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It has already been 20 years that my wife Lusine and I serve together in the church.

During these long years a lot of changes have taken place in our church as well as in Armenia and the whole world. And that is why these years seem to us as a whole life.

Our church was founded short after the

collapse of the Soviet Union, when Armenia was in a serious crisis. It was beacon for a lot of hopeless hearts. I remember how our young hearts were happy although we were walking through the dark and cold streets of Yerevan. It took nearly 3 hours to get home after the serving, because of lack of public transportation. We had to walk home, we were praying with such

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an effort and with such faith for having electricity in our houses.

It seemed to us that this will never end but the Lord’s word had more strength then the reality that surrounded us. God seemed to draw a veil on our eyes for not noticing the surrounding hopelessness. Regardless of having light or not, we were praying in the hall or outside and the servings took place every Sunday and we declared with faith that Armenia will come out of the crisis and that the number of the believers

will increase. Continuously we were praying for every man and for our country. When I was preaching that there will be light and hope, the believers were shouting amen, but the skeptics were offended thinking we were mad. It is easy to speak in words but the reality was hopeless. The Lord’s promise kept us in this country. God blessed his people so that we were not seeing the surrounding crisis.

Before coming to Armenia I was working in Russia and I had decided to go to the USA.

But when I was standing in front of the embassy in Moscow God spoke to me and he promised me that if I went to Armenia I would see a lot of believers because he had prepared a great revival for Armenia. I tore the documents and came back to Armenia. I will never forget the persecution that the church had to go through at that time. But I knew whose will was

that it was and the reason I was summoned.

Many of us remember the fi rst bible school. We were gathering in the park of

Victory. Today it sounds unbelievable but we were very happy for a chance to have classes in the open air. I remember how we found the merciful serving though many of us were in

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need. One day we said to ourselves that it was enough waiting for help as we were the answer to prayers of the others and started helping people. God spoke to us clearly that people who asked for help themselves would never stand on their feet and we began to make offerings for the poor, homeless and hungry people. I remember the fi rst offering for that serving was only bread. For understanding the value of the sacrifi ce we should remember the queues for the bread in that times. We stood in a line from 3 in the morning till 9 so we could buy only 1 or 2 loafs of bread, as the quantity was limited by the coupons. We divided

the bread into 4 pieces and we gave it to the poor in the street.

Beginning that day we understood that giving is better than taking and as a result thousands of people were fed.

The building of the church offi ce was a real miracle for us. I remember how we wrote the price of the building on the wallpaper, which was a great sum of money by the time, and called it The Goliath. Like David defeated Goliath with his small stone each member of the church with his/her small but valuable sacrifi ce concurred the insuperable problem. We were sacrifi cing money, gold and other

valuable belongings. The offi ce of the church gave us new opportunity to work with more strength for the kingdom of the Lord. We began to hold our meetings in our new building which had occupancy of 300. The bible school started to function steadily, 33 servings were founded which promoted and improved carrying out the projects that were created from the Lord. We are happy that God constantly increases the number of saved people year by year, gives new visions and opens new doors for realizing God’s will.

Today we are impatiently waiting for our new church building because we have a

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lot of plans and dreams connected with it. This will help us to carry out the Lord’s calling more effectively.

When I look at our accomplishments of these 20 years I get surprised, that we managed all this great things together and I realize that only with God’s help we could overcome every diffi culty. Being in the pastoral serving we have understood it quite well. Every day we are facing diffi cult fates, desperate situations, human happiness and misfortune. We are visiting the sick, comforting the mournful and helping the ones in need. At the same time it is necessary to solve daily church problems, to

dea with administrative and fi nancial issues and many more. All these are beyond the human ability and without the support and the consolation of Holy Spirit it would be impossible task to carry out.

