Monday, September 7, 2015

Two days left!

It happens all the time. You wait for something for weeks or months and then you blink and it's over. That's kind of how this year's mission trip to Armenia feels. Months of preparation went into this trip, a major undertaking even under the best of circumstances, and now Pastor Joseph and Jessie are resting for the night with two full days left in Armenia. They will leave Yerevan on Thursday morning and, crossing over eight time zones, will arrive in Montreal on Thursday afternoon. 

The last few days were quite busy for them so we thank you for your prayers for their health and strength. On Friday, Pastor Joseph visited several families in need, accompanied by a couple of the brothers we work closely with in Yerevan. Most of Saturday was spent in a town called Charentsavan, where the local Baptist church was celebrating its 10th anniversary and had asked Pastor Joseph to preach. 

On Sunday, Pastor Joseph preached at a small church in Davidashen and then went to the village of Sayat Nova where 6 people were baptized. This took place at the home a lady who was baptized last summer, in the shallow pool in her front courtyard. A preteen girl who lives near her and whom we met during our 2013 trip was one of those baptized! 

In between some of these activities, Pastor Joseph and Jessie have been visiting many homes or receiving visitors at their hotel. They have been giving Bibles and devotional books, praying with people and ministering to them however the Lord has led them to. Pray for these precious souls, that they may grow in the Lord and experience lasting joy in Him. 

Please pray for these last two days in Armenia, that Pastor and Jessie will continue to have good health and be a blessing to as many people as they come into contact with. Pray, too, for their safe journey home. They miss everyone and send their love and greetings to all of you. 

They're a bit out of order but there are lots of new photos HERE! And here are a few samples...









Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Day 13 - On the Road Again

After resting for a couple of days, Pastor Joseph and Jessie were full-swing back in action on Wednesday, beginning their third and last week in Armenia. The latest photos begin HERE.

On Monday, despite feeling some stress and fatigue, they relied on God's strength and went to visit two widows. The people they are visiting live in difficult circumstances (notice the buckets in one home where, when it rains outside, it also rains inside). Special thanks to those of you who have generously provided the means with which we can help some of those in need.

On Tuesday, they had a visit with a local journalist (the woman seated with Pastor Joseph, with a bouquet of roses in front of them) whom we connected with a few years ago, but they kept the rest of the day low-key. On Wednesday, however, they visited four families, in Yerevan, Getap, Sayat Nova and one other town. All of these families face hardship and a couple of them have experienced heart-breaking tragedies (suicide, abandoned children, disabilities caused by trauma, etc.) What is amazing is seeing the joy and peace they have because of the hope they have found in Jesus Christ!

When we spoke with Pastor Joseph and Jessie, they were preparing to welcome two separate visitors at the hotel later in the day. When they can't go out to meet with people to offer encouragement and guidance, those people are sometimes able to visit them.

One of the ladies in the photos (sitting alone and wearing a dark top) has opened her home in Sayat Nova for the third consecutive year so that new believers can be baptized in the shallow pool in her courtyard. Ten will be baptized on Sunday afternoon!

Fun fact: You'll notice in the photos two long slabs with a reddish substance spread out on them. This is in the courtyard we just mentioned... and those are natural "fruit roll-ups" being prepared from a mixture of home-grown fruits. Yum! We continue to be impressed by the resourcefulness of those in need in Armenia.

Thank you all for your faithful prayers. One week to go!

Pastor Joseph's devotional books ready for distribution.