Margo Kelley, OCMC Assistant Missionary Coordinator, offered me an opportunity to shake hands digitally over Skype with the parish family of St. Christopher Hellenic Orthodox Church and their parish priest, Rev. Fr. George Tsahakis. My first contact with this parish was from my previous ministry at the Protection of the Theotokos Family Center (PTFC). We received beautifully hand-knitted shawls for the struggling mothers from the St. Christopher’s Philoptochos Society through the visiting 2009 OCMC Mission Team. Now two years later, God has brought us together so that we can support each other in our ministries.
I have been organizing a knitting group held once a week with the teenage girls at the halfway house in Orhei in the Republic of Moldova. For each meeting, I prepared a topic to discuss so that we use our time in a constructive way. One of my goals is to build faith in these girls. The Prayer Shawl Ministry has reached out to support others in prayer through clothing the naked. Here in Orhei, adoption of this ministry can set a foundation for these girls to pray while knitting, and to knit with a more targeted purpose.
The parish of St. Christopher was equipped with all the tools necessary to perform the Skype call. We were in the narthex of the church for the meeting because they are using a temporary office space until they build their church. We had a good internet connection and webcam capabilities that brought a whole other dimension to the call. In the time span of fifteen minutes, I shared my current ministry and enjoyed a general period of questions and answers. This was such a meaningful time together to express the impact of the far-reaching Prayer Shawl Ministry and the gratitude of those who are touched by it.
This first parish Skype call also made a significant impact on me as a missionary. As I am the only OCMC Missionary in Moldova, one of my weaknesses is in battling the thoughts of loneliness. To fight these thoughts of loneliness, time and time again God shows mercy and provides people and activities to witness to me that I am not alone. God has blessed me to meet many parishes so that we could continue the work of Holy Spirit together. For me, the support team has been a tremendous part of my ministry and I will encourage other parishes to use their technology to connect with me in the ministry in a real way.
I am calling out to parish priests, OCMC Ambassadors, and faithful to make this type of internet meeting a future possibility. My Skype name is christinasemonocmc. Please email me to arrange the scheduling of our Skype call so that we, too, may greet one another face-to-face and beyond any distance.
Showing posts with label Moldova. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moldova. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
An Update from Missionary Christina Semon
Dear Friends,
Glory to God for all things! My utmost appreciation for your prayers and support!
Your prayers have not been in vain as trials and struggles are prevalent in the missionary field. I have relocated to a new parish in the town called Orhei to better serve my youth ministry. Most of the youth were on summer vacation and those young people that were around had wonderful and exciting experiences at summer religious camps and pilgrimages. The Metropolia of Bucovia and Moldova of Romania invited us to participate in these spiritual events and one could see their love for their neighboring brothers and sisters.
Now that school has started in Orhei, the amount of activity for the body of the church will increase at the local parish church called Saint Basil. Through the blessing of Fr. Sergiu Aga, parish priest of St. Basil, I am currently developing an English program for all ages and a knitting activity with young ladies at the half-way house called “Toward Independence” run by Diaconia- the social outreach department of the Bessarabian Orthodox Church. We have already initiated these activities which are improving as time goes by and we are eager to provide more ways of feeding the souls of the youth.
It is true that ministry work can take time; but if you yourself don’t watch your soul, you can spiritually dry up. To avoid this danger, and better equip me as a missionary, I have enrolled in the Masters’ Program in the Theological Department at Alexander Ioan Cuza University in Iasi, Romania. This theological education can enable me to have credentials that will be of benefit in the mission field and life in general. Also, in the near future, we are looking forward to planting little seeds through inaugurating a catechism class for children and a church youth group to educate and build leadership within the youth of today.
I wish all of you a happy ecclesiastical new year and good strength in following Christ!
In Christ,
Christina Semon
Glory to God for all things! My utmost appreciation for your prayers and support!
