"2017 was an amazing year for Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) Mission Teams..."

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

The last team of 2017 has returned home from Kenya after a great time teaching youth in Nairobi. 2018 teams are now available. Your time and talents are needed. Please prayerfully consider applying today!

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 crafts, activities, and discussions.

OCMC Mission Teams Director Andrew Lekos led the team. Of the experience he reflects, “Our Lord calls us to become His disciples by participating in making disciples. Our team goal was to offer a witness of our Holy Orthodox Faith in action. We ask team members to be servants and learners. Mission accomplished! The work, worship, and witness allowed us to learn and serve.”

2017 was an amazing year for OCMC Mission Teams that saw 146 team members serve in eight countries around the world. Highlights included:

• 18 Team projects with 146 Team members (including 42 past members), supporting 6 OCMC missionaries
• Members representing 10 different jurisdictions, 28 US states, as well as Canada
• Ages ranging 12 to 74 years young, with 16 family units
• Serving 10 hierarchs in over 25 communities
• Teaching over 1,085 adults (including seminarians, clergy, clergy wives, teachers, and lay leaders)
• Ministering to over 1,290 youth, young adults, and their leaders
• Caring for 640 patients, while working alongside local doctors, nurses, and health workers
• Utilizing nearly $109,000 in Team grants for medicines, orphanages, retreats, camps, seminars, conferences, clergy, leaders, seminarians (33), and projects
• Raising awareness with 780 supporters, including over 385 new donors
• Offering numerous witness opportunities of the Faith in action

Next year will be full of even more milestones as the Mission Center responds to a call for more than 140 short-term team members in 2018. For the first time ever, OCMC will be partnering with Project Mexico to send Orthodox Christians to help build homes for people in need while gaining a deeper understanding of the missionary ethos of the Church. The Mission Center will also be partnering with sister agency Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) to send college students to Albania for Real Break. And, we are excited to share that an OCMC team will be serving in Jamaica for the first time.

Over 22 teams that will be serving in nine countries need volunteers just like you in the coming year. Please prayerfully consider joining one of these teams. Your life will be changed as you work to help transform the lives of others. For more information or to apply, visit https://www.ocmc.org/about/open_teams.aspx.

https://www.ocmc.org/resources/view_article.aspx?ArticleId=2326