The diocese hosted a Mission Trip To St.Kitts December 17-24, 2022

On December 17-24, The Department of Mission and Evangelism (DOME) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, hosted a mission trip to the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts. This trip was organized in honor of the late Hegumen Father John Mikhail (priest of St. Justina Coptic Church in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), as he was scheduled to lead this trip before his unexpected departure to paradise, on June 19, 2022.

In attendance were DOME trip coordinator, Nader Gad, Fr. John’s family, several members of the church of St. Justina, as well as a few members of various church throughout thedioceses of Los Angeles, and a blessed Ethiopian Orthodox family from Washington State. 

This trip was an incredible blessing and an amazing experience for everyone. The first day of the trip was spent meeting with the blessed Father Shenouda at St. Mark and St. Bishoy church, learning about his journey to the faith and the history of the church at St.Kitts, (which we learned was short for St. Christopher). Much of the time was spent cleaning, painting, organizing, and updating the church from the inside and out. We also had the blessing of visiting a children home, where we spent time interacting with the children, playing soccer, and of course cleaning, painting and organizing their home. We also had the incredible opportunity to visit a nursing home, where we visited with the residents, and assisted with feeding and bathing them, a very humbling experience. 

Of course, the trip was not void of some fun and fellowship! As a matter of fact, the harmony and chemistry between everyone on this trip was felt by all. Everyone put in tremendous effort to do what was needed with no hesitation. The love and comradery will continue beyond this trip. 

This trip was a true blessing to everyone who attended. It was a great opportunity for us to visit a place that truly needs a lot of work and prayers to bring the people to Christ. This can only be accomplished by the grace of God, the continuous efforts of those who dedicate their time to go on these mission trips, and of course through the prayers of our beloved Metropolitan Serapion. 

God willing, we look forward to going to St. Kitts again next year!