Taking an opportunity I deeply thank all the servants of the Lord especially Ulf Ekman, Leonid Malko, Rubik Tumanyan and all the others. I thank the sister churches who are very precious to us and who did their best in making an effort to support us. I also deeply thank you dear members of the church as without your devotion and faith it would be impossible to achieve a result. You are

building theprayer-house of the Lord and every one of you are his ambassador and the light inthis world. Let our hands not weaken, keep on w for the glory of the Lord asit is the work that stays immortal. And most of all I am thankful to the lord foreverything and with thankful heart bend before him as all the glory and honorbelongs to him.:

Artur and Lusine Simonyan

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“And they said. “Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work”

Nehemiah 2:18

It is Lord’s blessing to have comrade churches and good relatives who offer theirterritory for church meetings but the Lord’s grace is when the church hasits own building. To build our own building during the years became inevitablenecessity and 2007 marked of the

transformation of the dream into reality. It was aa bold fi rst step. The members of the church accepted with enthusiasm thisenterprise assenting to strengthen their hands for this good work. We dream ofthe time when anybody can come to the church no matter if it is

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noon or midnight, knowing that he/she can pray and worship the Lord 24 hours a day.

The building was planned to be built in 3 stages. Today we can declare joyfully thatthe fi rst stage (building carcass and parking lot) is completed. Now the construction

of the roof,fl oors and windows are going to be performed. The third stage of completing the interior design is still in the future. No doubt every stone of the church is the proof of your faith, love and devoutnessto the Lord. Thank you that you have become a member of partner program and

bykeeping faithfully your promise you give an opportunity for this dream tocome true. The day isn’t far that we come together in one place forcelebrating the opening of the building and will praise the Lord for his kindness andmercifulness be forever.

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“But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him”

John 4:23

Worship and praise were always the inseparable part of God’s people. In the temple the priests were worshiping and praising the Lord day and night and tha sacrifi ce as a sweet-smelling incense was rising up to the throne of the Lord.

As in the old covenant also in the new covenant times our sacrifi ce of worship and praise symbolizes our eternal devoutness and love towards God. Only in the times of New Testament the spirit of the Lord began to live in his sons who wereborn again. Man

PRAISE AND WORSHIP

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became the temple of the God.

Psalm150 calls us to praise the Lord with the sound of the trumpet, psaltery and harp, timbre and dance, stringed instruments and organs, loud and high sounding cymbals, and every one that has breath praise the Lord.

Every Christian is called to praise and worship god, to glorify him regardless the mood and life situations, because the praise is the tie that we have with our heavenly father. It isn’t just action it must become our nature. The God is worthy to take all the glory and honor.

He is the creator of the earth and heavens, who saved all humans from death and the hell. This is the reason why from the day of foundation of «Word of Life» church praise is the one of the most important parts of the church servings.

In Leviticus 6.13 is written that the fi re burning in the altar shall never go out. Taking as a principle this word we are going to organize twenty-four-hour praise, presented to the Lord, 7 days a week, 12 months a year. We believe that the Lords face turns to us and the Lord will bless our country with his splendid presence as on

the true sacrifi ce always comes down his presence and opens the windows of heaven.

ONE LIFE STORYI was devoted to the

music since my childhood. When I was 5 years old I studied at musical school after Chaykovski, after that I had graduated the conservatory, post graduate studentship as a solist- pianist. I had had a lot of concerts becoming laureate of international competences.

However during the

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time something changed. Before I found spiritual satisfaction in music, but little by little I noticed that the music didn’t fi ll the emptiness of my soul and that fact tortured me. I was composing and writing songs but it stopped and for 10 long years I couldn’t write any song.

And one day I went to church and from the fi rst sounds of praise the tears went down as a river from my eyes, it seemed to me that some kind of burden felt from my shoulders, I got rid of the burden that tortured me for years. As a professional musician I knew everything about

music but the praise fi lled every corner of my soul, I understood the real meaning of the music to glorify the Lord, raise a sound of thanksgiving to the Lord. The heavens seemed to be opened and I was standing in front of my creator feeling how Holy spirit touched and changed my nature. Afterwards I began to serve in the praise group and during that time God’s presence began to hill my nature, loosen my fi rm heart, my character, and I began to play in another way, I devoted myself completely to the great art of praise. The real praise comes from heart.

The Bible says that the true worshipers worship the father in spirit and in truth because the father looks for such kind of worshipers.

Now new creative source is opened in me and I write new songs. It is in the praise and worship that I am really satisfi ed. Thanks God that he has given me an opportunity to praise his holy name by his granted gift.

Ani Eghiazaryan43 years old

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“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”

Hosea 4:6

It’s important for a believer to know the word of God as it gives a true and a strong basis to make a Christian life.

