2011 Albania Outreach (Family) Team Pictures

Orthodox Family Mission Team

by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Center for Family Care


This past July, a unique groundbreaking international Orthodox Christian missionary effort took place-the first Family Mission Team traveled to Albania. The team was a collaboration between the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Center for Family Care (CFC) and the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), and part of a new family ministry initiative of the Orthodox Church of Albania. Families from America and Albania participated in “One Family in Christ” Family Camp led by the CFC’s Resource Coordinator, Panayiotis Sakellariou, and by OCMC short and long term missionaries.

The purpose of sending the Family Team was to offer a “family witness”-while sharing the Orthodox faith and growing as a family in Christ-and to answer the call of the Church of Albania to begin its own family ministry. Albanian leaders plan to build on this camp experience and the family resources that were provided, to create a strong foundation for their new family ministry. Team leader Panayiotis Sakellariou said, “We thank God for providing for all the families and granting success to our camp efforts, and we are grateful for everyone’s support and prayers. We pray this first Family Mission Team will be the beginning of an ongoing missions endeavor that gives families the opportunity to share their love of God and of neighbor, and to grow in their faith.”

“One Family in Christ” Family Camp consisted of 65 adults and children of various ages. The camp included parent, couple and children programs; family activities and Olympics; outreach endeavors and local excursions. In particular, team members presented on the following topics: Church of the Home, Child Spiritual Development, Parenting Skills, Social Networking, the Journey of Marriage, and Family Ministry.

For further information on this mission team or the involved agencies contact the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Center for Family Care at 845-424-8175 or familycare@goarch.org, or Orthodox Christian Mission Center at 877-463-6784 or missions@ocmc.org.

Reflections on Seven Years of Service in Albania: An Update from Missionary Georgia Gilman Bendo

Protagonists School has just begun its 10th year in existence! From 12 students in 2002 to about 250 this year, we thank God for always blessing us with success and strengthening us to face new challenges. His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios maintains education as a top priority in his vision for the Church’s social outreach in Albania.

I am thankful to be a part of that vision. This past August marked the seventh anniversary of my arrival in Albania as a missionary. Since then I’ve enjoyed a steady ministry of teaching English and offering an after-school catechism club at Protagonists.

In Albania, students must study two foreign languages starting in 3rd grade. Since we are an “Albanian-American” school, our English program is essential and many of the parents choose Protagonists because of it. Although we are a private school it is still illegal to teach the faith during school hours, so we must at least be vigilant that our curriculum is not working against us. I realized this last year while choosing the books for our English classes. Often the authors of these books are primarily interested in keeping the attention of young adults with little care to high moral standards. One series that the bookstore was encouraging us to use, for example, was rife with reading material about scandalous relationships and less than admirable examples of friendships. Fortunately we were able to find an excellent series for our middle school students

Our after-school catechism club is called “Spiritual Journey” and is open to all the students once a week. Many of those who sign up are from Orthodox backgrounds but we also have a number of students from Catholic, Muslim, and even atheist families. We teach the basic beliefs and traditions of the Orthodox Church with catechism books, crafts, songs, field trips, etc. Two years ago, I started teaching the older students from a book which was written by Archbishop Anastasios and recently translated by my husband into Albanian. The book, Divine Messages, is written for the catechist, so I am creating an accompanying activity book with small paper crafts for each lesson for the students.

Although formal persecution of faith has ended in Albania, there continue to be frequent attacks on the Church in the media. Sometimes they try to make the people feel that it is not really Albanian to be Orthodox. To combat this I try whenever possible to show the children that Orthodoxy has been around a long time in Albania and is an integral part of its history and culture. To this purpose, we invited the students on a trip to Ardenica Monastery this spring. This 13th century monastery is dedicated to the Nativity of the Theotokos and the walls of the church are covered in icons painted by famous Albanian iconographers. The national hero Skenderbeg was even married in a chapel at this monastery.

Every so often God grants us a glimpse of the fruit of our efforts. At the end of January, our students have first semester exams. One day Elena, a recently baptized 6th grader, ran up to me breathless. “I found you!” she exclaimed, “Teacher, there’s St. Basil, St. Gregory, and who’s the third?” “Oh, the Three Hierarchs. St. John Chrysostom is the other one,” I replied, “Why?” “Well we’re about to have an exam and I remember last year in Spiritual Journey club you told us they were the protectors of students and we should pray to them for help at school! Thanks!” and she ran off. I was delighted to see something we discussed last year had stuck and she was actually putting it into practice.

This summer, our family enjoyed time in America visiting parishes to tell about our work in Albania, while awaiting the birth of our second child. Evdoxia Lindsay was born on August 7th, and our 40-day churching service in Maine on the September 18th. Visit our website to see our new photos! Please keep our family in your prayers as we continue our ministry.

2011 Albania Teaching Team Pictures

Gezuar Pashket! An Update from Missionary Anastasia Pamela Barksdale

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,

Pascha this year will mark my three year anniversary in Albania. As I reflected on this fact, I thought, how quickly time is passing as I am involved in the various ministries, ministries rich with the blessings of God’s grace and friends. My Christian Education and Field Work program with the students at the Seminary has grown considerably. For the first two years, my students’ work has included a teaching assignment at of one of the Kids’ Clubs or the Church in Tirana, under the direction of fellow missionaries, Nathan and Gabriela Hoppe. This year His Grace Bishop Nikola, Dean of the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy, began to also send the students to local villages and churches in Durres and Kavaja. This has been an exciting challenge for me in many new ways. Saturday there are catechism programs at Shen Vlash for the village children and in Tirana at the Roma Community. Sunday there are catechism programs in Tirana, in Durres, in Kavajes and at a local village church, in Rushku, and Sunday evening in a home in a suburb of Durres, Shkozet. Just getting to the various locations is a bit of an adventure and has prompted me to seriously consider acquiring a car.

