Dear Father Ioannikios,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST!

Enclosed is a Social Security form which Basil Voytans father gave to us to fill out, and which is required by the Social Security authorities in order to give money for Basils education. Can you simply fill out the bottom part (Section С)? If so, please do so and send it in the enclosed envelope before November 1, or his family will have complications in receiving the money.

Vladika Laurus sent his blessing for Basil to stay here this year, but we still have no information on how he is to be tested, and also as to whether there are any specific textbooks for his second year classes. We have him reading Smirnov’s Church History (in Russian, with translation exercises from it), a lot of Russian literature in translation (in preparation for the third-year course), Andreyev’s Apologetics (in English), practice in Slavonic (both on kliros and outside). If there is no set textbook for Russian history, we will give him one of our English-language texts that covers the period from Peter I for the second year course. He also writes one composition a week (on literature, apologetics, etc.) and attends a class for all our brothers in world history from the Orthodox perspective, Is there anything else he will need this year? His knowledge of Russian is not yet at the advanced textbook level, but he is spending several hours daily at reading and translation, and is advancing steadily.

Mrs. Voytan asked where to send the tuition money, and we told her to send it to you at the seminary. Is anything else required for him to be enrolled at the seminary? Basil spends about 10 hours per week in formal classes, the rest in homework; if necessary, we could give him 20 hours per week in supervised attendance.

Please let us know what else we need to do. So far Basil is flourishing in his studies, is very interested and self-motivated, with no serious problems. He is especially interested in Russian literature and thinks that part of his problem last year was trying to plunge too much into “dukhovnost” without a better preparation in “dushevnost’”.

Please pray for us. We have a good group for the winter (ten of us right now), and it should be a fruitful season.

With love in Christ,
Unworthy Hieromonk Seraphim