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OCMC Missions in Kenya

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Dr. William Black
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Current Team Opportunities

11/19/2018 to 11/28/2018

Teaching
Nyeri– Be part of this small Team of Orthodox women who are interested in sharing their faith to clergy wives in the Diocese of Nyeri! Travel to Kenya and participate in a retreat that will focus on the unique ministry that women have in the Orthodox Church.

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11/28/2018 to 12/8/2018

Youth Work
Nairobi – Are you interested in making a difference in the lives of the youth as they consider their future life goals?

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11/28/2018 to 12/8/2018

Youth Work
Nandi – Are you interested in encouraging the youth of Kenya in their spiritual life? Are you willing to put your faith into action?

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News from the Field

American Clergy Come Through for Kenyan Bishop! You Can Too!

Here is a story that was shared by Fr. Chris Rowe, OCMC's Development Officer, who participated in the Assembly of the OCA Diocese of the Midwest last week. This is a great example of the deep relationships we aim for as Orthodox Christians, supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world:The 57th Assembly of the Diocese of the Midwest was held in Lansing, IL, October 8-10, 2018. His Grace Bishop Neofitos of the Kenyan Diocese of Nyeri and Mount...

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by Fr. Chris Rowe (Posted 10/18/2018)

Make a Gift in Support of Orthodox Clergy and Their Families Serving in the Mission Field!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,As I visit the many countries around the world where the Orthodox Church is trying reach people with the Faith, I am struck by the incredible opportunities and challenges faced by the clergy who are serving as Christ's ambassadors. I am writing you today on behalf of these ambassadors and to ask that you prayerfully consider supporting them in their work.I spend time with these priests and their families. I...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 10/15/2018)

Positions Still Open for Fall 2018 Mission Teams!

Though some of our short-term mission teams have already gone and returned this year, it's not too late to get involved! The Orthodox Christian Mission Center needs your talents and gifts in the mission field. These short-term mission teams are an excellent way to get involved in the Church, and to have an amazing experience in the process.Our fall teams this year continue into early December, and we encourage you to consider signing up for one of them:9/17/2018...

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by Niko Birbilis (Posted 7/30/2018)

Take Up Your Cross in Support of Orthodox Missions this Ecclesiastical New Year

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,"Participating in an Orthodox Mission Team changed my life," reflects an OCMC Team Member. "It was my Faith in action. I grew in Christ as I served others."This OCMC team member was part of an effort that helped build a church for a new community of Orthodox Christians in a small East African village. You can put your Faith into action by making mission teams like this possible with a gift in...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 7/24/2018)

Support Seminaries, Award Scholariships to Future Clergy, and Provide Continuing Education to Priests with Your Gift!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,There was a time, not too many years ago, when there were more than 10 Orthodox theological institutions to train future priests in the mission field. Today, that number has dwindled to 4. The Church in countries that the Mission Center serves is growing, but it is having to do so with fewer and fewer resources to train the clergy needed to pastorally care for the people coming into the Faith. Your support is needed to help these...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 6/21/2018)

Laikipia Farm Project: Hope for Sustainability in Kenya

In spite of torrential rains, the first harvest of the Laikipia, Kenya, farm project has survived. The Diocese of Nyeri and Mt. Kenya, with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Neofitos and in partnership with OCMC, began this agricultural project in Laikipia with the hope to create sustainability, and thanks be to Christ that the rains have not flooded the land or hurt the crops.And now the crops are almost ready to be harvested.During this first year, half of the proceeds from...

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by Caitlyn Sargent (Posted 6/20/2018)

This Lent You have the Opportunity to Give...The Opportunity to Transform Lives Through Orthodox Missions

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,As a priest in the mission field, I have been blessed to perform over 1,000 baptisms. I have held the hand of an old man and cradled the head of an infant as they immerged from the baptismal waters, born anew in Christ. Is there anything more beautiful than knowing that this journey to rebirth has unfolded billions of times over the centuries? By the time this letter reaches you, we will be preparing for Holy Week....

