General Conference - Armenian Style

We didn't watch General Conference here.

We watched it here - the Institue building at the Center Church with a few Elders & Sisters, Senior Missionaries and the Budd Family. Conference is translated into Armenian and viewed a week later than it is seen Utah.  We watched the English version....thank goodness.

It was wonderful.

 What are these Elders so excited about,

and what are they watching?

 Little Joseph had an iPad.... and I think the Elders wanted to play too.

Elder Jones and Eli had lots of fun.

I made these while I watched conference.

We ate and watched and ate and watched.  6'7" Missionary Elder M.  just ate and watched simultaneously.

A couple of quotes and my favorite song from the conference.
Elder Orson F. Whitney wrote: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. … It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire.”

From Elder Russell M. Nelson "....our faith now becomes part of our posterity’s faith later."

 President Uchtdorf "...they spend their days waiting on the road to Damascus"

My Favorite Song

"I Know That My Savior Loves Me"
http://lds.org/general-conference/music/2011/04?lang=eng&session=1&song=11&media=video

This is why we are here serving, because we know our Savior loves us.  We love him and he blesses us beyond measure.  If you want to have that same knowledge go here. 
http://mormon.org/

Khor Virap

We went to Khor Virap, an Apostolic Church monastery(the church below). We were hoping for a clear view of Mt Ararat, but we had clouds, so we couldn't see the top.  This photo was from a clear day.  Awesome!

 We did get a view of Turkey, guard tower and all. We were about 110 yards from the border.
           Yes, they will shoot you if you try to go across the border.

Now an explanation of Khor Virap.

The history of Christianity in Armenia refers to the time when Christ's Apostles, St. Thaddeus and Bartholomew, preached in Armenia around 100 AD. According to legend, at the end of the 3rd century King Trdat III began persecuting Christians in Armenia. He executed a group of thirty-seven Christian virgins (nuns) who had fled to Armenia to escape Roman persecution. After committing this crime, King Trdat became insane. The sister of Trdat, had a dream in which a man told her that the persecution of Christians must stop. She told her brother that he would be cured if Gregory the Illuminator were released from Khor Virap, where he was imprisoned.  The King agreed to release Gregory. Gregory restored Trdat's health, who adopted Christianity.

Armenia became a Christian nation in 301 A.D. Gregory, the Illuminator” brought the teachings of the Christian religion to this country.

 Gregory was subjected to fierce persecution and eventually horrible torture. All because he was a Christian. Gregory valiantly suffered this all for the name of Christ. It was finally ordered by the king that Gregory was to be tied, head and foot, and thrown into the Khor Virap pit

(which translates “deep pit”) - a pit from which there is no escape.

I CLIMBED DOWN IN THIS PIT!  IT WAS ONE OF THE SCARIEST THINGS I HAVE EVER DONE.  THERE ARE NO INSPECTORS OR GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT, OR "SAFETY LADDER CHECKER GUYS" THAT ASSURED ME THAT THE STEEL LADDER I WAS CLIMBING WAS SAFE.  IT WAS ABOUT 30' DEEP.

ONCE IN THE PIT, IT OPENED UP INTO ABOUT A 20' CIRCULAR SHRINE TYPE ROOM.

Gregory remained in this pit for 13 years. A widow in the area received a command in a dream that she was to lower food in a basket into this pit. And thus Gregory was fed for all those years.

WHEN I FINALLY CLIMBED OUT, WE HAD OUR PICTURE TAKEN NEAR THE "CHURCH" PART OF THE MONASTERY. (NOTE THE MAN ON THE RIGHT OF THE PICTURE, MORE ABOUT HIM AND OUR EXPULSION LATER)

After the Sister had the dream, they quickly sent someone with thick, long ropes to pull out Gregory and brought him to safety.

They all came to their knees and Gregory prayed with great power and energy that the king and the rest of the city be healed. That very moment, all the people and the king were freed from their pains and afflictions.
Seeing the wonderful works of the Lord, the king commanded that Gregory eradicate all remaining objects of heathen worship, that they be remembered no more. Gregory did so and immediately began to preach to all and bring them to the service of Christ.

Shortly after our picture (above) we went into a small souvenir shop.  After just a few minutes our driver Ruben, comes in with a priest (the guy in the above picture, in his street clothes) and tells us we have to go.  He had approached Ruben and asked him if he was a Mormon, he said yes, and the Priest said we had to leave.  He was making hand motions at us waving for us to get out, with a mad face!  We had removed our missionary badges which we have been instructed to do when we visit churches.  Many of the Priests here in Armenia know who we are.  AND some don't like us.

