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On September 27, 2020, the military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Due to the fierce attacks, many of our fellow believers in the affected regions lost their families, their homes, and their possessions.
To support our brothers and sisters with prayer, words, and financial assistance, we traveled to Armenia from January 9th to 17th, 2021. The goal of the trip was to support poor and war-affected families and refugees in Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Pentecostal churches there represent the second-largest religious community in Armenia. In the capital, Yerevan, alone, there are 14 of our Pentecostal churches. A close partnership has existed between Mission Stephanus and the Armenian Brotherhood since 1990. The initial contact was established through Brother Alexander Konradi.
Our arrival in Yerevan on January 10, 2021, went smoothly. The brothers warmly welcomed us at the airport, even though it was very early in the morning. That same morning, we attended a church service in Yerevan. From the very beginning, we experienced heartfelt hospitality. Even the older brothers and ministers of the congregations accompanied us on all our travels throughout the country. The local congregation hosted us in their church building for the entire duration of our stay. Special thanks for the complete organization of the trip and our meals go to Deacon Brother Rudolf, his family, and the members of the Yerevan congregation. The Yerevan congregation had also prepared approximately 70 food packages, which we were able to distribute during each family visit.
On the same day, we visited a widow and her children. Her two sons were drafted into the war and returned wounded. Only by God's grace did they survive and are able to attend church services today. Thousands of young Armenian men have fallen in the war as a result of the conflict, and many more are still missing.
Visit to a widow whose sons were drafted into the war and returned injured.
While we waited two days for our brothers from the USA, we used the time to visit some families in need and war wounded in the local area. During one of these visits, one of the people told us that carrying the Gospel on his person had saved him from certain death. The bullet struck the New Testament and, by God's grace, lodged in it.
Late in the evening of January 11, 2021, our brothers from the USA joined us, and together we set off the next morning at 4:00 AM for the war zone of Nagorno-Karabakh. After about four hours of driving, we reached the Lachin Corridor. Currently, the Lachin Corridor is controlled by the Russian military. Entering the war zone is fraught with difficulties and is not possible without compelling reasons and permission. However, God had previously revealed to the responsible bishop that we would enter the area despite the difficulties.
After a five-hour wait at the border crossing, we were about to give up hope of entering the country when brothers Waldemar Akulenko and Harut, through Armenian acquaintances, established contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Shortly thereafter, we received our entry permits. To reach the affected families in the war zone, we had to follow a corridor for 80 kilometers until we finally arrived in Stepanakert. After a fortifying lunch, we visited families in need from the community in Karabakh. In addition to food parcels, we were also able to provide financial support. Our visit to the families and the Stepanakert community was the first since the outbreak of the war. Even the Armenian brothers had previously been denied entry. Here, we could clearly see that this journey was ordained by God and that we were under His blessing.
That same evening, we attended a church service that our Armenian brothers and sisters had been eagerly anticipating. The service strongly reminded us of church services in the USSR 40 years ago. The simplicity and warmth of the congregation captivated us from the very beginning. During the three-hour service, we were privileged to participate with both spoken word and song.
We visited many of our fellow believers who had experienced much suffering and destruction through the war.
The next morning we drove to areas near the border with Azerbaijan. Destroyed houses and villages dominated the landscape. We visited many of our fellow believers who had experienced much suffering and destruction during the war. The brothers also showed us a house belonging to members of our congregation that had been bombed. Thankfully, the residents were not home at the time of the attack and escaped unharmed.
Sadly, many of our fellow believers have lost loved ones in their families due to the war. This suffering is difficult to describe in words. The pain of the families who have lost their sons has deeply affected us. May our Lord comfort the hearts of these families and strengthen them in their grief. Please support these grieving families with your prayers.
On January 14, 2021, after our return from Karabakh, we visited the military hospital in Yerevan. Here, too, we were confronted with the direct effects of the war. We had previously received contact information for the relatives in the hospital from our brothers and sisters in Karabakh. We had originally only intended to visit the affected relatives, but the misery and suffering of the injured touched us so deeply that we began going from room to room, offering comfort, prayer, and sharing the Gospel in Jesus' name. Initially, we were reluctantly granted access, but when the staff saw that we had come to comfort and edify them, we were allowed to move freely. The injured were very receptive to the message of God's word, especially because they saw that guests from the USA, Ukraine, and Germany were making a special effort to be with them.
During one of our recent visits to Yerevan, we met a former prison officer who had recently been diagnosed with cancer. We were accompanied on this visit by Brother Paul, an Armenian bishop. He recognized the former officer as his former guard, who had watched over him in prison about 50 years earlier. Brother Paul had been imprisoned at that time because of his faith in Jesus Christ. Since the guard had been a great help to him back then, this was a joyful reunion. The former officer expressed his strong desire for us to pray for him, and we were happy to grant his wish.
On January 17, 2021, we landed safely back in Germany. Looking back, we can say with complete conviction that the Lord willed and blessed this journey, and we clearly felt His prayers for protection and preservation. We were able to distribute the donations we brought with us to those in need and those affected by war, thus offering them some support in their suffering. Let us pray for these families and for the establishment of lasting peace.
The responsible brothers of the Armenian communities sent us their warmest blessings and thank everyone for the gifts of love and for their prayer support.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal 6:9).
Waldemar Akulenko, Waldemar Gesswein, Rudolf Witmaier,
CDH-Stephanus
Opportunity to donate:
https://stephanus-zeitschrift.de/spenden/?individuell/spende
Intended use: Armenia
This New Testament stopped a bullet that would have brought certain death.