Although they came to Choratan for refurbishing work, the team is also taking time to visit and encourage families in that border village (12 Aug. 2018)

Today, Sunday, most of the groups participated in worship services in or near where they were serving. The pastors in our group preached God’s word to the mostly small churches around the country. A couple of the groups came to worship at the Evangelical Church of Armenia on Baghramyan Street, where many of the attendees are recent arrivals from Syria. But there were also many visitors, from Lebanon, Australia, California, and elsewhere.

Helping out with a special VBS program for children with disabilities at the Vanatzor Shogh Center (12 Aug. 2018)

An appropriate craft project for the Blessing of the Grapes today, at Yerevan’s Shogh Center (12 Aug. 2018)

After worship, the teams had lunch and got right back to doing renovation or afternoon VBS programs. Maria and I had an opportunity to visit two sites today and see the youth in action. First, in Artashat, we saw the day’s concluding program, where the children were coming on stage for a talent show, singing, reciting or dancing. The memory verse for the day was Psalm 33.20: “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield,” which they recited by heart… at the top of their lungs.

Artashat team leads the children in the closing program for the day (12 Aug. 2018)

As VBS children perform on stage in Artashat, their friends follow along, awaiting their turn (12 Aug. 2018)

The crew at Artashat, led by Rev. Haig Kherlopian, is also repainting the front gate, creating planters outside the wall (to beautify the street and prevent garbage dumping), and putting an awning over the outside steps for rain protection. It is great to watch the seamless connection between the church’s workers and the AMAA youth team, thanks to God’s Spirit at work in all of them.

Our other visit was to Nor Ayntab (New Aintab), a village just outside greater Yerevan. The VBS program there is for teens, who when we arrived were listening with rapt attention as their leader, Brother Zohrab, told the concluding portion of the story of Joseph (Gen. 37-47).

– Rev. Nishan Bakalian