ON THE ROAD AGAIN
A friend of ours heard about our "journey of faith, fisher, forests, family, friends and fun" and suggested we set up a Blog. A what? So here we are....on the road again with Bocahontas and Buba. Blessed with the freedom of time, we were inspired by two of our favorite causes. So we organized a road trip to Alaska which should not only be fun but also an opportunity to spread the good word about The Fisher Houses , The Orthodox Christian Mission Center/Programs and some of our National Parks. We are participating in a 2 week Mission in Tyonek, Alaska with the OCMC group in June. Feel free to check out the planned trip on the calendar link. Caribou Cabins? Blue Moose? Tundra Lodge? and our soon to be "favorite" Motel 6. Any and all suggestions, prayers and good karma are welcome and very much appreciated....poor Buba, in a car with Pam for 5 months. Lions, and tigers and bears oh my! Toggle down to the calendar and see where we are over the next months. We ask for your prayers.
Grab yourself a cold one and come along for the ride. Enjoy and laugh along with us viewing the daily blogs which are archived on the left side of this page in chronological order. We started April 22- Happy Trails!
The Fisher House
The Fisher House program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The Fisher House Foundation, through the kindness of donations received, provides "comfort homes" that are built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable America's military families to be together during extended treatment for serious illness or lengthy physical sessions....very much like the Ronald McDonald homes for families of children in a similar situation. We were first introduced to Fisher House while visiting Brooke Army Medical Center (Burn Center) in San Antonio. We were so moved by the dedication and love of the staff and volunteers that we returned for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Currently there are 44 Fisher Houses (more in the works) and our goal is to visit all of them and spread the good word to family and friends. Please feel free to peruse their website for a detailed explanation about the Fisher House Foundation and programs. Perhaps you will be inspired by the work this group does on behalf of our Armed Forces.
Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC)
The Orthodox Christian Mission Center is the official foreign mission agency of all the Orthodox Jurisdictions (i.e. Greek, Russian, Serb etc.) The goal of the OCMC is to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ where it presently does not exist and to establish vibrant Orthodox Eucharistic Communities throughout the world. We have had the privilege and pleasure to admire the work of this organization (headquarters located in St. Augustine, Florida) for years and now that we are retired we have the blessing to participate. We are on the road to Alaska to join a Mission Team in Tyonek for a couple weeks to do some construction and teaching in an Athabascan Indian Village. "If I had a hammer"...you'll be happy to know I deep sixed the acrylic nails in anticipation of caulking and painting. :) Please take a peek at the OCMC web site for details on all of the programs they are involved with throughout the world. And do stop in to see Father Martin and his kind and loving staff when you are in St. Augustine! We will also be visiting family, friends and Orthodox Churches while on the road to share the marvelous work of the OCMC.
National Parks
Most people know that the National Park Service cares for national parks, a network of nearly 400 natural, cultural and recreational sites across the nation. The treasures in this system – the first of its kind in the world –have been set aside by the American people to preserve, protect, and share, the legacies of this land.
People from all around the world visit national parks to experience America's story, marvel at the natural wonders, and have fun. Places like the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, and Gettysburg are popular destinations, but so too are the hundreds of lesser known yet equally meaningful gems like Rosie the Riveter in California, Boston Harbor Islands in Massachusetts, and Russell Cave in Alabama.
The American system of national parks was the first of its kind in the world, and provides a living model for other nations wishing to establish and manage their own protected areas. The park service actively consults with these Nations, sharing what we've learned, and gaining knowledge from the experience of others.
Beyond national parks, the National Park Service helps communities across America preserve and enhance important local heritage and close-to-home recreational opportunities. Grants and assistance are offered to register, record and save historic places; create community parks and local recreation facilities; conserve rivers and streams, and develop trails and greenways.
We hope to see you soon in a national park and invite you to explore the ways we can help you preserve what’s important in your hometown.
St. Elias was built in 1934 founded by a small group of Lebanese immigrants desiring to establish a place to pray and practice the Orthodox faith. Throughout the years, Greeks, Slavs, and Romanians, as well as Eritreans and a good number of Americans have come to be a part of the parish making St. Elias a unique community. The parish is a part of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America...in apostolic times, Antioch was an important city in Asia Minor "and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians" (Acts 11:26).
Many are surprised to learn that for the first 1000 years of Christian history that there was just one church. It was in the 11th century that a split occurred, resulting in the Roman Catholic Church under the Pope of Rome separating itself from the Orthodox Church. Very simply the Pope sought to establish himself over all of Christendom and did succeed in the West. But what is the real difference? One writer has compared Orthodoxy to the faith of Rome/Catholicism and Protestantism in this basic fashion: Orthodoxy has maintained the New Testament and Early Church tradition, wheras Rome has often added to it and Protestantism subtracted from it. Most recently I see several of my friends who are Notre Dame Alums up in arms over some of these issues....
So what is the Orthodox Church in North America? For many centuries, the center of Orthodoxy was in the East, so it is relatively new to North America. It was first introduced into North America in what we now know as Alaska by the Russian Orthodox Church in the 18th Century. It wasn't until the late 19th Century and early 20th centuries that Orthodoxy arrived in America with immigrants from Eastern Europe...Greece, Russia, Serbia and the Middle East. These immigrants were generally ignored as a "foreign" minority and as a result tended to maintain their old world ethnic identity , even to the point of retaining their native languages in their worship. People who visited their churches were often unable to understand what was said or done. Today and specifically at many Antiochian Churches this is not the case. We have found many recent "converts"...people devoted to Christ, but distressed and frustrated by recent doctrinal, liturgical and moral development in other churches and turning to the "changeless" Orthodox Church. Historically, many of the converts to Orthodoxy were due to marriages. Our case as an example, where Keith converted to Orthodoxy a few years after we were married in the Orthodox Church and before we started a family.
There are over 6 million Orthodox Christians in the US and 250 million in the world....while this historically "ethnic" group has been diverse the Liturgy is virtually the same. Thank you Father David Barr for reminding us during your sermon that our faith is an act of the free will choice God gives each of us. As we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ we respond to that empty tomb with FAITH. God doesn't force faith upon us. So how do you use your free will?
St. Elias was built in 1934 founded by a small group of Lebanese immigrants desiring to establish a place to pray and practice the Orthodox faith. Throughout the years, Greeks, Slavs, and Romanians, as well as Eritreans and a good number of Americans have come to be a part of the parish making St. Elias a unique community. The parish is a part of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America...in apostolic times, Antioch was an important city in Asia Minor "and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians" (Acts 11:26).
