Pax Turkana: An Update from Missionary Michael Pagedas

Shortly before I left for Kilimanjaro, I was contacted by Alex Goodwin, Communications Director for the OCMC. He and OCMC Executive Director Fr. Martin Ritsi had planned an extended visit to Kenya and Tanzania in order to film a new video for the OCMC and further assess future mission prospects for that field, and they wanted to know if Maria and I would be interested in traveling with them to Kenya and being part of this! The experience would take me to a part of Kenya that I had wanted to visit anyway--Turkana, in the northwest part of the country. The OCMC began sending short-term mission teams to this region only a few years ago, and Orthodoxy has already gained a strong foothold there. I knew I wouldn’t have a lot of time to rest after climbing Kilimanjaro, but I also knew that I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.

Maria and I were greeted at the Lodwar airport (a dusty landing strip in the desert with a small covered waiting area serving as the main gate) by Fr. Martin, Alex, and Rob Orr, the cameraman who would be documenting our visit. We strapped our bags on top of the Land Rover (there wasn’t enough room for them inside) and started our 3+ hour journey into the desert. Fr. Martin mentioned that the last time he made this journey, the vehicle he was in got stuck in the sand three times. Fortunately, with the combination of our amazing driver and rugged Land Rover, we didn’t get stuck once.

Our first destination was the village of Loupwala. Loupwala has been visited before by OCMC teams, but it was my first time there or anywhere like it. It was the Africa that I had seen before in National Geographic magazines and on Public Television when I was growing up.


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The Turkana are nomadic pastoralists and rely mostly on their goats, camels, and donkeys not just as a source of milk and meat but also as currency for things such as bride-price negotiations and dowries. Not many crops are grown, but they do eat maize, beans, and ugali (maize porridge). During our brief stay, we had nothing but boiled cabbage and ugali--all of which we had brought with us from Lodwar. The Turkana also make use of a fruit that I had never heard of or seen anywhere else. It is called yangole in Turkana, and it is pretty much a fibrous pulp on the outside of a large inedible pit. The pulp can be ground off with stones and mixed in with flour or it can be chewed right off the pit [I tried the latter and can understand how the Turkana can easily wear down their teeth].

The Turkana dress very traditionally in the villages but not quite as much in the larger cities like Lodwar. Girls and women wear sarongs that range in color from purple to red to orange, and even bright green. Many of the women and girls wear their hair in a way that looks like a mohawk of small braids. The men also wear wraps, some covering the whole body, some just from the waist down, and less traditional shirts. Additionally, some of the older men or distinguished members of the tribe, such as shamans, wear hats decorated with ostrich feathers. One night, we all watched a movie about the life of Jesus that had been translated into the Turkana language. I was sitting toward the back, and one of the tribal elders was sitting right in the middle toward the front. Throughout the movie, I enjoyed watching the silhouette of a lone ostrich quill waving back and forth, brushing the faces of the actors on the screen. Both men and women wear beaded necklaces and bracelets. Many of the women wear a high-collared, brightly-colored beaded necklace that I can imagine takes a long time to make.


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The video shoot began almost immediately after we arrived. Fr. Martin, Alex, and Rob started interviewing individuals who had become or were in the process of becoming baptized. Maria and I interviewed some of the women and children about medical issues with the help of one of the Turkana priests, Fr. Moses, who speaks English, Turkana, and Swahili fluently. We spent the night sleeping in a boma (thorn enclosure) of another priest, Fr. Zachariah, who himself was originally from Loupwala. A few of the people in our group had tents, but I braved the elements, sleeping only on a mat and having a loose mosquito net resting on top of me. It was the first time I had ever gone hard core camping, and I enjoyed looking up at a clear night sky illuminated by stars, knowing that I was about as far away from the nearest city as I could be.

The next day, we visited a well that had been installed by the OCMC only a few years ago. The well was about a 10 minute walk from our campsite, but I learned that before the well was put in, people would have to walk up to 13 kilometers (each way) to get water that wasn’t necessarily very safe to drink. This well made getting cleaner water a lot easier for the people of Loupwala.

Later, we were honored with a celebration. The community members greeted us with traditional singing and dancing. As we arrived, a group of women, doing what I could only describe as a tightly-packed line dance, moved toward us while singing, blowing whistles, and waving around what I later found out were cow tails. Some younger people then sang and danced for us, and then we all joined in the fun. I especially enjoyed the high vertical jumping dance (if you’ve ever seen movies of Maasai dancing, it is exactly the same).

