Lent is beginning — a time of special good deeds. And we finally, with the help of the Christian Book Foundation, opened a collection for the roof of the temple in honor of the Prophet Elijah. The temple is very remarkable — it is located in the mountain village of Magulo near the Matutum volcano.
The first Orthodox missionaries visited Magulo in 2015. The local leader gathered the local “bla-an” to hear about the Orthodox faith. They expressed a desire to be baptized, but due to insufficient training and serious remoteness (several hours by car on a dirt mountain road, and then several hours on foot up the mountain), the baptism was postponed.
The next time the missionaries were able to return only a few years later and were surprised to find that all these years the tribe remained faithful to Orthodoxy, refusing offers to be baptized by Baptists, 7th-day Adventists and other neo-Protestant groups.
In 2018, more than 50 residents of the Bla-an tribe were baptized with their leader, who received the baptismal name John. He donated land in the center of the village, where a bamboo hut was built as a temporary temple.
Over the years, the hut has become very dilapidated, and Magulo needs a more solid temple building.
The foundation has already been poured and light metal columns have been installed.
We need to raise money for the roof so that we can conduct services in the new building.