Your prayers have not been in vain as trials and struggles are prevalent in the missionary field. I have relocated to a new parish in the town called Orhei to better serve my youth ministry. Most of the youth were on summer vacation and those young people that were around had wonderful and exciting experiences at summer religious camps and pilgrimages. The Metropolia of Bucovia and Moldova of Romania invited us to participate in these spiritual events and one could see their love for their neighboring brothers and sisters.
Now that school has started in Orhei, the amount of activity for the body of the church will increase at the local parish church called Saint Basil. Through the blessing of Fr. Sergiu Aga, parish priest of St. Basil, I am currently developing an English program for all ages and a knitting activity with young ladies at the half-way house called “Toward Independence” run by Diaconia- the social outreach department of the Bessarabian Orthodox Church. We have already initiated these activities which are improving as time goes by and we are eager to provide more ways of feeding the souls of the youth.
It is true that ministry work can take time; but if you yourself don’t watch your soul, you can spiritually dry up. To avoid this danger, and better equip me as a missionary, I have enrolled in the Masters’ Program in the Theological Department at Alexander Ioan Cuza University in Iasi, Romania. This theological education can enable me to have credentials that will be of benefit in the mission field and life in general. Also, in the near future, we are looking forward to planting little seeds through inaugurating a catechism class for children and a church youth group to educate and build leadership within the youth of today.
I wish all of you a happy ecclesiastical new year and good strength in following Christ!
In Christ,
Christina Semon
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
A Helping Hand: An Update from OCMC Missionary Christina Semon
My travels back to Romania went without problems, thanks be to God. My fellow Missionaries, Floyd and Ancuta Frantz, were hosting me for several of the days that I was in Cluj. On the schedule for Palm Sunday was a food/clothing drive for the Protection of Theotokos Family Center (PTFC) at Holy Annunciation Romanian Orthodox Church which is located near the Center. We parked the van in the courtyard of the parish. . The priest came out before the service to ask how we were doing and blessed us to have a van full of goodies for our mothers and babies of the Center. At our location in front of the church, people of all ages came to the van to give their donations. We caught peoples’ attention with our presence in the neighborhood. It was humbling and yet wonderful to see the grandmothers and the elderly bring in a bag of flour or cooking oil to us. That was all they could afford to give. Many of the elderly are barely able to survive on the low pensions that they receive, but they came to us to sacrificially give and participate with the Center in this effort. I learned something very special from this event. Once we acknowledged people’s gifts with a ‘thank you’, many of them responded by saying, “May God receive.” In other words, they are saying that they do not deserve the credit; but rather that the credit belongs to God.
This is an example of the community taking responsibility for their own people. The priest of the parish started a relationship with the PTFC. His heart was touched by the services offered to the mothers and their babies. Through his leadership, he was able to gather and encourage his parishioners to participate in taking care of their people.
OCMC’s goal is to help local churches be the Church to its own people. The PTFC has been receiving boxes of generous clothing donations from many parishes in the USA. Through their prayers and holy action, which enable these shipments, seeds of Christ’s love are being planted in the fertile soil of Romania. The director of the PTFC, OCMC Missionary Ancuta Frantz, said that she did not expect such a strong response. There have not been many parishes that have jumped to action like this parish in the history of the PTFC. The outcome was a full van loaded with food and clothing essentials for the PTFC to assist the mothers and their babies that God has brought to them.
Glory to God for all things!
This is an example of the community taking responsibility for their own people. The priest of the parish started a relationship with the PTFC. His heart was touched by the services offered to the mothers and their babies. Through his leadership, he was able to gather and encourage his parishioners to participate in taking care of their people.
OCMC’s goal is to help local churches be the Church to its own people. The PTFC has been receiving boxes of generous clothing donations from many parishes in the USA. Through their prayers and holy action, which enable these shipments, seeds of Christ’s love are being planted in the fertile soil of Romania. The director of the PTFC, OCMC Missionary Ancuta Frantz, said that she did not expect such a strong response. There have not been many parishes that have jumped to action like this parish in the history of the PTFC. The outcome was a full van loaded with food and clothing essentials for the PTFC to assist the mothers and their babies that God has brought to them.
