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OCMC Missions in Uganda

News from the Field

Reflections on Uganda

It all started with a 27-hour Greyhound ride down to St. Augustine, Florida. One of the great blessings inherent in such a ride on "The Hound" was that I began to slow my rhythm in preparation for the upcoming trip to Bulera, Uganda. If I were to ride into a place such as Bulera, like an American locomotive with a full head of steam, I would miss many of the quaint delicacies intrinsic in a simple life. In the States, things move very quickly- in fact, maybe too quickly...

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by Dean Franck (Posted 7/20/2017)

2014 OCMC Stewardship Team to Uganda

Uganda is an Oregon-sized country in East Africa, 20 hours away by air and nine time zones ahead of us, and yet, by Faith we are family. Since just after World War II, canonical Orthodoxy has been part of the life of Uganda, spread not by missionaries but rather by Ugandans themselves who sought out and found the apostolic Christian Faith they were seeking, a Faith they chose rather than accept the faiths of the colonial powers that ruled them until the early 1960's.The Ugandan...

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by Fr. John Chagnon (Posted 11/25/2014)

The Gift of Peace and the Spread of Orthodoxy in Northern Uganda

In northern Uganda, an area that has been decimated by war and is finally becoming more secure, "every day, everywhere you go, people are waiting to become Orthodox", says Fr. Emmanuel Oruk. So many people want Orthodoxy in northern districts like Lira, Oyam, and Apad that it is difficult to minister effectively to all of them. Fr. Emmanuel, who recently visited the Orthodox Christian Mission Center in St. Augustine, FL., is one priest in the region who has been very instrumental...

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by Emily Robertson (Posted 6/26/2014)

Help Spread the Celebration of a Joyful Liturgy Around the World this Lent by Supporting Orthodox Missions

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;break forth into joyous song and sing praises. (Psalm 98:4)Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,"I have never experienced a Liturgy that felt so alive and full of joy." Many Orthodox Christians, like you, who have served in the mission field have shared these exact words when they reflect on the time they've spent with their brothers and sisters in Christ from a different culture. In the face of...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 1/28/2014)

Mission Sunday Letter from OCMC Executive Director, Fr. Martin Ritsi

I sought the Lord, and He answered me,and delivered me from all my fears.Look to Him, and be radiant;so your faces shall never be ashamed.Psalm 34:4-5Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,Greetings in Christ! Throughout the coming days of Great and Holy Lent, we look forward to celebrating our Savior's Resurrection with great anticipation, prayerful reflection, and genuine expressions of love for others.Christ's loving sacrifice can be...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 12/5/2013)

The Grace of God in Uganda

"Mzungu, mzungu," the children cried out, full of love and fervor as our bus drove by their humble little huts. Their voices echoed in our hearts like an oasis in the middle of the desert of our daily labors. The days were long, and not without many obstacles from the evil one. However, the bumpy roads, cold showers, lack of electricity, and many other struggles were overcome by our eagerness to help the people in Uganda.What did I do on this mission trip? First, let me tell...

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by Jiena Deeb (Posted 7/9/2012)

The 2012 OCMC Medical Mission Team to Uganda: Faith and Healing

Thank God for medical professionals! Doctors, nurses, med and pre-med students, moms, and anyone who watches "Grey's Anatomy" or "House" are truly amazing people! My definition of medical professional may be broader than what is generally accepted, but I am comfortable branding any one of the aforementioned people with the title because they all possess infinitely more medical experience than I do, and over the course of a two-week medical mission to Uganda, I...

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by Alex Goodwin (Posted 6/19/2012)

OCMC Health Care Missions – Doctors Needed

Medical personnel, especially doctors and health care providers, are needed to conduct medical clinics and offer health instruction in communities around the world that have limited access to basic medical care and regular medical attention. By participating on a health care outreach, you will help treat various common illnesses found in other parts of the world, including malaria, parasites, and other tropical diseases. Medical personnel participate in an outreach of the local Church to...

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by Andrew Lekos & Presbytera Renee Ritsi (Posted 3/5/2012)

The Work of the Holy Spirit is in Uganda

The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) organizes many different mission trips centered upon healthcare, teaching, or evangelism. As a twenty-one year old nursing student, I joined a healthcare team based in Uganda. We spent two weeks setting up healthcare clinics and administering basic medications through the Orthodox Church in Uganda. This experience was incredibly humbling, and one that I will carry with me in both my spiritual and professional life as a nurse.Our first day...

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by Penny McClintock (Posted 12/9/2011)

The Beauty of Simplictity: 2011 OCMC Healthcare Team to Uganda

I wish I could capture in words what it felt like to look into the eyes of the children who carried in their younger siblings to receive malaria treatment, the dehydrated baby separated from her young mother who was hospitalized with AIDS complications, the elderly grandparents suffering from chronic pain from years of intense physical labor to feed their families . . . and know that we were at least making a little bit of difference. I wish I could share with you the experience of handing...

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by Catherine Furry (Posted 8/8/2011)

The Work of the Holy Spirit in Uganda

Our first day of setting up a healthcare clinic in a small town in rural Uganda was a mild frenzy. Our small Team of eight Americans, consisting of two doctors, three nurses, and two students, was faced with the great challenge of providing basic medical care and medications to over one hundred Ugandans crowding around a church door and open window, which we turned into a makeshift doctor's office and pharmacy. Amid the chaotic crowds waiting to receive their medicine, the piles of...

