Reflections by Tatevik Tigranyan

Spending two nights at the vank you were named after has to be a true blessing. Last Thursday and Friday night we spent two nights at Tatevi Vank. My grandmother named me Tatevik after she had a vision of a young girl named Tatevik while spending a day at the vank. After hearing the story behind my name the first place I wanted to visit when coming to Armenia was Tatev. I never imagined that through God's will, CYMA would not only let me see this place, but also spend two nights. Seeing this beautiful complex and its fortifications made me very emotional because I never knew how divine and holy this place was. Along with my CYMA family we attended the evening jamerkutsoun when we first arrived to the monastery around 6pm. The service took about 2.5 hours and although I was extremely tired and hungry I didn't notice how quickly time passed because I felt right at home. I don't think many people will ever have the chance to stay at a vank and experience the same lifestyle of a monk. Sleeping with sleeping bags on the floor and eating potatoes and salad for two days in a row made the experience more fun. I am very blessed to say that CYMA has given me the opportunity of a lifetime to witness this beautiful place and other places as well. On Thursday our group will be heading to Gyumri for a week. We are all excited and can't wait for the fun :)