Letter from Madagascar: with heart and awareness. Επιστολή από την Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία της Μαδαγασκάρης.

Dear brothers,

It is with great joy that I am writing to you in order to let you know about the progress of the projects. At the same time though, I regret to inform you about the increase in the number of problems. The Grace of God is accompanying and strengthening us in this difficult period we are going through. It is undoubtedly an ordeal as well as a lesson for all of us.

Συσσίτιο στη Μαδαγασκάρη, Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία- Ιεραποστολή, 2014

Firstly, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks not only for your continuous support to our humble ministry, but also for the funding of a number of projects.

Secondly, I would like to inform you that there have been significant cutbacks in the project-funding, and we only maintain those that are absolutely necessary. Some of the projects have been completed, like two houses for priests so as not to pay any more rents, which are covered by the Mission, the repair work of three church buildings which were completely destroyed by the typhoons and the floods and two Holy Churches which are about to be completed. The construction of the Orphanage has stopped after we managed to have it covered with a roof so as to protect it from the torrential rains, which have already started.

The difficulties are plentiful and so are the needs, which cannot be met. We send our prayers to the benevolent God and to the Most Holy Theotokos for the continuation of the missionary work.
We have already reduced the teaching staff in several schools and have cut down on the expenses where it was possible. Our earnest requests to all the missionary societies as well as individuals for the support of the work of the Church are constant.

Urged on by His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria and all Africa, we are trying to create a source of revenue within the country itself, by doing some form of gainful work – initially a livestock unit. This also needs some funding, though. This is why we appeal to your kind heart for financial support, according to your capabilities, of course. We would be grateful for that.

This period we are having a lot of christenings taking place in many villages, where the priests in cooperation with the catechists have prepared the catechumens in order to receive the first and fundamental Mystery of our Faith.

A team of doctors from Cyprus with The Most Reverend Chrysostomos Metropolitan of Kition in charge, a person who has repeatedly visited us in the past, offers its services to poor and suffering sick people.

The Mission never stops offering its services on a spiritual as well as philanthropic level. However, there are new needs that arise every day, and the people ministering cannot find time to meet all of them.
Let us pray that God reveals more persons with missionary spirit to work in His vineyard.

With love in Christ
Ignatius Orthodox Christian Bishop of Madagascar

http://orthodoxmission.org.gr/2014/01/letter-from-madagascar-with-heart-and-awareness/

Ἀγαπητοὶ ἀδελφοί,

Μὲ πολλὴ χαρὰ ἐπικοινωνῶ μαζί σας γιὰ νὰ σᾶς ἐνημερώσω διὰ τὴν πρόοδο τῶν ἐργασιῶν, συγχρόνως ὅμως δυστυχῶς καὶ γιὰ τὴν αὔξηση τῶν προβλημάτων. Ἡ Χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ μᾶς συνοδεύει καὶ μᾶς ἐνισχύει στὶς δύσκολες ἡμέρες ποὺ διερχόμεθα. Εἶναι γιὰ ὅλους μας μία δοκιμασία καὶ ἕνα μάθημα.

Κατ’ ἀρχὰς θὰ ἤθελα νὰ σᾶς εὐχαριστήσω διὰ τὴ συνεχὴ συμπαράστασή σας στὴν ταπεινή μας διακονία, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴ χρηματοδότηση ἀρκετῶν ἔργων.

Οἱ δαπάνες σὲ ἔργα ἔχουν μειωθεῖ αἰσθητὰ καὶ μόνο στὰ ἀπαραίτητα προχωροῦμε. Μερικὰ τελείωσαν, ὅπως δύο κατοικίες γιὰ ἱερεῖς γιὰ νὰ ἀπαλλαγοῦμε ἀπὸ τὰ ἐνοίκια τὰ ὁποῖα καλύπτει ἡ Ἱεραποστολή, οἱ ἐπισκευὲς τριῶν Ναῶν ποὺ εἶχαν καταστραφεῖ τελείως ἀπὸ τοὺς τυφῶνες καὶ τὶς πλημμύρες καὶ δύο Ἱεροὶ Ναοὶ ποὺ πλησιάζουν πρὸς τὸ τέλος των. Ἡ κατασκευὴ τοῦ ὀρφανοτροφείου σταμάτησε, ἀφοῦ κατορθώσαμε νὰ τὸ σκεπάσουμε γιὰ νὰ τὸ προφυλάξουμε ἀπὸ τὶς καταρρακτώδεις βροχὲς ποὺ ἄρχισαν.