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 2/27/2018)

Kulis Foundation to Assist Seminary Students on OCMC Mission Teams

St. Augustine, FL – "It is very important for us to sacrifice our will to God on a daily basis and trust that He will guide us in the right path," offered one Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) seminarian grant recipient, who was given assistance towards participating on an Orthodox Mission Team. In 2018, grants are available for seminary students, who will have the opportunity to further their education by working in the field, serving the Lord and spreading...

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by Andrew Lekos (Posted 2/7/2018)

The Last Team of 2017 Returns as OCMC Seeks Volunteers for 2018

The last team of 2017 has returned after teaching teens at St. Clement Orthodox School, located near the Makarios III Patriarchal Seminary in Nairobi, through a multi-day youth mentorship program where they taught life skills and shared the Orthodox Christian Faith. The team helped broaden a sense of self-awareness and self-confidence, cultivate an appreciation for education, equip teens and youth with life skills beyond academics, and impart a positive approach and attitude to life through...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 12/22/2017)

Bringing the Healing Power of Christ to Kenya from Romania

Arriving in Kisumu on a Monday afternoon, we were greeted by representatives of His Grace Bishop Athanasios (Akunda), of the Western Diocese of Kenya under the Patriarch of Alexandria, His Beatitude Theodoros II. Fr. Iulian Negru, whom I work with in Romania, accompanied me.The first thing that they did was to put us in the back seat of Fr. Athanasios's car, an old Toyota. Very comfortable, and built like a tank. He told us to sit back and keep the windows rolled up. The windows were...

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by Floyd Frantz (Posted 11/9/2017)

Christian Witness in Kenya: You are Needed for OCMCs Last Teams of 2017!

Share in a Journey of Faith by participating on a short-term OCMC Team this year! Be a witness of Orthodoxy to the world by joining over 110 individuals who have already served on a Mission Team in 2017. There are still openings to participate with and assist the Church in Kenya with Christian witness for the youth, education, and church ministry. A Team to Nyeri will assist the efforts of His Grace Bishop Neofitos by offering a youth program at the Makarios...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 8/16/2017)

Your Prayers and Support Are Making Many Projects Around the World Possible - Thank You!

Each year the Mission Center sends thousands of dollars contributed by individuals and organizations to underwrite projects that help the Church offer a loving witness to the Faith through outreach, education, healthcare, and more. We wanted to share with you some of the work you are making possible in 2017. Thank you for your prayers and your commitment to sharing the Orthodox Faith through some of these incredible ministries. Each one impacts the lives of dozens of people who urgently need...

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by Markella Balasis (Posted 7/19/2017)

Orthodox Seminaries in Need of Urgent Support!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,"My heart is in the seminary, and the seminary remains closed. We should have opened in September. It's almost March. The issue is a lack of funding. The sources of income that powered the seminary from its beginnings in the 1980's dried up with the financial crisis that struck Greece and Cyprus four years ago. Those countries have yet to recover, and the same is true with the seminary's finances."This was the last...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 4/21/2017)

Stories from Kenya

The following is an excerpt from a reflection written by past OCMC Mission Team member Sandy Sipp. Sandy and her daughter, Ella (12 years old), went on the OCMC team to the Makarios Children's Home in Nyeri, Kenya, earlier this year (2016). Sandy reflects on a couple of stories about the people she encountered during her time at the children's home:There is a devout man from the Congo who came to Orthodoxy on his own from reading and studying books on church history, who is...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 12/28/2016)

Before 2016 Comes to an End, Support Missions the Christmas Season!

Dear Brothers and Sister in Christ,I know a place where the most common "illness" is malnutrition. It's in the bone-dry wilderness of Kenya, where we work with the Turkana people.Think about it. There are a lot of diseases in East Africa. The Turkana people suffer those diseases as often as other places in Africa. But hunger is so widespread, Turkana people are more likely to be hungry -- so hungry that it's medically called a disease -- than sick.But...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 12/19/2016)

Support a Mission Priest this October

In the remote region of Turkana, Kenya, Fr. Zechariah shepherds the Church faithfully. He is one of the few priests that serve the Turkana region, and Orthodoxy is steadily growing. Having a priest like Fr. Zechariah preaching the Gospel amongst his own people is one of the greatest ways to bring people to Christ, and the OCMC's SAMP program helps make that possible.The Support a Mission Priest (SAMP) program of the OCMC offers monthly financial assistance to 376 indigenous priests in...