What has been really fulfilling has been identifying the needs of the six very different catechetical settings outside Tirana and trying to implement new strategies and methods for improving their programs. In conjunction with this effort, OCMC has approved funding for ministry relating to a new Catechetical Resource Center at the Seminary through my missionary support account. The catechism programs are funded partially by the Orthodox Church of Albania and partially from my support account, made up of donations from you, my prayer partners. Therefore, I want to account to you for the work we are doing and to keep you posted on our progress so that you can keep us in your prayers. Also, if you are a Facebook fan, I have been posting pictures from the various events on my Profile page and in my Cause: Pray with Missionary Anastasia Pamela Barksdale for the Orthodox Church in Albania. Thank you for your continued support of this vital and important ministry.

Recent Events:

This Spring, the Children’s Office offered to conduct an “Outreach” program in Durres for our catechism classes at the Saints Paul and Asti Church, located near the local boardwalk. My students joined with the Children’s Office staff and the Durres youth group to conduct a series of youth oriented activities to bring the “good news” about our catechism program to the general public, as well as the local Orthodox community. The number of new children actually joining our catechism classes, to-date, has been small, but the activity did enable my students to encounter the unchurched children of Durres, reorganize our program, establishing two classrooms and begin developing interactive activities with the Church’s youth group.

Last week, the first step of the Resource Center at Shen Vlash Monastery became a reality as 22 children gathered at 8:00 am on a Saturday morning in our new classroom space. Tomorrow my students and a group of volunteers will meet once again to paint a second room which will be for younger children. My goal is to establish “age appropriate” classrooms for children 5 to 9 years and 10 – 13 years.

One of the major complaints my students have about their teaching assignments is the “conditions” under which they must teach. So often there is no real classroom, maybe they teach in a living room, a field, a beach, or the narthex of the Church. Thus, I am trying to create a teaching lab; one which I hope will set a standard, and then we can talk about the things we can and cannot control in a learning environment. Often in Albania, new ideas or concepts are difficult to explain because of the lack of experience, which provides a reference for the students. Our first “new” classroom has been painted and shelves assembled and I have begun to equip it with visual aid tools like bulletin boards, white boards, and flannel boards; cd players to use in teaching songs and hymns and playing games. Several students have artistic abilities and are painting thematic pictures of Jesus with children. Learning to use visual aids and interactive materials is still a very new idea in Albania.

Our final stage will be to set up a room that will be our workshop space for conducting training, developing curriculum and lesson plans. Besides computer equipment and a data projector, we also plan to collect materials from all the various diocese ministries in Albania and have them available for reference. We would also like to develop a good collection of craft ideas, games, songs, etc. Having resource materials readily available comes slowly here, but it is something we are working at all the time.

In the hopes that some of my prayer partners in the States would want to help, I have set up a Wish List on Amazon.Com. You can access this list at the following link:

Pamela's Wish List

Permalink: http://amzn.com/w/3CO8T0CCGDK56

Please share the list with others. If just a few people send one or two items, we could improve our program very quickly. Fr. Luke Veronis is coming to Albania the end of May and promised to try to bring things with his Mission Institute team, but packages must arrive by May 25th. Father Luke's shipping address is 41 Noble St, Dudley, MA 01571. Otherwise, mail by slow boat to Albania to: Anastasia Pamela Barksdale, c/o Kisha Orthodhoskia, Rruge e Kavajes, 151 Mitropolia, Tirana, Albania. Please help if you are able.

My First Journey to Albania: An Update from Missionary Candidate Jeffrey Macdonald

In 2010, I visited Albania in order to meet with Archbishop Anastasios in the capital of Tirana, and to visit the Holy Resurrection Seminary in Durres. I had the privilege to travel in conjunction with a Missions class from Holy Cross and St. Vladimir's Seminaries taught by Fr. Luke Veronis, a former OCMC Missionary in Albania and author of the recent book, Go Forth: Stories of Mission and Resurrection in Albania.

Albania is along the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, north of Greece. Albania became an independent country in 1912, following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire. After World War II, Albania fell under communist rule until 1992. In 1967, the communist government outlawed religion, destroying or confiscating all religious buildings, and attempting to eliminate the Christian faith.

Prior to its conquest by the Turks, Albania was part of the Roman Empire. During this period, Albania’s port of Durres was an important link between Italy and the Roman road to Thessalonica and Constantinople. Christianity is thought to have come to Albania with the visit of St. Paul to Durres in the first century. By the end of the first century the Church in Durres had grown and had its own bishop, Asti, who was martyred under the Emperor Trajan.

Durres today contains extensive Roman ruins including a large amphitheater. I had the opportunity to visit this amphitheater with Nathan Hoppe, an OCMC Missionary in Albania, and to see the remains of two early Christian chapels built in its passageways to commemorate Christians who were martyred there.

I was also able to visit a site associated with another early Christian martyrdom when I visited Holy Resurrection Seminary built on a hill, overlooking Durres. The hill was the site of the Monastery of St. Vlash (Blaise). Tradition ascribes his martyrdom to this spot in the fourth century, which suggests that he is a different person than the well known St. Blaise of Sebaste, martyred in Armenia. The Church was an important pilgrimage site known for miraculous healings, and perhaps for this reason was the first church destroyed at the beginning of the anti-religious campaign of 1967. The church was rebuilt following the fall of communism in 1992, and the hill is now also the location of the Holy Resurrection Seminary and the Home of Hope for children. During my visit to the Seminary, I was able to meet with Bishop Nikola and some of the seminarians, and also to attend a large youth retreat held at the Seminary.

