An update from Armenia
Isaiah 26.3 You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You. Because he trusts in You.
As the war continues in Armenia, the people in the midst of it all continue to seek God for the future of their nation and healing for the wounds left by war. Here is some of the news from a recent update from Aglow in that nation.
On December 10, 2020, the last family given shelter from Artsakh left for Stepanakert, with some fears about the future but willing to trust God to care for them and their young ones. In the meantime, we keep in touch with the families and know that they are managing well even if they feel that they are like prisoners in their own country with many questions about the future as to how things will be for them.
We have all stopped listening to the news as we do not trust any information that is out there in the media. We also lose our peace whenever we do, so it is a matter of survival. It helps us to just focus on God and look to Him for our future.
On January 4th, one of the families called us and said they wanted to visit us, and they were already on their way. We said that they are most welcome to come. We decided the next day to go buy some gifts for the families in Artsakh. When we arrived home, we had a surprise waiting for us. Two of the families from Artsakh had also come to celebrate Armenian Christmas with us. Then another family also joined. (Just so you know, the quarantine in Armenia does not dictate how families meet in their homes.) So we had a wonderful Christmas with our families from Artsakh.
These families had cooked and prepared special meals as they were coming by surprise and they had also brought their own linen so that they would not cause extra work for us. They had made the long, arduous and dangerous drive from Stepanakert to Yerevan just to show their appreciation and love. On the way, they have to pass through numerous checkpoints including one under Azerbaijani control near Shushi. Needless to say, the time together was joyful beyond words.
As for the rest of the country, people are still grieving and suffering. This year, we did not have any Christmas trees or lights in the streets as we usually do. Many spent the New Year's Eve at the graves of the young soldiers who lost their lives. There are still many captives in the hands of our enemies and many families have no news about their loved ones who have been missing since the days of the war.
The pandemic situation is not on the forefront of people's minds. There are many who are sick and have already recovered and the numbers are going down.
We are trying to find some kind of a normalcy in our lives now, praying about the future as to how we can help our people heal from this mortal wound which seems to have no possibility for healing right now. We have lost a generation of our young men. In the meantime, the status of Artsakh is still not clear. Azerbaijani and Turkish war crimes are being largely ignored and forgotten by the world.
The people of Artsakh have no idea whether their city and region will become a Russian colony or whether Russia will eventually withdraw and leave them at the mercy of Turkey and Azerbaijan with their large and growing military presence in the region.
With all these uncertainties and questions, we are looking to the Father to show us the way to live and be. We want to be there for the people of Artsakh and for our nation as well. There is no one in Armenia who has not lost a loved one.
We do not want to lose this window of time to help our people, to offer hope and practical help. We are praying and looking for ways to be of service that actually makes a difference in their lives. Please pray with us.
These Aglow women truly are making a difference in their nation in spite of loss and extreme difficulties. God is with them and they are victorious! Thank you for continuing to pray for the nation of Armenia.