The Holy Three Hierarchs
January 30, 2011
Dear Support Team,
My sincere greetings as we celebrate together the remembrance of the Holy Three Hierarchs. My friends, here we are already closing the first term of our missionary service. It is customary for OCMC Missionaries to come home after their assignment, and to return to OCMC for debriefing before touching base with family and friends. It is time for reviewing what I have learned from my first assignment so that I may apply it to my next assignment. Final consideration is being given to bridging my life experience in Romania with her eastern neighbor, The Republic of Moldova.
I have already begun to wrap up my ministry work in Romania while exploring this next field assignment. I am grateful to have been able to work alongside dedicated colleagues to gain from their experience in the organization of special activities, especially for the St. Dimitrie Program, in occupational therapy. My co-workers and good friends, OCMC Missionaries Floyd and Ancuta Frantz, have been guiding, teaching, and supporting me since I set foot in Romania, and even challenging me to answer all I feel the Lord is calling me to do. They are generously offering to continue working with me even while serving in my next assignment. To further help in this transition, I have been examining all I have learned thus far as a missionary so that I can build bridges to my next field of service.
The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) has initiated the process for reviewing and approving my 2nd term in The Republic of Moldova. It is new territory for missions; therefore the final stage is set for welcoming Father David Rucker, the Associate Director of OCMC, for a visit to the Metropolis Seat in the capitol city of Chisinau. Floyd Frantz and I have, on several occasions, journeyed to Moldova to see the outcome of Floyd's efforts with an anti-alcohol program, and to meet his network of friends in the Republic of Moldova. This Republic is one of the poorest countries in Europe. Communism ruled for 70 years until August 27th 1991 and, to this day, it still maintains a strong influence. There is a weak infrastructure of the Church in regard to youth ministry which impacts the current generation, and may affect who knows how many future generations to come. The needs of the Church are many, but especially needful is the development of spirituality among the faithful and youth ministry. My work experience in Romania could, by God's grace, be an effective and useful contribution in serving her Sister Church in Moldova. Also, this presents an opportunity to collaborate internationally, by possibly bringing together youth from Romania with youth in the Republic of Moldova and, if God wills, even from as far away as America to share and build friendship in the Body of Christ.
After just sharing with you the ministry prospects for serving in the Republic of Moldova, I will now bring us back to good old home. I will be coming home on February 18th, 2011 and departing on April 15th, 2011. I will be facing the normal side effects of reverse culture shock, but there is a wonderful blessing to reconnect with family and the support team. I value my communication with the support team because it reminds me that I am not alone on the field and that people’s prayers carry me through the challenges in my ministry and life, day by day. Your participation is important for me in this missionary service because the Lord works through us as we labor together in service. It is neat to share stories and updates on the front line where I am serving in the field. I also rejoice in your assistance in providing humanitarian aid for the Protection of the Theotokos Family Center (PTFC) to help clothe the children and mothers. I greatly appreciate my support team’s prayers and financial assistance more than you may realize. We now know that our relationship will have potential to grow deeper because the Lord has opened up a gate on the narrow path for us to enter into a new area for missionary work.
In conclusion, O Holy Three Hierarchs, please pray for us! These three great Hierarchs were known for many things, especially their leadership and labors for the Church. They appeared to the faithful to tell them that they were all equal in standing before God. They had harmony with each other because everything they did was united to Christ, the Head. Our friendship as well was given by the Lord to unite us in order to work for the Holy Spirit in the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Jesus Christ is the focus and force which is driving us to continue together, to do good deeds as these saints have shown us in their lives. Please pray with me as I continue to work on this last stage of preparation for prayerfully considering the Republic of Moldova for our next missionary journey. May God’s will be done!
Love in Christ and God’s help in all things,
Christina Semon
OCMC Missionary to Romania
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