Why are we here???
time: Thursday 11:23 AM
mood: happy, upset, eager, sad, excited (you probably think I’m an emotional rollercoaster haha)
last meal: Spaghetti Bolognese at Ankyun on Vardanantz
current state: tired, hungry
“Open the gates and seize the day, don’t be afraid and don’t delay.” The optimistic newsboys from the musical movie, The Newsies, inspired me to overcome my anxiety of traveling abroad and just seize the opportunity for this internship program in Armenia. What you just read was the opening lines of my CYMA 2007 application. I proceeded to say…I realize that this trip to Armenia will change my life, will deepen my connection with my heritage, enlighten me with Armenian culture, and motivate me to continue engaging in my Christian faith through fellowship, church, and community involvement. I guess the question is, have I done just that? What have I accomplished so far on this trip? Have I experienced anything special? Or have I taken this opportunity for granted? Ultimately, have I seized the day?
I am 19 years old (turning 20 in October 
) and I am a third year Business/Economics student at the University of California Santa Barbara. As a young adult, I have had many different experiences in my life in America in school, in my extracurricular activities, in the Armenian Church Youth Organization (ACYO), and in my circle of family and friends. Never have I experienced life in Armenia before this trip.
As a CYMA Intern, I have dedicated the past month and then next month of my summer to Armenia. I have dedicated it to learning about Armenian history and language. I have dedicated it to gaining experience in my field of study while contributing back to society with my internship. I understand that what you put into this CYMA trip and what you put into Armenia is what you get out of it. I think it is important to remember the mission of CYMA. “The Christian Youth Mission to Armenia (CYMA) serves to unify and strengthen the Armenian community by establishing a BRIDGE between diaspora’s Youth and Our Homeland through participation in the social, religious, professional and cultural life of Hayastan.” As individuals we should find our own path, we build our own bridges through our experiences, and we should give back to Armenia where we see ourselves contributing best. The only ones in charge of the knowledge we gain from this trip is ourselves. Knowledge does not always have to be about facts and numbers. For example, I do not have to write an essay about Karabakh to know its meaning and to understand the history and the lives of the families and children currently living there. I experienced it hands on, I played football with the children there, I walked through the streets and talked to locals, I listened to our speakers, and climbed on the same hill that Armenian soldiers climbed while fighting for the land. We cannot be force-fed information or have culture and language shoved down our throats. Life does not work like that.
So I guess this blog goes out to my fellow CYMA 2007 Interns. I have faith that you all have made a positive impact already this past month in Armenia. Whether it’s talking to the neighborhood boys and hanging out and sharing experiences with them. Whether it’s visiting the bakery behind your apartment and buying a pastry, which helps support that family. Whether it’s talking with your co-workers, engaging in conversation with your taxi driver, or chatting it up with the girl behind the deli counter. The little things do count. For instance, yesterday I went to work at Etchmiadzin and only 2 out of 7 of my cast members for “Mokhrodig” showed up. Slightly discouraged, I could have easily gone straight back to Yerevan, but I didn’t. Instead, I took the time to dance with the kids, talk with the kids, and show them all my pictures of Armenia and America on my laptop. I shared my experiences with them. We laughed, we smiled, we cracked jokes, and it was beautiful. I guess what I am trying to say is thank you to the CYMA Interns. Thank you for sharing this amazing experience with me and I appreciate everything you are doing in Armenia. I have faith that you all have goals here and you are motivated individuals who will work hard as interns, be open to learning new things about life in Armenia, and will seize these last 30 days!
Last note: Will and Rita…GET HERE ALREADYYYYY!
July 20th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Well… because I couldn’t seem to figure out how to post my little write up as it’s own thing — I found the posting that echoed my thoughts the most. So… thank you Len-Len.
————
7-18-07
It’s cloudy with chances of rain and storms here in the Bay Area. It was gloomy and humid like something out of Manila or Honolulu. Not the norm for this place in the world at this time of year. Reminding us all that Al Gore is a fool and the earth is older and wiser than all people’s of all times put together in one. After reading all these blogs from my friends I couldn’t help but feel somewhat compelled to respond in the only fashion in which I know how to.
The tales that are told in theses words are age old and although they’re essentially nothing new, each are fantastic expressions of their authors. And in my business, that’s all that counts. Aside from the mushy pat on the backs from my end – congratulating some of the quietest of persons for expressing themselves in such poetic fashion — I find myself leaning towards other realms of intrigue.
I’ve never officially been to Europe in the same general capacity as many others have. Touring around the capitals of old empires, drinking warm beer, fumbling to communicate with the locals and taking pictures of tourist attractions like a family trip to Disneyland. No, sir. Not me. I had no use for such nonsense. This is the difference between the tourist and the traveler. But then again, I’d consider myself neither.
William Saroyan said, “I am a child of the earth.” I’d have to agree. The earth is my home and I live in America, the United States, in California and specifically, for now, in the Bay Area. East Bay, to be exact. San Ramon, just outside of the shadow of Mt. Diablo to be precise. And this means nothing. For I too, am a child of the earth.
I first went to Armenia in 2001, along with the others on that long and fateful journey. It was a long time ago. It was the last summer of innocence for my generation of the Piscean age. Weeks after our return, the powers that be decided to finally turn the world over for the last time. 6000 years of the same socio-economic structural paradigm culminated in orgasmic fashion as millions were glued to CNN for the latest update on that fateful Tuesday morning that now only exists as a number rather than some cute mainstream title.
