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“Happy Mother’s Day Mrs. Alky”
“Happy Mother’s Day Mrs. Alky”
An interview with the ‘mother’ of Hellenic Ministries, on the occasion of Mother's Day
It’s fair to say that Alky Macris is the ‘mother’ of Hellenic Ministries, for she helped begin the organization in 1980 along with her husband, Costas Macris. In fact, she remains an active member of HM to this day. Thus, on the occasion of Mother's Day, we as members of the HM family want to say “thank you” and to wish Alky a "Happy and Blessed Mother’s Day!"
Mrs. Alky was hesitant when first asked for an interview; she doesn’t seek publicity, and she repeatedly stated she would only do so “if God was to be glorified through her". This reaction, this hesitation—a sign of obedience to the Lord whom she has faithfully served for many years— reveals her genuine spirit. It’s the same spirit of obedience that led her and Costas to the jungles of Irian Jaya, Indonesia in the early 1960s. For sixteen years the Macris family lived in the harsh jungle environment as they shared God's love to cannibal tribes. These days, the suitcases of her mind are filled with memories of challenges, unique experiences, moments of joy and agony, but above all confidence in God in all things.
The following is the interview she gave us. We learn how she stood with all her might on her husband’s side, and also raised six children to develop a deep love for the Lord and for the people around them.
Mrs. Alky, what was the guidance and the reassurance you had inside you when you went as a missionary to the jungles of Irian Jaya?
The call to go to Irian Jaya was first felt by Costas during his studies at Canada’s Bible College, and while we were in a relationship. He was sure he wanted to go, and for two years he tried to convince me through letters. But I told him that I did not feel like him and that I could not follow him unless God called me, too. Eventually, we got engaged and I agreed to go to the same Bible College to see if God would give me the same calling; otherwise we would break up. It is impressive that while I was there, the same speaker through whom the Holy Spirit had ‘lit the flame’ in Costas to become a missionary, came again to speak. His message about how he preached in China and how the Communists took his child for six years, shocked me. It was the first move of the Holy Spirit that made me start thinking about becoming a missionary. Then some time passed, and I became very ill, so that I thought I would die. At that moment I said to God: "Lord, if you give me my life, I will go to the mission field." And that’s what happened.
You went to the mission field with a 6-month-old baby. How difficult was this phase?
Until you start and leave, there are many obstacles from the enemy which you have to overcome. But once you make the decision to do something for the Lord, you go ahead and the Lord encourages you along the way.
"Once you make the decision to do something for the Lord, you go ahead and the Lord encourages you along the way"
Looking back, do you think that when you left for the field you had the right expectations of what was waiting for you?
When we got there things were more civilized than we expected. At first, we thought we would live in a hut like the locals did, and I remember telling Costas that when we arrived I would like him to build me a nice, big window. But eventually the missionaries were able to order materials from Australia, so for example we even had a sink!
What was the weather like in the jungle?
It was terribly hot and I could not get out of the house. It also rained every day or every night, or both, for about half an hour. When it stopped, the atmosphere was clear and everything was very nice, washed and fresh. On the contrary, in the mountains, it was dark and so cold that I hesitated many times to even take a bath, because I would freeze.
What helped you to cope with the difficult conditions?
When you are there you realize that you can do nothing but believe in the Lord and wait only for Him in various phases. For example, because there were no roads in the jungle we were forced to get on the plane for our needs, such as to buy basic necessities, to take our child to the doctor, or to take him to school. Once we stepped into the plane we were in God's hands! I remember once saying to myself that if this plane crashed, I would rather be in the mountains than in the jungle; in the jungle mosquitoes would eat me, while in the mountains something could be done and I could be saved. [laughs…]
Also, Costas’s character helped me a lot, as he had many talents. He looked ahead and could see the blessings, and with them God gave him the faith. I, on the other hand, was always a follower, but I had the same goal with him: to help people.
"When you are there, you realize that you can do nothing but believe in the Lord and wait only from Him in various phases"
You gave birth to 5 of your 6 children while you were in the jungle. How was the experience?
Haris was born on a pedestal with an aluminum roof. Then a small hospital was built, in which I gave birth to my other children. My most difficult birth was Neil’s. I was bleeding too much and the doctor did not know if the baby would be born alive. Normally, I had to have a cesarean section, but we could not be transported to the other side of the island. At that stage, we had nowhere else to go, so we trusted the Lord once again even though the child was born with great difficulty.
