Back to Armenia #17

On Sunday, January  9, 2011, not only did I have to speak on the Atonement in Sacrament meeting, but we had important visitors there to meet with all the members.  Our mission president and his wife, the District President and one of his counselors, and the first Area Authority 70 from Armenia, Elder Minasyan, were all present. 

President Carter addressed important welfare issues and how welfare is to be handled. I am quite sure that the proper administration of church welfare is difficult to learn and implement. President Carter has been inspired to do extra training here in Armenia to help the members as well as the leaders to understand the purpose of welfare and how it is a tool to help people become self sufficient. Many churches here bolster their attendance by giving financial help to the people and experience has shown we can have lots of members if we just give them money.  For a lot of years here, if a member had a need, he just asked and he was given the necessary funds. There wasn’t much emphasis on personal responsibility, self-reliance and the proper order of things. Welfare assistance needs to be done the Lord’s way: First do all you can, then seek help from family members, and lastly go to the church for assistance. Church assistance was never meant to be a long-term program, but for many here, it had become a way of life. When assistance changed and was more properly administered, some of the recipients who had become used to receiving welfare, took offense and stopped coming. I’ve even heard stories of some of the welfare recipients comparing notes and if one got more than another, they were quite vocal in their complaints. President Carter also said that welfare is a private matter between the person needing it, the branch president who administers it and the Lord. They will be going to all the branches in the mission talking about welfare principles. Hopefully, it will create greater understanding and a desire among the members to do things the right way. The Lord can’t bless us if we don’t do things His way.

Elder Minasyan talked a lot about strengthening and serving one another and also that it was important for them to stay here with their families and build the church in Armenia. That is the challenge, to want to stay when good jobs are scarce and not well-paying, and to find a eternal companion who is willing to stay because it does require sacrifice. They are sort of in the early “pioneering state”.

One of our missionary couples gave me an idea when I read their blog. We were able to go to the Kiev Temple and also participated by satellite in observing the cultural celebration that was part of the dedication activities. There was a wonderful video made about the celebration and has a lot of our Armenian youth in it. You can see it at https://lds.org/youth/video/kyiv-ukraine-temple-cultural-celebration?lang=eng. 

We’ve had some wonderful opportunities to go with the missionaries as they visit families in our branch and participate with them as they teach investigators. We recently visited a family that consists of two young girls (18 and 20) and their brother who is 10. The place they live was way up on the hill and consisted of just two rooms that we could see. There may have been a bathroom that we didn’t see. At any rate, one room was their kitchen and the other was their bedroom/living room. We sat on the bed which served as substitute couch. There wasn’t much heat, so I was glad I had my winter coat with me. In spite of the circumstances, there was a wonderful spirit there and we all were able to share our testimonies about the Book of Mormon, including the 10 year old.

Elder and Sister Peterson on the shortcut

Elders Steglich and Thylin on our way home

Elder and Sister Jones

Elder and Sister Rich

Elder and Sister Pincock

Elder and Sister Peterson

We continue to enjoy the time we can spend with the other senior couples. We gathered this night at a place we call "Around the Corner Cafe".They had live music and we recorded a little so you can hear the flavor of Armenian music. The Pincocks just returned after being in the States for a few weeks to take care of some medical needs. They will have to go home in just a couple of months for additional medical treatment, and so will be back home even before we are. We admire their willingness, even if for a few months, to come back and complete what they consider to be unfinished projects. By June when we return home, four other senior couple who are serving with us now, the Southwicks, VanDykes, Bluncks,  and Pincocks, will also be home. We just hope we’ll be lucky enough to have replacements for all those leaving. Senior couples are so helpful wherever they are serving.

Back to Armenia #16- New Year

The light changing tree

Elder and Sister Peterson at Republic Square

Museum at Republic Square

Happy New Year everyone!

New Year’s Eve was interesting! As missionaries, we were to stay in and so we did. I was at home (trying to overcome a cold) and Elder Peterson came a little later as the office had been busy. We discovered we were without power, so what did we do: enjoyed bread and cheese and pickles and hard salami (this type of “snack” is a pretty familiar one for Petersons), not by candlelight as you might suspect, but by headlamp (you may remember a facebook posting by one of our children). Shortly after eating, the lights came back on and we could play some more Sequence (a game Elder Peterson received for Christmas). I don’t think we lasted until midnight, but the fireworks and the church bells ringing didn’t let us sleep either.

New Year’s Day, I made a big pot of potato soup and we spent the day with our missionary district, eating, watching movies, and playing games. They are great young people and we love associating with them. We had our first snow and we love it as long as we don’t have to shovel or be out in it.

Since Christmas, we also had a branch activity. It was fun, but I inadvertently deleted all the pictures I took so can only describe it. We had a few spiritual thoughts shared (by the Branch President and Elder Peterson), listened to Anush and Elder Steglich sing Holy Night (missed hearing Alisa singing that),watched Joy To The World, had refreshments (sandwiches, salads and ice cream and fruit salad (made by yours truly). It was exciting because one of the sisters who had become less active because she was offended, came to help in the kitchen, and that is a good step to coming back and being more active. The missionaries acted out the nativity, but somehow the wise men forgot to make their entrance. Oh well! Santa and his helper came and brought presents for the young children, and they gave everyone sparklers which were then lit and waved about (I don’t think our churches at home would allow such a thing; it might be considered a fire hazard).

The Budd family with Ruben and Erik

Gasparyan's Christmas Tree

Ruben, Ellen, Sister Gasparyan with Budds at their home

The day before the Armenian Christmas which is January 6^th, we celebrated with the Gasparyan family. Sister Gasparyan is a wonderful cook and she must have been cooking for days. We were served so many things that even just taking a little of each thing to try, we found ourselves very “kooshed”. There was roast pork, ham, chicken with fried potatoes, trout, dolma with Matzsoon, several salads, tomatoes and cucumbers, pickled items (garlic among them), cheese, lavash and bread, a traditional rice dish (rice with dried fruit) served on Christmas, green beans and eggs, something that is pronounced “bone cheeks”, fresh fruit, nuts, several kinds of dessert (sweet tooth here did consume more than one…shocking, I know), and lots of different kinds of juices and carbonated drinks. It’s no wonder that Erik is not anxious to get married and move out…but as tradition goes, he would just probably bring his new wife home anyway.

We received a great “after Christmas” present today. Sue and Zach, who are having twins in June just found out they are having two BOYS. We’re excited and when all are safely here, we’ll have 18 grandchildren (7 girls and 11 boys).