SCHOOLBIBLE

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LAMP YOUR word is a

on my feet

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We know God because of the word of God. We realize that we have a salvation and redemption from sins, fi nd our calling and truly serve God.

That’s why in 1996 the Bible school of Word of Life was founded. It played an infl uential role in many Christians’ spiritual life. A lot of students not only from Armenia but also from foreign countries have had biblical education here.

Besides the biblical knowledge the school

teaches to live according to the word of God, to be fi lled with faith and serve people with the grace that God has given to him. More than thirty biblical themes, especially repentance from the dead works, authority of the Bible, righteousness, faith, baptism, church, the gifts of the Holy Spirit etc are taught during these nine months.

Biblical school by the net Internet Biblical school is a great achievement for armenian and russian speaking believers all over the world, as they

have a possibility to study the suitable for them days and time.During two years 69 students from Armenia, USA, Russia, Tuskey, Siria, Lebanon and many countries of Europe graduated the school.

ONE LIFE STORY Because of the

accident I lost my 20-years old son. It’s impossible to describewith words how heavy and irreparable the loss was for me. My life had no meaning. I didn’t

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want to live any more. I had a lot of incomprehensible questions-why it happened to me, why I live and for who? Nobody could console me and nobody had an answer for one having lost his son.

In 2009, 3 years after the accident, I decided to study in the Bible school. Nine months of the study became for me a period of renewal and restoration. I came to life again. I didn’t want to miss even a lesson. In the Bible school I not only had knowledge but also my inner world

was changed, also the atmosphere of my family and in the end I got the answers to my questions.

Each day had new blessings and day by day my life was being restored. I realize why I should still live in this world. And of course I want to mention that I made wonderful friends.

Aida Avetisyan 49 years old

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“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation“

Mark 16:15

More than 6 milliard people live in the world. How many laborers are needed tospread the good news of the Bible to the people? Jesus said the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. His great commandment is that each believer goes into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.

MISSION

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I’ll go and

preach...

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Word of life church from the very day of its foundation has evangelized and formed churches in the various regions and villages of Armenia. The aim is to get the savior light of the Bible to the people living in the dark. And every time it took a self-devoted work and a perfect investment from the pastors and missionaries working in the regions. Changing lives of the various people speaks about their selfl ess work.

ONE LIFE STORYMy testimony is a

story fi lled with dark and hopeless fear, but praise God that the dark has an end….

Let me be honest with you. When you live in the village and you are 24 and not married yet, you have different ideas in the head and it seems that the fortune teller can be the magic key of the solving of your problems. By the way in Alaverdy, where I live, it is not unusual thing.

As much as my mother tried to keep me away from that damned way, I

was too stubborn. And in the end I was in the room of the fortune teller. When she fi nished, she gave me a necklace and ordered to wear it always. And since then something changed in my life. Strange ideas and images came to my mind. In the result I had a mental disorder and I began to take medicine. Eventually those drugs stopped helping me. I was in a bad condition. I was in such fear that I avoided people.

Gradually I isolated from everybody and it seemed that the only way is to commit suicide. Just

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at that time we heard that there is a church in our town where miracles are happening with the power of God. We found out that it was “Word of life” church and my mom went to the pastor. He wasn’t local, a young missionary who left his comfortable and safe life of the capital city, without paying attention to the diffi culties of living in the village, moved to us with his family to get the word of God to the hearts of the people. The pastor came to see me, we talked and then he prayed for me. I began to go to church. Several faithful people,

whom I didn’t even know, were continuously praying for me with fasting. I am so grateful to pastor and to the people who didn’t condemn me but fi lled with an unexplainable heartbreak were knocking with prayers at the doors of the Lord asking mercy and redemption for me. Now the nightmare is over. I am healthy and serve in the church. God completely redeemed me. And I am grateful to him for the people who don’t reject the Lord’s calling and ready to devote their life to the salvation and redemption of people.

Inga Petrosyan28 years old

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“And every day in the temple and at home they didn’t cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ“

Acts 5:42

Gathering in small groups gives a perfect opportunity to know and to communicate with each other in a better manner, testifying our revelations, God’s miracles and

CELLER CHURCH

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actsIn the groups people pray for their personal needs, members of the church, as well as for the prosperity of our country. We believe, God answers prayers. Devotion, brotherhood and hospitability are the bases on which the church is founded.

