Saints Mary and Martha, Orthodox Monastery, Wagener, SC

It has been a busy and somewhat overwhelming year so far. Our January 2011 newsletter had “October 2010” instead of “January 2011.” We missed writing and mailing April’s newsletter altogether. So now July 2011 newsletter will be a double newsletter. We have heard from a number of you asking where our newsletter was and when will it be sent. It is good to know that it is being read and that you want to keep up with us. Please pray that God will call more women to this monastery.

The iron gates and fencing were repaired, repainted, and reinstalled. The black matte finish looks really good.

Sister Lyubov took a Beginning Beekeeping Class that met once a week for six weeks from January through the first part of March. In March she prepared two hives and introduced three pounds of bees (roughly 15,000 bees) and a queen bee to each hive. We can actually state that we added 30,002 additional members to the monastery in one day (LOL). Each queen lays 1500 eggs per day. They may be tiny, but they can go through a goodly amount of sugar water. Now we have three hives. Sister Lyubov now attends the monthly Aiken Beekeeper Meeting whenever possible. There are volumes written on bees and beekeeping; therefore, we will never know all there is to know about bees.

While we strive to encourage all the pollinators that are here, we needed the honey bee to help out. A few years ago, we had bees in the area, but all of them mysteriously died. We have had to rely on bumble bees, wasps, and other pollinators, but they have not been sufficient in numbers. The bees’ industrious presence has already made a significant difference in the amount of produce from our garden. Now to deal with rabbits, deer, cut worms, etc.

No, we will not be raising enough bees to supply ourselves with beeswax. That would take thousands of bee hives and a host of human workers, not to mention finding enough crops and other plants for the bees to pollinate and make honey. Please pray that God will call more women to this monastery.

On February 17^th, Fr. Paul Stern, the Anglican priest at the University of South Carolina, introduced us to his bishop, The Right Reverend Paul C. Hewett, Diocese of the Holy Cross, Federation of the Anglican Churches in the Americas. All of us enjoyed visiting with one another as we walked around the monastery grounds and then had lunch.

The following day we welcomed eight women who attended the Fourth Annual Knitters’ Retreat. Knitting for these women is relaxing and provides time to pray, meditate, and share with others while keeping their hands busy. Among these eight women, there were different levels of skill, many projects in their bags (mostly for someone else), and incredibly beautiful yarns from here and other countries. The entire retreat was pleasant and, we hope, restful. In time we pray that this will develop into a sisterhood that will continue to knit together (pun intended).

On March 1^st, Mother Thecla had the opportunity to attend the annual Davidson Garden Symposium. This year’s topic was “The Southern Garden.” It was amazing to see the differences in Southern gardening over the past three centuries and compare it to what we are doing now. One of the speakers specialized in native plants and how they can be used in large expanses of acreage. Knowing that God takes care of our land, it gave her a whole new appreciation for His work.

Needing continuing education hours required to maintain her Master Gardener status, Mother Thecla attended another garden symposium in Columbia entitled “Footprints in the Garden.” Unbeknownst to her, she sat down next to a master of the art of topiary, Pearl Fryar from Bishopville, South Carolina. If you are interested, there is a movie about him -- A Man Named Pearl.

Having enough space for visitors, retreats, and related items is now an ongoing challenge, not to mention having enough nuns to minister to those who come here and to tend to everything needful to maintain and develop this monastery. Outgrowing our current facilities is a good problem to have. While we are pressed for space, we continue to work to reach our goal of $500,000 before we start to build. Our Building Fund now stands at $380,686.64, which means we have $119,313.36 to go. God willing, we will reach our goal in three to four years.

Each Lent and Holy Week are different in their challenges. This year was no exception. Except for the few times we had a priest, all non-sacramental services were prayed in our little chapel. (Most children who visit our monastery think our chapel is just the right size.) For Wednesday evening Presanctified Liturgy, we traveled to Holy Resurrection Orthodox Mission which is currently in Augusta, Georgia. At noon on Fridays, we attended Presanctified Liturgy at Holy Apostle Orthodox Church in West Columbia, South Carolina.

