moment on what it is like to live somewhere as an outsider. If you have ever traveled overseas for a short- or
‘‘
long-term missions project, then you know this feeling. The nation of Israel knew this feeling as they
sojourned in Egypt. In a deeper sense, as you long for your true home in Heaven, you know this feeling.
Reflect for a
continued from page 25
Armenia? Short answer: it’s problematic. Yerevan, the Armenian capital is a five- hour drive to the southeast, and the trip there entails an unpredictable “third world” border crossing. If you need help understanding the latter difficulty, just ask Jerry Kidd, BMAA Director of Operations for Europe/Asia/Africa, who crosses such places on a regular basis. Tere’s all of this, not to mention icy roads over the Caucasus Mountain range. Terefore, here is what I want you to remember: the Armenian Baptists who live in Georgia are really “cut off.” Tey need help and encouragement. You can start by praying. About three years ago, their plight
came to the attention of the growing association of Armenian Baptists. Under the leadership of Asatur Nahapetyan,
the Baptists of Armenia began to reach out to them, encouraging them through personal visits and lending them the hand of fellowship and solidarity. As a part of that effort, Asatur invited me to teach a DCPI training seminar in Church Planting Essentials. A few months earlier I had hired a translator, Gegham, to put the course into Armenian. It was a big job with teacher’s notes, student workbooks, and PowerPoint slides. Even so, by December 2011, the new Armenian first draſt was ready, and this seminar would be our first test run. Now that the seminar is over, I felt
our “first run” was greatly blessed. Our translator Gegham took many notes for editing the final version. Our training location, Akhalkalaki (item two on pronunciation test!), was an Armenian- populated town of 5,000 people in the SJ region in southwest Georgia. Six men including Gegham took the training, and
26 theGLEANER n March/April 2012
‘‘
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32