That afternoon, we walked for about an hour and a half to our next stop--a village called Nacabousan. To reach Nacabousan, we had to cross the Kerio River. The Kerio River, Fr. Martin explained, was usually bone dry in this area, but that every time he had visited, it was always flowing. This time was no different. Lightning flashes in the distance the previous night forewarned us that this would probably be the case. The river was only two or three feet deep at its deepest point, but the water was moving at a good clip. I had not anticipated this, and was concerned about 1) getting completely drenched and dirty, and 2) getting valuable possessions wet, namely my iPod. Before we crossed, I decided to give my valuables to Maria, who is much taller than me and who had a nicer backpack. That decision paid off. As I neared the opposite bank, I discovered (too late) that there was a sharp, slippery rise that wasn’t visible through the chocolate-colored water. As I went to my knees, I decided that I had nothing to lose and went all the way in. It was a decision that paid off because I felt much cooler against the mid-afternoon sun. Despite the fact that everything I was wearing was completely drenched and now a light brown color, I felt better and my iPod was safe.

On Sunday morning, we celebrated liturgy in the bush, just outside the village of Nacabousan. The altar table was built on the spot using sticks, palm leaves, and a small blackboard. The congregation sat in the shade of a large acacia--much needed because even at 9AM, the sun was already starting to beat down on us. I was surprised to see that there were matins and liturgy books translated into Turkana. The Turkana are a part of the same language group as the Maasai (different from the Bantu-based Swahili that I’m used to hearing), and I immediately noticed a similarity to the Maasai language when I first heard the Turkana speak. As with Swahili, it didn’t matter if I couldn’t understand every word that was being said during the liturgy. I still knew what was going on. Even with aggressive flies buzzing around, which are ever-present in the desert, I was lost in the experience. This was the first time an Orthodox liturgy had ever been held in Nacabousan. I began to wonder if St. Paul or the other early Apostles had similar experiences on their missionary journeys.

The liturgy was immediately followed by a mass baptism. 110 men, women, and children were baptized in the Kerio River. What was a curse for me on the way over had become a blessing. There was plenty of water for full-immersion baptisms! While several children splashed and swam nearby, a line of people from the river bank went into the water where Fr. Martin baptized them one at a time--again, like experiencing the early church but in the 21st century. The first one baptized was the head village elder from Nacabousan, named Salale. He and Fr. Martin had developed a strong relationship over the past few years, and I could tell that Salale’s conversion and baptism were monumental for himself, Fr. Martin, and the entire village of Nacabousan. There were at least 200-300 people watching from higher up on the river bank. Many of them went into hysterics at seeing their friends being immersed (some of them very reluctantly) in the river. We all went back to the “survival” altar that had been constructed for the liturgy and concluded the service. Watching dozens of people walk around the altar table together toward the end of the baptism was something I’ll probably never see again but won’t soon forget.

After the video shoot, we all returned to Lodwar where we met up with a short-term OCMC teaching team that had arrived the day before. Fr. Martin, Alex, and Rob stayed with the group for a couple of days before moving on to the shoot in Tanzania, but Maria and I stayed behind in Lodwar with the team for the duration of their teaching mission. They had each prepared different lessons to present Turkana faithful who had come from Lodwar and surrounding villages (including from over 3 hours away in Loupwala!). Fr. Moses, Fr. Zachariah, and Fr. Vladimir (who is a Turkana priest based in Lodwar) translated for the team and at the same time taught their people about church topics such as the Creed, death & resurrection, the Sacraments, and icons. I was even allowed to do a health education session. Based on a session I once gave back in 2008 during a short-term mission in Tanzania, I asked the group of about 70 “youth” to divide up into groups and come up with their own songs, dances, or sketches that highlighted major health concerns in East Africa, such as AIDS and malaria. The Turkana, like many other cultures in Africa, have a strong oral tradition that is passed along through songs and storytelling. Why not tap into that and use it for health promotion? I gave them 20 minutes to prepare, but they only needed 10. All of the groups did an amazing job, and I told them that I would put all of the videos I took of their presentations on the internet so that people all over the world could see how the Turkana use storytelling not only to pass along history but to teach others the importance of promoting good health behaviors.

Our visit happened to be in the middle of a paralyzing famine that affected the horn of Africa and spilled over into northern Kenya. Crops were failing and there was a severe food shortage. The Turkana, being pastoralists, were especially hard-hit when their livestock began to die off. People were literally starving to death. I had done a blog entry early on about African stereotypes, and I mentioned that a common misperception is that most Africans are starving and impoverished. I followed that up by mentioning that this was more of an exception to the rule--overall, they may eat much less food, but that doesn’t mean they are starving. Also, “poverty” is a relative term. If most of the people who live around you don’t have a lot of material possessions, that doesn’t necessarily make them poor. In fact, I regard most of my friends here as being richer on many levels. That said, whenever a disaster such as a famine happens, it throws what was once a delicate balance into complete disarray. Tribes like the Turkana, who can live comfortably on a basic diet and without a lot of possessions really feel the effect when the food or water supply is thrown out of whack.