What were your biggest worries as a mother as you raised your children in the jungle?
Most of the missionaries had a hard time when we had to leave our children at boarding school, beginning at the age of six. The school was was an hour away by air. Of course, it helped that we were all missionaries in the same phase, as well as the fact that our children were taught the principles of the gospel there.
Another concern was that the children should not approach the river, as it had crocodiles and snakes. For this reason, we had forbidden them to go there. One of my sons still remembers the spanks from his father when he escaped and went there! [laughs ..] There were also wild boars and lots of mosquitoes! Another thing I was worried about was the contagious skin conditions that the local children had, because my children played with them. God, however, took over and protected us from all this.
Were there times when you were alone with the children?
Especially in the beginning, Costas traveled a lot to find villages for evangelism. His longest trip lasted 2 weeks! So, I was alone several times with the kids and I did not like that. I was not afraid of the locals, as I left my door open almost always, but I was worried about my responsibility for the family. The good news was that we had brought a small community of young believers from the mountains to help us. Later I got a local young boy as an assistant, who lived with us for a long time and I even trusted him to take care of my children.
Have you ever felt lonely?
The interdependence we had with the other missionaries made us feel like family. Every morning we all checked-in by radio (the wireless) to say if we were well, and if there were any disturbances or any health problems. Then we prayed together, or asked for help from doctors or pilots.
However, there were times, like the holidays, when I missed my parents. I missed the church so much… How I longed to hear western hymns! I remember sometimes going to the runway, looking in the direction of the planes and saying, “Yes, that's where civilization is!” [laughs…]
"I remember sometimes going to the runway, looking in the direction of the planes and saying, ”Yes, that's where civilization is!"
However, because I had Costas and my family, I did not feel lonely. After all, there was always a lot of work to be done, such as baking bread or boiling water to make it drinkable, taking care of the babies, serving souls, or hosting a visitor. In fact, hospitality is my gift and I am blessed through it. Also, once the governor of the island came to visit and I remember how many preparations we made for the food and desserts, as well as to clean the area!
When your husband was involved in dangerous ventures, where did you base your hope?
In difficult times, I trusted the Lord. I was held by prayer and faith in Him. I didn’t have anyone else to support me, like my mother. I could not even ask her to pray for me!
I still remember the first time we went to the new station in the mountains. It was a Saturday night when the planes did not fly. Johnathan was a few months old and started vomiting one time after the other. I can’t forget the horror I felt, since I was a fresh mom and I counted that he vomited eleven times. Having no help, Costas and I fell on our knees and prayed. The next day, Sunday dawned and the child was well. When you have nothing else to do, you pray. God took care of this as well as many other things.
Of course, not everything was easy, as there were pilots involved in accidents, and there were some women left alone because their husbands were killed by locals.
What did you do when you disagreed with your husband's decision?
It depended on the occasion. There were times when, before taking a step, we both expected to have peace and guidance in our hearts. Other times, however, Costas made a decision and I followed him, because I did not want to stop him from going where the Lord was leading him. For me the important question was this: what is in the best interest of the Lord’s work?
How did you feel when you decided to return to Greece?
When Costas left the jungle in a hurry to have surgery in America, I was in a difficult psychological state and I was suffering from depression. I think it was a lot of fatigue and so I had to take medication. After Costas’s operation, the doctors told him he could not return to the jungles and then we decided to come to Greece. When we came here, I asked God to keep me from being depressed again and indeed He has kept me going ever since.
What thoughts went through your mind during the period when your husband was likely to be imprisoned?
We did not know what the Lord would allow, but God finally took care of it and Costas was proven to be innocent. He had decided that if he went to prison, he would write his autobiography. I, on the other hand, hurried to renew my car license so that if he went to prison, I could visit him. At the end, something good came out of it!
You managed to raise your children with a deep love for God. What advice would you give to a new mom?
As a mother I was more with our children in terms of time, but Costas led us spiritually as a family. Every night we had our time with the Lord. We read the Bible, sang hymns, and listened to Christian songs on the turntable. I also taught the children to memorize verses and at night I would sing hymns to them so they could fall asleep. I think they saw the overall behavior in the house. Also, what made them feel good was that we taught them to contribute to the ministry at an early age, for example instructing them to clean up the trash from an area.
What is your vision for HM?
My prayer is that every action of ours touches people, and that every New Testament and biography of Costas, which have been distributed all these years, will be read so that souls may be saved.
