After seven disappointing years of infertility studies and medication, we finally realized that we really hadn't let go of our problems and let God do His Will in our lives. We knew we needed to muster up enough trust to let God do His job. That's when we first learned about the holy life and miraculous intercessions of the late Archbishop John Maximovitch. In China he had been a care-giver of orphans. We prayed, asking him to intercede with our Lord Jesus Christ in directing our lives and hopefully sending us a child to love and care for as our own. Several months of prayer passed and things began to happen. After two and a half years of waiting, my husband received word that a U.S.A.F. active duty Orthodox chaplain job slot was open. What's more, the wife of the chaplain he was replacing was the president of the adoption association in their area. She put us in touch with a social worker who filed our homestudy for adoption, and just five and a half weeks after its approval we became parents of fraternal twins, a boy and a girl!
We write this account with prayerful gratitude, asking Archbishop John that he continue to help us and direct our lives closer to the Lord.
Papadija Roberta B. Yonitch, Texas
In 1968 I was a Roman Catholic and altogether disillusioned with the Church of Rome, particularly the radical changes instituted by Vatican II. Something inspired me to visit an Orthodox church in Seattle, Washington. Thereafter I began to make inquiries about the Orthodox Faith, and from correspondence with Father Alexey Young (then still a layman) and reading certain publications I learned about the struggler and wonderworker. Archbishop John Maximovitch, and I determined to visit his sepulchre in San Francisco at the first opportunity. At that time I was interested in Orthodoxy, but had not taken any definite steps in that direction.
In January of 1973 I was able to make that visit. Standing in that crypt-chapel and praying, my heart was warmed and moved toward actively seeking Orthodoxy. Father Vladimir Anderson — also a layman at that time — and his family had come to guide me around the cathedral, and to talk with me. The next morning they took me to Liturgy at the convent on Fell Street, and in the afternoon to visit the Vladimir Icon Convent and the miraculously renewed icons. I had some time to be alone in that church, time to venerate the Mother of God in those icons, and this brought me great peace and joy.
Returning home, I told my wife that sooner or later I would be Orthodox, regardless of the fact that we lived over a hundred miles from the nearest Orthodox temple! She had never been Roman Catholic, although she had usually accompanied me to church, and I didn't know how she would react to my decision. She told me that during my absence she had been struck by a keen sense of her mortality, and would not oppose my becoming Orthodox. In fact, we were baptized together at Pascha, 1973, with two of our three children. All of this has been at the intervention of Archbishop John.
Then, in February of 1990,1 found myself in the hospital awaiting surgery for colon cancer. In spite of my lifelong devotion to Christianity, I was frightened and upset at the prospect facing me. During the night before surgery, I half awoke in great anxiety over my sins and attachment to this world: I cried out in prayer to the Saviour and to the Mother of God and other saints, although not to Archbishop John, and I received such comfort that several people afterwards commented on my optimistic attitude.
Four days after surgery I awoke at night and saw at the foot of my bed the profile of Archbishop John. He was looking to his left and standing quite still. I blinked, and he looked straight into my eyes, perhaps somewhat sternly. He said nothing, but the thought came to me that he was thinking I should have called for his help earlier, and that I should have been more zealous in acquiring Christian virtue. Again I blinked, and he was gone. Comforted, I fell soundly asleep.
In the morning I remarked to the nurse on the number of visitors I'd had the previous day. She said, "Yes. And you had one during the night, too." I was so astonished at this confirming coincidence that I could think of nothing to say and didn't even have the presence of mind to ask the nurse to describe the nighttime visitor. But there is no doubt.
Four days later I received in the mail from Father Peter Perekrestov a photo icon of Archbishop John, looking exactly as I had seen him in my hospital room. In his accompanying letter, Father Peter said he had only just heard of my illness: the photo icon and letter were mailed the morning after my first experience of comfort, the same morning as my surgery.
At this writing there is no indication of any cancer, but even if it should recur, there is within me the assurance that the Lord does indeed nourish those who cast their care upon Him, as David the Psalmist says. Through Archbishop John, God made known His strength in my weakness.
Joseph Miller, Indianok, WA