I had no idea how bad the situation really was until after I got back to Bukoba. While waiting at the Lodwar “airport” for the plane back to Nairobi, I met a BBC journalist and cameraman who had just been to the same region we had. They told me that a piece they had just filmed would be airing a couple of days later and that I would be able to see it online.

Here is a link to that report: http://www.vimeo.com/27583238

Finding out about the severity of the famine after the fact made me appreciate my time with the Turkana all the more. I would have never guessed from the celebrations and fellowship we shared that they were in the middle of a major crisis. Please remember the Turkana, especially the newly-baptized, in your prayers.

Thank you to my support team!

Michael
m.pagedas@ocmc.org

[Video from my Turkana experiences can be found on the OCMC website or my YouTube channel, username: mpagedas]

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco, CA

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco, CA
11/13/2011

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
999 Brotherhood Way
San Francisco, California
United States
94132


OCMC Missionary Mr. Floyd Frantz will be at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco, California on 11/13/2011. Please contact Fr. Aris Metrakos by phone at 415-584-4747 or by e-mail at fr.aris@holytrinitysf.org for more information.

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak at St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church in San Jose, CA.

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak at St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church in San Jose, CA.

11/12/2011

St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church
6430 Bose Lane
San Jose, California
United States
95120

OCMC Missionary Mr. Floyd Frantz will be at St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church in San Jose, California on 11/12/2011. Please contact Fr. Gregory Koo by phone at 408-268-3214 or by e-mail at stbasilschurch@sbcglobal.net for more information.

Update from OCMC Missionary Maria Roeber

Farah na amani! Joy and Peace!

Hello from Tanzania! The two months since my last letter to you have been extremely busy, but very educational and beneficial to me.

First, I was blessed to find a wonderful language and culture teacher, a lady named Methodia who grew up here in Bukoba, and also lived in England and Germany for close to twenty years. I’d prayed to God for weeks prior to my arrival here that He would send me the “right” nurturer from the start, and so He has: Mama Methodia has adopted me as her fifth child, and proudly declares that I will be speaking Kiswahili by Christmas. We are using a method of language acquisition where the first 100 hours of study do not involve me speaking, but rather listening to her speak to me, just the way infants first listen to their parents speak to them before they attempt to imitate sounds. I’ve been surprised both at how much fun I am having, and also at how quickly I seem to recognize many words. While I am not required to speak Kiswahili in class, I am allowed to use it as I feel able in normal activities, so I am becoming more comfortable greeting people and holding very simple conversations. My greatest delight is walking around town and having children attempt to greet me in English and being able to respond to them in Kiswahili. Yesterday as I walked along the beach to get to class, three children playing nearby watched me very solemnly until I asked them, “Habari ya mchana?” (How is your afternoon?) Their eyes got big and round, and the littlest boy who was about two or three squeaked out, “Shikamoo! Nzuri!” (Shikamoo is a greeting of respect to an elder. Nzuri means fine, or good.) It’s fun when I start running into the same group of kids each day on my way to school. There’s one family with three small children whose home I pass each day, and without fail the kids start waving excitedly when they see me. I feel less anxious about being in a foreign place and more welcome with each passing day, for which I am extremely grateful.

Most people ask me what a typical day is like, so I will attempt to answer that question very briefly. Every day starts at about 7 am, when the bells for Matins ring next door at the church. We attend Matins every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday it’s Matins and Liturgy. After service we enjoy a hot breakfast made by Mama Christina, our cook and housekeeper. After that it’s usually time for some chores—either going to the market or to pay a water or electricity bill, stop by the bank, or stay home and do laundry or clean my room. Then I spend an hour or so listening to the language lessons from the previous day, which I record and can store on my iPod. I also spend a little time each day preparing for the next language session—we have a curriculum provided for us, but it requires some thoughtful planning to execute well. Then I spend some time answering emails or updating my Facebook account, which I know many of you follow. It’s such a blessing to be able to communicate with folks from home so easily! Usually Mama Christina has lunch ready for us by 12:30, and by 12:45 I am out the door to walk down to the lake for my class. In the afternoon when I return I make myself a cup of tea and a snack and start the process of transferring the language recordings from that day’s session onto my computer, and then listening to them for another couple of hours, as well as reviewing previous sessions. I also usually do some more emailing at that point. By six we are back at church for Vespers, and then I make my own dinner—usually something simple. The evening might include more study, doing some relaxing reading, writing to my support team by email or “snail mail,” or chatting with my roommates about the day. Sometimes I get to call my family or friends, too! I try to get ready for bed by about 10, and am generally asleep by 11. On any particular day we might have visitors drop by, which changes the schedule a bit, and I am learning to be flexible with how to organize activities here.