The Christian faith spread in Albania, as in the rest of the Roman world, following the end of the Roman persecutions in the fourth century. Unfortunately, much of the material heritage of Christianity in Albania was damaged or destroyed during the communist period, when approximately sixteen hundred Orthodox churches were destroyed. However, since the end of communism, the Orthodox Church in Albania, with the help of others, has rebuilt and repaired many of these damaged and destroyed buildings.

In contrast to historic Durres on the coastal plain, Tirana, the capital, is a more recent and much larger city surrounded by mountains. Here, I was able to visit an important exhibit of Albanian Christian manuscripts. These manuscripts had been confiscated by the communist government and were now being displayed to the Albanian public for the first time. Two of the manuscripts were Gospels from the sixth century. Their existence testifies to the tenacity of the Christian witness in Albania despite the many invasions that disrupted life in the Balkans through the Middle Ages and the Turkish conquest of the fifteenth century.

Unfortunately, many Christians abandoned their faith during the approximately four hundred years of Turkish rule. As a result, by the time of the communist takeover, only twenty percent of Albanians were still members of the Orthodox Church. Following this, the years of communist persecution largely reduced Albania to a secular country. However, following the end of communism in 1992, church life has been revived under the leadership of Archbishop Anastasios. He is a leading proponent of Orthodox missions, who, after serving in East Africa, has overseen the enormous work of rebuilding the Church in Albania after the fall of communism.

While in Tirana, I also met a number of the clergy and church workers, and had a chance to speak briefly about St. Herman of Alaska to the Orthodox Sisterhood. The two functioning Orthodox churches in Tirana were restored to the Church by the government. A new, larger, cathedral is now being built to replace the one that was destroyed.

Albania has a long heritage of Christian faith, but due to historical circumstances the majority of the country has been deprived of the knowledge of Christ for many years. However, now, by God’s mercy, the end of communism and the rebuilding of the Church in Albania have created an opportunity for the spread of the gospel. It was good to see how energetically this work has been begun, and we look forward to the possibility of being able to assist the Church there in its further growth.

My First Journey to Albania: An Update from Missionary Candidate Jeffrey Macdonald

In 2010, I visited Albania in order to meet with Archbishop Anastasios in the capital of Tirana, and to visit the Holy Resurrection Seminary in Durres. I had the privilege to travel in conjunction with a Missions class from Holy Cross and St. Vladimir's Seminaries taught by Fr. Luke Veronis, a former OCMC Missionary in Albania and author of the recent book, Go Forth: Stories of Mission and Resurrection in Albania.

Albania is along the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, north of Greece. Albania became an independent country in 1912, following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire. After World War II, Albania fell under communist rule until 1992. In 1967, the communist government outlawed religion, destroying or confiscating all religious buildings, and attempting to eliminate the Christian faith.

Prior to its conquest by the Turks, Albania was part of the Roman Empire. During this period, Albania’s port of Durres was an important link between Italy and the Roman road to Thessalonica and Constantinople. Christianity is thought to have come to Albania with the visit of St. Paul to Durres in the first century. By the end of the first century the Church in Durres had grown and had its own bishop, Asti, who was martyred under the Emperor Trajan.

Durres today contains extensive Roman ruins including a large amphitheater. I had the opportunity to visit this amphitheater with Nathan Hoppe, an OCMC Missionary in Albania, and to see the remains of two early Christian chapels built in its passageways to commemorate Christians who were martyred there.

I was also able to visit a site associated with another early Christian martyrdom when I visited Holy Resurrection Seminary built on a hill, overlooking Durres. The hill was the site of the Monastery of St. Vlash (Blaise). Tradition ascribes his martyrdom to this spot in the fourth century, which suggests that he is a different person than the well known St. Blaise of Sebaste, martyred in Armenia. The Church was an important pilgrimage site known for miraculous healings, and perhaps for this reason was the first church destroyed at the beginning of the anti-religious campaign of 1967. The church was rebuilt following the fall of communism in 1992, and the hill is now also the location of the Holy Resurrection Seminary and the Home of Hope for children. During my visit to the Seminary, I was able to meet with Bishop Nikola and some of the seminarians, and also to attend a large youth retreat held at the Seminary.

The Christian faith spread in Albania, as in the rest of the Roman world, following the end of the Roman persecutions in the fourth century. Unfortunately, much of the material heritage of Christianity in Albania was damaged or destroyed during the communist period, when approximately sixteen hundred Orthodox churches were destroyed. However, since the end of communism, the Orthodox Church in Albania, with the help of others, has rebuilt and repaired many of these damaged and destroyed buildings.

In contrast to historic Durres on the coastal plain, Tirana, the capital, is a more recent and much larger city surrounded by mountains. Here, I was able to visit an important exhibit of Albanian Christian manuscripts. These manuscripts had been confiscated by the communist government and were now being displayed to the Albanian public for the first time. Two of the manuscripts were Gospels from the sixth century. Their existence testifies to the tenacity of the Christian witness in Albania despite the many invasions that disrupted life in the Balkans through the Middle Ages and the Turkish conquest of the fifteenth century.