Mother Helena, being her ever-efficient self, figured out a way to have a third set of dipping frames in the candle shop. This made it possible to handle the Lenten candle orders in a timesaving manner and allow two nuns to work with greater ease in the same space. We are running out of timesaving ideas, please pray that God will call more women to this monastery.

The afternoon of March 28^th, Fr. Robert Royer brought Bishop Mark of Baltimore, Orthodox Church in America, here to visit us. While giving him a tour of our monastery and showing him what God has done here, we became acquainted with each other.

On Thursday, April 14^th, the women’s group from Christ the King Lutheran Church, Columbia, South Carolina, visited. We served coffee/tea and cake while we answered their questions. Then we divided the group of twelve into two groups and took them on a tour of our monastery. They are a lovely group of Christian women whose visit we enjoyed.

Keeping up with repairs, maintaining the gardens, and making minor additions takes a considerable amount of time. Volunteers, both individuals and groups help us. Bret Barnard installed more shelves in the Monastery Store. These will probably be the last ones as there is no more space. During the two weeks before Pilgrimage, we were blessed with a number of volunteers who helped us with preparations. Artemiy and Ruth Zheltov, leaders of the youth group at Holy Apostles Orthodox Church, brought Matthew Bracey, Hannah Lieberman, and Grace Moore to help us with garden chores, water sealed the crosses, and cleaned up the cemetery. A few days later Fr. Thomas Moore and his daughter Grace, Greg Hayda and his son Dustin, Philip Selby, and John Braxton, also from Holy Apostles Orthodox Church, helped us by constructing a concrete pad for a bronze military marker, sanding the ramps to the Barne Shoppes and Bunker, taking out dead trees and hauling them to the burn piles, preparing the area for the outdoor pilgrimage, and power washing the ramp to the Red Shed. Fr. Robert Royer, from Holy Resurrection Orthodox Mission, helped us put up the three tents that are used for Pilgrimage. Elizabeth Barna, an accomplished gardener from Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, spruced up our gardens, assisted with setting up the tents, and aided the driver of the semi which became embedded in the sand after he delivered our order of beeswax. Once the semi pulled out of the sand, she filled up the sizable hole left in Spinner Lane. We are most grateful for their help.

Usually before a big event, something big needs immediate repair. The pump of the well went out on Wednesday. Thanks be to God, our well man was able to replace the pump and another part by Friday morning. Since we’ve used this pump for fifteen years, it owes us nothing.

Saturday, May 7^th marked our Twelfth Annual Pilgrimage. Fr. Robert Royer from Holy Resurrection Orthodox Mission and Fr. John Parker from Holy Ascension Orthodox Church served Divine Liturgy. Denise Norman, from St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church in Rincon, Georgia, directed choir for most of the services. The above picture was taken during Divine Liturgy. This year, we set up a table in the gazebo where Proskomedia (the preparing of the bread and wine for Communion) was prayed. Thus, the Great Entrance was made from the gazebo to the Altar. After Liturgy, a pot luck feast was enjoyed by all. Due to a schedule conflict, Fr. Thomas Moore from Holy Apostles Orthodox Church joined us a short time later. Around 1:30pm, we headed back to the tents to pray the Akathist to Saints Mary and Martha and a Panikhida (prayers for the dead). As we processed to the graves, we sang the Paschal Canon. After blessing the graves, Fr. Robert blessed the living with holy water. After a short respite, Vespers was prayed. In all, fifty-three people attended even though this was also Mothers’ Day weekend. All the Pilgrimage photos were taken by Mark Lyda of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Mission.

The following Thursday, Sister Lyubov drove up to Maryland to visit her family. Then Mother Helena flew to El Paso, Texas, to visit a friend. Mother Thecla was overjoyed that Mother Helena finally saw part of the great state of Texas, even if it was the desert part.