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by OCMC Communications (Posted 10/12/2016)

Answering the Silent Cry: Dr. Bill Black, Missionary Serving in Kenya

Nairobi, Kenya is home to more than 3 million people and has a vibrant atmosphere where the Orthodox Church is growing. Located in Nairobi is the Makarios III Patriarchal Orthodox Seminary which trains future priests to lead the ever-growing Orthodox Church in Kenya and the surrounding area. The students who attend are from all over Africa, not just Kenya. There are around 250-300 Orthodox parishes in Kenya alone, and the need for catechesis is great.Dr. Black, OCMC long-term...

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by Sara Staff (Posted 8/18/2016)

Support the Training of Priests at Orthodox Seminaries Across the Globe

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,You could hardly imagine two men worse for the job.But that's not how God saw things. He chose St. Peter and St. Paul to build His Church and spread it to new places. He knew what He was doing!Now we celebrate the feast day of these missionary saints who helped build the foundation of our Orthodox Church. I encourage you to honor St. Peter and St. Paul and their missionary work in a special way: By sending a donation...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 6/17/2016)

It's Not Too Late! Support Orthodox Missions this Lenten Season!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,It's Lent! Again!Lent can be hard. Especially the fast.But you know as well as I do, Lent is one of the greatest gifts God has given us Christians. Just as spring is a time when nature "wakes up," Lent is when we "wake up" spiritually. And find ourselves truly ready to receive the miracle of Pascha.I've enclosed a Quick Guide to Lent. It's no substitute for what your priest...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 4/14/2016)

Planting More Seeds Among the Turkana: The 2016 OCMC Evangelism Team to Kenya

In the face of 100 degree heat, the shade offered by the large tree we approached was welcoming, but would the 90+ people already gathered beneath the tree be as welcoming? We had traveled by truck for more than four hours, a group of students from Holy Cross Seminary, a priest, a former missionary to Albania, several OCMC staff members, and the newly-ordained Bishop of the Kisumu Diocese, His Grace Athanasius, to share the Orthodox Faith with people in three villages OCMC had never before...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 4/4/2016)

Miracles and Milestones: Missions in 2015

2015 has been an amazing year for Orthodox missions and the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC). None of it would have been possible without your prayers, support, and service. What follows are some highlights from the Mission Center programs that have shared Christ with a wanting world.Following a wonderful term in Mongolia, the Moore family returned to the United States so that Chris could pursue a seminary education. They plan to return to Mongolia, but while they are away...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 12/28/2015)

Help Support the Work of the OCMC this Nativity Season

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,"Please! We need help!"Another bishop is asking. He's watching growing groups of Orthodox believers in his area — but not enough priests ready to serve them. He's urgently asking for support — and training to raise up new priests and lay leaders.I get these urgent requests all the time. Think what these new believers face: No priest ready to baptize them into the faith. No priest to serve them the...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 12/16/2015)

OCA Diocese of the Midwest to Raise Funds for 10 Motorcycles for the Church in Kenya!

To the Reverend Clergy, Parish Council members, and Faithful of the Diocese of the Midwest,On November 15, 2015, we begin the Nativity Fast — that season during which we especially focus our attention on prayer, fasting and almsgiving in preparation for our celebration of the Incarnation of Our Lord, Jesus Christ! By taking on our human nature, the Living Word of God shares, in His very person, the "Good News" of salvation. He comes to proclaim the Gospel to...

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by Bishop Paul of Chicago and the Midwest (Posted 11/19/2015)

Show Solidarity with Orthodox Mission Priests around the World this October!