Οἱ δυσκολίες πολλὲς καθὼς καὶ οἱ ἀνάγκες τὶς ὁποῖες δὲν μποροῦμε ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων νὰ καλύψουμε. Ἡ προσευχή μας ἐντονώτερη πρὸς τὸν φιλάνθρωπο Θεὸ καὶ τὴν Ὑπεραγία Θεοτόκο διὰ τὴ συνέχιση τοῦ Ἱεραποστολικοῦ ἔργου.

Ἤδη περιορίσαμε, ὅσο ἦταν δυνατὸν καὶ τὸ διδακτικὸ προσωπικὸ ἀπὸ μερικὰ σχολεῖα καὶ κάναμε ὅποιες περικοπὲς ἦταν δυνατὸν καὶ ἔπρεπε νὰ γίνουν. Οἱ προσκλήσεις μας πρὸς ὅλους τοὺς ἱεραποστολικοὺς Συλλόγους ἀλλὰ καὶ ἰδιῶτες εἶναι συνεχεὶς πρὸς στήριξιν τοῦ ἔργου τῆς Ἐκκλησίας.

Κατὰ προτροπὴ τοῦ Μακαριωτάτου Πάπα καὶ Πατριάρχου κ.κ. Θεοδώρου, προσπαθοῦμε νὰ δημιουργήσουμε ἔσοδα μέσα ἀπὸ τὴν χώρα, κάνοντας κάποια ἐπικερδὴ ἐργασία – ἀρχικά, κτηνοτροφικὴ μονάδα. Χρειάζεται ὅμως καὶ γι αὐτὸ τὸ ἔργο κάποιο κεφάλαιο. Γι’ αὐτὸ σᾶς παρακαλοῦμε πολὺ, ἐὰν μπορεῖτε, νὰ μᾶς ἐνισχύσετε ἀναλόγως τῶν δυνατοτήτων σας. Θὰ σᾶς εἴμαστε εὐγνώμονες.

Στὸ διάστημα αὐτὸ γίνονται καὶ ἀρκετὲς βαπτίσεις σὲ πολλὰ χωριὰ ὅπου οἱ ἱερεῖς σὲ συνεργασία μὲ τοὺς κατηχητὲς ἔχουν προετοιμάσει τοὺς κατηχουμένους γιὰ νὰ δεχθοῦν τὸ πρῶτο καὶ θεμελιῶδες Μυστήριο τῆς Πίστεως.

Μία ὁμάδα γιατρῶν ἀπὸ τὴν Κύπρο μὲ ἐπικεφαλῆς τὸν Σεβασμιώτατον Μητροπολίτην Κιτίου κ.κ. Χρυσόστομον προσφέρει τὶς ὑπηρεσίες της στοὺς πτωχοὺς καὶ πονεμένους ἀρρώστους.

Τὸ ἱεραποστολικὸ ἔργο ποτὲ δὲν σταματᾶ νὰ προσφέρει τὶς ὑπηρεσίες του σὲ πνευματικὸ καὶ φιλανθρωπικὸ ἐπίπεδο. Συνεχῶς ὑπάρχουν ἀνάγκες καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι ποὺ διακονοῦν, δὲν προφθάνουν νὰ τὶς καλύψουν.

Ἂς εὐχηθοῦμε στὸν Θεὸ νὰ παρουσιάσει κι ἄλλα πρόσωπα μὲ Ἱεραποστολικὸ πνεῦμα γιὰ νὰ ἐργασθοῦν στὸν ἀμπελῶνα του.

Μὲ ἀγάπη Χριστοῦ

† Ὁ Μαδαγασκάρης Ἰγνάτιος

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