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by Penelope McClintock (Posted 7/13/2011)

OCMC Health Care Missions

Medical personnel are needed to conduct medical clinics and offer health instruction on OCMC Teams in 2011. Especially needed are doctors in Uganda and nurses in Tanzania. Most communities around the world do not have access to basic medical care or instruction, nor do they have the opportunity to visit with a physician or receive regular medical attention.OCMC health care teams travel to regions where most clinics are set up in church buildings,...

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by Andrew Lekos (Posted 4/27/2011)

THIS is Orthodoxy

"As for the Team Members the trip was a spiritual success. They were able to treat Jesus Christ over 3,800 times. These Team members will return to their respective parishes as leaven for the benefit of the parish and the Orthodox Church as a whole." Fr. Joseph Ciarciaglino – Team MemberWhere do I begin? How do I go about putting on paper an experience that plays in my mind like a favorite song? Over and over again it plays, most of it memorized, but never getting...

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by Anastasia Loejos (Posted 8/24/2010)

OCMC Health Care Mission to Uganda Sees Record Number of Patients

Northern Uganda had been decimated by war and insurrection for many of the years since its independence from Britain in 1961. Now relatively secure, former residents are beginning to return, and their medical needs are tremendous. This June, an Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) Health Care Team was sent to Uganda to address the persistent needs that exist there.Malaria is a scourge in East Africa, and intestinal worms are pandemic. Arriving in Kampala and first working out of...

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by St. Philip The Apostle Orthodox Church (Posted 7/19/2010)

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)

Health Care Providers Needed to ‘Share in a Journey of Faith’

"I'm thankful to have participated in an OCMC Mission Team. It was a great experience. The Orthodox Church is the same worldwide. We all pray the same and worship the same. I feel a kinship to the Orthodox Christians of Uganda," reported a participant on the 2009 Health Care Team that treated over 4,000 individuals in two weeks in the Gulu region of northern Uganda.Biblical narratives portray the loving and compassionate Lord, Jesus Christ, healing blind men, lepers,...

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by Pres. Renee Ritsi (Posted 12/8/2009)

Meeting of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria

Alexandria, Egypt - The Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa met under the Presidency of His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodoros II. Twenty-four Metropolitans and Bishops from all of Africa were invited to the Synod to discuss pastoral, administrative, missionary, and current issues which have to do with the Alexandrian Church.

The Holy Synod elevated the Diocese of Zambia to a Metropolis; the Diocese of Ghana to the Metropolis of Accra; and Cyrene...

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by Patriarchate of Alexandria (Posted 10/23/2009)

"Thank You - Apoyo" Medicines Arrive in Gulu

The saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case a picture is worth a thousand thank you's. Three hundred and fourteen generous donors made it possible for the 2009 Health Care Team to offer medical care in Gulu, Uganda. In the words of Darrell Fox, OCMC Health Care Team Member, "Thank you. The medical mission was a great success; during our nine clinic days we helped about 4000 people! Without the support of many people this valuable work...

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by Darrell Fox (Posted 9/9/2009)

A Rookie in Africa

After returning from Uganda, a colleague asked me, "Did you really do any good?" My response was "Yes." Clinical medicine includes routine events that you manage by reflex, as well as challenging events requiring adaptability where your knowledge and outside resources guide your management. There also comes a time for resolve, when you step away because there is nothing else that you can do. The rookie, having not yet learned you can only do so much,...

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by Dr. Ted Christou (Posted 8/31/2009)

Apoyo: Thank You! Medical Mission Team Returns from Uganda

Apoyo, Apoyo, Apoyo!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! from Mission Team Member Darrell Fox

The medical mission to Uganda was a great success. We operated clinics for nine days, and we were able to help about 4000 people! Without the support of many people this valuable work would not have happened. Our team of ten consisted of three doctors, two nurse practitioners, three nurses, and two medical students. We worked well together, enjoyed being with each other,...

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by Darrell Fox (Posted 8/4/2009)

Dr. William White - Team Uganda Sponsor

On June 23, 2009, With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Jonah of Uganda, a medical team of 10 individuals left for a two week medical ministry to the Archdiocese of Uganda. Armed with medicines, medical equipment, and icons, this Team also traveled with the prayers of one very special individual who, with a very generous gift that supplemented the funds raised by Team members, helped offset the costs needed to field this medical team. The OCMC and all of the members of this...

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by Kenneth Kidd (Posted 7/17/2009)

Joined in the Affection of the Soul

"Such is the power of love: it embraces, and unites, and fastens together not only those who are present and near, and visible, but also those who are distant. And neither time, not separation in space, nor anything else of that kind, can break up and divide in pieces the affection of the soul." - St. John Chrysostom Each day we as Orthodox Christians in America have the opportunity to participate in the love that St. John Chrysostom describes here. In Christ we are joined not...

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by Kriss Whiteman (Posted 12/19/2008)

Fr. George Lakony: SAMP Priest in Uganda

Fr. George Lakony is a young Orthodox priest in Gulu, a town in northern Uganda about 50 miles from the border of the Sudan. I had the opportunity to meet him as part of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center Health Care/Catechism Team that was in Gulu to meet the physical and spiritual needs of those who had lived in International Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps. During our trip, Fr. George became our guide, our host, and our friend. Many who have traveled to East...

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by Theodore Theodorou (Posted 10/12/2008)