Imagine a remote, far-off place. The people of this place live a life relatively free from the influence of the outside world- at least, as much as anyplace can be these days. Have you ever wondered how Christianity not only comes, but grows, in places like this? Often, communities in these remote places are visited by a bishop or a priest from a nearby town, or a missionary, or maybe a resident of one of these communities visits a place where the Church has a presence. In any case, the...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 9/30/2015)

OCMC Missionary Dr. William Black Arrives in Kenya

Dr. William Black has arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, as an Orthodox missionary.Dr. Black had completed a PhD in Early Modern British History under the supervision of Prof. Eamon Duffy at Cambridge. It was during these years that Bill was first introduced to Orthodoxy through his friend, Fr. John Jillions, who then was also studying in Cambridge and serving as the Director of the...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 7/24/2015)

OCMC Mission Team Witnesses Consecration of St. Nicholas Church in Lokichar, Kenya

On June 7th, 2015, an OCMC Mission Team helping to construct a school in the village of Loupwala, in northern Kenya, was blessed with the opportunity to also participate in the consecration of the newly-completed St. Nicholas Church in the nearby village of Lokichar. Both of these villages are located in the Turkana region of Kenya. The church, under the pastoral care of Fr. Zechariah Echeme, was built with the help of another OCMC team the previous year and was sponsored by Nick and Diane...

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by Caitlyn McCrea (Posted 7/1/2015)

OCMC Sends Funds for the Contruction of a School in Loupwala, Kenya

With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Kenya and support from the faithful from North America through the OCMC, the Church in northern Kenya among the Turkana people continues to grow. Just yesterday $15,000 from the OCMC Agape Canister program was sent to fund the construction of a school in the town of Loupwala.Under the pastoral care of Fr. Zachariah, the local Orthodox priest who helped introduce Orthodox Christianity to Loupwala, this school will further serve...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 5/7/2015)

A Simple Act of Kindness: Orthodox Missions in Kenya

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,During a recent visit to the Mission Center, His Eminence Makarios, Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Kenya, shared many stories of people who have approached him saying, "You don't know me, but…" Each time, these words were followed by a story of how their lives or the lives of their family had been transformed by the schooling, medicine, or pastoral care offered by the Church. Moved by this loving kindness, many decided...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 2/24/2015)

Help Continue to Build Up the Church in Northern Kenya

The deserts of northern Kenya, often seen as barren and desolate, are bringing forth life! Scores of the Turkana people that call this place home have accepted Christ and have been baptized into the Orthodox Faith. The message of the Gospel has been preached by a handful of Turkana priests who have been assisted by teams of Orthodox Christians from the United States. In the places they have witnessed, rivers that were once dry have begun to flow, hundreds have been baptized in these waters,...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 2/2/2015)

Theophany Greeting from the Colburn Missionary Family

Dear Friends and Family,Rather than sending out a letter at Christmas or New Year's Day, we decided to wait until Theophany, the Feast of Lights, the remembrance of Christ's baptism. Why? Because for the next 4-6 years, in order to help priests and others who want liturgical texts in their mother tongues, our lives will be focused on the development of a Liturgical Translator's Manual using the Canons of Theophany.Last year, 2014, marked a major transition for...

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by Dr. Michael Colburn (Posted 1/14/2015)

Ordination of His Grace Neophytos Bishop of Nitria

On Sunday, December 21st, 2014, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, performed in the Holy Patriarchal and Cathedral Church of St Savvas the Sanctified the ordination of His Grace Neophytos, Bishop of Nitria, as reported by the Patriarchate's website. Participating in the eucharistic gathering and the ordination of His Grace were Their Eminences the Metropolitans Makarios of Kenya, Gabriel of Leontopolis, Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria, as...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 1/7/2015)

Dr. William Black: Newest OCMC Missionary Candidate to Kenya

OCMC is pleased to announce Dr. William Black as the latest candidate for long-term missionary service from the United States. With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios, Dr. Black will be serving in Kenya where he will work as a lecturer at the Makarios III seminary in Nairobi and also help facilitate continuing education for more than 250 priests throughout the Archdiocese.Dr. Black was an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA from 1989-2001, and previously...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 12/19/2014)

Support Orthodox Missions this Nativity Season!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,"The servant of God is baptized in the Name of the Father. Amen. And of the Son. Amen. And of the Holy Spirit. Amen." How often have those words been prayed for the newly illumined around the world in the past 30 years? How many priests have been trained and blessed to pray them? How many churches have been built to hold them? This year the Orthodox Christian Mission Center celebrates 30 years of making disciples of all nations, and in that time,...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 12/14/2014)

