Our warm Christian love is needed! So many Serbian families, churches, and monasteries, are in the need of food.
Dear Friends In Christ Our Lord,
May the great peace and love of our Lord God always be with you!
Now that it's January, the weather in Kosovo and Metohija is becoming severe, especially at night, and many people are already freezing. Thousands who are cold are in need of our assistance and warm Christian love. It will get even colder as the days proceed into February.
We here in America simply turn up our thermostats or light our fireplaces to keep warm. But there are no heaters or fireplaces for thousands and thousands of families in much of Kosovo and Metohija at this hour!
Thousands of people there no longer even have proper shelter because so many homes have been damaged or destroyed. We should not forget that 10,000 homes have been destroyed since the war began; many were destroyed as recently as this past March (2004). Not many of these have been repaired and so large segments of the population are still living in deplorable conditions at this time. Many Serbian citizens who were displaced by the recent violence have not been allowed to return to their homes at all. They remain homeless, surviving as best they can under extremely difficult and uncomfortable conditions. Those least able to obtain adequate supplies of firewood and food are children and the elderly and so it is these who are suffering most. This well includes further needs for our six food kitchens with the region. Monasteries as well have limited food and are waiting for our Christian love.
The main problem at this our is that food from Belgrade, and Bosnia has become a serious problem as once they arrive at the borders a 100% tariff of contents must be paid before food can be delivered. In some cases food is also stolen, and the trucks had to turn around and return back to Belgrade and Bosnia.
Desperate individuals and families are barely hanging on in the villages of Ossjane, Nish, Bicha, Grabac, Belo Polje, Suvi Lukavac, Podgorce, Novake and Sredacka Zupa, and of course also in Decani, and Pristina.
There are six soup kitchens currently for Serbs and food is becoming difficult to get because of the tariffs at the borders.
Already shortages are forcing parents to go hungry in order to provide meals for their children. Many people are eating only once a day or even less often. For many elderly, pensions have been cut and they no longer can afford what supplies of food and heating fuel are available.
The Decani Monastery is attempting to help as many as possible to obtain firewood and food. We can help through our donations to the Decani Monastery Relief Fund. The monks of the Decani Monastery will rush to assist those in need of firewood, no matter what the conditions might be or what the hour. They routinely put their own lives and safety on the line to relieve others' desperation. This in itself is true Christianity-- to care enough to do whatever it takes to assist those in need of simple life sustaining staples such as firewood or food!
Please, loving Christians and respected Brothers and Sisters in our Lord God, let us together help the suffering and struggling souls in Kosovo and Metohija by providing more food and firewood! Let us just momentarily pause in the pursuit of fulfilling our own needs and desires and consider how truly blessed we are by our Lord God. Let us then hasten to share these blessings with those in desperate need at this time.
Prayers will be answered because of our love! We will again see happy faces and joyous hearts in Kosovo and Metohija! Thanksgiving will be offered to God because we offered help.
Please help the Decani Monastery Relief Fund. Let us who are so richly endowed with material blessings take this opportunity to bring the light of Christ to the displaced and desperate in Kosovo and Metohija. Then we may be ever joyful knowing no one of our brothers and sisters has perished, but, instead, all will have again known the warmth and peace of true Christian love.
Please send your donation to the following address:
Decani Monastery Relief Fund +Very Reverend Nektarios Serfes 2618 West Bannock Street Boise, Idaho 83702
Or visit to donate by Pay Pal thedecanifund.org
Thank you most kindly
Peace to your soul!
Humbly in our Lord Jesus Christ,
+Very Reverend Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes, President
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