Glory to God for all things!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Paschal Greetings to the Moldovan Elderly: An Update from Missionary Christina Semon
The youth of St. John Maximovich Social/Youth Center were focused on feeding the elderly. They collected old paper that people had around their homes. They turned in all the paper to a paper company which was recycling it and, in return, they received money. They did not use this money to take a special excursion for themselves but instead used it reached out to the sick and poor elderly in town during the Great Feast of Pascha. They made food bags for 10 elderly and they would have done more bags but that it was all they could do.
As I got to hear this beautiful news, I asked the question of how the elderly would get these bags. The youth said that they would ride their bicycles to their houses. I thought that would be a big challenge since they were carrying eggs! So I offered my car to assist with the deliveries which would not have been possible without the blessing of my support team in allowing me to have this transportation. The kids were excited about this offer of mine. We loaded the car and left to greet and visit the elderly from the church, especially those who were not well enough to make it to church.
As the driver, I could see from the car some of their facial expressions of joy and appreciation that the kids remember them this Pascha. The poor elderly gave a simple joy which truly made an impression on the youth on the day before Pascha.
As I got to hear this beautiful news, I asked the question of how the elderly would get these bags. The youth said that they would ride their bicycles to their houses. I thought that would be a big challenge since they were carrying eggs! So I offered my car to assist with the deliveries which would not have been possible without the blessing of my support team in allowing me to have this transportation. The kids were excited about this offer of mine. We loaded the car and left to greet and visit the elderly from the church, especially those who were not well enough to make it to church.
As the driver, I could see from the car some of their facial expressions of joy and appreciation that the kids remember them this Pascha. The poor elderly gave a simple joy which truly made an impression on the youth on the day before Pascha.
Friday, April 8, 2011
My Next Assignment to The Republic of Moldova: An Update from Missionary Christina Semon
Following the completion of my first term in Romania, God has opened the door for me to serve next in The Republic of Moldova. My second term of missionary service will draw upon the experiences and skills I have acquired in the last two years of my life and ministry among the Romanians. Along with my co-workers and my future Moldovan ‘family’, Fr. Ioan and Preoteasa Michaela Cristea who will host me in their home in Leova, I look forward to entering a new culture, building new relationships, and sharing in this blessing to help build a parish youth program. As a team we will be helping to strengthen the spiritual foundation of the Church there.
Fr. Ioan expressed to me the need for help in establishing this ministry. We are now collaborating with him in this vital mission to raise up leaders who will assist in the organization and direction of this program for the Moldovan youth. Please consider joining with me on the front lines through increased prayer and financial support for the continuation of my missionary service in a land where our Orthodox brothers and sisters are calling for help, and the devastating effects of Communism are still greatly felt.
Thank you to those parishes across the United States that I have been honored to visit during the past two months as I prepared for my new assignment. I am strengthened by your love and encouragement, and will return to the mission field before Holy Week to begin life in Moldova. Please visit my webpage at http://csemon.ocmc.org to see photos taken on my journey and read more about my experience as an OCMC Missionary as they get posted.
Fr. Ioan expressed to me the need for help in establishing this ministry. We are now collaborating with him in this vital mission to raise up leaders who will assist in the organization and direction of this program for the Moldovan youth. Please consider joining with me on the front lines through increased prayer and financial support for the continuation of my missionary service in a land where our Orthodox brothers and sisters are calling for help, and the devastating effects of Communism are still greatly felt.
