The CYMA Executive Committee is proud to announce the completion of the CYMA 5 year reunion. On Saturday, November 8, 40 CYMA Participants came together for a reunion of all five CYMA missions taking place from 2004-2008.

On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the CYMA program, the CYMA Executive Committee held a five year reunion for the alumni of all five CYMA missions taking place from 2004-2008. Past participants met together for an afternoon of music, dancing, and of course some scrumptious Armenian BBQ to relive and celebrate the completion of the first five missions of the CYMA Program.

William Levon Dodd, a CYMA Committee asked the participants several questions in preparation for the CYMA event. "Remember seeing Ararat for the first time? Remember Artsakh? Remember the children? Remember their talent and the love you had for them? Remember looking into their eyes and seeing yourself?" One of the objectives the CYMA program is to prepare diocesan youth to leave for Armenia, but also to come home and share with their friends, family and communities, all of the overwhelming emotions they experience while visiting Armenia.

In addition to the BBQ and social atmosphere of the reunion, the CYMA committee also prepared a video presentation highlighting priceless memories from each year of the CYMA program. One CYMA 2007 particiapant and committee member Armine Semirdjian described her emotion of watching the five year slideshow, "I loved seeing memories from each CYMA year. Besides remembering all the good times everyone had, we also can literally watch Armenia growing with us in the background. I can't believe how much has changed in Armenian through the years." The CYMA Reunion was also a way to express gratitude to the members of the CYMA committee and coordinator for each year of the CYMA program. Each CYMA coordinator was presented with a framed picture of their group. "Without the dedication and commitment from each CYMA coordinator, the CYMA program would never have been so powerful in the lives of our participants," said David Yaldezian, CYMA chairman.

The reunion was also attended by Diocesan Youth Director, Fr. Avedis Abovian, who blessed the dinner, and spent time with the CYMA alumni.

Past CYMA participant and pilgrim coordinator, Sarah Mergeanian explains, the CYMA reunion allowed everyone to take part in every year of the CYMA program, by sharing memories, everyone got to re-experience the memories of each year, altogether.

The Christian Youth Mission to Armenia is the Western Diocese's newest and fastest growing program. Each summer, the CYMA program holds a two week pilgrimage and an eight week professional internship program for Armenian youth of the Western Diocese and around the world.