Nazareth House Apostolate Blog: A Bell's not a bell 'til you ring it ...

Last Summer, Jesús and his son,

installed the bell at St. Simeon Skete.

It is to be rung as a “call to prayer” prior to every Service at St. Simeon Skete.

One of the things I miss most in Sierra Leone is the “Adhan”, the Muslim Call to Prayer that rings from the minaret 5 times a day.

In the wee hours of the morning, hearing that wakes me from my sleep with a reminder to pray.

Sunrise at St. Simeon Skete

Archbishop Provence once said to me that “the first thing you do when you wake up is what holds your day,” “If prayer begins your day, then your day will be held by prayer. If checking the news, email or facebook is the first action you make after waking - then those things will hold your day.”

St. Simeon’s Skete’s “call to prayer” is not from a large bell, its not fancy, its simple and functional and in this way a perfect representation of life at the skete. It is enough.

Seraphim appointed Joanie Markwell as the Official Bell Ringer of St. Simeon Skete. Every Sunday, she rings the bell eleven times, five minutes before the Liturgy. The bell is rung eleven times in honor of the eleven patronal saints of the skete.

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Last week, Joanie celebrated her birthday and the small study group that meets on Wednesdays at the Holy Trinity Kellia presented Joanie with an Official Bell Ringer tee-shirt and hat.

This past Sunday, Joanie came dressed in her Sunday hat

but made sure to change into her “bell-ringing hat” while ringing the call to the Liturgy.

As the Lord's Supper was celebrated on Sexagesmia Sunday at St. Simeon Skete, little Vicki Ann Mansaray's life

was being dedicated to God by her doting grandfather, Pastor Foday

at his church in Kabala.

The family gathered together

for this special and very joyous event.

James and Kadijah are very pleased to have made the return to Kabala and are anxious to settle in and spread the work of NHA throughout Kabala and the outlying villages.

We have made some medical shipments to Sierra Leone for James to receive, however, they have not arrived as timely as hoped. In one of the boxes filled with medication is a small valentine gift for Roo and Vicki.

St. Mark's Parish in Portland, Oregon has also sent Valentines to the students of the NHA School in Kabala. Obviously, the boxes have not made it to their destination in time for Valentine's Day. And so this year's greetings may be more on African time (where they are event oriented rather than Chronos or sequential time). Love has no expiration dates and I’m sure St. Valentine would be the first to agree that the message of love should be everyday - love for God and love for all mankind.