insight into what life is really like here.

We all know that malaria is a huge problem in Africa, but I’m sure that only a few of you reading this know exactly what it’s like to have malaria. Given my reasons for coming here, this may have been a boon for the rest of my term. I got to experience firsthand one of the health issues I will be dealing with in my ministry. It’s easy for someone to come in and say, “Malaria is bad. Here is how to protect yourself,” having no idea what it’s like for those who have had the disease. However, I now consider myself more of a respectable authority on malaria because I’ve been through it. To take another angle--and I apologize if this is an affront to anyone who has ever been deathly ill from or lost a loved one from malaria--I kind of feel like malaria is a rite of passage for living in Africa. I’m now a member of the club. Welcome to Africa. I have often read stories of 19th century explorers traveling through the heart of Africa and contracting diseases like malaria. I can now understand what they felt and can only begin to wonder what it must have been like to be in a time when medicine wasn’t the same and it was more difficult to be evacuated in an emergency. Furthermore, I am amazed at their willingness to keep going under the circumstances! To look at this more spiritually, maybe I needed to suffer with those I am serving to really become a part of who they are. Just as God was able to participate in human life through Christ, I feel like I have been able to participate in African life through this illness. A recent daily scripture reading, which relates to God taking the form of man in order to deal directly with temptation, sin, and death, was perfectly (even frighteningly) well-timed: ”Therefore in all things He had to be made like His brethren...” --Hebrews 2:17

I hope I never get malaria again, but even if I do, I’ll know that it can be treated very effectively.

I have been prescribed two relatively new drugs on the market: Artefan and Artequin. Both are extremely effective at fighting malaria and can even reach the parasites where other medications may not be able to, like the liver. The pharmacies I have used for all of my prescriptions carry medications made from reputable sources in countries like India and Switzerland, so there is little reason to worry about the efficacy of the medications I am taking. It may be difficult to prevent malaria over the long haul, but it’s nice to know that modern medicine is keeping pace with the disease.

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I was worried about the weeks leading up to Christmas because I didn’t know how I would be emotionally. I have always been with family on Christmas, even when not at home, so this would be new territory for me. There were two things working in my favor. One was that we arrived in Africa in early July. Had we arrived only a month or two ago, the pending holidays may have been more difficult to get through. The other advantage was the “lack” of holiday spirit in Bukoba. I have become used to Christmas seasons that now begin as early as Halloween. To not have that around put me through somewhat of a withdrawal, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I felt kind of relieved to not be subject to the onslaught of Christmas ads on TV and Holiday Music 24/7 on the radio. A local restaurant we frequent played Christmas songs (unfortunately, most of them were sung by Jim Reeves), but there wasn’t much else in the way of lights and decorations until Christmas was on our doorstep. That led me to make the following realization: Bukoba is what Whoville would have been like even if the Grinch had not returned the presents at the end. People really got into the spirit when it counted and didn’t need to exchange a lot of material items to officially make it Christmas. What an amazing concept!! Is this how most of the world celebrates Christmas? Could this have been how the early Christians celebrated? At our home parish, it was business as usual. The only difference was that on Christmas morning, the church yard was decorated with balloons. Yet, the mood during the liturgy was definitely a lot more festive. There really was a sense that it was Christmas, even though it wasn’t the Christmas I was used to. Maybe Dr. Seuss was right when he said that “Christmas doesn’t come from a store.” I went from feeling like I was cheated out of a homestyle Christmas to being grateful for the opportunity to experience Christmas in a different part of the world and stripped down of the excesses. Christ really was put back in Christmas.

And to think that I get to do this again next year!

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I enjoyed getting so many responses from my previous blog. Thanks for the positive feedback. I am always open to questions and comments, and I will do my best to answer every message I get.

Thank you to my support team! Wishing you all a Safe and Peaceful 2011!

Furaha na amani,
Michael
m.pagedas@ocmc.org

Help Your Sunday School Participate in Missions by Ordering OCMC Coin Boxes Today!

Each year Sunday School students across the country raise awareness and support for the important work of Orthodox missions by participating in the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) Coin Box program. Many Sunday School students use their coin boxes to collect gifts for missions as part of their Lenten journey - beginning this year on Mission Sunday, March 6th, 2011. Please contact Phyllis Skinner by phone at 1-877-GO-FORTH (463-6784) ext. 164, or by e-mail at coinbox@ocmc.org, to order your coin boxes today!

Katie Wilcoxson: Missionary to Tanzania IN NURSE MODE

Even though I haven't started working as a nurse at Resurrection Hospital here in Bukoba, I have had the opportunity to use my nursing skills.

