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Wednesday
Apr012009

April 2009 Newsletter

St. Mary of Egypt

New News

I’m so pleased to report that God has been working through ACM in the lives of the students. Since the last newsletter, one student has been received into the Church and another has entered the catechumenate. In early March we went on a mission trip to Raphael House in San Francisco during St. John’s College’s spring break, and, upon returning, I got engaged. Thanks be to God!

Students journeying to Christ and His holy Church

Harry Thompson Green was catechized through ACM over the past year and received into Christ’s holy Church on 1 February. He took the name Ignatius after the early second century saint and first bishop of Antioch. Over the last two years, Harry has become a very active member of the OCF in Annapolis and a great blessing to the ministry. We rejoice at his homecoming and wish him Many Years!

Soon after Harry’s Chrismation another student, Virginia Bucher was received into the catechumenate. Virginia is the girlfriend of our OCF student president, Thomas Browning. There are also several other students journeying to Christ and His holy Church in Annapolis. We praise God for His work through this ministry.

Service Project and Mission Trip

Sdn. Robert with students, getting supplies for their landscaping project. In March, five students and I journeyed to San Francisco to volunteer at Raphael House, an Orthodox ministry and rehabilitation center to homeless families in the City. At Raphael House we served dinners, helped with clean up, did a landscaping project on the roof of Raphael House, which serves as a fenced in playground for the children and retreat place for the staff. We also assisted with various odd jobs.

Surprisingly, there is no OCF to serve the many students and their colleges and universities in San Francisco. Archangel Bookstore, another Orthodox ministry in the City, hosted an OCF night for us so we could share the vision of OCF with them and the many ways that God can work through such a ministry.

Sdn. Robert with students from St. John's College. Additionally, we had time to visit some of the holy sites in San Francisco. Particularly blessed were the opportunities we had to venerate the relics of St. John the Wonderworker and pray the Molieben with Fr. James Corazza at the Old Cathedral of the Holy Virgin. The students also had the opportunity to do some site seeing and have dinner with my family, who are local, and visit and receive the hospitality of Holy Trinity OCA Cathedral and the new ROCOR Cathedral of the Holy Virgin. God truly blessed us on our travels and in our work. Thank you for your prayers!

Engaged

Sdn. Robert with his fiance', Krissy Disharoon Finally, I’m pleased to announce that I’m engaged to be married to a wonderful woman and old friend, Kristina (Krissy) Disharoon. We are to be married May 24 at Holy Cross Orthodox Church in Linthicum, MD. We covet your prayers!

Thank you for your faithful support and prayers for this ministry that is making a difference in the lives of the students in Annapolis. Your spiritual and financial support make this ministry possible!