ND monks will be homeless without your help.

[Stavrophore Monk John]

Dear in christ:

"Lord Isus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amin."

Please dear Bogoroditsa, let this be short and we let all know we cannot get help from our Old Believer group as we are no longer with them and are seeking another jurisdiction and ask all on this list to help us...

at present time: we have been here over 2O years, but we have opened our doors to homeless and poor, always. One of our monks, which we will not name has misplaced our deposit for this month, two months ago we were hit by lightning and almost burnt down, our printer went out, and it was this printer we communicated with our benefactors.....

very few Benefactors we had, we had worked in past with our hands, there are only 3 of us monks here and we are getting up in age, have applied for social security, and everyone knowthe s that can take much time...

We are so happy that many of you helped Fr. Dionysi of colorado in his hour of need.....

we are in behind in our electric, have enough food for a day or two, and behind two months in phone bill.....

our car insurance due on November 5, 2005..

almost 3OO.OO dollars....

we cannot go out and get a job as both of us monks have heart problems...

Fr. Matthew had two heart attacks, and I am walking around with a valve that leaks , no hospitilation for leaky valve and it needs replaced, Glory to God that we have been asked to share in the sufferings of our Christ God...

We pray you will not say, we are not of your jurisdiction.......

we old monks need your help, please.....

our electric bill will be turned off within 5 days and only a western union will help us, if you send a check, out of state checks would take 10 days to clear and your check may also not arrive for 5 days, a total of 15 days and we will be sitting with no electric and no fuel.....

If we had approximately $1,5OO.OO dollars, we can make it....

Fr. Matthew was offered a job at hospital, but no gas money.....

the gas prices and prices for fuel(we use diesel fuel oil to heat our small monastery) we were working for years, but due to our heart attacks and leaky valve in heart, we must now beg....

Fr. Matthew may get paid in 2 weeks before he gets pay check.....

I beg the administrator of this cafe to have mercy and allow this appeal to go through....

we used to make candles, etc we live on 8O acres and now will have to give the small animals we have to no kill shelter, close down and we will be HOMELESS. DEAR ONES IN CHRIST, PLEASE, WITH TEARS RUNNING DOWN MY SINFUL CHEEKS, I BEG YOU TO HAVE COMPASSION AND COME TO OUR ASSISTANCE...

THIS IS THE ONLY HOME WE HAVE EVER KNOWN .....IT WILL BE GETTING COLDER....

WE HAVE NO FUEL AT PRESENT...

COLD AT NITES...

WE ARE ASKING FOR ALMS, FR. MATT REALLY SHOULD NOT WORK, HE IS ALMOST 6O, two heart attacks, blood clot in both legs, on coumadin, no hospitilization, we beg our doctors for free meds.....

we need at least $1,5OO.OO to $2,OOO.OO dollars to stay afloat...

can you imagine Fr. Matthew walkin on blood clot legs? But he is willing to do so, we are not lazy monks, we are sick monks, so for the love you bear Jesus our Christ God, Theotokos, and the Holy Orthodox Church, come to our aid, won't you. email me: monkraymondtryon@yahoo.com If you will send us western union...please, today is 2Oth of September....

you must tell us your name and what city and state you sent western union...please send it to my secular name: Raymond Tryon our home address is:

P.O. Box 325-Karlsruhe, ND 58744-0325

you need to have this information to write down on the western union....

I am afraid our anxiety levels are so high, we may have a stroke, so please, do email me and let us know you will help us and pray for us and go to western union today or tomorrow, the 21st. of september...

we need your name, your town (not your address) and the state and the amount you are sending to tell western union...