My first opportunity was when the majority of priests from the Archdiocese came to Bukoba to have a seminar. Many different topics were addressed including the recent economy. Father Spyridon knew I was just itching to use my nursing skills, and he told me, after one of the Liturgies during the seminary, that one of the priests had come down with malaria. I looked up the medicine he was on, and he was being treated for one of the more complicated malarial parasites. I did worry about him and prayed for his recovery knowing that he could easily need to go to the hospital if he was not able to stay hydrated.

The next morning, Fr. Spyridon informed me that Father Evangelos was unable to stay hydrated. He was now in the hospital in Bukoba. I was able to walk to one of the small convenient stores and find some juice, water, and straws to help Father keep hydrated. In the hospital, family and friends are expected to do comfort care (i.e., bring food to patient and take care of their needs). Medications are given by the nurse, and a doctor comes to see the patient once a day (and more often if necessary), but friends and family have to provide all the personal care. I was surprised how security conscience the hospital was about visitation and who can enter and see the patients. Father had a private room because the other bed in the room was broken. What I could see from his room was that most of the other rooms were semi-private. Father looked very weak, but he was awake and speaking, so I was happy about that. I gave him instructions on how to use the juice and water. That was translated in to Kiswahili, and we chatted with him. Not long after, four or five of the priests from the seminar arrived, and we all prayed and left Father so he could rest.

We came back that night, and I was happy to see that Father had finished a liter and a half of the juice/water mix. He said he was feeling better ,and he looked stronger than when I first met him. The following day, we came to the hospital to see him with some food. We had bought it from a local restaurant. Most restaurants in Bukoba all serve the same food (mashed and cooked bananas, rice, beans, chicken/goat/beef/fish, cooked spinach). I knew, from having malaria back in September, that Father would not want to eat a lot ,and that it was most important to keep him hydrated. It was difficult to explain this information, but, thank goodness, they trusted me, and, in fact , Father was only able to take a few bites before he became nauseated. We returned that evening and were able to speak with the doctor taking care of Father. He was a very kind man and was very knowledgeable. I knew Father was in good hands. Malaria is regarded as the common cold here. Yes, it is taken very seriously, but if the patient is able to stay hydrated, then there is no need to go to the hospital. It is wonderful to know that we can go to the government hospital here in Bukoba for malaria and that we will be taken care of properly.

A few weeks ago, Father Spyridon's children (Sophia (4) and Simeone (9 months)) were diagnosed with malaria. Father was in a village doing Liturgy for one of four of the parishes for which he is responsible. I received a text from him asking for my help going to the pharmacy to pick up the children's medicine. I saw the children before we went to the hospital, and I knew they didn't feel well. We got the medicines and instructions and came back to the house. I explained the different medicines that each child needed to take. Michael translated for me. I was very impressed how Papazia (Father Spyridon's wife) gave Simeone his medicine. Most nine month olds don't like to take medicines . As a nurse I sometimes see parents have a hard time giving their child the medicines. Papazia did a great job, and Simeone was fine after the trauma of taking the medicine was over. Later in the day, I checked on the children, and I could tell they were feeling better. Sophia grabbed my hand and started clapping her hand and mine together, like she always does. A week later, Sophia and Simeone were doing great and not having any problems.

It was wonderful to be able to help Fr. Evangelos, Sophia, and Simeone. I am grateful that they are doing better and also for God giving me this chance to be a nurse again.

Tanzania and James - Advent 2010 Update

Dear Friends,

Mungu yupo! God is with us!

And greetings from Mwanza, Tanzania, where we are in the midst of a blistering summer... it gets as hot as 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 C). A welcome relief from the wintertime, which in July and August can plummet down to 65 (18 C). The small rains are upon us, which means occasional downpours and strong wind that on occasion can feel almost chilly. While I miss friends and family in North America, especially as we approach the celebration of Christ's Nativity, I don't envy the weather y'all are surviving right now.

It's also mango season, and the markets are piled high with mangos of all colors, shapes and sizes. At the office we make fresh mango juice every morning, and with apologies to my beloved Florida oranges, this stuff is the best.

One reason I've been slow to write since October is that so many things are ongoing-- I don't have "accomplishments" to report. But of course this is to be expected, and in this multitasking culture it sometimes feels like everything is ongoing, and nothing is ever quite finished. It just morphs into something new, and keeps moving right along. All the good things that began in September or earlier... are continuing. And it is very, very good to be here.

So I'd like to leave you with my yearly report for 2010, which also may be seen on my webpage.

I pray that your Advent concludes well, and that the fast-approaching Christmas season will be a joy for all of you.

Your love, prayers, friendship, communication and continued financial participation are a great encouragement to me. Thank you.

Mungu yupo! God is with us!

