I was blessed to meet Saint Paisios, quite early, when he moved in Panagouda cell of St. Panteleimon Skete. The Elder through his ascetic struggles was given the divine gift of comforting people. When we found him out, he provided us with spiritual support and consolation. With our spiritual companionship, we enjoyed trekking on the blessed paths in the Garden of Theotokos. Often, we passed by his cell to see him and enjoy his simple advice that was full of the Holy Spirit.
In 1981, I visited the Missions in Kenya and the warring Uganda. What I saw, heard and lived there filled me with excitement as well as anxiety about the spread of Orthodoxy among the nations. With my bag full of memories and photos from my missionary journeys, I visited Saint Paisios and shared with him these indelible experiences. When we met, the Elder told me:
What’s happening now is like having a watering can and try to water a whole field with it. But time will come when God will rain on his field and it will be irrigated.
This prophetic testimony of the Saint spiritually comforted me, because I realized that our Orthodox faith will get known by all nations.Already, in 2015, we have new missions in areas where an Orthodox sermon had never been heard before. In India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Fiji, among the Maya, Pygmies and Turkana tribes, people hear about Christ, believe in him and become heirs of the Kingdom of God.
You can help the spiritual rain come faster. Pray that the Holy God will ignite the thirst of Truth in the nations and bring new workers for the field of the Mission. Support the missionary efforts in Africa, Asia, Oceania, America. So that the whole world will spiritually fructify and every heart will flourish.
Nostis Psarras
Vice President
Orthodox Missionary Fraternity
http://orthodoxmission.org.gr/2015/01/saint-paisios-about-orthodox-missions/
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