Unfortunately, many Christians abandoned their faith during the approximately four hundred years of Turkish rule. As a result, by the time of the communist takeover, only twenty percent of Albanians were still members of the Orthodox Church. Following this, the years of communist persecution largely reduced Albania to a secular country. However, following the end of communism in 1992, church life has been revived under the leadership of Archbishop Anastasios. He is a leading proponent of Orthodox missions, who, after serving in East Africa, has overseen the enormous work of rebuilding the Church in Albania after the fall of communism.

While in Tirana, I also met a number of the clergy and church workers, and had a chance to speak briefly about St. Herman of Alaska to the Orthodox Sisterhood. The two functioning Orthodox churches in Tirana were restored to the Church by the government. A new, larger, cathedral is now being built to replace the one that was destroyed.

Albania has a long heritage of Christian faith, but due to historical circumstances the majority of the country has been deprived of the knowledge of Christ for many years. However, now, by God’s mercy, the end of communism and the rebuilding of the Church in Albania have created an opportunity for the spread of the gospel. It was good to see how energetically this work has been begun, and we look forward to the possibility of being able to assist the Church there in its further growth.

OCMC Missionary Department Announces Six New Missionary Candidates!

The Missionary Department of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is pleased to announce that six new Missionary Candidates have been approved in the spring of 2011. Michael and Lisa Colburn plan to serve in Kenya, assisting with translation work and serving other OCMC Missionaries and Candidates in linguistic consulting. Kurt Bringerud, Faith Young, and Joseph and Alexandra Sima plan to serve in Albania as part of the Church's ongoing educational efforts. Blake and Pam Dilullo plan to serve in Kodiak, Alaska. Blake will initially work in construction as Pam home schools her own children and helps with other children’s programs. OCMC Missionary Candidates spend several months travelling to churches and meeting with individuals who will partner with them financially and support them in prayer during their time of service. Please pray for these Missionary Candidates as they begin to build their support teams and as they train to help spread the Light of Christ overseas! If you are interested in having a Missionary Candidate speak at your church or organization, please contact the Missionary Department at 1-877-463-6784 or by e-mail at missionaries@ocmc.org.

Family Mission: Work, Worship and Witness

An opportunity for families who have a desire to work, witness, and worship in a profound ministry is available in a new initiative involving families in foreign mission work. Families with children are invited to join Church leaders and their families in Albania to be a part of a family ministry outreach. OCMC Missionary Nathan Hoppe explains, “Offering a witness of family unity and faith will assist in developing a new family ministry initiative for the Orthodox Church of Albania.”

The primary focus is to offer a “family witness” while sharing the Faith and growing as a family in Christ. The group will also have the opportunity to serve the ministries of the Church in Albania. The Family Mission Team to Albania, July 17 – 29, 2011, is a collaboration between OCMC and the Center for Family Care (CFC) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. Families from North America, along with Albanian families, will participate in this outreach assisted by OCMC missionaries and Albanian Church leaders.

This program will include family activities, parent and children programs, ministry visitations, and outreach endeavors of the Church of Albania in Tirana and surrounding areas. The Team is to provide a positive witness, and all participants are called to be exemplary role models as they minister as families and bear witness to Christ through their every action. Team Members will share their life experience, provide fellowship, and offer a visible witness of the Holy Orthodox Faith.

OCMC and the Center for Family Care hope that families will personally experience the joy of seeing God take the precious things He has been teaching Orthodox families and use them to bless families around the world. Pamela Filutowski, who participated with her son on a Team, reported, “From my perspective it appears that my son was initially wondering, ‘Is this real?’ as he tried to process the love and enthusiasm that openly flowed from the children and those who worked at Shen Vlash. He fully sensed and understood the reality of Christ’s love in the children, in our new lifestyle, and springing deep with us."

OCMC and CFC invite you to join this ministry that offers spiritual benefits to families. For more information on how to apply, please visit our website, www.ocmc.org or email us at teams@ocmc.org.

Be part of a Family Mission Team!

This year the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is proud to announce a collaboration with the Center for Family Care (of the Greek Archdiocese) by offering a Family Mission Team. Families from North America, along with Albanian families, will participate in this outreach assisted by OCMC missionaries and Albanian church leaders. The primary focus is to offer a “family witness” while sharing the faith and growing as a family in Christ. Consider being part of this first OCMC and Center for Family Care collaboration and family mission witness! Visit http://teams.ocmc.org, or e-mail teams@ocmc.org, for more information or to apply.

Russell Family Returns to the USA Completing Seven-and-a-Half Years of Service in Albania

George and Pauline Russell, together with their children Christopher and Maddy, have returned to Cleveland, Ohio after seven-and-a-half years of missionary service in Albania. We anticipate that Pauline’s mother, Melanie Linderman, who accompanied them to the field in 2003, will also be joining them soon. Pauline is still experiencing health issues, which she has struggled with for quite some time; therefore, she and George decided that it was best to return to the states. They were also interested in having their children reside closer to their grandparents at this time in their lives. As the Russell family prayerfully contemplated this move, a job offer came to George helping them make this decision. The Russells are currently writing their final missionary letter with all the details. OCMC is most grateful for the offering this family has made to the ministries of the Orthodox Church of Albania, through the prayers and blessings of His Beatitude ANASTASIOS.

We congratulate the Russell family for the completion of these years of missionary service, and we thank all who have made this ministry possible through your faithful financial support and prayers. During this time of transition as they conclude their service, the Russell family will continue to need support as they write reports, letters, and complete their work and ministry. OCMC encourages donations until 15 April 2011.