My stories after the fact were no different than the ones you read here, so I won’t bore you with anecdotes and long winded tales of visions and fields and peoples and Mountains. But I must include for my thesis here that I did spend a day at the “family farm,” somewhere up in the north east, near the boarder of Azerbaijan. It was that day that was worth the trip, for it was that day that I was one of the people. Not some American coming for a visit – but a citizen of the country, a family member, a Hyestansti.
I liked that feeling. I liked it much more than seeing how far my dollar would go at the café or complaining about the rotten service or touring church, after church, after church. Recall that in life, pictures, movies, memories and all these things are there to attempt to recapture the emotion that one experienced at the time. I brought some disposable cameras with me but didn’t even finish them. After awhile, I just stopped taking pictures because I knew they would do me no good upon my return. The pictures were in my head. After that trip, I never brought a camera on my travels ever again.
I’ve been to the Philippines. Not as a tourist, but living in a cheep motel while I spent time with a family in the barrios of Layette Park – the town named after the island that General Douglas Macarthur landed on when he came to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese during WWII. The streets stank like still water and the people were poor but resilient. The food was rotten but the landscape like something out of a Vietnam movie. Sweeping mountains covered in long, green, thick palm trees etc. I’ve been to Brazil. Just south of the capital. Not at some resort drinking cocktails on the beach, I had no use for such things. I was in the heart of a village, all the while, trying to capture the same feeling I did at the family farm that day in Armenia… it is that emotion that I wish to recapture on all my travels. Whether it be in the U.S. or even little pockets of California.
To explore these worlds, Armenia specifically, one must embrace the people and absorb all that is possible to absorb regarding the culture and landscape. We learn more about a country by talking to her citizens than we ever would in some rotten history book. History is subjective. There are many views – all of them wrong and all of them right. Hell, just take a look at the United States right now, millions of people live here, all with different ideas of what’s going on with our domestic and foreign policy. Keep this in mind while in Armenia.
While I was at CSUN, I was two language classes from getting a minor in Armenian studies. Meanwhile, I was exposed to and learned much from some of the most respected Armenian scholars on the So-Cal region. Funny – my only knowledge of Armenian history came from what the church had taught me… which was much, much, much different than what I learned from these notable scholars. My point being, that even for Armenians, the perspectives are vast and different… duh right? HA! Well, take into consideration the fact that for those of you there now, you are exposed to the biggest library of all: the people. You will learn more about contemporary history and politics from the people of Armenia than you will ever learn from any scholar, history book and especially me. And by default, your perspective on the world will change. As I read these blogs – I can see they already have. And this is what excites me.
You may find the same experience and gain the same type of knowledge and perspective had you have gone to Europe or even China. But let’s not kid ourselves here… although we may all be Children of the Earth, there’s something about being in the shadow of our Mountain that brings an even deeper rooted feeling of “Home.”
July 20th, 2007 at 11:31 pm
Dearest Lenajig
Everything you write is beautiful. I loved your story about laughing and smiling and sharing stories with the kids. I love the way you are so grateful for this. You have grown, learned, and experienced many special things on your trip; I can read that through your words. I am soooo happy for you and I’m glad you have more time to continue your journey.
Love Ya Janig Lena,
Your Auntie Seta
July 22nd, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Hi my Lenajig and all the CYMA youth,
Thank you to all the CYMA youth for sharing your thoughts and inner feelings. It helps us “youngins” to appreciate the simple things in life. My thoughts as to why you are there…
You are not only “children of earth” as one of the blog responses wrote, you are all much more than that… You are children of Almighty God, creator of the earth and the universe! God took some earth and “breathed” life into it to make the human being who was to care for the universe, to converse with Him, to be His friend and to glorify Him by believing in Him and doing what is pleasing to God.
First and foremost, God is LOVE. God says above all “Love the Lord thy God, and love thy neighbor as thyself.” First, love God, do what is pleasing and right in His eyes as He has written in the Bible and as you are doing on this mission. Second, to love others, first one has to love themselves by knowing and understand that they are a child of God, with a spirit in a body-temple, not a mistake, not a Darwinian theory, but made by God for a purpose. This means to fill your mind, spirit and body with that which is pure and noble so that pure and noble things come out of your thoughts, words and deeds. To be good stewards of blessings and gifts that God gives you so that you can love others by sharing those gifts, tangible or intangible, with others, so that God is glorified.
Let your light shine before men, so that they will see that God is in you. You are in Armenia to share that Love, to share your blessings, to let your light shine so that Christ shines through you. You are there to share the love of Christ with everyone you meet, just by being who you are…Christian Youth Missionaries from the most prosperous country in the world America…It’s a high standard to carry…it’s God’s standard…it’s all about Love. Keep up all the wonderful work that you are all doing. You are there because God wanted you to be there at this time and I’m sure He is preparing you for even a greater work in the future. Just walk with Him in His love and grace and you’ll see “kaghtser e Der” translated in one of our sharagans…”how sweet is the Lord” . Life is good!
Peace be unto you all,
Mom
July 22nd, 2007 at 7:24 pm
yavrig lena ,
your thoughts are beautiful like you. lena jan learn some beautiful armenian children’s songs with those beautiful mokhrodig children make a cd so we can watch and listen . tell everybody in cyma to keep writing so the parents and grandparents can know the great things you are doing and encourage us to be volunteers for armenia like you . give my love to all your friends and vanig i love you come home soon with a lot more of your wonderful experiences. i learned how to blog!!!!
love grandma mary