As I entered the church in Soshengovey, South Africa for the first time, I couldn't help but notice a little girl named Awanda. She was wearing a torn yellow dress, dirt covered her arms and dried up snot fell on her face. I could also tell from her bony physique that she hadn't eaten much recently. My initial reaction was pity. These people have so little. I instinctively compared Awanda to the typical American twelve-year-old girl. Her counterpart in the states would be freshly groomed, wearing Calvin Klein Jeans and a matching Tommy Hilfiger top.
 

Of course, she would also be wearing Nike's latest edition to the sneaker industry and a gold jewelry set. During the next 5 weeks, I realized that, yes, from my worldly perspective, Awanda did not have much. However, she did have a treasure that's value far exceeds brand name clothing and gold. Awanda and her Coptic Christian community possessed overflowing joy, sincere simplicity, and strong faith.

 
Being in Africa helped me view the world with different eyes. I went with the intention to serve, but the African people served me much more than I could have ever served them. What I learned during my short-term mission trip can be best summarized through a verse in Romans "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12).

Patient in affliction...
During a small group meeting with the women, I was very touched when one Mama, as they were called told me she had been looking for a job for six years, but hasn't found one yet. I know that my God loves me and won't ever leave me. Everyday I pray that He will find me a job, and I know He will. This woman's faithful attitude was not the exception, but the rule for the African Christians. Can you imagine not being sure where your next meal was coming from but still having joy overflowing from your heart? One of the most valuable lessons I learned from the Africans is that joy comes from within and not from our surroundings. As soon as one walked into a church in Africa, you couldn't help but notice the intensity of clapping, singing, and smiling. I remember one time in Zimbabwe, we spent the entire day in the town singing and preaching. At the end of the day, we piled 27 people in our 15-person van (since most of the Africans don't have cars.) If this situation occurred in America, what would be the likely outcome? I'm guessing police sirens and an hour and a half of complaining because of the stuffiness and the extra 150 pound load on your lap. However, the African deacons that were with us had a different reaction to the overcrowded microbus. They started praising God. Within 10 minutes, all 27 of us were singing and clapping from the bottom of our hearts and the top of our lungs. One of our group members made the comment, AI really feel like I'm in heaven. Odds are that these same Africans that were so intently praising God, were so poor, they lived in mud huts, their fathers had spent the last three weeks in a bar, and they had a close friend or family member die of AIDS. Their joyful attitude truly exemplified how to be patient in affliction.

Faithful in prayer...
It was in Africa where I learned the power of prayer. There was an incredible difference in our service when we prayed before hand and when we did not. The outcome was amazing when God was doing all the work and we were merely vessels in His hands. On the other hand, the result was quite disastrous when we got confident and started to depend on ourselves. The Africans truly carried in their heart a prayerful attitude as they would walk many miles to go to church and prayer vigils. During services, you could find them so intently praying and giving themselves over to God. It was prayer that made God's presence so clear during the Africa Mission.

Rejoice in hope...
Finally, I learned how to rejoice in hope. One day, as we were singing in the train station, three very poor boys gathered around us to listen. Before we left, we gave them each a postcard that said, I am the child of The King. One of our central themes was that our Father is a King and He didn't create us to live in misery. Many Africans would resort to drinking and sex to deal with the extreme poverty. We would tell them that is not how their Father and creator intended for them to live. He has much bigger and better plans for His children. His plan is for all us to rejoice in the hope of our salvation; whether we are Awanda living in Soshengovey, South Africa or a member of St. Mark's youth group living in Fairfax, VA.
 
St. Mark's Coptic Church, Washington D.C.
 

On our first day of service in Zimbabwe, Fr. Marc took us to a church in an area called Dema.  As we arrived at the church, we were greeted so lovingly by many little children who were staying at the church’s daycare center, alongside several deacons.  We went out two by two into the villages surrounding the church, seeking a house with even one person living in it, so that we could sit with them and share the Gospel.  As we walked, we sang praises to God so that the people might hear us an come out to us.  We sang because that is what the Spirit lead us to do.  We felt the songs inside of us – they were more than words put to music, they were prayers to our Father.  As we entered each house, the people welcomed us with open hearts and so much kindness.  In each house that we went into, we could truly feel our prayers being answered through the presence of God there.

As we walked back from the villages surrounding the church, I felt this overwhelming sense of peace and comfort come over me.  It left me with such a feeling of happiness and joy, that I could not help but look at everything around me so completely different.  Os this particular day, these people that we had come to speak to about God, were speaking far louder to us.  About Him and His love for them – all without saying one word to us.  I remember thinking to myself, “He is in them, His is all around them everywhere.”  They never had to say a word to us about God, but we could feel Him.
 

