October 6, the secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese Hieromonk Korniliy Molev took part in the Sunday Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Nativity of Christ of the Hanty-Mansy diocese. At the end of the service he delivered a sermon on the statutory Gospel reading. After the service, Fr. Korniliy met with parishioners of the Church, sharing features of the life and ministry of Orthodox missionaries in the countries of Southeast Asia.

On October 2, students of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia from the Philippines, Tatiana Villaluz and Alexandra Laurente, arrived in Russia.The girls are heading to the Yugra State University to study Russian language first. Upon completion of the one-year course, they plan to enroll in the choir department of one of the theological schools in Russia. Previously, they were trained in Orthodox parishes in the Philippines. At Sheremetyevo Airport, they were met by the secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese, a graduate and teacher of the School of Orthodox Missionary (SOM), Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev).The next day, the students were accompanied by a graduate of the SOM, K.A. Korobkova. The girls visited the Church of St. Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow, in Meshchanskaya Sloboda, where they prayed at the Divine Liturgy and learned about church singing in the tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church. After the service, Ksenia Korobkova showed the guests the churches and shrines of the historical center of Russian capital. Then the excursion continued with a visit to the Sretensky Stavropegic Monastery. The guests were met by a third-year student of the Theological Academy, M.A. Metelkin, who told them about the history of the monastery and the theological school. That evening, the students left for Khanty-Mansiysk, accompanied by Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev). In Ugra, they were met by Metropolitan Pavel of Khanty-Mansiysk and Surgut, Administrator of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese. The Bishop gave the Filipinos some advice, wishing them successful studies and God’s help in their work for the good of the Church and their people.

On September 28, an important joyful event took place in the Church of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki in Khoroshevo. The Chairman of the Missionary Department of the Moscow Diocese, Priest Dionysius Grishkov, converted 8 citizens of the Philippines to the Orthodox Church. The baptism took place with the support of the rector of the Church of St. Demetrius Priest Dimitri Krutov.The families of the newly baptized are in Russia as labor migrants. Each of them, having faced the difficulties of adapting to new conditions, found the path to God through the Russian Orthodox Church. Members of the Filipino diaspora, also interested in Orthodox culture and doctrine, were present at the sacrament. After the service, the Filipinos organized a meal of national dishes. It is important to note that a deeper acquaintance with Orthodoxy for the guests of the Moscow diocese was organized by the native Filipino George Mumbakki Foronda, a parishioner of the Iveron Church in Manila of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, who has lived in Moscow for many years. George is an active volunteer in the SVO zone, and he is engaged in missionary work. He was a consultant for the film “St. John of Shanghai. Returning Home.” We express special gratitude to George Mumbakki and ask to pray for God’s help in his labors, as well as for all those who were united to the Orthodox Church through him.