May our Gracious Lord God always bless you!

Those now in Kosovo and Metohija will be nourished, kept warmer and further assisted because so many kind souls have offered to help the Decani Monastery Relief Fund! We give humble thanks to each of you and to the organizations whose fund raising efforts brought in additional funds.

It is truly also a great blessing that more churches, priests and other individuals made donations recently. We send our deep appreciation to Zoran Smaic who organized a bicycle race to raise funds. We also thank the church that held a concert on behalf of the Decani Fund and those who attended and made donations. Perhaps these examples will inspire others to plan fund raising events so we can continue to support the fathers of the Decani Monastery in assisting those in desperate need throughout the regions of Kosovo and Metohija.

Our spirits are joyful that the former Archimandrite Teodosije, the Abbot of the Decani Monastery and First Vice President of the DMRF, was recently elevated to Bishop. He will remain as Abbot of the monastery. We assure Bishop Teodosije of our continuing prayers and say to him: Axios! Axios! Axios! (Worthy!) Eis Polla Eti Despota! (Many Years Master!) May he enjoy long years in good health.

This past August (2004) the newly elevated Bishop Teodosije (of the Decani Monastery) took more then 100 children on a spiritual retreat to a Greek Orthodox Monastery in Greece. These children, who have gone through so much hardship due to the situation in their region, must have been delighted with this opportunity to make a spiritual pilgrimage and to enjoy several days in the sunshine. Read the following: http://www.kosovo.net/news/archive/2004/August_19/2.html

We were also pleased to receive kind words from His Holiness, Patriarch Pavel, while our Secretary-Treasurer, Veljko Sikirica, was in Belgrade. Veljko met with the Venerable Patriarch this past August (2004), and wrote the following:

I had the great blessing to visit with His Holiness, Patriarch Pavel of Serbia, a day after his 90th birthday (celebrated on the day commemorating the Beheading of St. John the Baptist), during my recent visit to Belgrade. I updated His Holiness on the situation and labors of the DMRF and humbly asked him to bless and pray for the future endeavors of the DMRF.

His Holiness Patriarch Pavel indicated that DMRF has indeed been a true blessing, not only as measured by the amount of money collected, but especially by its continuous expression of true Christian love, care and solidarity. It is indeed uplifting for our long-suffering brothers and sisters in Kosovo and Metohija to know that far away in America there are people who pray every day that truth and reason will prevail and that a lasting peace will reign over all the people of Kosovo and Metohija.

His Holiness also commended the true Christian love through sacrifice that Americans of Greek, Russian and Serbian origin, as well as Orthodox Americans of other origins and other people of good will, have shown by sending their contributions to the DMRF.

Finally, His Holiness asked me to send his continuous blessings to the President of the DMRF, the Very Rev. Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes of Boise, Idaho, and to assure him of his Holiness' constant prayers and blessings for the DMRF and its family of supporters.

We would like to humbly thank His Holiness, Patriarch Pavel, for his kind Christian words and his Christ-loving blessings and prayers. May our Lord God continue to bless this good soul! Eis Polla Eti Despota!

The situation in the regions of Kosovo and Metohija, especially for Serbian Orthodox Christians, continues to be deplorable. His Grace Bishop Artemije continues to make appeals for the repair and restoration of the 140 destroyed Serbian Orthodox Churches and Monasteries and ten Serbian Orthodox cemeteries. We certainly join with Bishop Artemije in saying that it is the responsibility of those who destroyed them and not of the Serbian Orthodox Church to restore these sites. The DMRF simply does not have the means to make the needed repairs!

At the same time, we call upon all our brothers and sisters, and all our neighbors throughout the region of Kosovo and Metohija to come sit at the table of peace and discuss how we can live together as a free people in a nation that is loved equally by all its ethnic populations. We ask that respect be granted to those who practice the Serbian Orthodox Faith.

We ask that all displaced citizens have the right to return to their homes and live on the land that is rightfully theirs.

We ask that children be protected in school and on their way to and from school. More and more children are currently staying home from school out of fear for their safety.

We still have countless kidnapped and missing children and adults throughout the regions of Kosovo and Metohija. Some have been missing since the war began in 1999. A first priority should be to find these missing persons and return them to their families. More information about these missing persons may be found at http://www.serfes.org/missionary/childrenofkosvo.htm

In addition, we ask:

Who will repair the destroyed Serbian hospital?

Who will repair the Serbian Orthodox Theological Seminary?

Who will repair or rebuild two Serbian Orthodox Monasteries that were destroyed? In one monastery the monks are now living in tents.

When will the countless Serbian refugees be able to come home? How are these refugees surviving from day to day? We have heard that only a few thousand have returned.

When will the diocesan center and the chapel church of His Grace, Bishop Artemije, be repaired?

When will all citizens of the region determine to live together as brothers and sisters? Serbian citizens love Kosovo and Metohija too, and desire to live with their neighbors in peace and good will.

Let us end the killings and the wanton destruction. Let us begin a new day in hope for our shared future and in love for one another as all members together of the human family, whatever our differences of faith and culture. This is our prayer and our appeal.

Soon the winter months will be upon us. Many men, women and children will freeze while others live in luxury and are warm and happy. We call upon all people to assist one another. Bring firewood to those who are freezing. We call upon all people to assist their neighbors who do not have proper shelter or who are hungry. Peace begins with concern for one another, for those whose struggles are greater then our own. We, as Christians, should be the first to give firewood, food, and other assistance. Let us take care of each other.

To all our loving supporters, we ask you please not to forget those who will freeze this winter, especially the children, the elderly, and others who are especially vulnerable due to illness or disability. The monks of the Decani Monastery will rush to offer assistance; it is their efforts that our donations make possible.

If you have any question about your donation reaching the people for whom it is intended, go to the Decani Monastery web site and you will see the smiles on the faces of those being assisted by this fund. We assure you that your donation does indeed reach the monastery fathers who write down each donor's name for remembrance in prayer and thanksgiving to our Lord God.