MA26 – August 9
Antsyal tari, ays tari (Last year, this year)
Today was our visit to Horom, an annual reunion we always look forward to because this little church feels like home to us since our first meeting in 2013. It is always a blessing to worship and fellowship with this small congregation. Here are some highlights from today’s visit, specifically the changes we observed since last year.
One of the first things we noticed was Pastor Tigran’s state of health. Last year, he was very thin and pale. This year, he had returned to a healthier weight and, as Shubroto told him, his “face was shining. And when the Pastor’s face is shining, the whole church will shine.”
Last year, there were only two children present at the church. This year, there were 12, and two of the regulars were absent. Because of this growth, the church restarted their Sunday School program a couple of months ago. The children sang three songs during the service and ended their presentation with the recitation of Bible verses. The littlest of the girls had the longest part: the Lord’s Prayer!
Last year, our team did a lot of the sharing but, this year, the church members themselves were more involved and shared testimonies and needs. Pastor Joseph even changed his usual approach to preaching: After asking Samvel to read the Bible text, he added a few points and questions to encourage the members to make sure they really understand and have the assurance of their salvation. Our team members shared their own reflections or words of encouragement, with Pastor Tigran offering a personalized response to each one.
It was a short but wonderful time… wonderful to see how this church, although still quite small, has grown over the past year and is praying and planning for more growth still. God willing, they will have one or two candidates join the baptismal service on August 22nd.
After the service, we drove to Gyumri for lunch and a little visit of the city centre, then began the trip back to Yerevan.
On the way, however, we took an impromptu detour through a Yazidi village, where we stopped to observe their open-air shrine, take a few pictures, and do some research into this religion. Stay tuned for more information on this subject, as we will be visiting a Zoroastrian community in the next week or so (the Yazidis and the Zoroastrians share a similar sun- and light-based belief system).
We thank you for your continued interest and prayers for this mission!
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