5 Volunteers Needed to Teach English in Kenya

There is a Chinese saying: "To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world." An OCMC short-term mission team will be traveling to Kenya from October 27th to November 8th to teach English to students studying at the Makarios III Seminary, the Orthodox Teachers College of Africa, and the St. Clement of Alexandria School. Five more volunteers are needed to join this team and to present students in Kenya with a new window through...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 8/11/2014)

Join an OCMC Mission Team and Help Build a Church in Lokichar, Kenya

Since 2007, the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), with the blessing of His Eminence Makarios Archbishop of Kenya, has been helping to establish the Church among the Turkana tribe. In 2010, Turkana Orthodox priests led OCMC Executive Director Fr. Martin Ritsi and a team of men and women from the United States to evangelize the people of this harsh northern region of Kenya. These priests translated as Fr. Martin and members of the team shared the good news of the Gospel. In subsequent...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 5/1/2014)

A Journey to the Heart of Africa, into the Eyes of Orthodoxy

Within the Turkana lives not only a heartbeat of survival and a foot-stomp of joy, but a soul that trills the hope of the risen Lord. Orthodox Christianity is alive and well in the cracked, mystic terrain of northern Kenya. The Turkana people proclaim the Trinity with the faith of a child and with the wisdom of an elder. Through the tireless love, support, and efforts of local parish priests, the committed connection of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center, and the willingness of many to...

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by Karen Morrison (Posted 1/10/2014)

Help Us to Raise $2,400 to Support Orthodox Mission Priests

In 2013, OCMC's Support a Mission Priest (SAMP) program is helping 372 indigenous priests in 18 countries around the world to better serve the needs of the Church. Just $50/month allows these priests in Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America to devote more of their time to the needs of the parish and meet the growing number of faithful.OCMC has launched a social media fundraising campaign designed to help us raise $2,400 for SAMP in the month of October. Find us on Facebook...

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by Emily Walker (Posted 10/10/2013)

Please Consider Supporting Orthodox Christian Missions with a Gift to the OCMC this Thanksgiving!

"Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18November 2013Dear Brothers and Sisters in ChristIn a matter of minutes, their lives were turned upside down. Everything they had worked long and hard for was gone. Their homes, their livelihood, their safety- they had been robbed of each one.As I neared the village of Nakabosan in the...

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by Markella Balasis (Posted 10/8/2013)

2014 OCMC Mission Team Opportunities Now Available!!!

OCMC's 2014 Short-Term Mission Team opportunities are now available! All Orthodox Christians seeking to share in a journey of faith and fulfill the mandate of our Lord Jesus Christ are invited to participate on OCMC Orthodox Mission Teams. The upcoming year's teams are:Alaska – Youth ministry (Ouzinkie) July 18 – July 27Albania – Mission Institute (Tirana) (TBD)Albania – Youth ministry (Shen Vlash) March 10...

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by Andrew Lekos (Posted 10/3/2013)

Help to Train Future Priests with a Gift to OCMC's Theological Training Program

"So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, 'Do you understand what you are reading?' And he said, 'How can I, unless some one guides me?'" Acts 8:30-31Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,Every day, in places where the Orthodox faith continues to take root, young men are answering the call to serve as Orthodox priests. These future priests flock to numerous seminaries around the world where they will...

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by Markella Balasis (Posted 6/4/2013)

Unique and Unrepeatable: Reflections on the Turkana Mission of Northern Kenya

When people ask what my experience in Africa was like, I find it hard to know exactly where to begin. It would be easier if I had managed to maintain a consistent journal throughout the course of the mission, however, as the other team members would agree, things don't go the way you would expect in Kenya. In fact, it seems that most of us underestimated the value of fluidity in our plans. For instance, not once did my preaching partner and I give the same sermon twice. In seminary,...

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by Rondal Christian Burkhard (Posted 4/9/2013)

First OCMC Mission Team of 2013 Arrives in Kenya

OCMC is thrilled to have sent our first Mission Team of 2013 to Kenya this past weekend. Team members traveled to the Makarios III Patriarchal Seminary in Nairobi before traveling to Lodwar where they will be serving for the next week. They are helping plant the seeds of Christianity to those who have begun to respond to the Gospel in the Turkana tribe. Evangelism and teaching are taking place in rural areas outside of Lodwar.This Team, being led by OCMC Executive Director, Fr. Martin...

