Europe East Area Humanitarian Couples Conference in Yerevan, Armenia - 26 April 2009

We had a wonderful time this year at our Humanitarian Conference in Yerevan, Armenia! We can't believe that that we are going to places we would have never dreamed we would see!! The Lord continues to bless us.

Wednesday morning at 6:30 we flew to Moscow and after a 4 hour wait, flew to Yerevan, Armenia. Yerevan is a beautiful place as well as the people. It was fun to meet some new couples and renew our acquaintances with couples that were there last year in Bulgaria. This is Vlad Nechiporov who is the Area Welfare Manager for all of the Europe East Area. He approves or rejects our projects along with the Area Presidency depending on the amount of money needed for the project. He has now been called as a Mission President and will be leaving his job on 2 May to serve in the Russia Rostov Mission beginning in July. What a wonderful opportunity we have had to work with him!!

Our conference was very spiritual as well as informative. Elder Gibbons, from the Area Presidency spoke to us about being missionaries first and to remember that we are disciples of Christ. He also told us that there are 87 couples serving in the Europe East Area.

Elder David Stapley, Europe East Director of Temporal Affairs, spoke and quoted Bishop Edgley who said that half of all humanitarian couples serve in the Europe East Area. He told us of things we need to be doing in order to be more effective as humanitarian missionaries. The goals of the Area Presidency are to strengthen welfare principles, strengthen marriage and families, and extending good will to those in need.

It was wonderful to hear the counsel of these brethren which helps us and strengthens us in our calling as humanitarian missionaries in this area of the world!!

On Friday afternoon, we went sightseeing which was a real treat for all of us!!

This is Mount Ararat which is actually in Turkey now because the Turks took over that area. Armenia still claims it, though. It was a beautiful sight to see where it is believed the ark landed after the flood!! Because of the clouds, we were only able to see part of it. But we were grateful for what we did see!We first visited Khor Virap Monastery. It is a shrine to Armenian Christianity. Mount Ararat is in the background. The monastery is located on the hills where the ancient capital of Armenia, Artashat, was situated and served as a prison then. The capital was founded by King Artashes I around 180 B.C.

Here we are standing on the wall of the monastery with Mount Ararat in the background. What a majestic mountain it is!

The monastery was built atop the pit or dungeon where St. Gregory, the Illuminator, had been imprisoned for about 13 years over 1700 years ago, as he was preaching Christianity in Armenia which was a pagan country then. (This building is where the dungeon is located.) Access to the pit has been preserved. It is 23 ft. down in the ground. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Armenia.

This is the chapel at the monastery. These are some of the missionary couples on the tour with us.

Inside the chapel are beautiful paintings. This is just an example. (Elder Welling wouldn't let me put them all on the blog!) After the adoption of Christianity in 301 A.D., this place has become one of the sacred places in Armenia and it forever distinguished Armenia as the world's first Christian nation. It happened during the reign of King Tiridat III.

This picture was taken as we walked down the hill from the monastery on our way to the next stop on our tour. These are the humanitarian couples from Turkey who we are especially fond of because we were in the MTC with the Looslis and the Fifields. Elder and Sister Loosli - Istanbul, Elder and Sister Keeler - Ankara, Elder and Sister Fifield - Izmir, and Elder and Sister Wellilng - Astana, Kazakhstan.

The next stop was at the 7th century Church of St. Hripsimeh which is a unique example of the Armenian classical architecture, built on the site of Virgins' Martyrdom for their faithfulness to Christianity. The tradition is that about forty Christian virgins fled from Byzantine to Armenia about the end of the 3rd century. Because they were Christians, King Tiridat III of Armenia ordered to have them imprisoned and then killed.After the adoption of Christianity, this site was considered to be a sacred place and later in the 7th century (618 A.D.), this church was built bearing the name of Hripsimeh, who was one of the virgins. The bell tower was constructed in the 18th century.

It was beautiful inside the chapel with paintings and ornate fixtures everywhere.

These two little Armenian "babushka's" were so sweet! We just had to take a picture of them when then asked me about my "detee" and "vanooke" in Russian!! I told them we had 6 and 20 in Russian!! They were so kind and helpful!! I gave them a big hug when we left!!

Our last stop was at the Mother Cathedral of Echmiatsin which is the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the most important religious center in Armenia. Originally it was constructed in 301 A.D.

This is the grave of one of the virgins that fled from Byzantine to Armenia and was killed. It is in the basement of the church.

Elder Welling in front of the Echmiatsin Cathedral. In the course of history the cathedral has been reconstructed and renovated several times. The interior of the church is covered with beautiful frescoes.

After the tour, the bus dropped us off at the Old Yerevan Restaurant where we were fed a wonderful meal of Armenian salads and barbequed beef, chicken, pork an lamb. It was so good! We loved it!! These guys were our waiters and they served us a delicious Armenian dessert of rice and squash with raisins, nuts and dried apricots! It was quite tasty!!

This is Elder and Sister Ireland who have been our Area Welfare Specialists and will be leaving on Monday to go home to South Dakota. What wonderful friends they have become!! We will surely miss them!!

What a great time we had in Yerevan meeting wonderful people and renewing our friendship with others! Serving this mission continues to bless us with so many wonderful experiences!

How blessed we are to be able to serve the Lord in our calling as humanitarian missionaries!

Love,

Elder and Sister Welling