Hmmmmm, maybe the Priest was watching us from one of these windows...

A chapel was initially built in 642 AD at the site of Kirat Virap in honor of Saint Gregory. Over the centuries, it was repeatedly rebuilt. In 1662, the larger chapel was built around the ruins of the old chapel, the monastery, the refectory and the cells of the monks. Now, regular Church services are held in this church. It is probably the most visited pilgrimage site in Armenia.

2 Stories - Hasmik and Lia

True Story #1 - Hasmik

On Saturday, March 12th, Hasmik was baptized. She walked into the office a few months ago and told Elder Jones,“I want to be baptized into your church” He was instantly suspicious, because people don’t really do that, do they? Well being the inexperienced missionaries that we are, we fumbled around, found her some pamphlets and a Book of Mormon, found out where she lived and called the Sister missionaries that serve in her area. They met with her later that day, and over the past few months have taught her the principles she needed to know to join our Church.

Sisters Crawford, Cornwell, Hasmik and Ferguson

She brought her mother, niece and nephew to Primary and we sang and I taught them a little. They actually loved it and now the kids mom, the kids and Hasmik’s mom are all being taught.
So despite me actually giving her what I thought was the Plan of Salvation pamphlet, (it was the chastity pamphlet), and Elder Jones initial doubts. She progressed and we all got to enjoy her baptism.

(Side Note: she read the pamphlets we gave her and had started the Book of Mormon by the time the Sisters even got to her apartment, so no damage done.) Whew!

True Story #2 - Lia
After many many hours of preparing, many prayers, fasting and with heaven’s help Lia got her Visa to go to the Temple Square Mission in Salt Lake City. 

Lia & her Dad
She is probably the sweetest, happiest person I have met in all of Armenia. She is a strong and valiant member and the only member of the Church in her family. Many obstacles were placed in her way as she prepared to make this happen. 

 We all got to be there when President set her apart as a missionary.  It was awesome.

  Questions to ponder:  Would I have the strength to do what is right with absolutely no support from family?

Do we realize how blessed we all are?

Women's Day!

Tuesday the 8th of March was Women’s Day. But of course, Monday the 7th was “Pre-Women’s Day”. (Banks, the government and schools were closed) Actually the holiday is celebrated again in April, but they don't take the April day off from work.…. It is all so confusing. They honor women on these days and many of the branches had activities honoring the women. The good news is, it meant I got flowers! Some from Elder Jones.

Some to deliver to others.

On my way to deliver flowers, George the taxi driver pulls over at a flower shop and bought me these snow flowers. So interesting, that in the Spring they pop through the last snow and then they are picked.
They are tiny, all that you can see fit in this small plastic cup.

There are flowers shops everywhere in Yerevan. Actually I pass five ½ (long story) on my short walk to the office each day. They are all very close together. Two stinky fish stores are in between four of them.

The fresh flowers are beautiful and rather inexpensive.

Here's what Wikipedia says:

In Armenia, after the collapse of the Soviet Union celebrations of IWD were abandoned. Instead, April 7 was introduced as state holiday of ‘Beauty and Motherhood’. The new holiday immediately became popular among Armenians, as it commemorates one of the main holidays of the Armenian Church, the Annunciation. However, people still kept celebrating IWD on March 8 as well. Public discussion held on the topic of two ‘Women’s Days’ in Armenia resulted in the recognition of the so called ‘Women’s Month’ which is the period between March 8 and April 7.

FACES - Joy and Sorrow

We heard lots of foot traffic outside our apartment the other day. Then large ash trays appeared. Then this appeared at the entrance to our stairwell.

Apparently our neighbor died. We had never seen him until we saw him in his casket.  I feel sad that they don't have the Gospel in their lives.

Here, you can hear the music that musicians that were standing by his casket played.  It sounds kind of mournful, yet I liked it.  They had flute type wind instruments.  I was on the fourth floor in our apartment trying to discretely take pictures.  So ignore the picture and listen...

A Blul and a Duduk


While I was riding on a bus Saturday, I started taking pictures out the dirty windows.  I didn't know if they would work, but maybe you can get an idea of some of the people I encountered.
Not many blonds in Armenia

Policemen



This is Narek, Sahak & Lia.  Narek is a young branch President, who just got engaged, Lia is waiting for her Visa to serve a mission to Temple Square

This little face made me the happiest!  Rennlie was blessed on Sunday.