One of the coolest parts about being on the race is getting to meet so many incredible people from each country you go to. One of the hardest things is having to say, “see ya later” (goodbye) right around the time that you are developing a close friendship with the them because you are moving along to the next country. The people in every place that I have been are unique and special in their own way. The “see ya laters” in Armenia were some of the hardest ones yet because we developed such a great relationship with so many incredible people there.
Our time there was a blast! My team had the honor to be involved in a number of different things including hanging out and hosting an English conversation club with college students, orphan care, sharing and hearing testimonies at a drug and alcohol rehab center, visiting and praying for folks in a nursing home, being involved in the local church, a weekend retreat with the church for international students, prostitution ministry, and even befriending a local tattoo artist for a few visits. God opened so many opportunities for us and it was a blast to be a part of everything He is doing there.
We heard so many inspiring and encouraging testimonies while we were there, but one in particular stood out to me. Something that God has been continuing to highlight in my life is how powerful prayer is, and this one testimony was another great reminder of that. Below is my best attempt to re-tell this girls story of the power of prayer:
She had been dating this guy for some amount of time and began to fall in love with him. He was not a believer and she desperately wanted him to know who Jesus was. Over the course of time it became an issue because he wanted nothing to do with Jesus, and ended up giving her the ultimatum of picking either Jesus or him. Jesus was the most important thing to her, so that’s what she went with. Because of that decision they separated and she was heart broken. Her family comforted her and told her there would be another man out there for her.
Shortly after they separated he went to the military. During the time while he was away, she prayed for an hour every morning, an hour after school every day, an hour before she went to sleep every night, and fasted every Saturday. During these times she would pray for him to know Jesus because she still loved him. This lasted for 7 years while he was away in the military.
During his time serving, another guy approached him and told him all about Jesus and it sparked his interest of who He really was. So, when he returned he reached out to her and wanted to know more about Jesus. She was eager to meet with him and share everything she knew. Soon after hearing and understanding more he became a believer and her prayers came true.
They recently got engaged and are planning to get married this summer! How cool is that? Her persistence and faith in prayer was truly touching and inspiring for me. Do not under estimate the power of prayer!
Here is a video of some of the highlights of our time here. Hope you enjoy!