At first glance, it looked like the people of this town had very little.  And, yes, that’s true when it came to the things of the world.  But at the same time, they were far wealthier than any of us were.  Because they had God so fully in their lives.  And I could honestly say, that being there, He was there with me at the very moment – My Father was walking right beside me.  I had feared that nothing I had said did anything for them or could make a difference in their lives.  But God was standing right next to me, telling me “it doesn’t matter, because I am here.  I will do the work.  This is My work.”  I just felt like all the peace and joy of my Father was completely consuming me and I needed nothing else.  I looked up to the sky an just knew that it was not me how would do anything, but Him working in me and the rest of us who were serving Him.  Yet, in my human capacity, I needed to do something for Him, but I had no idea what He wanted of me.

 

As I sat on a small swing in front of the church in Dema, I looked out at this breath taking painting that God had painted with His own hands of a crystal blue sky.  I asked Him, Lord, what do You want me to do?  What do you want me to say to glorify You?"” In that moment, a small child came to me and just sat at my feed, looking up at me with so much love in her eyes.  I heard the voice in my heart, “Be still and know that I am God.”  As I looked at her, tears filled my eyes, because I had never before seen or heard my Father’s voice so clearly as I did at that moment.  I could see Christ in the face of His precious little child.  In the innocence and simplicity of these people, My Father’s love and will for me was completely reveled.

“Be still and know that I am God.”  I have heard that same Bible verse so many times, but never before heard it quite like this.  It was like my heavenly Father was telling me, “I just need you to listen to Me and see Me and feel Me all around you and know that I am God.  So many times, we just rush through our lives, without even thinking of God or what He wants to tell us at that moment, that precious moment.  And that is exactly what I was doing.

I believe that every person that is chosen to go to Africa, si chosen for a reason, for each of us to serve Him in a different way.  I feel that I was the one that was being served though, served by these amazing and beautiful people … and by My Father.

St. John Coptic Church, CA
 

Recently a group of eight youth from Los Angeles, accompanied by our priest Fr. Augustinous Hanna, returned from a missionary trip in Africa.  We were joined by five youth from Canada and five more from the east coast.  And although we might have had great expectations of bringing the news of salvation others I don’t know if any souls were brought nearer to their salvation than our own.  I believe firmly that everyone of us who went on this trip was called by God to lean from the people of Africa.  I understand now the meaning of the commandment that unless you become as children you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.  For amidst such simplicity and meager resources were we exposed to immense faith that really does move mountains, and even more the hand of God.

The lessons we learned were numerous, but one that will always be impressed on my heart is that these new converts in the faith were radiating tremendous joy that all who came in contact with them could not help but to rejoice with them.  And the source of this incredible joy one might ask?  Oh, it’s simple.  They have experienced the joy of the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ, and they have not take it lightly.  For them it is a very present reality, a gift beyond comprehension, a mercy given that cannot be forgotten.  For them receiving Christianity is a life changing experience, a change that occurs once and for all.  And for this they sing praises, literally day and night.  For them to sing praises hours on end would not be a rare occurrence.  We noticed that as we walked in the streets with them or as they were working or just sitting around they were always eager to sing God’s praises.  They were a perfect example of being on fire for God.

I have been to a number of Coptic Churches here in America and rarely have I seen such enthusiasm.  I began to wonder why.  Why is it that these babes in Christ have much more than I who grew up in the Church most of my life?  The answer I was told was that they know a different Christ than we do.  I understand by this that they view Him in a different light that allows Him to be very near to them.  When any one of them was asked to pray there was such a great reverence, yet at the same time a very intimate love for our great God.  Many times on this trip was I humbled by these wonderful people.

One incident I cannot forget was when one of the church leaders invited us to come to her house for some tea.  She wanted so much to show some appreciation toward us.  We walked three miles to get to her house, and when we arrived she served us tea and bread with margarine.  Then we left with her walking three miles back to church.  What a great effort she went to so she could offer us something.  She was glowing from what I can recall.  We sang the whole way back and I knew this meant a lot to her.  What I later found out is that she offered to us all the water she had in her house and most of her food.  It might have seemed simple to us at the time, but she offered to God what was a great importance to her, and again with utmost joy.  It was like this everywhere we went.  I have never felt so welcome in my entire life.  How amazing was the love that they showed toward us strangers!  Or maybe they saw it as loving Christ.  Either way, I felt like this abundance of love can only have one source, God the true lover of mankind.