OCMC has a protocol for helping with the transition of returning missionaries and are working with them to assure a successful “re-entry”, reflecting with them on their ministry in Albania, providing pastoral support, and doing whatever is possible to assure a smooth transition home and facilitate resettlement for their family. Their new contact information is as follows:

George and Pauline Russell
1698 Pine Drive
Avon, OH 44011

Home: 440-508-7090

Email: georger@agrinomix.com

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.

Go Forth: Stories of Mission and Resurrection in Albania by Fr. Luke Veronis

Of all the stories of the resurrection of the Orthodox Church in formerly communist lands, Albania’s may be the most dramatic. Having been almost exterminated by the atheistic government, the Church of Albania has arisen, under the leadership of Archbishop Anastasios, to become a vibrant and growing member of the world Orthodox community.

Fr. Luke A. Veronis and his family served as OCMC missionaries to Albania for more than 10 years, during some of the most crucial years of this resurrection. Following are excerpts from his book “Go Forth” which shares stories of those years – stories of desperate poverty and heroism, of setbacks and triumphs, of heartbreak and miracles – and call us all to answer the Lord’s Great Commission: Go Forth!

“The heroism of missionaries and their spirit of sacrifice and love always tend to give back to the old churches a new vigor of life,” notes Archbishop Anastasios of Albania. These words summarize why I want to share stories from a decade-long journal of cross-cultural missionary work. The amazing miracle that has occurred in Albania since 1991, inspired by the Holy Spirit and under the vision and direction of Archbishop Anastasios, offers a glimpse of vitality, renewal, and vigor that will motivate and encourage our contemporary Church.

How does one proclaim the Good News of our Lord in the only country in recent history that absolutely forbade and persecuted any and every expression of religion for 24 years? The lands of Albania claim Christian heritage from the first century, yet endured the advance of Islam from the fourteenth century onward, followed by the most extreme totalitarian form of communism. Militant atheists crucified the Church and thought they had abolished it.

With the fall of communism in 1991, Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos arrived in Albania to see what, if anything, remained of this ancient Christian community. He faced the daunting task of proclaiming the Gospel and reviving a historic church while confronting the many challenges of a post-communist setting: an enduring atheistic mentality, a broken societal infrastructure, rampant poverty, prevalent corruption, and ongoing religious prejudice. Go Forth offers glimpses of how God has resurrected this Church, granting new hope to so many living in despair.

In my years in Albania, I learned that love and freedom exemplify the path of Orthodox Christian missions. We incarnate the Gospel of love, while respecting the freedom and dignity of every listener to respond as he or she feels touched by God. Authentic mission has nothing to do with coercion, trickery, or superficiality but doing all things “in love, for love, and by love.” Proclaiming the Good News implies revealing the love of God’s Kingdom in word and deed, and inviting others to join the community of faith on a journey of salvation.

This missionary journal will help all Christians understand their role in the overall drama of sacred history, and draw each person into a deeper relationship with God along the way. I believe the stories and anecdotes found here will inspire you. You may find gems of wisdom offered by “living saints” whose faith survived the horrors of communism. New believers discovering the pearl of great price will share their spiritual journeys. You will see the struggles and successes of the servants who have tried to offer a witness of God’s love under difficult conditions.

For example, there are stories about the three holy sisters from Korca – Marika, Demetra and Elizabeta – who described their house during communism as “a little underground church. Even during the most dangerous years, we would invite Fr. Kosma to come several times a year and celebrate the Divine Liturgy in a back room during the middle of the night,” explained Demetra. “We would cover the windows with thick blankets, so no one could see light from outside. We spoke in whispered voices, so as not to awaken the children. We never celebrated a liturgy with the children around, because we didn’t know if they might slip up and say something at school. One person would keep watch at the front door of the house, to warn us if anyone was coming. We felt like the early Christians worshipping in the catacombs.”

“Several times the police took us into their office and questioned us, but thank God, they never imprisoned us or physically hurt us. They weren’t sure of what we were doing, so they just tried to intimidate us. But this did not hinder our devotion to God. Even when Fr. Kosma couldn’t come, and we didn’t have a priest to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, we would do something else. I would bake the prosphoro [the holy bread used in the Eucharist], and place the bread and wine on top of our radio. Since we live so close to Greece, we could pick up a Greek station and listen to a live broadcast of the Divine Liturgy. Hoxha strictly forbade anyone to listen to foreign radio, so we realized the great risk we were taking. We would keep the volume very low and pray to God with the radio. At the end, we would eat the bread and wine as our Holy Communion.”

Resurrecting faith in post-communist Albania entails many fascinating stories, including humorous accounts about “Monasteries, Snakes and Christ’s Resurrection,” “Lobsters, Termites or Lamb’s Brain,” and “Cigarettes, Chaos and Christ is Risen.” The book describes the Church’s heroic outreach during the 1997 anarchy of Albania and the 1999 Kosovo War. One story narrates the journey of a Muslim girl’s reaction to a Church camp, where she goes from the negative attitude of “I can’t stay anywhere where they make the sign of the cross. Where I come from, the cross is associated with violence and death.” to the point of saying, “I have never experienced such love as I did at this camp. I will never forget this experience! It has given me an entirely new understanding of Christianity.”

Archbishop Anastasios of Albania, of course, represents a unique voice in the contemporary missionary movement of the Orthodox Church, as well as in worldwide Christianity. He describes himself as a candle before the icon of Christ, but he represents one of the brightest lights leading people to our Lord.