ONE LIFE STORYMy wife tried to bring

me to God for many years, but every time I was escaping, until I stayed alone and realized that there was no way. I was drunk and argued with my friends. I was in a bad state and I was thinking of suicide. In the morning my wife suggest me going to the church and I accepted it. From just the beginning of the service the presence of God came to me, so that I felt an electric shock passed through my body. I was in a shock and

tears were rolling down.That morning I gave

my life to Jesus and everything was changed in one day. The next day my friends came to visit me. I told them that I wouldn’t live with the previous life any more. They didn’t believe me and thought it wouldn’t last long.

It had an essential meaning for me that I went to the cell group where experienced God’s love; I realized the meaning of his salvation and started to read the Bible. In a few days God

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came to me in my dream and showed how I should preach the Gospel in the streets. I realized that I was called to serve people with the word of God. The same day my friends came to me, among them there were drug abusers, alcoholics and ex-criminals and I started to tell them about God.

Some of them didn’t leave the world and the sin and unfortunately they died from drugs and various dieses, but some of them are in the church and serve people

with pleasure. I was am acoustic guitar player and started to serve in the group of praise and worship. Late on I became a leader of a group. I owe my life to Jesus who granted me new life, warm family and faithful friends.

Vaghinak Makvetsyan46 years old

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“Blessed he who considers the poor. The Lord delivers him in the day of trouble.

The Lord protects him and keeps him alive. He is called to be blessed in the land“.

When we taste the Lord’s salvation and his love fi lls in our hearts, it is impossible not to react to the other’s needs. Jesus himself found it important to feed the hungry visit the ill and the prisoners and we carry God’s hope and consolation to the broken hearts.

The merci service of “Word of life” was founded in 1992 during a hard period of time for Armenia. Deep shaken economy from the earthquake of 1988 and continual war inKarabakh, deadlock, refugee-Armenians from Azerbaijan, bad living conditions…..

That time through the offerings of the members of the church was founded “Go,see...” mercy service. Before that

MERCY

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the church had received a great amountof support and had given to the needy. But then the members of the church who were also in need, refused the outside support and decided to help the others.

They began to make donations, based on the Mark’s word 6.38, where Jesus exhorts to his disciples for feeding the hunger, how many loaves have you? Go and see.

The fi rst donation was the bread bought with coupons which were given to four needy.

And as Jesus multiplied some loaves and the

fi sh and fed the poor, our service expanded with God blessings during the years and could feed thousands of people, support people living in the villages near the border. Our church helped the orphanages, retirement homes, kindergartens, hospitals, executed special programs for the homeless, the lonely old, hospice patients and children being abused. All these works have been done with the help of the professional psychologists, social workers, teachers and hundreds of volunteers who are the members of the church.

The perspectives of the service The activity of the

mercy service is growing day by day. The service aims to help the lonely old people and the hospice patients, to continue the supporting program of extremely needy families in Yerevan, regions and villages, to expand the support to the children being abused. The principal aim of the mercy service is not only helping those in need, but also relieving people of the “poor” mentality, developing healthy and productive thinking and rebuilding their self esteem.

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ONE LIFE STORYMy husband was in prison.

I left on the street with my four children.

And my relatives and my husband’s relatives rejected us. For a long time we lived outside in cold winter and in hot summer. We begged for the bread. I never thought that one day I’d so low. Several times I tried to commit a suicide but did not succeed.

One day when I was knocking at the door for bread, the girl invited my children and me in. She wondered why I begged. She fed us and gave us hope that there was God and he’d never leave us and if we believed he would show

us the way. We found out she was the member of the Word of Life church.

In some days she came to us with the servers of the mercy service of the church.

They gave us a shelter where we could live, and gave us food. My children had already forgotten about the hot meal. We ate, had a bath, put on nice clothes and had a medical treatment.

The servers of the mercy service worked with us about three years. They helped us to forget the hurts and cruelties from past. They helped us to change our way of thinking and helped to improve our characters and lifestyle.

After three years the mercy service gave us a fl at in Yerevan. Today my family is happy. My husband came back from prison, my children go to school, we work. I am grateful to God and the servers of the mercy service that put an end to eight years of my hopeless, nomad life. I also had an opportunity to take my mother from the retirement home so she could spend the rest of her life with us, under one roof with the family.

