Five days in Armenia

We have been in Armenia for five days, and not only have we have been growing as Christians, but as Armenians as well. Those of us who did not know much Armenian have already excelled in our speech and can construct proper Armenian sentences. We arrived in Yerevan on July 2nd around 4am, and this seemed to be one of the most longest days of our lives. All we wanted to do was get settled and take a tour of the city. Ter Avetis made us a delicious salad with the best tasting loliks (tomatoes) ever. The first day we took a tour of Yerevan and went to Erebuni Fortress where we learned about King Argishti I and the history behind the place.

The second day we went to Khor Virap and saw Mount Ararat. We also went down the pit where Saint Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned for 13 years. Inside the pit we reflected on the importance of this occurrence and what would have happened if Saint Gregory was not thrown into the pit. This made us reflect on the importance of Christianity, and how we can become better Christians. The following day we went to a church in Jrvej where Ter Avetis did the Badarak and afterward we headed to Geghard and Garni.

Today we began our community engagement project and internships. Most of us went to Orran, a non-governmental organization whose mission is to help children in academic, cultural, and extra-curricular activities while keeping them off the streets. We all enjoyed playing with these bright and wonderful children. These children are very smart and appreciative of everything you do and say to them. It's very sweet to see a child smile just by sitting next to them and engaging in their activities.

In a few days we will be traveling to Sevan. We will try to blog as much as possible about our individual thoughts and reflections.

-Tatevik Tigranyan :)