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by Emily Walker (Posted 3/4/2013)

Answering the Call: A Reflection on Mission Teams

It was 1988. I sat listening to the priest at a small mission parish in Austin, Texas, talk about mission work taking place in Kenya. The priest's son Dean, who was there also, would be going to Kenya himself. I did not know Dean that well, but everyone that grew up at the Annunciation parish in Houston knew who he was. A university senior, I was attending liturgy not so much as a devout Orthodox Christian, but as a cradle Orthodox whose boyhood priest had called relentlessly on Saturday...

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by Dimitri Zgourides (Posted 11/9/2012)

Continued Progress in Turkana

Since the first visit to the Turkana region to help construct St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Lodwar, which will be consecrated while teams are there this summer, OCMC has been asked to help build schools and wells elsewhere in the region. These projects are now well underway.Loupwala is the oldest of three Orthodox Christian communities by the Kerio River. It is very isolated due to lack of roads, so completing work there is complex. The first project OCMC did in this area...

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by Emily Walker (Posted 5/2/2012)

Children in Lodwar Kenya Soon to Have a New School

We thank God for the stewardship and generosity of retired Greek Orthodox priest Fr. E. Anthony Tomaras of Gig Harbor, WA to the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), the children of the town of Lodwar in the Turkana region of Kenya will soon have a real school facility in which to learn. The complex is being named for his beloved Presvytera Dr. Sophronia Tomaras, of blessed memory.The project will include six separate classrooms for 30 students each, an office, kitchen,...

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by Orthodox Christian Mission Center (Posted 11/29/2011)

Real Africa

"That's the smell of real Africa!" These were the words of a fellow passenger as we stepped off of the small plane. What struck me initially was not the smell, somewhat reminiscent of my grandparent's farm in rural Minnesota, but the completely exotic landscape. Lodwar is located in northeastern Kenya in what is basically a large desert with several small mountains, black and grave, in the distance.But I was not here to survey the geography or admire the scenery. The...

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by Logan Johnson (Posted 10/6/2011)

Bringing the Christian Message to Turkana

Turkana. To me this word evokes memories of stifling heat, colorful clothes, joyous song, and vibrant dancing. This was the second trip for my wife and me to these beautiful people, located in the far northwestern desert of Kenya. Some of the Turkana people are considered an unreached people group which means that they have not heard the name of Jesus Christ, or don't know enough about Him to become Christian. It has been a joy and an honor to minister in Turkana and we hope to return there...

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by Stephanos Ritsi (Posted 5/20/2011)

Water Brought to the Village of Loupwala in Northen Kenya

Without a reliable source of water, the Turkana people in the village of Loupwala, located in the desert region of northern Kenya, struggled to survive. Women of this remote village would sometimes have to walk as much as seven miles each way to fetch water from the nearest well for their families, while the men struggled to find tiny patches of grass upon which their cattle could graze.Hopefully these people, many of them newly illumined Orthodox Christians, will never know this...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 5/5/2011)

With God, All Things Are Possible

Salawe was Turkana. A tall, thin and wiry man, dressed in a traditional colorful cloth that draped over his shoulder, he held an aura of authority and power. He was strong, in his sixties, and not only the leader of the remote Africa desert village, but also its Shaman. His influence was evident and seen in the respect and deference given to him by the people who turned to him for healing and prophecy.On one hot February day, Salawe sat across from a group of nine Americans and three...