Many people have asked for updates about how the work at the Orthodox clinic is going. My primary responsibility during the first six months to a year of service here is to focus entirely on language and cultural acquisition. People here generally do not speak much English, and without studying Kiswahili, I will not be able to care for patients without a translator. As the clinic will be functioning with the help of us as volunteers to staff it, there’s not provision for the hiring of translators. It has been challenging for me to “stop” being a nurse and to feel like I am “not working,” but the truth is that by working hard at language study I am building the foundation upon which my later nursing practice will depend. The Orthodox clinic is currently awaiting registration through the Tanzanian government in order to reopen. It was closed because it had originally been registered as a “hospital,” but since we cannot meet the staffing requirements to function as such, a new application had to be submitted. Please keep the registration and government approval of the clinic in your prayers. My hope is that the clinic will be ready to open at the same time that I am ready to focus more on direct patient care and less on language study, but I am also open to God’s will and am trying to accept whatever He asks me to do.

As many of you are aware, I did have the opportunity to use my medical background to conduct a health care needs assessment for the Turkana in northern Kenya last month, which is one reason you haven’t heard from me in a while. My fellow missionaries and I are also busy preparing to welcome an OCMC medical mission team that will provide medical care to rural areas in Tanzania for two weeks in October. My next update will include more detailed information about the trip to Kenya and about our preparations for the October team, and I’ll be sending it out shortly after this letter.

Thank you to each and every one of you for your faithful prayerful and financial support that sustains me here! I pray for all of you every morning when I thank God for allowing me to be here, and I thank you, too! Glory to God for all things!

Yours in Christ,

Maria

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak in Chicago, IL

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak in Chicago, IL
10/30/2011

St. Constantine and Helen Cathedral
5410 N Newland Ave
Chicago, Illinois
United States
60656-2026


OCMC Missionary Mr. Floyd Frantz will be at St. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois on 10/30/2011. Please contact Fr. Vasile Muresan by phone at 773-774-1677 or by e-mail at f.frantz@ocmc.org for more information.

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak in Linthicum, MD

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak in Linthicum, MD
10/26/2011

Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church
105 North Camp Meade Road
Linthicum, Maryland
United States
21090


OCMC Missionary Mr. Floyd Frantz will be at Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church in Linthicum, Maryland on 10/26/2011. Please contact Fr. Gregory Mathewes-Green by phone at 410-850-5090 or by e-mail at f.frantz@ocmc.org for more information.

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak in Falls Church, VA.

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak in Falls Church, VA.
10/25/2011

St. Mary Orthodox Church
7223 Roosevelt Ave
Falls Church, Virginia
United States
22042


OCMC Missionary Mr. Floyd Frantz will be at St. Mary Orthodox Church in Falls Church, Virginia on 10/25/2011. Please contact Fr. David Subu by phone at 703-280-0770 or by e-mail at f.frantz@ocmc.org for more information.

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak in Piedmont, SC

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak in Piedmont, SC
10/23/2011

St. John of the Ladder Orthodox Church
701 Augusta Arbor Way
Piedmont, South Carolina
United States
29673


OCMC Missionary Mr. Floyd Frantz will be at St. John of the Ladder Orthodox Church in Piedmont, South Carolina on 10/23/2011. Please contact Fr. Marcus Burch by phone at 864-299-1140 or by e-mail at frmarcusburch@bellsouth.net for more information.

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak in Piedmont, SC

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak in Piedmont, SC
10/23/2011

St. John of the Ladder Orthodox Church
701 Augusta Arbor Way
Piedmont, South Carolina
United States
29673


OCMC Missionary Mr. Floyd Frantz will be at St. John of the Ladder Orthodox Church in Piedmont, South Carolina on 10/23/2011. Please contact Fr. Marcus Burch by phone at 864-299-1140 or by e-mail at frmarcusburch@bellsouth.net for more information.

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.

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak in Chattanooga, TN

OCMC Missionary Floyd Frantz to Speak in Chattanooga, TN
10/21/2011

St. Tikhon Orthodox Church
357 Lookout High Street
Chattanooga, Tennessee
United States
37419


OCMC Missionary Mr. Floyd Frantz will be at St. Tikhon Orthodox Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee on 10/21/2011. Please contact Fr. Daniel Talley by phone at 423-821-5100 or by e-mail at daniel.k.talley@gmail.com for more information.

