Humanitarian Missionary Conference

Every year all the humanitarian missionaries in the Europe East Area meet for training. It’s a wonderful time to get inspired and to talk to other missionaries who face similar challenges. This year we met in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, which is on the Eastern border of Turkey, just north of Iran.

The three missionary couples serving in Turkey met first in Istanbul for a few days together. We were able to meet the Fifields, who serve in Izmir, for the first time and also touch base again with the Looslis, who are in Istanbul. We had a wonderful time seeing the many sights of Istanbul. Istanbul straddles two continents—Europe and Asia. In this picture you can see both continents at once, one on each side of the Bosphorus.

We loved Istanbul’s old mosques. The Haghia Sophia (originally a Byzantine Church, then a mosque, now a museum) is famous for its beautiful mosaics, which were thrilling. We loved the Blue Mosque as well. We were amused that the New Mosque (Yeni Camii) was built in 1597! What a great place!

We loved visiting the sultan’s palace, the Dolmabahçe, with its beautiful gardens and harem. The sultan’s bathroom was the most spectacular we have ever seen.
















After three days in Istanbul, we flew to Yerevan, Armenia, for the Humanitarian Couples’ Conference. Armenia is the oldest Christian country in the world, being established as a Christian nation in 301. They claim that the original apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew were the first to proselyte there, and their church is called the Holy Apostolic Church—separate from the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Churches. Armenia is surrounded by Muslim nations. It was wonderful to see steeples and crosses on the skyline instead of minarets. The Armenian cross is almost square and is a “flowering” cross, with blossoms on each end.

We were thrilled to see Mount Ararat looming over Yerevan. Although it is inside Turkey (only temporarily, our guide informed us; it really belongs to Armenia), it is clearly visible from the city and countryside. We visited a monastery where the first Armenian Christian martyr, Gregory the Illuminator, was imprisoned for 13 years. You may remember that the Bible identifies the district around Mt. Ararat as the place Noah’s ark came to rest. It’s truly a beautiful mountain.

We were in Yerevan on April 24th, on which they commemorate the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Everything was closed, and families strolled with flowers and lilacs in their arms to the many, many monuments to the fallen. We visited one monument high on a hill and saw flowers heaped on a small wall surrounding the eternal flame—the flowers were so high that we could barely see over them. In Turkey, they commemorate the same day but remember Armenian atrocities instead. No wonder peace is so difficult in this area of the world!

On Sunday we were able to attend Church in one of the four branches in Yerevan. A young Elder translated for us. We couldn’t even sing the hymns because it is impossible to read the Armenian alphabet. But it was wonderful to be with young missionaries and meet with so many Saints.

We were sorry to leave the conference. Twenty-one couples had attended from all over the Europe East Area. Each country has its own challenges. We heard about couples meeting with only one member, about red tape that staggers the mind (in the former Soviet bloc countries), and bone-chilling cold and winds of -40 degrees for days on end. When we returned “home” to Turkey, we felt truly blessed to be here and inspired to work harder in our lonely labors. We’re sure others felt the same.