Our Time with ASKOR

March 16th 2017 

Our meeting with ASKOR was amazing. I thought it was going to be something small, but we walked into the church and there must have been at least 40 young adults, that all came to speak with us, which made us feel so loved. 

We sat in a circle inside the church on the floor (there are no pews) and everyone introduced themselves as we waited for their spiritual advisor Father Vasili who was also a student of Father George Calciu. When he arrived we asked questions back and forth about Orthodoxy in our respective countries. 

It was interesting that ASKOR was saying that many times they are seen as "fanatics" in their peer groups because they go to church or are passionate about living their Orthodox Faith. I was very shocked as I thought that it must be a lot easier in an Orthodox country. It was interesting to share our experiences of living in a nation with all different faiths and how we are called to be witnesses and to learn from other faiths. 

There was a sense of an indescribable bond - because Christ was our unifier. Immediately, we all felt like friends and were open to sharing about our different struggles and experiences. It was such a beautiful experience! 

One of the most beautiful moment for me was chanting Agni Parthene with the girls I just met. The one girl handed me a note because she spoke a little bit of Greek, and from my name figured I also spoke Greek. There was another girl from Greece I met and another one that was part of their group. I felt like I knew them forever and chanting together as first strangers and then sisters was so amazing. We then all took turns chanting in the various language we knew throughout the group and were all super bummed when we had to stop chanting and actually go back to the hotel. 

Glory be to God!!!