Just before they left and while they were gone, a predator dug under the duck pen (AKA fortress) and killed one of our hens. With the help of Valerie Selby, who had come to work in the perennial garden, two layers of patio blocks were placed around the pen area. Thinking our ducks would be safe, it found its way into the pen through the roof and killed one of the drakes. So Mother Thecla spent a portion of each day climbing a short ladder and re-tieing the lattice down. The predator, probably a feral, male cat, was persistent, but finally gave up.

The same day that Valerie was helping re-fortify the duck pen, Elena Boguslavsky, an avid gardener, was doing some much needed weeding in the perennial garden.

With everyone back safely, we attended the wedding of John Aaron Brown and Analucia Perdomo on May 22^nd. We have watched Analucia grow from a child to the fine Orthodox Christian woman that she has become. As for John Aaron, we first met him when he became interested in Orthodox Christianity, started attending Holy Apostles Orthodox Church, and converted several years ago. We are overjoyed at their union and pray that God grants them many wonderful years together.

This year, our Monastery Feastday, June 4^th, occurred on a first Saturday Liturgy day. Among our guests that day was Hierodeacon David and Richard Daugherty from Dayton, Tennessee. On the afternoon of June 5th, we attended Harry and Anzhelika Blount’s wedding which was also at Holy Apostles Orthodox Church. We also pray that God will bless their marriage as they work to build their lives together. Many years!

Some members of St. Sophia of Thrace Women’s Group from St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church of Rincon (near Savannah), Georgia, came to visit us and see the monastery on Saturday, June 11^th. St. Sophia of Thrace and Sts. Mary and Martha share the same feastday, June 4^th. Several months prior, they had decided that they would celebrate their matronal feastday by visiting us. The three of us were glad that they came and pray that all of us will grow in a bound of Christian sisterly love.

From asparagus in the spring to tomatoes, peppers, and squash in the summer to apples, pears, and grapes in the fall, we are kept busy putting up. The vegetable plants and fruit bushes and trees are doing better with the arrival of the bees. Each year the harvest varies. God teaches us something new and knows how much we can handle with everything else that happens here.

Taking the Little Schema Habit, Sister Lyubov made vows, was tonsured and became Mother Lyubov on Thursday, June 16^th. Hieromonk James (Bohlman) officiated with Abbess Thecla and Mother Helena in attendance. God is so very good to add her to our number.

As we have said before, we have been blessed with volunteers who have helped us with various tasks needed to keep this monastery in good order. On Saturday, June 18^th, our friend Donna brought out four men to help with some of the “grunt” work which has become difficult for us to do. Drew, Hayden, Doug, and Harrison worked at clearing dead trees along the driveway and cutting back branches from around the double wide and Barne Shoppes, repaired some minor plumbing and brick problems and the latch to the Red Shed door, set posts for plant hangers and water hose holders, moved bricks, blocks and tiles to one accessible place, and transplanted a medium size azalea. When we broke for lunch, it was such a pleasure to see how much they enjoyed Mother Helena’s lasagna and garlic bread. If you haven’t figured it out, Donna is the one in the middle of the picture. They are a great group of guys whom we hope to meet again.

We continue to alternate Sundays, one at Holy Apostles Orthodox Church and the next at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Mission. Weekday Liturgies are a “toss up”.

Recently, three generations of one family, the grandparents whom Mother Helena has known for over four decades, visited us. The grand daughter who is three, soon to be four, is very articulate. Arising on Sunday morning and finding us gone, she loudly exclaimed, “Oh no!” To which her dad asked, “What’s the problem?” She answered, “The cookers are gone (pause) and the dogs, too.” Seeing ourselves through a child’s eyes can be so delightful.

This newsletter has covered the “high spots” of the “goings on” at Saints Mary and Martha Monastery here in Wagener, South Carolina, for the last six months. We will try not to skip an issue again. As always, God blesses us and is so very good.

Please keep asking us for our prayers as we will keep asking you for your prayers. Holding each other up in prayer before our Triune God is a precious gift.