A Day in the Life (You Can't Make this Stuff Up): An Update from Missionary James Hargrave

I have recently been at our yearly Archdiocesan youth seminar. This is a three-week event bringing together young people (aged roughly 15 - 65) from a particular vicarage (aka deanery) of the Holy Archdiocese of Mwanza for fellowship, shared liturgical life, participation in the sacramental life of the Church, education on a variety of topics including agriculture, health, etc. and two weeks of Christian education provided by teachers from the Finnish Orthodox Mission and from OCMC.

Caring for 100+ young people and ten foreigners, on a bare hillside in rural Africa, with minimal infrastructure (providing them with food and shelter, making sure that they are comfortable enough to keep going, looking after healthcare needs) is no joke. It's serious business. It's very tough. It's exhausting, frustrating, difficult, terrifying... and exhilarating. Things are going very, very, very, very well.

Archdiocesan leadership is working very hard to plan and manage the seminar well. But as hard as we try to plan, plans fail. And some of the best things are totally unplanned. I'd like to tell you about something that happened yesterday.

Yesterday was the Team's afternoon off. An excursion for the team was arranged through a local tour company and I had the privilege of joining them. Our first stop was a mountain on the Kamachuma Plateau, where we climbed to the top to visit some caves and see a spectacular view stretching to Rwanda.

On the way up the mountain, our guide took a wrong turn and asked directions from a local coffee farmer. The farmer guided us back to the path and, as we were departing, asked who we were. We told him.

This elderly farmer followed behind us, up a steep rocky slope, all the way to the top of the mountain. He caught up with us in the caves wearing clothes in tatters, barefoot with thickly calloused feet. I exchanged greetings with him, and told him a bit more about the Team and about the youth seminar over the hills in Ibale.

"I am an Orthodox Christian," the old peasant told me. "I am a catechist."

This coffee farmer was brought to Christ in 1977 by Father Sosthenes Kiyonga, one of the early missionary priests in this area. His name is Apolinario, and he has been a catechist for seventeen years in the parish area led by Father Ignatios Simba, a compatriot of Father Kiyonga and another lion of the faith. Apolinario invited the Team to his house to meet his wife Maria, and some of their children and grandchildren. He led a short prayer service, and then the Team sang the "Lord have mercy" of the Holy Cross in Finnish, Greek, English and Kiswahili. Apolinario and Maria took all of our names, and promised to remember us in their daily prayers. We took their names and the names of their children and grandchildren, with the same commitment to prayer.

Father Kiyonga passed away several years ago. One of his sons, Anastasios Kiyonga, is the church musician for the Holy Archdiocese of Mwanza and is one of the leaders at our youth seminar. His work has been very helpful and valuable to the Team this year and in past years.

Some of you may have heard a certain missionary say, "You can't make this stuff up!" You really can't. The Team's work has been very valuable. We have been working very hard to help them see our life here in ways that make sense to them, that are neither overly bewildering nor overly protective. One of the weaknesses of this sort of event is that it is indeed an event. The Team is not witnessing the ordinary life of the Church because the Team's very presence among us is extraordinary. But then, there on the mountain, God sent our guide on the wrong path so that we could share in the everyday life, just for a moment, of a rural Orthodox Christian peasant family who have born witness to, and participated in, the historic missionary life of our Church.

Tanzania and James: St Jacob of Alaska 2011 Update

Dear friends,

Furaha na amani! Joy and peace!

And greetings from Tanzanian winter. It's hovering around 18 degrees- 65 Fahrenheit- and although it's the dry season we have had some small rainshowers. I've been reading about the extreme heat waves in North America. If you're pitying me for having to endure Africa's supposedly harsh and unforgiving climate, don't!

Here in Mwanza we are making final preparations for receiving volunteers from the Finnish Orthodox Mission and OCMC who will participate in a rural youth seminar in Muleba District of Kagera Region. This is an annual event, taking place in a different deanery each year, and currently our major ministry with youth at an Archdiocesan level. Event planning in rural Tanzania is a little different from event planning in North America. It's been fun.

In June, I was pleased to welcome two newcomers to the Archdiocese of Mwanza. OCMC Missionary Maria Roeber, a maternity nurse from Georgetown, arrived last month after more than two years of preparation. Maria hopes to help the Archdiocese of Mwanza develop its health care ministry, possibly by working at Resurrection Hospital in Bukoba or through other means. She is also helping OCMC to develop regional long-term health-care strategy elsewhere in East Africa. Maria is currently stationed in Bukoba town for her time of language and culture acquisition, and I have thoroughly enjoyed catching up with her in the past two weeks.

