I will never forget the 2009 CYMA trip. Few historians ever get the opportunity to see, firsthand, the oldest Christian country in the world. I had so many rare learning experiences that I will be able to share with students in my church history courses for years to come:

· Worshipping God in a church built in the year 430;

· Hearing angelic, glorious acapella liturgies which hearken back to the first centuries of the Christian faith;

CYMA provided me with an opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of mine: to travel to my motherland, Armenia. The trip began at LAX airport where the CYMA group came together to achieve the collective goal of exploring our country’s culture and history. Upon landing in Armenia, I instantly felt immersed in the Armenian culture; everywhere I looked I saw Armenian people, everything I read or heard was in Armenian. A smile crept across my mouth for I knew I was truly in Armenia.