Week 1
Sorry about the delay between blogging. Coordinating the pilgrimage and the internships has been a challenge. The weekend was spent making trips to the airport, going out to dinner and attending our first badarak in Hayastan at Soorp Etchmiadzin. Hayr Dajad arranged for our group to sit in the front, which was a great treat for all of us. We sat adjacent from Karekin II Vehapar’s seat and participated in the Divine Liturgy. After a quick stop at the gift shop we returned to Yerevan. Hayk, Arman (our driver) and myself went to pick up Areen at the airport late Sunday night.
Monday morning the group went to Saghmosavank, Hamberd and Oshagan. (I stayed behind to make arrangements for the internships). The pictures of these places are self-explanatory, and I’ll have one of them fill you in on the details of their experiences. I hear that they had a fabulous lunch after their journey!
Tuesday more internship arranging was necessary, so the group attended the Genocide Memorial and the Madenataran. In the evening we went to Garni and Gehgard. Our guide, Sahaganoosh, who is one of the most knowledgeable people we have met, enlightened us on the many details of the temple at Garni and its ancient history. Sahaganoosh inspired us all to sing “Christos ee Metch” in the carved sanctuary at Geghard. The acoustics provided a beautiful sound, which will not be easily forgotten. I’m sure those of you who have been to Geghard remember the sound as you read this!
Wednesday Brooke started her internship at the Parajanov Museum. You can read her blog to find out how that has been going. We also welcomed Lusine today who brought her cousin Sona along for the ride to Khor Virap. We enjoyed the breathtaking view of Mt. Ararat from such a close proximity. Some descended into the pit where St. Gregory was held captive for 13 years. One of the most surreal experiences was the closeness to the Turkish border, where we could hear the call to prayer. The sound must have traveled at least 3-4 miles and yet it was so clear. Wednesday evening we attended the Birthright Armenia Forum with Tom Samuelian and met interns from various organizations. The topic was the Economy in Armenia, where we learned that there are many opportunities for Armenians. Tom challenged each of us to think of an idea of something we can export from within Hayasdan which will enable the economy to grow both by providing local jobs, but also by giving Armenia a niche in a specific market. If you have any ideas… let us know!
Thursday Areen and Chris began their internships with USAID and National Leadership Institute (NLI) respectively today. Stay tuned to the blog for their experiences! The rest of the group had a day off to rest before our long and exciting journey to Karabagh. So, we are off for the weekend. I’ll write more on Monday upon our return. Until then, please keep us in your prayers while we keep you in ours! We also pray for the safe return of His Holiness and his delegation to Turkey, including our Primate, Hovnan Surpazan.
June 23rd, 2006 at 1:20 am
LUCINE!!! I WANT TO READ BLOGS FROM YOU!!! I’M SO HAPPY THAT YOU WENT ON THIS TRIP!!!!