Meg Engelbach, an Intercultural Studies/ Linguistics student at Biola University in Southern California, is serving a summer internship here in the Archdiocese of Mwanza. She is living with a local family in Mwanza city, sharing in their life and learning from them. Meg is also learning Kiswahili and using her experience to help improve language-learning materials to better address East African linguaculture. God willing, Meg's notes and suggestions will be of benefit to future OCMC missionaries as they learn language in this part of the world. I've enjoyed having Meg around, and am very impressed with her dedication and adaptability. It is my hope to continue to play a role in welcoming students and interns to share life with us here in Western Tanzania as they broaden their own experiences and make decisions about possible long-term missionary service in the future.

It's been a good winter, and I'm looking forward to what lies ahead. I am grateful to each of you for your prayers, encouragement, and long-term commitment to financial support. I am here because of you. Stay in touch!

By your prayers in Christ,

James Hargrave

To Supporters of Katie Wilcoxson

Dear Supporters of Katie Wilcoxson,

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

On behalf of all our missionaries and staff, thank you so very much for your faithful financial support and prayers for Katie Wilcoxson, OCMC missionary to Tanzania. As you are aware, Katie was “tried by fire” from the beginning of her assignment, having to undergo an emergency appendectomy very soon after her arrival in Tanzania. During the months that followed, she experienced pain which defied diagnosis. On 21 April Katie returned to the USA on medical leave. We have worked diligently and long with her to provide good care for soul and body, hoping for clearance from our medical professionals for her to return to Tanzania to resume missionary service. Unfortunately, that clearance has not yet been given. Options and short-term alternative assignments were discussed with Katie, but on 29 July we received her letter of resignation, and we regretfully accepted it. She wrote these words in her final letter to her support team:

I'm sure this will come as a surprise for many of you, but I turned in my resignation with OCMC. Of course, that was a very difficult decision, but I know that it was the right one for me. I will miss my Tanzanian family and friends, but I want to thank each and every one of you for your prayers and your kindness and your support.

We are grateful for Katie’s willingness to serve our Lord through His Church in Africa, and for the offering of her skills and talents to this worthy ministry. We are very thankful for her faithful and loving family, for her life-giving parish in Cedar Park, Texas, and for her Archdiocese which so faithfully supported her. We are going to miss her. I know you will continue to pray with us for her health and welfare, knowing that God’s ultimate plans for her will continue to unfold in accordance with her salvation and His holy will. No doubt, the Lord has special plans for Katie.

According to OCMC policy and IRS regulations, any remaining balance of funds in Katie’s support account will be disbursed to other missionaries serving in Africa. Your donations will be well invested into the lives of current and future missionaries. OCMC has four other missionaries serving in Africa at this time, and more applicants and new missionary candidates are now being prepared for service. Thank you in advance on their behalf for helping to make this all possible.

We encourage you to consider transferring your pledge or designate future support to another OCMC missionary so we can continue our work in Africa. You may do so by using the enclosed form to indicate your intentions. Please keep Katie, OCMC, and all of our missionaries throughout the world in your prayers, as we continue to thank God for you.

Yours because of Christ,

Fr. David Rucker
Associate Director

OCMC Missionaries Need Your Prayers and Support

There are currently 23 Orthodox Christians from United States serving, or preparing to serve, as long-term OCMC missionaries in places like Alaska, Albania, Kenya, Japan, and Tanzania. These faithful servants offer a living witness to the Orthodox Faith and the hope, love, and salvation made possible through Christ to people who may have never heard the message of the Gospel. Please pray for our brothers and sisters who have answered the call to give two or more years of their life to the work of making disciples of all nations. Please remember them in your prayers and support their ministry efforts by visiting http://www.ocmc.org/donate and click “Support a Missionary”. Thank you in advance for making this vital work of the Church possible.

Maria Roeber's First Report from the Field

Farah na amani! Joy and Peace!

This is the traditional Christian greeting here in Tanzania, and it’s one of the first phrases I’ve learned since arriving here about a week ago! Greetings from Bukoba!

My journey here started in State College, Pennsylvania where I’d been staying with my parents for the month of May, having moved out of my apartment in the DC area. While Mom headed to California to visit my brother, Dad drove me down to Washington, where I boarded a plane for London. My next flight took me to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Next I flew to Mwanza, a smaller city on the Eastern side of Lake Victoria. My fellow OCMC Missionary, Michael Pagedas, welcomed me to town and we spent a couple of days resting there before taking an overnight ferry across Lake Victoria to Bukoba!

