Dear Friends,

This past Sunday, our church school kids made Pascha cards—”Love letters”—for the Orthodox Church in Japan, especially those parishes that have been devastated by the major earthquake and tsunami.

After talking with a friend in Japan, we realized we need a lot more cards for the Churches – hundreds! So, we want to invite church school kids from other churches to also send Pascha cards. They don’t have to arrive on Pascha itself—anytime in the Pascha season is fine.

We can’t promise you’ll receive a reply, but I trust that these cards will be a blessing and encouragement!

Please help us by sending cards to any or all these churches (and if you take photos, send them in so we can post them here! info@stjuvenaly.org):

(We are also taking donations for the Church of Japan »)

c/o Holy Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral in Sendai
3- 4-20 Chuo, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-0021 Japan

Sendai: Holy Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral
Ishinomaki: St. John the Theologian Church
Jogezutsumi: The Protection of the Theotokos Chapel
Sanuma: Holy Transfiguration Chapel
Takashimizu: Holy Transfiguration Chapel
Wakuya: The Holy Prophet Isaiah Chapel

c/o Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Ichinoseki
56-1 Hakoshimizu Hagisho, Ichinoseki, Iwate 021-0902, Japan

Ichinoseki: Holy Ascension Orthodox Church
Kannari: St. John the Apostle Church
Kesennuma: Holy Resurrection Chapel
Sakari(Ofunato): Holy Ascension Church

c/o Elevation of Holy Cross Orthodox Church in Morioka
1-2-14 Takamatsu, Morioka, Iwate 020-0114, Japan

Morioka: Elevation of Holy Cross Orthodox Church
Yamada: Holy Annunciation Church

The Protection of the Theotokos Orthodox Church in Yokohama
27-11 Matsugaoka, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 221-0843 Japan

With the blessing of His Grace, our Bishop Benjamin, and the support of our treasurer, we are now collecting funds to go directly to the Orthodox Church of Japan. These gifts are an offering of love from our people and parishes around the world to the Church of Japan to help directly with the specific needs of the churches – rebuilding, aid for families, and other assistance.

From March 28th through April 4th June 4^th through June 10^th, Fr. Michael Oleksa will be visiting the mission. Details have not yet been worked out, but we are planning to book him for many talks and discussions while he is here.

Fr. Michael is a leader in the church in Alaska and highly regarded as an expert in native Alaskan culture and the Orthodox Church’s missionary legacy in Alaska. A partial list of his writings is available here.

Here is a fuller biography (courtesy of the Orthodox Speaker’s Bureau):

Father Michael Oleksa is a widely known speaker who travels almost weekly throughout North America speaking from two perspectives – Orthodox Christian and as an expert on Cross Cultural Communications, typically speaking to state, federal and educational agencies. After 40 years in Alaska, Father Michael is convinced Alaska has a mission to the rest of the Church, just as the Church has considered Alaska a mission field for over 200 years.

Father Michael is most well known for his widely acclaimed four-part PBS television series, “Communicating Across Cultures”. He describes culture as being defined by:

• The way you see the world
• The game of life as you understand and play it
• The story into which you were born

Father Michael has published four books:

• Alaska Missionary Spirituality – Published by SVS Press
• Orthodox Alaska – Published by SVS Press
• Another Culture/Another World – Published by the Association of Alaska School Boards
• Conflicting Landscapes – Published by The Kuskokwim Corporation, Anchorage.

Father has been the honored recipient of awards from the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska, the Alaska State Legislature, The National Governors’ Association, the Alaska Federation of Natives and the Alaskan of the Year Committee, as well as the Order of St. Innocent from the Orthodox Church in America.

Currently the acting chancellor of the Diocese of Sitka, Anchorage and Alaska and rector of St. Alexis Toth Orthodox Church in Anchorage, he serves as adjunct faculty at Alaska Pacific University and on the faculty of St. Herman’s Seminary in Kodiak as well.