Then a Miracle Happened!

By Global Mission Staff

The Republic of Armenia is a small, land-locked country in southwestern Asia surrounded by Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkey. It has been part of many empires throughout history, including the Greek, Roman, Persian, and Ottoman empires. More recently, it was part of the Soviet Union until it gained its independence in 1991.

Armenia is one of only two monoethnic countries in the world. Ninety-seven percent of its population is Armenian; ethnic minorities such as Yazidis, Russians, Ukrainians, and Kurds comprise the remaining three percent.

According to tradition, Armenia became the first official Christian nation in the world when it adopted Christianity as its state religion in 301 AD. Its mountainous terrain is dotted with thousands of beautiful monasteries and churches, some dating to the fourth century AD.

More than 90 percent of Armenia’s three million citizens are members of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has a small presence with some 834 members. It’s a challenging region, so Global Mission pioneers are helping to grow the church there by focusing their ministry on unentered areas, and the Holy Spirit is blessing their work. People are accepting the Adventist message, and new churches are being planted!

As people join these church plants, they, in turn, are reaching out to their communities. One group discovered that the best way to connect with their neighbors is through health ministry. Breathe Free or cooking classes are a favorite among community members. They love trying new recipes and tasting the food in a social setting. Some members have even started a colporteur ministry, going door to door to visit people and share literature with them.

One person who met Jesus through the church plant ministry is a woman named Alvard. Shortly after she began studying the Bible with an Adventist friend, her daughter fell from a high wall and was seriously injured. The doctors weren’t optimistic about the young woman’s recovery, and Alvard felt desperate and afraid.

“The windows of the hospital were open, and I was screaming, begging God to help my daughter,” she shared. During her long vigil at the hospital, Alvard’s friend visited her frequently to pray with and encourage her.

“Then a miracle happened,” Alvard related. “God heard my prayer!” She was so appreciative of what God had done, she decided to visit her friend’s church. She felt at home with the new group of believers, and soon gave her heart to Jesus and requested baptism.

Global Mission pioneers are frontline workers who invest in their communities, and Hovhannes, the pioneer who started Alvard’s church, is no exception. He shares the love of Jesus with many people in town.

Mission work in Armenia is difficult, and church planting can seem like an impossible task at times. But through prayer and God’s power, new groups of believers have emerged. Global Mission pioneers have found that by following Christ’s ministry method, barriers are broken down.

Please pray that unreached people in Armenia and all around the world will come to know Jesus through creative and wholistic ministries. Pray that God will continue to show His love through the work of Global Mission pioneers. Thank you for your support.

This testimony was written by Global Mission staff. Please support Global Mission through your contributions and prayers.

World Church Prayer Requests

September 3 - 9, 2021

• Pray for our Global Mission’s Missionaries working in difficult to reach places around the world. If you know a missionary personally, pray for them by name.
• Pray for ADRA workers as they reach out to those whose lives have been turned upside down by earthquakes, fires, and floods.
• Pray for believers in Afghanistan. Pray that God will bring out good even in the midst of this chaos and shelter His people.
• Pray for the Thai. Hepatitis and malaria are serious health problems in Thailand. Of the 22,600,000 people in this country, only 0.3% are Christians. Pray that the mission agencies and medical teams reflect the love of Christ as they work among the Thai.
• Continue to pray for spiritual unity among believers in our worldwide church. With the growing political unrest globally and the widening chasm of dissenting opinions, we desperately need heavenly wisdom and spiritual discernment.

To download this week's testimony or prayer requests, click here!