Away from our fatherland, living in societies with varying values; speaking various languages, carrying on our backs the traces of our heritage – caught in the daily trivia of existence – we march toward an unknown future…but nevertheless we live, work, and create. But there is always something that is missing – something important and profound. It forces us to incessantly to search in the depth of our souls for clues of the unknown missing element. It comes to a point when the lack of the missing unknown becomes unbearable and impossible. We can’t take another step forward in our quest. When our youth living away from the fatherland realize this deprivation in their souls and the need for self exploration, they tend to reaffirm their identity through spiritual nourishment readily offered to them from their ancestral roots in the fatherland. They, in return, bear the fruits of spiritual nourishment which in turn become the bridge between them, the fatherland and the people. For the last six years “Christian Youth Mission to Armenia” that operates under the support of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, provides opportunities for our youth to fullfil such dreams.

Just after the sunrise, when Yerevan was awakening, and opening its tired eyes after spending an exiting night, a group of youth boarded a bus and headed to Gumri. Amazingly, everyone was quiet. Again the same question was bugging each and every one of them.

It has been almost two weeks since we arrived in Armenia. It has been two weeks of many pilgrimages to various monasteries, churches, ancient fortifications and museums. During this whole time, we have been attempting to reconnect spiritually with our buried heritage. We have been listening, talking, interacting, investigating, but above all trying to understand and be understood. But how can we ascertain such understanding with the people of Armenia and become an undistinguished part of the fatherland.

The only answer lies in our commitment to not only visit Hayastan to enjoy, but to share the daily endeavors of the people in the fatherland; to gasp the same air, to drink the same water, to see the same dreams and to overcome all obstacles together, to mourn for their loses and rejoice in their growth and happiness, to become one with our beloved Fatherland and our fellow Armenians.

In a few hours our youth would have an opportunity to discover the answer to the bugging question they had been struggling with. In a few hours they were going to meet a family of survivors of the devastating earthquake of 1988, still living in a shack in the City of Gumri. Every night the family would go to bed mixing their prayers with the unbearable stench of the crumbing walls of their shanty house; the agony and groaning of the cancer stricken father, and the two small children in whose hearts the last rays of hope and happiness were slowly deeming and disappearing for ever. They were about to understand the true meaning of their Christian faith. They were about to discover that they were pilgrims, who had traveled to the fatherland to reaffirm their faith through compassion and oneness with the people of Armenia.

Then the work began…

Kids who only knew computers, surfing the Internet and playing with various modern-day gadgets were now toiling with their bear hands rebuilding Gevorkyan family’s house. By doing so they not only brought back sparks of hope to the eyes of the little boys and their sick father, but developed a deep and profound bond with the fatherland.

Our youth coming from faraway places finally achieved a deep level of connection and unity with their heritage and roots in Armenia. They not only restored the Gevorkyan family’s house, but hope in the Gevorkyans’ hearts for a better future. They realized the greatness of their faithful forefathers, while toiling humbly in dust and dirt. Every gulp of water they swallowed while sweating at the project site, they remembered the pain and agony endeavored by the great Christian Armenians for so long. They finally found themselves worthy of dreaming the dreams of their majestic, faithful forefathers. They finally became aware of their “oneness” and “unity” with the fatherland.

Live long dear youth and live in a flawless “unity” without missing any important component, live complete…

Fr. Avedis Abovian

Youth Director