Seventeen years ago, an Orthodox mission in Bali began in the simplest possible way: inside a priest’s home.

Today, because of faithful friends like you, that mission is still alive.

Fr. Aleksander Kobesi has spent nearly two decades quietly serving Orthodox Christians on a small Indonesian island where Orthodoxy is almost unknown. Along the way, he has faced obstacles that would have discouraged many people.

When local authorities no longer permitted services in his home, Fr. Aleksander rented another space for worship. But money was so tight that he sold his own wedding ring to pay the rent. Still, he continued.

Over 17 years, the mission has been forced to move three times. The parish still worships in rented space today. Meanwhile, dozens of larger Protestant and Roman Catholic churches around them have permanent buildings and established congregations.

But through every hardship, your support has helped this tiny Orthodox flock endure.

Today, 30 faithful parishioners remain in Bali. Some converts have moved away. Some have reposed in the Lord. Yet every Sunday, the community gathers for prayer, fellowship, and something beautifully simple: a cup of coffee or tea shared together after the Divine Liturgy.

That small moment of fellowship is possible because donors like you cared enough to help.

Your generosity has also helped Fr. Aleksander secure legal recognition for the Orthodox Church in Indonesia — no small achievement in a country where religious activity is closely regulated by the government.

Through years of patient work and cooperation with local religious leaders, Orthodoxy is now officially recognized.

Fr. Aleksander continues to serve wherever he is needed — even ministering to non-Orthodox Christians in a local prison.

“My parishioners are always praying for the donors,” he writes.

Please know this: your kindness is not abstract. It is not forgotten. Thank you.