Bishop Paul told us that when we went to Tanzania we would see people that were so poor that they can’t even find grass to satisfy their hunger.  And we found this to be true.  Yet, despite that fact, I was envious of these great people, because amidst their great material poverty I found an even greater spiritual wealth.  Yes God showed us many great things at the hands of these simple people for which I will ever be grateful.  One of the priests told us something very true about them.  He said we who are wise sit and discuss and argue about the kingdom of God while those who are simple in hear are entering into it.  I truly felt that the Christians of Africa had found the Kingdom of God inside of them and were dwelling in it richly.

But God not only brought us to Africa to learn from the simplicity of the people but to teach us about the great blessings of serving His name.  I learned that the work we were doing was God’s work first that He had been taking car of it and blessing it from the very beginning.  He was very gracious to us by allowing us to participate in it, even to a small extent.

One thing I noticed while serving in Africa is that people were very hungry for the Word of God.  On numerous occasions we would walk into a marketplace and begin preaching to any crowd that would gather around us, very much the same way St. Paul did in the old days.  And although we were able to spend only short amounts of time with the people, they were every receptive to what we had to say.  Oftentimes they would ask us to pray for them and would ask us if they could be a part of the Church, and by the grace of God some were granted to be baptized.  It felt so good to proclaim the gospel to people who had never had a chance before to hear it, and even more to see God working in the hearts of the people.

We even felt joy when we were mocked by certain crowds.  I was so thankful that God was trying to watch out for our spirits by humbling us and not allowing us to be puffed up because of any fruits that may have appeared, and to realize that our gold is to serve Christ and not people.

One of our great regrets was that we could not spend more time with the people who were  so eager to learn Christ.  I began to wonder if it was enough to show the love of Christ.  And thus, I came to understand our role was merely to throw seeds.  I am sure that God will take care of His harvest and send someone else to water the seeds and that He is able to produce fruits according to His will with or without us.  I have come to realize that it was not our responsibility to worry about fruits, but merely to throw seeds and ask God through prayer.

We were shown a different perspective on how to walk daily with God in great joy, His praise being on our lips and in our hearts, sensitive to His voice, calling us to do His work in season and out.

St. John Coptic Church, CA

One of the most profound things I observed while visiting our Coptic Churches in Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe was the African people’s hunger for the word of God.  This was such a contrast for me than my experience in our churches in America.  Often times in America one could find people dozing-off or asleep during a sermon or talk, but not in Africa.  There the people are extremely attentive, hanging on your every word.

In America we often shut out a message God has prepared for us based on “who’s speaking.”  When we honestly consider this point we will discover that we attend church or go to youth meetings to be entertained.  And if a speaker is not entertaining enough we’ll either put our heads down or walk out.  In Africa this is not possible.  The people are hungry to hear what God wants to tell them.  Even during the sermon the little children and toddler sit down in amazing silence as if they understood everything being said.

I had the opportunity to attend a Sunday School class at our church in Dema, Zimbabwe, and was amazed at how well behaved the children were.  It is needless to contrast our kids here in America.

In singing and praising God, we in America either do not sing or sing unenthusiastically as though praising God is a chore.  That is not even to mention those who think singing hymn is wrong.  In Africa they love to sing.  They arrive early to meetings so that they can sing longer.  They sing with great joy as can be seen on their faces.  They sing for long periods of time and if you didn’t stop them they could go on for hours.  At that same Sunday School class the children sang for 45 minutes before the lesson.  Their voices were beautiful, and they were synchronized in harmony, tune, voice and even their clapping.  This was a class for toddles to eight year olds, but mostly toddlers.

We in America are very casual with God.  We arrive to church casually late and casually dressed, but not in Africa.  The people there make a point of being at church on time, and since they walk to church, they wake up early enough and leave home early enough so that after walking the long distances to church they are on time.

I remembered on Thomas Sunday, the priest of the church I prayed at was baptizing 10 people.  One elderly lady missed her baptism that day by 15 minutes.  She was very upset because, she later explained, she had walked 15 kilometers since early in the morning so that she could be at church at the time of baptism.

These observations were consistent in the three countries, and the number of churches I visited in those countries.  I saw the piety of the African peoples in fasting, their remorse and sorrow for the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, and the tremendous joy they expressed for the Lord of Glory’s resurrection.  They are indeed in love with their redeemer.

