It has been a great blessing to have College Church missionary Charles Warner with us. As we travel, as we tour, over meals - he is always sharing insights and helpful counsel about Armenia and missions work in general. Today, he got up very early to meet Armand to find some sound equiptment for the new church plant in Sevan. Brooks continuous his tireless work, working out myriad logisitics and business planning problems.
We met for breakfast, and at breakfast, as is our schedule - a member of the team shares a bible devotional with the rest of the team. John is organizing this effort. He went first yesterday, and this morning, Emily shared. The rest of the team will rotate throughout our time here.
Travelling to Sevan has been an adventure in itself. The 1.5 hour drive is "lively" - and filled with interesting conversations and/or theological discussions/bible prep/reading. We heard an amazing testimony today of how the Lord led our translator and her husband (Lucine and Albert) to faith.
When we arrived at Sevan at the Cultural Center, we found that it was a large space with a main auditorium and three floors - ample space and some courtyard room in the front for games. There was a lot to do in prepartion for our first day of VBS.
Meet our Armenian Co-labourers for the Sevan Church Plant: (and please pray for them)
*Asatur - President of the Armenian Baptist Union and overseeing all the baptist churches
*Armand and his wife Detevic - Sevan church plant leaders
*Lucina, Lilia, Rose and Rose - Wonderful sisters in Christ and translators - Praise the Lord, our translators speak fluent, impressive English and love the Lord very much
*Albert - Lucina's husband, zealous servant of God
Our Outline for a typical VBS day at Sevan is:
*Preparation/lunch/prayer
*Fun group games outside with the children
*Singing - teaching one English song a day and singing Armenian children's songs as well
*Bible Study - exposition of our bible story - led by bible study leader for the day (skit sometimes with rest of the team)
*Bible verse of the day - Children are led to read and write out the verse of the day. Volunteers who have memorized the verse are asked to recite it - in front of everyone else
*Craft activity
*Regathering for singing and recitation of verse of the day
*Lunch handed out with dismissal
Today's VBS:
I counted 41 children when we first started. Emily taught on Jesus' birth with Jamie, - with Isaiah 9:6 as a memory verse. We sang "Hallelu-Hallelu-Hallelu-Hallelujah!" and two other Armenian children's songs. The craft today was making a beautiful pitcure frame with foam stickers, and we played many many hilarious and creative games.
The children were extremely disciplined!! They were so well behaved! Warm and loving. They love the songs and read the verses aloud with gusto... some of them even memorized the verse! We met many many children.
After VBS:
After VBS, the team went to city hall with our Armenian brothers and sisters in Christ who are co-labouring with us in Sevan and passed out Armenian tracks and spoke to passers by at city hall. The people responded with interest, stopping to read the tracks. The Armenians were able to have some very long conversations. Praise God.
Hamille and John Paul were invited by some loving children, together with translator Lucina - to go to the beach with one family. There were able to share part of their testimonies, the importance of church and scripture with a very loving and beautiful family. By lake Sevan, the family was kind to serve them food: 1 mother, 4 children, 1 grandfather and their family friend. Praise the Lord. Hamille did not bring a bathing suit. The children's begging finally got to her. "All things to all men" - she took the plunge into Lake Sevan - fully clothed. The family said they will return tomorrow. They currently go to "St George" for church, which a family relative built. Please pray for this family. They are so kind.
Team Meeting:
Jamie decided to do a skit for tomorrow's bible study lesson which he is teaching on the healing of Jarius' daughter and the healing of the bleeding woman. We had fun putting that together. We had logistics to talk about, and the situation of navigating through the sticky situation of not knowing how we should proceed with door-to-door since we now find that we do not have a list of people to visit, as as we were told previously. Jamie made a telephone call to Asatur, and Asatur promptly responded, saying he would call the local leaders and line up a list of people to visit tomorrow. Praise God.
Prayer Requests
Team:
*Several team members have allergies, severe in one case- John Paul - it can be debilitating, please pray that God would heal so they can serve the Lord unfettered
*Another team member (see Susie Q's post) is not feeling well. Please pray for her
*The lost luggage (Hamille's) has not come yet. I have some very important documents in there. Please pray it would arrive. Thanks to the other ladies for supplying change of clothes!
*Several team members have not been able to sleep - getting up at around 2 am each night. One case was very clearly, spiritual warfare. Please pray for our protection. Lots of good happening here... a conference coming up here at the seminary, and a team from North Carolina joining us briefly
Please pray for the following wonderful Armenians:
Children from the VBS: Vatouille, Ella, Sona, Anna, Sona, Annie, Annie, Romela, Christina, Cherem, Asren, Lucine, Shohanna, Mariam
Our seminary brothers and sisters in Christ: sister Lucine, brother Vonik, Owen our Canadian missionary friend
Learn some more Armenian!:
*God = Astavatz
*God loves you = Astavatz si ru meme
*God bless you = Astavatz or nee kes
*God keep you = Astavatz ba bane kes
*Praise the Lord! = Park te roge!
*Beautiful/Nice = Gerhretizik
*Small = Joker
*Married = A mou sna tsatz
*(Alternate) Good morning = bari arrovot
Correction from last time:
*Bari yereko = Good evening =)
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