Friday, February 22, 2013

The Mission House - Makodia


The main hall
As we enter is the main hall which serve as the main lounge. This must have been the area where Thirumeni would have entertained guests who would have come to visit Makodiya I felt. Perhaps this was also the area that local politicians and officials would come to meet the bishop.

Thirumeni's room was on the right of the main hall. There are a couple rooms on the left.




Chapel
This was the British Bungalow of old which is a famous landmark of the area. Another room on the left serves currently as the office. Further down there are a couple rooms where people could be accomodated if they come on a visit - there is the chapel on the right.




Dining area
The dining area is a long hall with the kitchen at the far end.We were served breakfast and lunch in the dining hall. The dining hall opens to the backyard with the vegetable garden on one side and the stable on the other.



We have about 6 acres of land there - wheat is grown in the fields. The harvest provides part of the income for the mission house, I was told.Once the jowar crop is harvested the same place is used for growing soya beans. The land is very rich and fertile. There are other vegetables grown in the backyard that is used locally. Also we have some livestock that helps in the maintenance of the Mission house. I have read that Thirumeni wanted the Mission house to be self sustaining and the model of cultivating the land for our own needs fit perfectly into the model.



vegetable garden

The adjacent building serves as the medical clinic with the Anganvadi on the first floor.


(Written by Mathew Samuel (Sunil), a visitor to Makodiya in January 2013)
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Our Shepherd

Our Shepherd
HG Dr. Joseph Mar Dionysius, our Shepherd and Diocesian Metropolitan, Director of the Makodia Mission is the guiding light in our ministry

Purpose - provide a glimpse of a gigantic vision

In the past I have often heard of Makodiya and Theodosius Thirumeni's work there, but was unable to find much further details or pictures of what happens there, what Thirumeni's vision was, what is its current state etc.

This blog is a small initiative to provide some information, some visibility to this mission - which needs a lot of support and prayers. Hope this endeavor would help focus attention on this place and work that was so dear to Theodosius Thirumeni who remains one of the pioneers of mission work for the ancient Church of India.

- Mathew Samuel (Sunil)

Set up by a visionary

When Late Lamented HG Stephanos Mar Theodosius Metropolitan arrived in Makodia in the 1980s, there were no roads or civilization. It was the visionary grace of the bishop who saw potential to do Christ's work in these remote areas that brought the Indian Orthodox Church to the region.With great patience and love, the bishop and committed disciples built up the mission among the tribals - far away from Kerala, far away from what the Church considered home for many centuries.The Indian Church has now finally begun to embrace India.

Sharing Christ - not conversion

Christian "Mission" is usually mis-interpretted as "conversion" attempts - this is the result of the aggressive Western gospel works in India without properly understanding the richness of the spirituality in India. The Indian Orthodox Church does not believe in forcible conversions, or even that conversion and baptism are the ultimate goals of Christian missions. The Indian Orthodox Church, which has existed in India since the beginning of Christianity, understands India like none else, and sees mission work in its essence as "sharing Christ" which translates itself to serving the poor, loving unconditionally and working for justice. Working for the upliftment of the poor is doing Christ's work. That is gospel work, that is Christian mission - and that is what is seen in Makodiya.