MA26 – August 16

August 16, 2026

This morning, we attended Pastor Suren Shahumyan’s church in Charentsavan. It was nice to see this congregation again and enjoy some fellowship with them in singing and worship. After the service, which included short messages from Pastor Suren, Pastor Joseph, Shubroto, and Jonathan (the latter two translated by Samvel), we were treated to lunch, which allowed time for more fellowship and discussion.

On a side note, our friends Mariam and Sanadroug popped by after the service so we had a nice visit with them before heading back inside for lunch. We look forward to having more time to catch up with them again soon. 

Later in the afternoon, we were able to visit the Pastor’s extended family at the home of one of his cousins and enjoy some rest and recreation with them. The cousin who was hosting offered a very touching toast at the beginning of the meal, highlighting the impact Pastor Joseph has had on the family and their appreciation of him.

We had a rainy ride back to the hotel where we then had a quick review of this coming week’s activities. Thanks for staying tuned; we will continue sharing God’s goodness in our next updates!

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy today’s photos, which includes some extra scenery shots.

MA26 – August 15

August 15, 2026

After two busy days with multiple visits, we appreciated having a slower morning today and being able to visit a few local areas of interest. In the afternoon, we met Samvel and Arayik who took us to a recently-formed Bible Study group that Samvel leads. The elderly woman in whose home we met, Annik, lives in one of the least desirable areas of Yerevan: near the prison, near the city dump, and very poor. Her building has no elevator so she has to walk up and down six flights of stairs every day (a feat that was tough for us to do just once!) She shared that she had prayed for 25 years that the Lord would somehow make her home a house of prayer, and now she is hosting this Bible Study group.

Our presence as visitors somewhat disrupted their routine and the meeting became mostly a time of sharing. It was interesting to hear how Annik, even at her advanced age, has been involved in prison ministry, somehow convincing the guards to allow her inside to distribute God’s Workshop, which would not be possible today as rules have become more restrictive.

Speaking of this book, a few years ago, Annik made a case to gain an audience with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and gave a copy to him as well.

We ended the meeting with prayer and prepared to leave, but we only got as far as the landing when we were invited into the apartment next door to pray with another elderly woman who lives there, one of the neighbours Annik has been witnessing to.

This neighbour’s son, who attended the Bible Study, also has an interesting story: He was serving in the army when, just three days before his planned discharge, he stepped on a landmine. His injuries were miraculously not too serious, and the Pastor encouraged him with the reminder that God spared his life for a purpose so he should try to discover what that purpose is.

On Saturday, August 22nd, we will be holding a baptismal service. As Pastor Joseph always meets the candidates prior to the actual baptism, we met with a few of them (a family of four) tonight. Pastor asked them the standard validation questions, and the father expressed that this was a decision they had discussed and made as a family. It was such a blessing for us to see how united they are in taking this step together, and what a blessing it will be for them as a family, to share this special anniversary.

Today began our second full week in Armenia; we are looking forward to what God has in store next!

MA26 – August 14

August 14, 2026

We started our day with our usual devotional time. Today’s theme was about power vs. humility, and we read an additional Bible passage about Gideon and his men being a small group that God used in a mighty way. It was an encouragement to us also because, although we are a small group, we can see God walking before us and working through us.

Our first visit of the day was to the home of Nelli’s mother Sveta, who is also the mother-in-law of the paralyzed woman we met yesterday. We had a nice time of fellowship and reminiscing as well as some discussion about future evangelistic endeavours. We realized today that Sveta has given out around 700 copies of the God’s Workshop devotional book. Everyone in the 74 apartments in her building has heard the gospel because of her!

From there, we went to visit Nelli’s uncle for a while and enjoyed fresh fruit from his garden, as has been a tradition for many past visits. If you remember, he is the gentleman that Pastor Joseph visited with for 10 years before he finally gave his heart to the Lord. It was nice to catch up with him and see that he is still doing well spiritually.

He then accompanied us to our next destination, which was the home of one of Nelli’s cousins where we had a great discussion about the assurance of salvation and baptism.

Our last visit of the day was to a group of Iranian Christians who are also woodworkers. We had the opportunity to pray with them and we also gave them a box of the newly-translated Does Your Life Have Meaning? in Persian. Today was a short visit, but we are planning to meet with them as a larger group at some point next week.

We returned to the hotel tired but with joyful hearts… just before a huge downpour!

As always, we thank you for your continued prayers and support. 

MA26 – August 13

August 13, 2026

Today was a typical Mission Armenia day: no firm plans as we started the day but then, as often happens, it was like the doors of heaven opened and suddenly we were being guided through encounters we had not expected.

Our first stop was at the home of a couple we visited last year, where we had met their grandson, a young man struggling under the weight of tragedy that devastated the family some 15 years earlier. He was not with us today as he has joined his mother and sisters in Holland, but we had a very interesting experience with his grandparents.

The family tragedy is still painful for these dear friends and there was some very emotional sharing and pouring out of hearts. In the middle of this conversation, Arayik’s phone rang and it was one of the couple’s granddaughters, calling from Holland. She shared that she’d had a vision the day before about this situation, and it was as if she had been able to ask God Himself a question. The reply was that two men could help her, one of whom was Arayik. She decided to call Arayik today to talk about this strange experience…right about the time he and Pastor Joseph had been discussing it with her grandparents. Both men spoke with her, offering words of encouragement. For those of us watching all of this unfold, it was a stirring moment of witnessing God working out the circumstances and events that allowed us to be in the right place at the right time.

Our second visit was to Hripsimeh, a woman we had also seen last year and whom the team has visited several times in the past. Last year, this dear sister was in a very weak state as she had recently undergone an operation. This year, she was looking and feeling much better, although she has had a rather difficult year for other reasons. Still, she was in very good spirits and doing very well, accompanied by and mentoring Anna, her new caregiver who is a new and growing Christian.

Our last visit was to Nelli’s brother and sister-in-law, who is now paralyzed in both legs due to complications with diabetes. She also was in good spirits and spoke with conviction about her trust in the Lord despite her current condition. After some discussion and fellowship, we had a time of prayer during which Pastor Joseph anointed her feet with oil as he asked for her healing.

For a day that started with nothing planned and a few false starts, it was a day of blessings and witness of how great our God is.

We truly appreciate all the prayers of our church and family members, our friends and our supporters. Please continue to lift up this mission work in prayer over the next two weeks.