I say make it out to me: Raymond Tryon my secular name as we can't pick up money you send western union with our Skete name.....

you can put both: Raymond Tryon (Stavrophore Monk JOhn ) Holy Nativity Skete-we will pick up western union in Minot, ND...

please email me a.s.a.p. to let us know you wil help us poor monks, also many who did send us monthly alms forgot us we think, due to Katrina victims....

so please know we thank God for your help...

even if you could give us a loan to keep solvent.....

here poor Father Matthew will go out in -6O below wind chill factor in dead of winter and drive over 2O miles in horrible winter weather ....

please, we beg your help, we also beg your prayers...

even if you cannot help financially, drop me a line: monkraymondtryon@yahoo.com

All this anxiety and mental anguish can bring on a stroke...

PLEASE DEAR ONES, REGARDLESS OF YOUR JURISDICTION, WE BEG ALL FELLOW ORTHODOX TO COME TO OUR AID...

the least of the Brethren, sinners, the Old believer monks of ND HOly Nativity Skete Monk John (monkraymondtryon@yahoo.com

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

All,

I am very sorry to post this and please forgive me Monk John for suggesting this...

I have personally given to people in need and have found out later that I was "robbed". Of course I pray that this still might add to any crown my unworthy soul might receive, but I have come to think it is important to make sure almsgiving makes it into the hands of the needy, and that theives don't turn charity into skepticism (and maybe thats whats happening).

And I have learned a few things from the people at my Church.

Therefore, I would recommend that anyone giving to the needy monks, do not send them cash, but rather have the bills faxed or mailed to them and that they pay the bills themselves. A credit can even be added to any utility by over-paying.

The bill should have the monasteries name on it with the address, (although it may not). Also, there should be a few benefactors with phone numbers somewhere that can verify they are a monastery and also verify the address.

I am admitedly suspicious because Western Union is a notorious means of receiving "clean" money that is somewhat untraceable, or at least unproveable who atually received it (there is no bank account numbers involved). Also, it is very cooincidental that these monks have no accountablility to a bishop or anyone who could also verify their legitimacy, the crisis has deepened to such an emergency that only immediate hard currency will do, a PO box is being used, and also, he states that the deposit was misplaced but then also says, essentially, there was no deposit because there were no donations for the month.

I am sorry to say these things, and I am by no means saying these people are not serious, but just as much it seems today, people are shameless and actually steal from the needy. I think I have even heard of this skete before, but it is even possible that the poster is not even part of the monastery.

My point is that a few precautions should be taken to verify authenticity if possible.

[Stavrophore Monk John]

Dear Ones in Christ.

"Lord Isus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner, amin.

Our fax machine and our printer went out, and we do not have much time and we just don't have the strength to send out to each person who would want us to fax showing our bills, etc.....

Fr. Dionysi didn't have to do this, thank the Lord and I understand skepticism, so i am not affronted in any way...

Fr. Andrei knows we were with Old Believers...

Fr. Andrei Maklakov knows us...

we couldn't possibly send this out, our bills...

have to photo copy all the bills, no copier, etc....

so please, we are who we say we are, and ck with Fr. Andrei Maklakov of ROAC-under His Eminence Metropolitan Valentine, we just don't have health and time to do the way you say Orthodoxy or Death, I do understnad your skepticism and today one must be very careful.....

If others over pay us, and all our bills were paid, we would send you back the funds.....

if you do prefer to send check, that is ok also, it is just that we are desperate and by the time your check arrived, we would possibly be homeless. takes several days for your check to arrive, and 1O days in our account...

because we can't write on your check, it must stay within the account for days....

Our Post office box is down the road..

P.O. Box 325-Karlsruhe, ND 58744....

we are only 1 mile from po box...

but actual monastery address is: Holy Nativity Skete....

Rural Route #1-Box 35A-Voltaire, ND 58792 The postal person in Karlsruhe, ND is aware we are monks, so we now have given you the actual location , our address, and if you feel better with a check, sending that to us, that is fine.....

I see now how some would be skeptical Orthodoxy or Death, so thank you dear Brother, this will help then....

no, we are seeking to rob anyone, just some alms to help us until we can get on our feet dear brother in Christ God. Thank You for your love, and please, also pray for us....