Throughout the book, we hear his charismatic personality witnessed in the midst of persecution, slander and struggle. “We have to be thankful for life and all that life brings, whether good or bad. Gratitude is a primary virtue in the Christian life,” the Archbishop shared. “We have to sacrifice and be ready to risk our lives for Christ. We don't want to be people who simply keep the status quo. An authentic Christian is one who will give his life to Christ with selfless abandonment! A life without persecution means that the devil doesn’t take you too seriously. We also need to understand what it means to share in the life of Christ—in His Cross as well as His Resurrection. Walking with Christ means to joyfully accept the sufferings, persecutions, and struggles of life. By doing this, we not only participate in Christ's own passion, but we unite with Him in His glorious resurrection… Despite all these struggles, I can say that I am experiencing the ‘freedom of the cross.’ One can find amazing freedom when we learn to say, ‘Your will be done.’”

Along with his words, Go Forth shares stories from throughout the life of the Archbishop. For example when the Archbishop was a young deacon back in the 1960s, he faced the serious dilemma of whether to become a missionary, or stay in his home country. Archbishop Anastasios describes this critical moment: “I remember a young cleric who was on a prolonged retreat on the island of Patmos. Sitting in front of the open sea, he faced a challenging dilemma—to stay in his beautiful European country, within an environment he loved, and in which he was loved, or to obey the final command of the Lord, ‘Go ye,’ and to depart for Africa. No guarantee was offered for this latter course and its future. Gazing from his simple, ascetic cell, the horizon of the open sea called within him, seeking a satisfactory response for this major decision in relation to the will of God.

The answer finally came in the form of a critical question: ‘Is God enough for you? If so, then go. If not, then stay where you are.’ A follow-up question, however, reinforced the first. ‘But if God is not enough for you, in which God do you believe?’ A peaceful decision followed, directing him on an innovative course into new missionary frontiers.”

The same night of his ordination, the newly ordained Fr. Anastasios flew to Africa and celebrated his first Divine Liturgy at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Kampala, Uganda. His cross-cultural missionary journey had begun.

These are only a few of the captivating stories that will inspire all. The ultimate purpose of Go Forth is to help each reader see the wonders of God’s miracle in the mission field and be ready to say, “Here I am Lord. Send me.”

168 Hours of Prayer: An Update from OCMC Missionary Nathan Hoppe

168 hours of prayer

During the period of the communist dictatorship in Albania, faithful Christians developed the practice of unceasing prayer. They would each take responsibility to pray for certain hours each day, in order to maintain a constant prayer vigil for a designated number of days, usually 40. This practice has continued in Albania after the fall of communism, particularly at times of challenge and crisis in the life of the Church. After our year of home assignment in the United States, we returned to Albania more convinced than ever, that we could only be effective in our work here for the kingdom, through the power of prayer.

This week, we are embarking on ministry to children for the new academic year. In the first weeks of October, we will kick off the university student ministry. We decided together with the staff of the Children's Office and the university ministry to begin this endeavor, with a vigil of unceasing prayer for the first week. We divided the hours of the day up among our staff, and then asked others in the church here in Albania and from the United States to join us by taking an hour of prayer each day. In this way, we are carrying out a vigil of continuous prayer for 168 hours. We are very grateful to those of you who have joined with us as we pray, and we ask you to continue to hold up the work with children and university students here in Albania before our Lord.

We would like to continue throughout this academic year with a strong emphasis of prayer. Perhaps we will not be able to cover all of the 24 hours each day; but we would like to cover as many as possible. If 168 people would pray for one hour each week, we could maintain a continuous vigil. Please, let us know if you are willing to commit to praying for Albania for one hour each day or each week in the coming months. If you are willing to do this, we can send you lists of names and additional prayer requests. We look forward to seeing what God will do through his Holy Spirit by the power of your prayers. As the apostle Paul said we know that, "He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." (Ephesians 3:20)

Missionary Update Fall 2010: Georgia Bendo

Protagonist School began its 9th year in September! Before us lies another year of joys and frustrations, challenges and successes. Our first through third graders continue at the location near St. Procopios Church in the park. St. Procopios is known to be the protector of Tirana because of the many miracles he has produced here, so we know our little ones are under his care! Meanwhile our fourth through ninth graders occupy three floors of the new building near the Annunciation Church. The school has been beautified with lots of potted flowers and posters with nature scenes, along with photos from special events from the school’s past nine years. I was thankful to see that this year a number of students who had left for various reasons in years past have returned. This attests to the consistent quality education that our school offers. In other schools, academic grades are often given arbitrarily and good grades can be bought; fortunately that doesn’t happen at our school.

This year I am teaching English to the eighth and ninth graders. Although teaching this age can be very challenging, I enjoy spending time with them and seeing how far they’ve come since I first taught them when they were in second and third grade. The new English method we’re trying out will help them hone their four language skills of reading, listening, speaking, and writing.

In October we will start up our afterschool clubs again. I continue to offer the catechism club, “Spiritual Journey.” Last year we began an excellent book together called Divine Messages, written by His Beatitude, Archbishop Anastasios, and recently translated by Deacon Anastasios (my husband, Todi’s new name since ordination). Altogether, about fifty students took part in the club and enjoyed a number of activities. Although our school is not able to offer the club much money for its activities, we were able to host a Christmas party with games, crafts, and snacks all of which the children really enjoyed. In January I told them about St. Basil and introduced them to the tradition of Vasilopita (St. Basil’s Bread); little Esti was so excited to find the coin in his piece. As we ended our afterschool program in May, we took a field trip to Shen Vlash Monastery where the Orthodox Church of Albania has its seminary. The students met the director of the school, Bishop Nikola, toured the grounds, lit candles at the church, and enjoyed games and a picnic. We plan to continue teaching from the same book this 2010-11 school year and also plan to develop the companion activity book we started last year.

