Mission: Armenia 2019 – Friday, August 23, 2019

On Friday, August 23, our friend Aharon came to pick up our team and drive us to Hrazdan, a town 45km northeast of Yerevan, to visit a family Emmy has been helping. The rest of the team was left in shock when we saw the dilapidated condition of the homes in the neighborhood we visited.

These wood-frame homes look much older than many of the Soviet-era concrete apartment complexes we have been to over the years. The planks are rotting, there are gaps in the walls, the tin roofs are fragile at best and there are holes in the windows. The scene was like a ghost town in an old Western movie, except that many families actually live in these structures. The family we visited said their youngest child has not been able to sleep for a few days because of the rats that run around the house at night when it’s dark. Our hearts broke to hear about the terror he feels.

We were able to offer encouragement, literature and some help before we left. Please remember this family. The young single mother is taking care of four children under the age of eight.

In the afternoon we drove to an area called Abovyan and visited a family that has become dear to our ministry. The father is a talented painter and the son is a world champion boxer, yet they are admirably humble and soft-spoken men. The son asked a question about how believers should respond when forced to choose between their faith and their career and this led to an uplifting conversation about what it means to be a follower of Christ. What a blessing to have such discussions with a group of young people!

Thank you for your encouragement and prayers!