I’m living in a house belonging to the Orthodox Church , right next to Twelve Apostles Orthodox Church, quite a fitting name since my first Sunday Liturgy here fell on the Feast of Pentecost! Between Matins and Liturgy, Kneeling Vespers and the Churching of a mother and child, the service lasted about four hours! Quite a welcome! I now know a few more phrases in Kiswahili: “Bwana hurumia,” means “Lord, have mercy,” and “Amina” means “Amen!” I’ve also learned that “Karibu!” means, “Welcome!” and everyone here says it to me! “Asante” means, “Thank you!” and I say that word more than anything else!

The weather here is a balmy 75 degrees, with blue skies and sunshine all day, every day. We’re officially in the “dry season,” so I’m being diligent about sunscreen and hats, as we’re very close to the equator . Outside the house are palm trees and roses in the front garden, as well as an avocado tree in the back yard! We’ve had guacamole for dinner a couple of times already!

Speaking of food, the diet here consists mostly of carbohydrate staples like beans and rice, and potatoes. We eat those every day for our main meal, and usually have some type of fried bread for breakfast. I’ve eaten pineapple and guava so far, and vegetables are usually green peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. Dairy is fairly non-existent, although you can buy eggs here. Meat is rare in our household diet. We do have access to bottled water, which I am drinking almost to the exclusion of anything else!

Each morning the church bells awaken us for Matins, which is served at 7 am, and every evening we hear Father ring the bell for Vespers at 6 pm. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, we go to Liturgy. I’m blessed to have a copy of the Divine Liturgy with Kiswahili on one page and English on the next, so I am able to participate a little. I’ve been made most welcome in the congregation by many people, but especially by Simeon, our priest’s 16 month-old son. Simeon toddles up to me any time I enter church and either grabs my fingers to hold my hand or throws both of his arms around my knees until I pick him up. He’s been a delightful companion, as he’s in about the same language-development stage as I!

I have so much more to tell you, but I’ll save it for another update. Overall, I am well and am almost adjusted to the time change, I’m making small journeys into town to learn my way around and accomplish chores and errands, and I am blessed to live with dear friends and missionaries from the United States, so I am well supported by people who’ve been here for nearly a year.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support over the past year! I wouldn’t be here without you, and I am so excited to begin my ministry as a nurse and more importantly as a loving witness for Christ! You are in my prayers and I ask for yours! Glory to God for all things!


In Christ,

Maria

P.S. Check out the OCMC website or my Facebook page for videos and pictures of my commissioning in Washington, DC and of life here in Africa!

P.P.S. Feel free to email me by responding to this message—it’ll only be sent to me, and I am eager to here from you!

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.

Serpents and Doves: An Update from OCMC Missionary Michael Pagedas

You’re living/traveling abroad and a complete stranger approaches you while you’re walking down the street. He/she is extremely eager to get to know you, and the fact that he/she speaks English makes the possibility of a friendship more likely. Not knowing many other people (or the local language), you decide to reach out to this person to make a connection, having no idea if this will end up being a legitimate friendship or merely one of convenience for the other person.

Living in another country can be a very eye-opening and rewarding experience, but it also presents a whole new set of challenges. You are immediately plunged into a different set of customs and rules, and if that isn’t enough to make your head spin, you are forced to learn the art of interpersonal relationships. The dynamic of these relationships can be unfamiliar and can sometimes even become awkward.

Whenever I travel abroad, I am almost always in the company of locals I know and trust who can take me around to the nice places, steer me away from the not-so-nice ones, and serve as a translator if I have difficulties with the language. Even in situations like a short-term mission, you don’t have to worry so much because you are only around for a few weeks and, for the most part, you are kept in a protective zone by your hosts. A long-term mission is another story because it is impossible to have a local on-hand at all times to accompany you on your forays into the community and be there if you need a translator. You will need to be on your own at some point and when that happens, it’s better to know all you can about the culture you’re entering.

In Matthew 10:16, Jesus tells His disciples, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” One of the messages here is to not let your guard down and allow others to take advantage of you (wise as serpents), and when someone does take advantage of you or otherwise wrongs you, it is important to not seek retribution (harmless as doves).

When I arrived in Africa last July, I lacked the wisdom of a serpent. I was so focused on not making a negative first impression that I would be kind and open to every person I met. I had to rely on my new hosts to give me the “African perspective” of how things operate. One of my close African friends told me that I was being “too nice” and that I should keep my guard up wherever I go and not always be so trusting. This adjustment phase (which is still going on and will most likely continue for the duration of my term) involves setting boundaries for friends, acquaintances, and people who may greet you in passing on the street. The trick is being able to discern who the wolves are and not blocking out the sheep.