Meanwhile Deacon Anastasios continues his efforts in editing the journal Kerkim (trans: Research or Searching). The journal is geared towards intellectuals, students, and educated faithful. It covers a wide range of topics and thus allows the church to reach out to a new group of people. The fifth issue of the journal came out in August and has been well received. The European Union named 2010 the “Year against Poverty,” and the current issue covers many aspects on this same theme of poverty.

In addition to the journal, Dcn. Anastasios also has many projects involving book translations. Recently a book called How Will They Believe If They Don’t Hear was published, and now a dogmatics book by a professor of the University of Athens is soon due out. Several others are in the works. The faithful of Tirana are able to purchase these books for very low prices at the church bookstore. This effort to re-educate the Orthodox faithful of Albania is an important one; after all, they found it impossible to find any books of this kind during the difficult years of Communism.

Of course on Sundays and other feastdays you will find Dcn. Anastasios serving in the Liturgy and spending time with members of the parish, instead of at his computer!

Since Deacon Anastasios was ordained about one and a half years ago, I’ve sometimes found it interesting to see how the average Albanian reacts to clergy. The priests and deacons of the Orthodox Church of Albania always wear their black robes and keep beards and moustaches so they are certainly noticeable—especially in Tirana’s sweltering summer months. For the most part, people from the cities are used to the sight and don’t react much outwardly. Faithful Orthodox we meet on the street are respectful and are more likely to greet him. Some others may stare in interest or make comments to their companions, but usually in the city he is treated more or less equally by Christian, Muslim, and atheist alike. One time though, as we drove along through the countryside we passed a predominantly Muslim village. A group of people on foot saw us coming from afar and as we drew near, one woman yelled out with a face full of anger “Oh Pig!” I was shocked since I hadn’t seen this reaction before. (Dcn. Anastas explained that she called us pigs because Christians eat pork meat whereas Muslims consider the meat of pigs unclean.) I was thankful that this sort of reaction is not the norm. At the other extreme, a few weeks later, we were having coffee together at a café near the church and, as we left, a little boy tugged at his grandmother’s arm, “Granny, look the Lord is leaving!” His grandmother, delighted at his childhood innocence, repeated it over and over, laughing.

Our own little one, Vasili, is almost 2 years old and very active. He gets into everything in the house and enjoys climbing bookcases and onto counters, continually keeping me on alert. He loves to carry a candle or small censor around the house to all the icons and to sing at the top of his lungs! He’s just starting to talk (both languages) and keeps us laughing all the time. In January we were blessed to have His Beatitude baptize him in the small baptistery chapel at the Annunciation cathedral. Our close friends from the parish here are his godparents.

Please keep our family in your prayers.

Seminarians Have Life-Changing Experience as Part of an OCMC Mission Team

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.

2010 OCMC Home of Hope Team: An Update from Missionary Pamela Anastasia Barksdale

Dearest Partners in Prayer,

Glory to God! Please forgive my silence for the past two months as I resettled in my work here in Albania. I returned from America filled with your prayers and spiritual blessings to share with our co-workers in the Lord here. May and June passed so quickly, it felt like I had barely recovered from the time and location change when Fr. Luke Veronis arrived with the Mission Institute, represented by students from Holy Cross and St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Nathan Hoppe returned for a few days as well to set up the camp in Kosovo and arrived with several other guests; Dr. Jeffrey Macdonald and Fr. Paisios also accompanied the group. Guests are always a blessing and we must be prepared in our hearts always to receive “angels unaware,” and certainly this group was filled with expected blessings and holy guests. Fr. Luke invited me to join the group on several occasions and I was really delighted to introduce the Albanian seminary students to this diverse cross section of Americans who were being called to ministry. Several members of the group were seriously contemplating mission service, and spending time with Archbishop Anastasios, and seeing first hand how he organized the Albanian mission was a wonderful opportunity for a realistic look at the missionary spirit in action.

As I spoke with various students and tried to answer questions about Albania, often we realized how much mission ministry in Albania and America had in common. The context in both countries holds both differences and similarities: the fallen condition of man is the same wherever we go, the social pressures of our age--global communication, secularism in all aspects of society--we must all address the same problems everywhere. Certainly the diversity of poverty and affluence, social and political freedoms, education and moral standards create different dimensions to our ministry; however, the proclamation of the good news of God’s love for all people is addressed to the heart of each person, in whatever immediate circumstances they are in when they meet the Lord.

It is, however, culture and language that continue to hold the key to communicating the Gospel. Fr. Luke had, in his time in Albania, acquired the gift of translating the message of God’s love to others, even when his Albanian syntax was not always correct. I was struck again with the fact that it is not only a linguistic skill, it is a gift of the spirit, it is the gift of understanding given at Pentecost that allows the good news to continue to be proclaimed in every tongue to all people.

It was a blessing also to be with Fr. Luke as he renewed his spiritual experience with his former students and co-workers in the Lord. During his 10 years of ministry here in Albania he had sown seeds of love and friendship, and it was a joy to see him greet his spiritual children and be touched and renewed by the fruit of his labor here in Albania. I have been continually aware that any work I do here is done because of the foundation that has been laid in Christ by others before me: the Apostle Paul and the disciples, St. Kosmos Aitolos, His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios, Fr. Martin Ritsi, Fr. Luke and so many others. There are days when I feel so personally small and insignificant in God's plan, I wonder how I can contribute anything at all to this work and then I remember that we are only meant to do whatever we do with great love, with loyalty to Our Lord and with faith. If we fill our days with the love of God and love of neighbor, then we are working to transform this world into “heaven on earth,” into the “Kingdom of God.”