Thank you to those parishes across the United States that I have been honored to visit during the past two months as I prepared for my new assignment. I am strengthened by your love and encouragement, and will return to the mission field before Holy Week to begin life in Moldova. Please visit my webpage at http://csemon.ocmc.org to see photos taken on my journey and read more about my experience as an OCMC Missionary as they get posted.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Three Holy Hierarchs Update from OCMC Missionary Christina Semon
The Holy Three Hierarchs
January 30, 2011
Dear Support Team,
My sincere greetings as we celebrate together the remembrance of the Holy Three Hierarchs. My friends, here we are already closing the first term of our missionary service. It is customary for OCMC Missionaries to come home after their assignment, and to return to OCMC for debriefing before touching base with family and friends. It is time for reviewing what I have learned from my first assignment so that I may apply it to my next assignment. Final consideration is being given to bridging my life experience in Romania with her eastern neighbor, The Republic of Moldova.
I have already begun to wrap up my ministry work in Romania while exploring this next field assignment. I am grateful to have been able to work alongside dedicated colleagues to gain from their experience in the organization of special activities, especially for the St. Dimitrie Program, in occupational therapy. My co-workers and good friends, OCMC Missionaries Floyd and Ancuta Frantz, have been guiding, teaching, and supporting me since I set foot in Romania, and even challenging me to answer all I feel the Lord is calling me to do. They are generously offering to continue working with me even while serving in my next assignment. To further help in this transition, I have been examining all I have learned thus far as a missionary so that I can build bridges to my next field of service.
The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) has initiated the process for reviewing and approving my 2nd term in The Republic of Moldova. It is new territory for missions; therefore the final stage is set for welcoming Father David Rucker, the Associate Director of OCMC, for a visit to the Metropolis Seat in the capitol city of Chisinau. Floyd Frantz and I have, on several occasions, journeyed to Moldova to see the outcome of Floyd's efforts with an anti-alcohol program, and to meet his network of friends in the Republic of Moldova. This Republic is one of the poorest countries in Europe. Communism ruled for 70 years until August 27th 1991 and, to this day, it still maintains a strong influence. There is a weak infrastructure of the Church in regard to youth ministry which impacts the current generation, and may affect who knows how many future generations to come. The needs of the Church are many, but especially needful is the development of spirituality among the faithful and youth ministry. My work experience in Romania could, by God's grace, be an effective and useful contribution in serving her Sister Church in Moldova. Also, this presents an opportunity to collaborate internationally, by possibly bringing together youth from Romania with youth in the Republic of Moldova and, if God wills, even from as far away as America to share and build friendship in the Body of Christ.
After just sharing with you the ministry prospects for serving in the Republic of Moldova, I will now bring us back to good old home. I will be coming home on February 18th, 2011 and departing on April 15th, 2011. I will be facing the normal side effects of reverse culture shock, but there is a wonderful blessing to reconnect with family and the support team. I value my communication with the support team because it reminds me that I am not alone on the field and that people’s prayers carry me through the challenges in my ministry and life, day by day. Your participation is important for me in this missionary service because the Lord works through us as we labor together in service. It is neat to share stories and updates on the front line where I am serving in the field. I also rejoice in your assistance in providing humanitarian aid for the Protection of the Theotokos Family Center (PTFC) to help clothe the children and mothers. I greatly appreciate my support team’s prayers and financial assistance more than you may realize. We now know that our relationship will have potential to grow deeper because the Lord has opened up a gate on the narrow path for us to enter into a new area for missionary work.
In conclusion, O Holy Three Hierarchs, please pray for us! These three great Hierarchs were known for many things, especially their leadership and labors for the Church. They appeared to the faithful to tell them that they were all equal in standing before God. They had harmony with each other because everything they did was united to Christ, the Head. Our friendship as well was given by the Lord to unite us in order to work for the Holy Spirit in the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Jesus Christ is the focus and force which is driving us to continue together, to do good deeds as these saints have shown us in their lives. Please pray with me as I continue to work on this last stage of preparation for prayerfully considering the Republic of Moldova for our next missionary journey. May God’s will be done!