The hypothetical situation I posed at the beginning actually did happen to me when I was still living in Dar es Salaam. I was walking from the Salvation Army compound to an outdoor restaurant just up the road one evening when I saw a very tall guy dressed in shorts and a t-shirt approaching me. Even before he reached me, he was greeting me like we were old friends. He then started speaking to me in English without even hearing me say a word. He told me his name was Apollo and that he was a soldier in the Tanzanian Army. He was on his way out of the neighboring compound where he had been playing basketball. I was intrigued by him, so I decided to invite him to join me for dinner. We had a nice conversation, and my inner voice confirmed that he wasn’t a threat. On a subsequent meeting with Apollo, I invited him to come back to the Salvation Army compound with me so we could watch a movie. As soon as we got to the gate, the person who was guarding (someone I knew well) refused to let Apollo enter. I thought this a bit extreme, but the guard later told me that it’s generally not a good idea to let a stranger into your home. The guard’s explanation was this: the stranger may be a thief who will, upon seeing the possessions in your home, come back later to steal them. Even if the stranger isn’t a thief, there is still a chance that his findings in your home will be made public. For example, if he sees that you have a nice laptop, he may tell his friends about what a cool laptop you have. Even if this is done innocently, those friends may tell other friends, and so on, until someone finds out who may want to acquire your laptop illegally.

Another scenario: I try to take a walk into town every day, both to get exercise and to practice my Swahili. Bukoba being on the small side of urban centers, I will often run into someone I know or someone I don’t know who wants to be friendly. Usually, at some point in the conversation, I will be asked where I’m going or even where I live. Eight months ago, I would have answered those questions directly. I have since learned that I don’t need to volunteer specific information and that it’s often better to be vague. “Oh, I’m just walking around to get exercise” or “I live near the Orthodox Church.” The reality is that anyone who really wants to know where I live can easily find out. We live on a busy street and people see me come and go at different times of the day. However, I’ve been told that volunteering that information even to someone you think you know well can have results very similar to the previous situation.

I’m sure that the average Tanzanian goes through the same relationship-forming growing pains that we missionaries do, but the fact that we are obvious outsiders and on a different socioeconomic level makes us more noticeable. No matter how much we tell people that we don’t have a lot of money and are trying to live like Tanzanians, we are still on a completely different playing field, and that makes it all the more important that we be “wise as serpents.”

The flip side of this is becoming too distant and not letting anyone get too close to you. This may prevent someone from taking advantage of you, but it also defeats the whole purpose of mission work. So far, I have been blessed to be surrounded by sheep, but that doesn’t mean wolves won’t try to sneak in here and there. I have been struggling with how best to respond to those wolves. It is important to set boundaries and be firm when necessary, but I have two things working against me. One is the lack of anonymity (see previous paragraph). The other is the fact that I am being watched in everything I do--by fellow missionaries, by the people in my social circles, and by complete strangers. If I let my emotions get the best of me and lash out at someone, whether verbally or physically, then it won’t be very long before everyone knows about it. On the one hand, that may be good to detract other wolves from crossing the line, but it could also carry a stigma that may negatively (and irreversibly) affect my mission.

The nature of African relationships is different from that of American relationships. Each has its own set of expectations and boundaries. The role of money in the relationship is also very different, but I will talk about that more in a future blog.

Great Lent in Tanzania

Great Lent or Mfungo Mkubwa has begun! Before it began, I was confident that it would be easier to give up certain things here than if I were back home. Then I realized that I had been without those things anyway for the past eight months. The way we have been eating up till now has almost been like a fast in itself, save for the special treats we get in care packages, so I was concerned that it would be difficult to give anything up from an already basic diet. I then had to remind myself that Great Lent is about more than just fasting from food. I now have an opportunity to focus on “cleaning the inside of the cup” and participating in more Lenten services. That is something I never really had the chance to do back in the states. I would always get preoccupied with earthly matters and kept finding excuses to not go to more Lenten services. Now, I am free from a lot of those worries back home, and I live right next door to the church. I intend to take full advantage of that.

I have posted videos from the Sunday of Orthodoxy. One video is of the icon procession around the outside of the church.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzXtIB2FtPM

The other is of the blessing of Fr. Spyridon’s new home (done after Liturgy on the Sunday of Orthodoxy).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3mGzjfTn_c

I also recently had a Skype conversation with the Sunday School from my home parish (Annunciation Church in Milwaukee, WI). I have posted those videos, as well.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGnaOHoXJno
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwG1INDi_lA

Thank you to my support team!

Michael
m.pagedas@ocmc.org

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.

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