With agape and dedication to serve our Lord Jesus Christ and my neighbor, I remain your partner in prayer here in Albania,

Pamela Anastasia Barksdale

Historic Team Arrives in Albania

Following classes and orientation led by Fr. Luke Veronis, Missionary Nathan Hoppe, and Fr. David Rucker, a Team of 2 priests and 11 seminarians arrived in Albania for two very full weeks of ministry and learning on Tuesday, May 25th. This Team is historic in several ways: It is the first joint Team of the newly inaugurated Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity and OCMC. It is also the first Team jointly made up of students from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and Holy Cross School of Theology. This is also the first fully accredited Team, offering three hours of seminary credit for the class work and time in Albania. The course will study in depth the life, missiology and writings of Archbishop Anastasios of Albania and examine how he has practically lived out this missiology through his ministry in the Church of Albania. The course will look at the foundation and calling of missions. The practicum includes the Team traveling to Albania, witnessing the resurrection of the Church of Albania, meeting missionaries and the indigenous leaders, and participating in an evangelism program within the country.

Please join OCMC and The Mission Institute of Orthodox Christianity in prayer for this historic Team to Albania. Support for this effort and the work of missions can be made on-line at www.ocmc.org. Also we ask for your prayers for the other 14 Teams involving over 121 Team members being sent this year to ten different countries and the state of Alaska. Will YOU be joining an OCMC Mission Team next year?

New Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity to Send Seminary Students on an OCMC Mission Team

The newly established Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity and the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) present The Missiology of Archbishop Anastasios (Yannoulatos) of Albania and Practical Evangelism in Albania. This 3-credit graduate level summer course will combine in-class study with an exciting mission practicum and on-field team experience.

The course will study in depth the life, missiology and writings of Archbishop Anastasios (Yannoulatos) of Albania and examine how he has practically lived out this missiology through his ministry in the Church of Albania. The course will be devoted to a mission practicum where the students will travel to Albania for two weeks, witnessing the resurrection of the Church of Albania, meeting OCMC missionaries and the indigenous leaders of the Church, and participating in an evangelism program within the country.

Course leader, Fr. Luke Veronis, who was an OCMC missionary to Albania for more than a decade, was able to secure a grant to organize a mission team in conjunction with a new missions course. Fr. Luke states, “This grant allows us to offer to a group of seminarians from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and St. Vladimir’s Seminary an exciting course in Orthodox missiology, combined with an inspiring cross-cultural mission experience at minimal cost. This type of event can truly be a life-transforming moment in the lives of these students.”

The course will look at the foundation and calling of missions. It will focus on the resurrection of the Church of Albania over the past 20 years, examining and analyzing the successes of how the church has succeeded in living out the missiology of Archbishop Anastasios, and where the church still faces difficult challenges.

The course will include at least ten Orthodox seminary students, who will participate in 25 hours of in-class time at Holy Cross, and then go on a two week OCMC mission team practicum from May 23 - June 5, 2010. In Albania, the students will have classes with Archbishop Anastasios and other leaders, while also participating with Albanian students in some aspect of practical evangelism. Specific readings, with response papers, will include the books Facing the World: Orthodox Christian Essays on Global Concerns and Missions: Footsteps in Christ’s Way by Archbishop Anastasios, as well as Go Forth: Stories of Missions and Resurrection from Albania by Fr. Luke A. Veronis, and The Resurrection of the Church of Albania by Jim Forest.

The grant given to the Mission Institute of Orthodoxy Christianity will subsidize the cost of the trip, so that students will be required to contribute only $500 towards the overall cost of the class and trip.

For additional information on the Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity and the upcominig OCMC team, please visit the OCMC website, http://teams.ocmc.org.

Hoppe Missionary Family arrives in USA for Home Assignment

Nathan and Gabriela Hoppe arrived at the Mission Center in St. Augustine, Florida, direct from Albania on August 4th for an eleven-month "Home Assignment." The Hoppes participated in a "Re-entry Workshop" designed by the Missionary Department to welcome Missionaries back from service in other countries and equip them for their time in the USA. OCMC's new Missionary Training and Administration Building allows all such events to take place on-site. This workshop concluded on Friday morning (August 7th), and Nathan and Gabriela left to join their children Tristan and Katherine, waiting for them in Minnesota, where they will live until July 2010.

This time in the USA, referred to as "Home Assignment," will be filled with much hard work. For the Hoppe family this includes further studies to enhance their ministry work in Albania, spending time with their existing support team members, and meeting new supporters for their next term on the field. They will also be travelling across the country speaking on behalf of Orthodox missions and evangelism world-wide.

During these months, Tristan and Katherine are looking forward to reconnecting with extended family and friends; they are also preparing to welcome a new addition to their family! The Hoppes have announced that they are expecting a baby, which is due in January. Please pray for the Hoppes during this time of anticipation, especially for Gabriela's strength and health.

You can catch up on this past year's news about the Hoppe family by visiting http://nhoppe.ocmc.org. They will be available for meetings and appointments here in the USA through July 2010. This is an excellent opportunity to hear about the resurrection of and the opportunities for the Church in Albania. The Hoppes are grateful for your continued prayers and financial support as they try to raise up new partners for the vital missionary work going on in Albania during their time in the United States. For more information, check www.ocmc.org or contact the Hoppes directly at n.hoppe@ocmc.org.