Православная миссия в Таиланде в 1999-2014 гг. | страница 37

9 Получена высокая оценка деятельности Представительства РПЦ в Таиланде. 02 апреля 2014 года www.orthodox.or.th/index.php?content=news (дата обращения 24.07.2014 года).

Иеромонах Михаил (Чепель) во время богослужения.

The Hieromonk Michail (Chepel) during the divine service.

Благословение.

Blessing.

Chapter 2. Trends in the modern Orthodox mission in Thailand

§ 1. The mission among the Russian-speaking population

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the opening of borders, many Russians and residents of the former Soviet republics actively began to seek opportunities for selfrealization in other countries. Among them were those who chose Thailand as the place for their life. Since the mid 1990's his Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia and the Department for external Church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate began to receive a large number of emails asking about the spiritual nourishment of Orthodox believers, living and working in Thailand.1

1 Oleg (Cherepanin), the Abbot. The mentioned work. p. 165.

The Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin) recalled the beginning of his ministry in the Kingdom in 2011: “It was the late 1990's; the Russians began to come to Thailand to do business. It was very hard in Russia at that time, and one could live in Thailand well. But there were not our churches in the vast expanses of the South-East, from Russia to Australia. In my opinion there was the only one Orthodox Church in Hong Kong, and it was not in the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. The opening of the parish in Thailand was solely the initiative of the Russians living in the country”.2

2 Is it difficult to pray in a tropical Paradise…

The Russian-speaking parishioners in Thailand can be divided into three groups.

The first of these includes those who went their whole life into the temple, for them nothing has changed in a new country.

Another group includes those who, while living in Russia, were not believers. Their conversion to Orthodoxy, usually is associated with nostalgia. Their homesickness can take an exhausting form on the second or third year. Such people need a fulcrum, and they find it, coming into the Church.

The third group consists of those who came to Thailand, including their interest in Buddhism, but then they went from it to Orthodoxy in their spiritual quests.3

3 More about it: My path to Christ. The interview with the Hieromonk Michail (Chepel). // Orthodox Thailand. 2013. November. №5.