Monday's Missions

Monday was one of our busiest days so far on our mission trip. In the morning, we visited yet another widow, Astrig, and were pleased to see that she was much improved since our visit last year. While we were glad to learn that she had been able to have surgery in both eyes to regain her vision, it was upsetting to hear that she had been tricked into paying more than she could ever afford for what had been promised to be free treatment.

In any case, she was very much encouraged by our visit and we were blessed to be able to offer her some support.

From Astrig's home we drove across town to visit a family consisting of a young single mother (with a newborn son and a preteen daughter) and her father. The family is struggling financially and the father has many doubts about God and religion, but the young woman's faith and strength was impressive. We sat in their backyard--where they grow peaches, apples, plums, hazelnuts, walnuts, and more--and had great conversations while we sampled their homegrown goodies. Before we left, the young woman asked Pastor Joseph to pray for her baby, Michael. She had hoped to be baptized during our visit this year but couldn't because of her many responsibilities. We hope she will be able to be baptized in the near future.

After a brief rest in the afternoon, we headed to the home of a family that partners with us in sharing the gospel in Armenia. Several other families joined us for supper and fellowship. Throughout the evening, there were many interesting discussions about the interpretation of certain biblical passages (Pastor Joseph was able to offer explanations by referring to the original Greek texts) as well as conversations about the Christian life in general. Ann-Margret also had the opportunity to interview the National Leader of Campus Crusade in Armenia for a Christianity Today article she's working on about Armenia.

The day ended late for us but it was fulfilling! The next couple of days will be less busy but we plan to do a few more visits. With just nine days to go before we return home, we have to start carefully scheduling our remaining activities (such as one more baptism). Your continued prayers are appreciated! Please pray that the heat (Yerevan is forecast to hit 99F/37C for the next three days) and fatigue don't hinder our work here. Thank you!