convert here.I have some questions about marriage

[OOConvert]

Im a convert from Roman Catholicism,still a Catchehumen and I have a practical but not theological question.that question is basically how would one in a atheistic european country without a sizable orthodox community venture into finding a wife?I have fallen into sin many times and have had 3 relationships with non christians and although I repented of it,I learned that I really need marital intimacy for my own mental wellbeing.

How would one venture to find a wife?Should I visit a predominantely orthodox country like Ethiopia and ask a priest to help me?should I visit an orthodox country and approach women for dating without intending to fornicate with them(I think this would be harder for many reasons,and not many women are willing to wait until marriage but some appreciatte it ).I have also thought of marrying a orphaned woman in india since it would be a great act of charity since they have trouble finding husbands due to the fact they must pay exhoribitant dowries in their culture.I don't know if the syriac malabar or malankara orthodox churches even have or run orphanages where you could meet a orthodox woman seeking to get married?pls don't consider this idea creepy or anything,its just an idea in the back of my mind as options in this country are bleak and thats why Im asking for your advices,if its a bad idea I take that with full humility.


the reason I ask is not because I'm inept to find a woman,as I've had relationships before and am decent looking and pretty friendly but because I know that dating doesnt go over so well in many traditional orthodox communities and is seen as scandalous?


also my last question is is it okay for a oriental orthodox to marry women of other christian sects?

 

[Winken]

There may be many "encounters," but rest assured that once you are devoted to our Savior, visit with Him in prayer, and listen to the Holy Spirit, He will direct your path.

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

Depends,
Do you want God's best for you?
Or
Just what you want?

If you want God's best then stop trying to find one in your strength and roll that care over unto Him and spend your time growing in Christ and thank Him often for His choice.

Other wise you will just get what you get.
Blessings
FCJ

 

[ByTheSpirit]

There is a very good story in Genesis about a godly man trying to find a wife.

Genesis 24

 

[dzheremi]

For your last question, it depends on your particular church. I am Coptic Orthodox and have been told that I cannot marry anyone from outside of the OO church unless they convert first, but I've been told by Armenians that they can marry any mainstream, Trinitarian Christian. I think also the Syriacs are more lenient than the Copts about this, since I know a few who have both Orthodox and Catholic relatives, without anyone converting to the other faith. I don't know any details about that, or about the Tewahedo either.

Luckily for us, even if you are Coptic Orthodox, there are more and more churches around the world every day, so it's not hard to bring people to church, or to find people there. I don't know about Europe in particular, but in America where I live it's still mostly an immigrant/Egyptian church, but with a lot of converts in larger parishes. My own parish was rather small (only about half a dozen families, all Egyptian), but at the parish in which I was baptized there were Hispanic people, white people, non-Egyptian Africans, Iraqis, etc. And the day I was baptized, some of the youth gave a presentation about the mission work going on in Bolivia (South America), where the Church is entirely made up of converts -- nobody is Egyptian except for the priests and the bishop, and that is only because the Church is so new there that they have not had enough time pass to raise one whole generation in it. In the future, they will surely have native Bolivian priest and bishops, too, as the youth told us that hundreds are in the Church all over the country, being formed in the true faith.

God willing, this will happen in Europe, as the Church grows and nativizes. When I was in the monastery of St. Shenouda in New York a few years ago, one of the other visitors was a Coptic-Dutch guy (Coptic mother, Dutch father) who said that in his country the Church is fairly small, but they still use the native language so that they can be open to the wider society. This will be the way forward in every place, even if it doesn't help you and I find wives right now.

Here is a good documentary about mixed marriage (Coptic/non-Coptic couples) in the Coptic Orthodox Church that shows that it can work!

May God bless you with companionship in marriage, if it be His will.