As has been the experience of all those who have visited Africa before me, the lessons that I learned from the people in Africa will be ones that I could never forget.  I learned what the prophet Jeremiah must have meant when he told God, “Your words are found and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16).

St. John Coptic Church, CA

On July 3, 1998 our church missionary youth group went with His Grace Bishop Paul to Lake Victoria at 7 AM to pray the morning prayer in this beautiful area in which you find a big sign read, “The Source of the Nile.”

What a historic, geographic and panoramic view.  It is no exaggeration to say it is a piece of paradise.  I told our group that this River Nile, on whose banks we were raised and lived on its water, is one of the four rivers mentioned in the garden of Eden.  It is the second river named “Gihon (its old name) which goes around the whole land of Cush” (Genisis 2:13).

There was huge sign saying: “Welcome To the Source of the Great River Nile, Jinga, Uganda.”

I quote of it the following information:
“You are now at the Eastern bank of the River Nile, at the point where the river begins to flow from Lake Victoria (Source of the Nile) to the Mediterranean Sea.  It takes water three months to complete this journey of 4000 miles (6400 km).

The falls that John Hannington Speke saw in 1862, naming them The Ripon Falls after the president of the Royal Geographical Society in London, submerged in 1947 on the construction of the giant Owen Falls Dam.  The dam completed in 1954, harnesses the head long rush of water from the lake to produce hydro-electric power for Uganda.

“Omugga Kiyira” is the local name of the River “Nile.”  The bay behind this billboard is called “Napoleon Gulf” marking the spot obelisk where Speke stood for hours when he discovered the Source of the Nile to show the place to the outer world.”

A multitude of intense feelings were aroused in us as we stood in this beautiful spot right in the middle of the planet earth, by the Equator an don the banks of the birthplace of the great River Nile, which has been running its sweet water from the foundation of the world.  This morning prayer will not be forgotten.  Praise the Lord!!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, How many times have you passed a poor person in the street and sympathized with that person, wishing to give him/her some money or food? Have you ever passed people, though, and wondered about their spiritual well-being, whether they even believed in God? If we only opened our eyes, we’d see millions more people starving spiritually, if not dead all together. But where does that leave us? In exactly the same shoes as the Beholder of God, St. Mark the Evangelist, who was filled with enough zeal and love for Christ to come to Egypt and give us what we have today.

Well, to make a long story short, the work of the Apostles did not die when they took their rest in Christ, but still continues today. Literally, all over the world, people are searching for comfort, reassurance, and stability in their lives and cannot find any. What are we doing sitting silently when we have the only answer to all the problems of the world?

Relatively recently, within our parent’s lifetime, a great task was begun by one man, and the fruits of his work are flourishing now, but need to be nurtured and taken care of. His Grace Bishop Antonious Markos left Egypt, and began preaching in Africa. He took a suitcase filled with medical supplies and the holy vessels of the altar, and he left to preach the Word. Now, thirty years later, there are several church communities in Kenya, Namibia, Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. What was started by one man can no longer be handled now by one man and is in desperate need of workers. Preaching is not the only task that needs to be accomplished over there, and at times, it is often placed aside in an effort to maintain the service which is going on.

I recently traveled with some friends over to South Africa, and what we saw, astounded us. We saw the efforts of a few workers spread very thin over numerous projects which had to be completed. The Church is taking an active role in attempting to change the socioeconomic status of the people over there. Poverty in these countries is a crime which the Church is trying to combat. Many multi-purpose centers, geared at training people at different kinds of work, have been set up, but proposals need to be written to erect more multi-purpose centers. Before that can be done, surveys need to be taken and need to be incorporated into these proposals in order for them to be accepted. Also, mobile and stationary clinics have been set up by the church and now are in need of more workers and supplies. On top of that, the need for even more clinics has recently arisen, and more proposals must be written for them. Through the proposals, the Church gains money and support, but what good is it if they can’t be run. Should the Church just give up? No, if anything, we, the Church, should step up and start taking responsibility. The bottom line is that it is all about need and satisfying it. One can say, "There is service here which I am involved in," and he/she would be right. But there is a substantial difference in the amount of workers here and workers there. Much of the work lies on individuals like His Grace Bishop Antonious Markos and His Grace Bishop Paul. If we can do good, we should do it right away without reserve; moreover, if we can go to Africa and work, what’s to stop us? If there is a will, there is a way, and if our will is to please God, there is no stopping us. Pray for the service and the servants of the Church, and pray for our brothers and sisters in Africa.

Archdiocese of North America

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