May Christ our God be continually born in our hearts,

James Hargrave

IRA Charitable Rollover Provisions Extended

Happy New Year! We have some great news! Congress has extended the IRA charitable rollover provisions for 2010 through the end of 2011. Thanks to this provision, if you are 70 ½ years of age or older, you can distribute any amount, up to $100,000, from your IRA to the Orthodox Christian Mission Center. This amount will count toward your required minimum distribution for the year and it will not be treated as taxable income. You can distribute any amount up to $100,000 each year in 2010 and 2011. If you have not already taken your 2010 required minimum distribution (RMD), you can do so by taking up to $100,000 and making an IRA rollover contribution to the Orthodox Christian Mission Center now through January 31, 2011. Here are the details: 1) Your IRA rollover gifts must be made outright to qualified charities from a traditional IRA. Gifts to donor-advised funds, private foundations, and supporting organizations are not eligible. 2) The amount rolled over from your IRA will be excluded from your gross income. 3) Your IRA rollover will count toward your minimum distribution requirement. 4) There is no federal income tax deduction for the IRA rollover gift. The IRA rollover provision is effective now through December 31, 2011 so there is still plenty of time for this provision to benefit you for 2010.If you are interested in supporting OCMC in this way, please be sure to include written instructions on how you would like us to allocate your gift. You may also call Amy Pierce at 904-829-5132 ext 160 or Kenny Kidd at ext 161, or email amy@ocmc.org with your gift designation or for more information. Thank you for your prayers and support for our missionaries and all of the OCMC ministries. We wish you and your local parish a blessed New Year!

2011 OCMC Orthodox Mission Teams Now Available!

St. Augustine, FL – In 2010, the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) sent 119 people on short-term mission teams around the world to offer a living witness to the Orthodox Christian faith through loving service and fellowship. Orthodox Mission Team opportunities are now available for 2011, and by the prayers of the Faithful in North America, OCMC hopes that even more people will answer the call to share in a journey of faith by spending one to three weeks abroad teaching the faith, providing healthcare, participating in outreach, ministering to youth, or helping to build and maintain churches.

OCMC is coordinating 13 Mission Teams that will serve in 9 countries, including a Team for families with children (8 years or older), in 2011. These Teams include the following (please note that Team fees do not include airfare):

Kenya – Teaching ($1,540, departs on 3/19/2011) Share the Faith in Lodwar with the first converts to Orthodoxy in northern Kenya, where the people are considered one of the least evangelized groups in the world.

Albania – Mission Institute Teaching Team (cost to be announced, only open to seminary students, departs on 5/23/2011) Earn credit hours while you are immersed in the daily renewal of faith in Albania, witness the resurrection of the Orthodox Church, and study missiology.

Uganda – Healthcare ($1,675, departs on 6/11/2011) Offer health services to children and adults who have limited access to medical care in western Uganda.

Guatemala - Youth Work ($840, departs on 7/6/2011) Offer a youth camp program in Guatemala City and assist in the daily activities of the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage.

Romania - Youth Work ($1,585, departs on 7/7/2011) Be part of evangelizing and teaching young people in Romania about the Faith by participating in a youth camp outside the city of Cluj.

Albania –Youth Work Team open to families ($1,370, departs on 7/17/2011) Families with children are invited to join Church leaders in Albania and their families and participate in a camp-style program.

Alaska – Construction ($1,095, departs on 7/22/2011) Assist the local community in Bethel and help complete the Saint Sophia Orthodox Church.

South Korea - Youth Work ($1,700, departs on 7/23/2011) Teach English at youth camps in Pusan and Chuncheon.

Tanzania – Teaching ($1,475, departs on 7/25/2011) Participate in the annual seminar for church leaders and young adults by offering basic catechism and encouragement to the Faithful.

Alaska - Youth Work ($960, departs on 7/29/2011) Travel to Kodiak Island and participate in a youth camp program in Old Harbor.

Madagascar – Teaching ($1,475, departs on 8/1/2011) Offer catechism to people from isolated villages where Orthodoxy is spreading despite many obstacles.

Alaska – Outreach ($960, departs on 8/11/2011) Help with renovations and work on general maintenance for the community of Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church in Hoonah, just miles from Juneau.

Tanzania – Healthcare ($1,475, departs on 10/4/2011) Minister to the medical and spiritual needs of children and adults who have limited access to health care services.

Please prayerfully consider serving on an OCMC Orthodox Mission Team in 2011. They each provide unique ways to not only serve others but also come to a deeper understanding of the faith and to a closer relationship with Christ. Be open to having your own life transformed by helping to transform the lives of others.

Please contact Andrew Lekos or Pres. Renee Ritsi by phone at 1-877-GO-FORTH (463-6784) or by e-mail at teams@ocmc.org for more information. Visit http://teams.ocmc.org for additional details about, or to apply for, 2011 OCMC Orthodox Mission Teams.