Levon - Great pictures. What a beautiful country. Must be a wonderful, proud feeling seeing the homeland. You are missed here in Torrance. Enjoy, travel safe.

George E.

Hey Jouge!

Are you in Armenia yet? If so, please give my most sincere well wishes to all the Interns! My prayers are with all of you for a wonderful personal and spiritual journey!

[...] “The last problem that I found particularly disturbing was the apathy expressed by most villagers in regards to the betterment of their respective villages. Most wanted change, they asked and beseeched us for a variety of things, but some seemed hesitant or even opposed to undertaking remedies for the problems they had outlined. It was almost as if they had lost hope, as if they had forgotten the strength in themselves.” Alex Giragozian - “Reflections on a Trip to Tavoush” “At this moment, I felt a rush of emotion come over me and realized why I am so proud to be Armenian and to be a Christian. Everyone in the church no longer was Beirutzi, Hayastanci or Bolsahye but ARMENIAN. All one in the same coming together to share in our culture’s religion and history.” Sarah Mergeanian - Etchmiadzin [...]

[...] “…Genatz to this persistent nation whose ways I’m slowly learning, loving and growing more attached to. The cool thing is, if everyone has a day like I had yesterday where you learn where you came from and how you’re ancestors moved and how your Family survived, lived and grew in other places. You win, and they still lose, whoever they may be at this present time.” Vaughn Eyvazian - Julfa. Golden Apricot [...]

[...] After almost six full weeks since the start of CYMA 2007, the CYMA pilgrims have returned from their spiritual journey with a fresh and new perspective. Their pictures and blogs show the abundance of their journey and highlight all of the amazing heartfelt experiences they have been witness too. Check out some of their blogs: Arman’s Blog, Rose’s Blog, Armine’s Blog, Artsakh, and Armenia Through the Eyes of a Pilgrim. [...]

[...] After almost six full weeks since the start of CYMA 2007, the CYMA pilgrims have returned from their spiritual journey with a fresh and new perspective. Their pictures and blogs show the abundance of their journey and highlight all of the amazing heartfelt experiences they have been witness too. Check out some of their blogs: Arman’s Blog, Rose’s Blog, Armine’s Blog, Artsakh, and Armenia Through the Eyes of a Pilgrim. [...]

[...] After almost six full weeks since the start of CYMA 2007, the CYMA pilgrims have returned from their spiritual journey with a fresh and new perspective. Their pictures and blogs show the abundance of their journey and highlight all of the amazing heartfelt experiences they have been witness too. Check out some of their blogs: Arman’s Blog, Rose’s Blog, Armine’s Blog, Artsakh, and Armenia Through the Eyes of a Pilgrim. [...]

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

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.

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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.”

Sara,
I am proud of you and the words you echoe about the experience you are having while in Armenia, this only proves the passion and spirit that your parents have passed on to you about your Armenian heritage and I am sure you will pass on to your future generations.

Luv Ya

Keri

man o man...i want to go back NOW!!!!