Predictable opportunities lead to unpredictable leaps!

By Zaven Khanjian, AMAA Executive Director/CEO

Ever since the United States presidential election of November 2016, one word has nestled in my mind and keeps hammering me.

Predictable!

Are we?

No, this will not bring back memories from a strange and extraordinary election year, truly unlike any I have ever witnessed or experienced over several decades of voting. Most Americans were delighted that the presidential election was over. An election that embraced amusement, drama, pain, surprise, anger and gravity.

Nor does it challenge the Divine authority of the Creator whose will is absolute and the word meaningless. This thought process is at a plateau far below His.

Now that the election is over, we must have a healthy outlook. We all want the best for our nation and its people. We all aspire to do better, be better and make better.

What has encumbered my thoughts and carried forward from the election is the correlation between ‘predictable’ and ‘unpredictable.’

The former has the attributes of reliability as it projects a vision of a tomorrow based on experience and/or knowledge of experience. The vision in the case of the latter is blank, unknown, fearsome and surprising. Its attractiveness hinges on the hope factor, which is part of the unknown. An expectation worthy of the risk.

The selection process relies on the degree of (dis)satisfaction, (non)acceptance and appreciation of the ‘predictable’ weighed against the degree of the ultimate desire or need for change and the measured level of hope to acquire it.

As I contemplate on the application of the dilemma covered above and on the realities mapping the mission of the Armenian Missionary Association of America, I tend to agree that our past experience has led us to be “faithful to our legacy.” A legacy, founded on the Word of God, the sweat of unsung heroes, the vision of a few gallant men, miracle illuminators and an army of graceful, generous yet humble donors. A legacy solidly worthy of qualifying our march forward as ‘predictable’ while evolving in time, adapting to circumstances, reinventing vision and mapping the road ‘embracing a better future.’

As we roll through the AMAA’s Centennial celebration and stride toward the goal of our Capital Campaign, we can be rest assured that the joy in realizing dreams and aspirations of…

• an orphaned child in Armenia
• a war stricken student in Syria
• a boarding teen in Anjar
• a biology major at Haigazian
• a High School graduate at Avedisian
• a widow of a martyred soldier in Artsakh
• a seminary student at NEST
• a Merdinian Middle School graduate
• a Camper in Shushi or Camp Arev

and thousands more of our brothers and sisters, who are touched by the AMAA on a daily basis, is predictable. What is unpredictable is the limit of their creativity and the bounds of their success and imagination.

I invite you to join our Campaign to realize the unpredictable bounds of our predictable success because predictable opportunities lead to unpredictable leaps.

Thank you for your generous support of our Mission!

June 2017