If you want to send check, maybe that is best.....

send to: Holy Nativity of the Mother of God Skete Rural Route 31-Box 35A-Voltaire, North Dakota 58792.......

Once you talk to Fr. Maklakov, he will let you know he is aware of us....

please, do pray and be at peace, we will give receipts to each and all who help us, signed from our monastery.

Thank You.

monks of ND
stavrophore monk fr. john tryon.

Lord Isus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner, amin."

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

Again, please forgive me for saying these things.

Once there was a person who showed up at our church when a few of us were just doing some work claiming he needed money for his truck drivers license. He said he had to have it that day or come monday he would not get a job and his family would be on the street. He seemed to have known a few people in our Church but he couldn't locate them, and that's why he was threre.

It turned out, he took the $100 he got from us and used it to get high. I'm not saying we should have done anything different, but perhaps with a few more questions we could have done good for him instead of actually hurting him.

Thank you Monk John for clearing this up further.

[Stavrophore Monk John]

Dear in Christ. Our skete is : Holy Nativity of the Mother of God Skete
yes, we have post office, but actual location is: Rural Route #1-Box 35A-Voltaire, North Dakota....

I assure you we are not fraudulent, my name is Raymond Tryon, secualar name and my monastic name is: Monk John

yes some monks have to wait to get under another jurisdiction.....

we were not excommunicated or anything, but will not air our laundry about our former jurisdiction on a list...

as monks, we be silent and pray for all...

please pray for us....

If you check with Fr. Andrei of ROAC, he knows us.....

as monks, we live a life of silence, but must beg at this time, so please pray for us. God Bless each and everyone of you, we will sign a receipt and return to you via mail if you send us anything....

thank you dear Brethren. stavrophore monk Fr. John (Raymond)

If you cannot send anything: know this, your prayers are more to us than anything...

truly, we need your prayers. We understand skepticism, so this is why we gave you Fr.Andrei, we are without Bishop because old believer Metropolitan passed away, and we awaited to hear from new Metropolitan, takes long time to hear and we are asking around to other jurisdiction....

please consult with Fr. Andrei...

May the Lord Isus Christ, Bogoroditsa, and all our God Bearing Saints grace you all...

we are not affronted at all. we understand.

God Bless You.

Stavrophore Monk Fr. John monkraymondtryon@yahoo.com

If you call post office in Karlsruhe, ND the postal mistress will gladly tell you we have been here for years, and yes, we are monks.....

I must put my feet up now and rest. Pray for us, we send our love and deep gratitude to all.

[尼古拉前执事]

Dear Father John,

Greetings on the Feast Day of your Skete! May God grant you, your fellow monks and your monastery many years!

It is good to have you here. The reason Father Dionysi did not have need to back up his credentials was that he had been a long time poster here and people knew him. This was your first post, so people were suspicious. As you post more, you will become one with the community and people will know they can trust you.

Speaking of trust, I wanted to let people know that Father John is legit and they are a true monastery that one can trust and they are in dire need.

If you can send funds their address as follows:

Holy Nativity of the Theotokos Skete
Post Office Box 325
Karlsruhe, ND 58744

The rural, physical address is:

Holy Nativity of the Theotokos Skete
Rural Route 31 Box 35-A
Voltaire, ND 58792

Their email address is monkraymondtryon@yahoo.com

[尼古拉前执事]

An update:

Father John sent me the following updates:

"we did find some old scrap metal on our property and sold it, and praise God, we got enough to pay our 2 months behind electric bill.....The man gave us $2OO.OO, so we paid the electric..so please tell those on list we don't need help with electric now"

"our fuel man, filled up our fuel for monastery...cost $5OO.OO and we owed another past bill to them for $23O.OO dollars, so about $73O.OO we owe them....please let all on list know each time something is paid, I will notify you dear Father and let you know it is indeed paid...we seek only help.....hand up"

They are only asking for what they need and I do encourage anyone who is able to to help out these monks who will pray ferverently for you.