Love in Christ and God’s help in all things,
Christina Semon
OCMC Missionary to Romania
January 30, 2011
Dear Support Team,
My sincere greetings as we celebrate together the remembrance of the Holy Three Hierarchs. My friends, here we are already closing the first term of our missionary service. It is customary for OCMC Missionaries to come home after their assignment, and to return to OCMC for debriefing before touching base with family and friends. It is time for reviewing what I have learned from my first assignment so that I may apply it to my next assignment. Final consideration is being given to bridging my life experience in Romania with her eastern neighbor, The Republic of Moldova.
I have already begun to wrap up my ministry work in Romania while exploring this next field assignment. I am grateful to have been able to work alongside dedicated colleagues to gain from their experience in the organization of special activities, especially for the St. Dimitrie Program, in occupational therapy. My co-workers and good friends, OCMC Missionaries Floyd and Ancuta Frantz, have been guiding, teaching, and supporting me since I set foot in Romania, and even challenging me to answer all I feel the Lord is calling me to do. They are generously offering to continue working with me even while serving in my next assignment. To further help in this transition, I have been examining all I have learned thus far as a missionary so that I can build bridges to my next field of service.
The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) has initiated the process for reviewing and approving my 2nd term in The Republic of Moldova. It is new territory for missions; therefore the final stage is set for welcoming Father David Rucker, the Associate Director of OCMC, for a visit to the Metropolis Seat in the capitol city of Chisinau. Floyd Frantz and I have, on several occasions, journeyed to Moldova to see the outcome of Floyd's efforts with an anti-alcohol program, and to meet his network of friends in the Republic of Moldova. This Republic is one of the poorest countries in Europe. Communism ruled for 70 years until August 27th 1991 and, to this day, it still maintains a strong influence. There is a weak infrastructure of the Church in regard to youth ministry which impacts the current generation, and may affect who knows how many future generations to come. The needs of the Church are many, but especially needful is the development of spirituality among the faithful and youth ministry. My work experience in Romania could, by God's grace, be an effective and useful contribution in serving her Sister Church in Moldova. Also, this presents an opportunity to collaborate internationally, by possibly bringing together youth from Romania with youth in the Republic of Moldova and, if God wills, even from as far away as America to share and build friendship in the Body of Christ.
After just sharing with you the ministry prospects for serving in the Republic of Moldova, I will now bring us back to good old home. I will be coming home on February 18th, 2011 and departing on April 15th, 2011. I will be facing the normal side effects of reverse culture shock, but there is a wonderful blessing to reconnect with family and the support team. I value my communication with the support team because it reminds me that I am not alone on the field and that people’s prayers carry me through the challenges in my ministry and life, day by day. Your participation is important for me in this missionary service because the Lord works through us as we labor together in service. It is neat to share stories and updates on the front line where I am serving in the field. I also rejoice in your assistance in providing humanitarian aid for the Protection of the Theotokos Family Center (PTFC) to help clothe the children and mothers. I greatly appreciate my support team’s prayers and financial assistance more than you may realize. We now know that our relationship will have potential to grow deeper because the Lord has opened up a gate on the narrow path for us to enter into a new area for missionary work.
In conclusion, O Holy Three Hierarchs, please pray for us! These three great Hierarchs were known for many things, especially their leadership and labors for the Church. They appeared to the faithful to tell them that they were all equal in standing before God. They had harmony with each other because everything they did was united to Christ, the Head. Our friendship as well was given by the Lord to unite us in order to work for the Holy Spirit in the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Jesus Christ is the focus and force which is driving us to continue together, to do good deeds as these saints have shown us in their lives. Please pray with me as I continue to work on this last stage of preparation for prayerfully considering the Republic of Moldova for our next missionary journey. May God’s will be done!
Love in Christ and God’s help in all things,
Christina Semon
OCMC Missionary to Romania
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