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by Fr. Martin Ritsi (Posted 9/15/2010)

The Long Journey Home: Orthodox Priests Sharing the Gospel in Mission Lands

"When I was a boy my father showed me the way to Lodwar. Each semester I would walk for three days across the desert, so that I could receive an education," recalls Fr. Zachariah, one of three Orthodox priests of the Turkana tribe in northern Kenya.Fr. Zachariah hails from Loupwala, a small village nestled amidst a forest of acacia trees not far from a river that is bone dry most of the year. It is hot and extremely arid. The people of Loupwala live to survive raising...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 6/28/2010)

OCMC Mission Team Continues Orthodox Witness among the Turkana of Northern Kenya

The blast of heat that flooded the cabin of the twin engine prop plane that brought our OCMC Mission Team to Lodwar, Kenya in February, 2010 was a shock. Less than 48-hours earlier we began our epic journey to East Africa shivering on the grounds of Holy Cross Seminary waiting for our bags to be loaded into the vans that took us to Logan International airport.Our team, nine strong, was comprised of two priests, four seminary students, and three laypeople. We had been invited by His...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 4/27/2010)

The Turkana: People and Place

The Turkana are a people distinctive in appearance, language, and culture from the other tribes of Kenya. Located in the northwestern region of this East African country, the Turkana are primarily nomadic pastoralists. Single families will rove large swatches of land as they graze their cattle between homesteads that they have established in places where basic amenities like water can be found.Their lands are not restricted to Kenya; they also encompass areas in Uganda and the Sudan....

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 4/9/2010)

Orthodoxy Among the Turkana

Traditional Turkana beliefs center around the worship of a single deity named Akuj. The Turkana offer animal sacrifices to Akuj so that he will send the rains. Turkana spiritual leaders are called Emuron. Emuron serve as Turkana shaman. They dictate when sacrifices should be made to Akuj. They also serve as a prophet giving the people of the village warning of impending draught or threats from cattle raiders.Evangelistic efforts of charismatic preachers have planted the seeds of...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 4/9/2010)

2010 OCMC Efforts in Turkana

In an effort to assist the Orthodox priests serving in Turkana with spreading the Gospel, OCMC has committed to several initiatives that speak to both the physical and spiritual needs of the Turkana people. OCMC's 2010 efforts will cost in upwards of 75,000 dollars and include the following:Sending a group of people to teach the newly baptized and those interested in Christianity about the Orthodox Christian Faith.Helping local clergy to expand the Orthodox church to new...

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by Fr. Martin Ritsi (Posted 4/8/2010)

2010 OCMC Missions Walk for the Turkana

In 2009, and then again in 2010 as part of an OCMC Mission Team, OCMC Executive Director Fr. Martin Ritsi visited the Turkana people of Northern Kenya on behalf of Orthodox Christians across North America. The Turkana enjoy a rich culture; but many of them do not know hope in Jesus Christ – a hope that many of them long for in the face of a daily struggle for survival that is fueled by cyclical draught and extreme poverty. Lacking access to even the most basic amenities, many of the...

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by Fr. Martin Ritsi (Posted 4/6/2010)

On the Frontier of Orthodox Missions: The Turkana of Northern Kenya

There are places that remain hidden to most - where no roads lead, where survival is a daily struggle, and where people live on the fringe of hopelessness. There are places where the light of the Gospel has yet to shine.In October 2009, the small plane I flew on from Nairobi, Kenya, touched down in the small frontier town of Lodwar. Amidst this thirsty landscape, an OCMC Mission Team had worked to build a church for a community of Orthodox Christians from the Turkana tribe - a people...

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by Fr. Martin Ritsi (Posted 1/14/2010)

OCMC Agape Grants to Assist the Ministries in Seven Countries in 2010

The love that Christ's disciples show for others has served as a living witness to the faith, inspiring countless numbers of people to come into the Body of Christ. For over 20 years, the Agape Canister Program of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), through its support of philanthropic ministries such as orphanages, feeding programs, and healthcare programs, has helped the Church to meet the needs of children, families, and communities in a loving witness to the Orthodox faith in...

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by Kenneth Kidd (Posted 1/7/2010)

His Beatitude Theodoros II Pope and Patriach of Alexandria visits with Masai

On 2nd June 2009, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, was welcomed in Ewaso, 30km from Nairobi, by the Masai of Kenya in their traditional dress with songs and dancing. It was the first visit by the Venerable Primate of the Church of Alexandria to the Masai. In Kenya there are five Orthodox Communities of Masai, four of which are at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. His Beatitude addressed the community when he met them...

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by News from the Patriarchate of Alexandria (Posted 8/5/2009)