Stories and reflections from missionaries in the field.
In Albania there are many examples of a single life having a positive impact on countless others. The ripples of goodness run wide here. Following Divine Liturgy and an afternoon meeting with OCMC missionaries, I was taken to the home of Kristo – a man who, even after his passing, still affects the lives of many in Albania.
Thirty minutes to the northwest of Tirana, on the outskirts of Durres, lies Shen Vlash. Originally a monastery, Shen Vlash was one of the first targets of the Communists in the 1960s. The monastery has since been rebuilt. Today, it is a beacon of truth to a nation, and it is also now home to two of the Church's most fruitful ministries – Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy and the Children’s Home of Hope.
Did I mention that Albanians LOVE coffee? Today I learned why. The cafes that can be found on nearly every block of the city in Tirana are a fantastic and relaxed atmosphere in which people can talk with friends or get to know new ones.
An environment that encourages the free exchange of thoughts and ideas, a system that welcomes challenge of the status quo and self-exploration, and a belief that dreams can actually come true is a mindset that many of us take for granted in the United States. I certainly did until today.
“Albania is a place where anything is possible.” These were OCMC Missionary Nathan Hoppe’s words to me as we drove into the capital city of Tirana from the airport. In the hours that followed, I would begin to learn more about how wonderful, and how dreadful, these possibilities may be.
The formal beginning of my missionary career was the commissioning. I was brought before the faithful of my home parish and formally received my evangelistic task.
Commissioning is nothing new. One of the first missionary commissions is recorded in three of the Gospels, when Christ sends out his twelve disciples. Shortly afterwards, seventy more are sent on a similar task. Here are some bits of those commissions:
He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And he said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece...” So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere... “Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
- Luke 9:2-3, 6; 10:8-9
In Orthodox missions, the resurrection of the Church in Albania following the collapse of Communism has been a source of awe and wonder. In May 2012, I am being sent by the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) to bring back stories and images of the Church leaders and missionaries who will undertake this work.
In the last few years during Great Lent, I have developed a pattern of promoting our Christian presence in the Holy Land with a book tour and returning to Palestine for Holy Week, to wait for the most marvelous miracle that is at the core of our Christian presence in the Holy Land: The Miracle of the Holy Fire. I have failed to do a book tour this year, so I do not want to fail to be a witness for this magnificent miracle that everyone always asks me about and appeared for the first time during the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 24:4; Matthew 28:1-4)
Reflecting upon my favorite champions of the Church is the easiest of all tasks while I am sitting in the middle of the wilderness. However, it has turned into a lifelong journey to understand these holy people of God and to even attempt to be like them in the smallest way.
"Do missionaries get married?"
It has not always been worded so directly, but the question has been asked of me many times. Finding a spouse while serving on the mission field seems like such a daunting task. Doesn't becoming a missionary mean giving up any hope of married life?
Well, it does mean surrendering the right to be married. For that matter, our life in Christ means surrendering every right, and relying instead on his abundant grace. Sure, you might not get married. But God knows what you need. And some missionaries do find their spouse on the mission field.
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