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“But those who trust in the Lord for help will fi nd their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak“

Isaiah 40:31

The man who trusts God and loves His scripture he is always ready to serve people, to take care of those who are in need, to sacrifi ce his time to help the near one. The kind samarian’s, proverb is a good example, that being very busy with our problems, we can ignore those who need our help. God’s will is to be sensitive, that we can see the other’s pain and try to help him.

Since 2005 in “Word of Life” church a group of volunteers began to serve disabled people, who were isolated from the society and lived behind the closed doors. They are like treasure being hidden in the darkness and they are not forgotten by God.

RESTORATION

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Owe to selfl ess work of the volunteers disabled people have the chance to get medical aid sometimes, to take part in different ceremonies organized in the church, and also to take part in the cultural events. Sometimes the excursions to the cultural and art centers, places of interest are organized, which help them to come out of their limited world, to socialize with each other and to get many new friends.

This year the servants of God are going to open art study group, to contribute to the revelation of their abilities and talents, as well as to organize winter holiday

in one of the picturesque places of Armenia.

ONE LIFE STORYWhen my son was born

I was very happy. I was happy like other mothers in the world. But soon we knew that he was ill with oligophrenia. It was the fi rst time I heard about that disease. The questions were throttling me --- why my son?, why my little Artyom?

How I dreamed him to look at me with his clever eyes, smiled, played, said his fi rst sounds.

Alas, for the reason of his mental disability, he could never speak. The loss of memory and attention, the underdevelopment of cognitive and other functions could be noticed.

He was mostly isolated from the society. He couldn’t socialize with others except the members of the family. I was afraid of leaving him alone, and that fear suppressed him more. Was there any way out of this hopeless situation?

One day my neighbor invited me to church. I took Artyom with me too. At the beginning he was afraid of the presence of the unknown people, but owe to kind,

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lovely, careful treatment of the members of the church, little by little, he began not to fear. He began to take part in the ceremonies organized in the church, to attend drawing study group. It changed his life totally. He never wrote or drew before, but today he can draw. And owe to draw the ability of speaking began to develop. Now Artyom can say his thoughts through short sentences.

The excursions, which are organized in the framework of program, give an opportunity to my son to have a good rest. He made friends with many boys and girls like him, moreover, he

takes care of them and tries to help them with what he can.

My heart becomes full of joy when I see that my son has become independent person, he can dress, go for a walk without my help. His life has become meaningful, and mine has become full of joy. I’m full of thankfulness to God for

His unlimited love. I’m very thankful to those servants of God who have put their lives and time for my son and other hundreds like him.

Genya Vardanyan61 years old

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Everyone needs God, as God’s scripture can change the persons fate, his values and goals. Gospel tells us to take good news to the prisoners.

Evangelizing prisoners we want them to trust God’s scripture, estimate their life and to become

the members of full value of the society after coming out of the prison.

Being based on the scripture Malachi 4:6, which says, that God will bring fathers and children again, the service organizes charitable summer camps for the prisoners’

“I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me”

Mathew 25:36

PRISONS

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children for many years. The memorable moment of the camp is that the children make necklaces, bracelets, souvenirs from clay, postcards for their parents in prisons. The aim of the program is to restore the damaged relationship between parents and children, be favorable to the strengthening of the Christian values. This work continues and gives lots of fruit. Many families have become restored, the parent, returning to his family, has found love and warmth.

ONE LIFE STORYAs far as I remember

me, I lived a criminal life. I was famous with criminals by my severe character. I passed 28 years in prison for the result of my crimes. The prison cell became my home, and it seemed to me that this nightmare would not end. You have long time to think of your life you lived and of things you did in prison, and my deeds were full of darkness and served only to distruction. But one day something happened to me, which changed my whole life. Till now I can’t understand what prompted me to watch a videotape,

which was about Christian service. I listened to the preacher with thirsty heart, whose each word went into my heart. Listening to this preacher I gave my life to the Lord and understood that I wasn’t the same person and had salvation. Though I was in prison, I I was fi lled with such a sense of liberty that it wasn’t so important for me where I was. I had a great desire to know my God, and to tell everyone about Him, who eside me. Since then I realized that the real freedom is not outside the prison. The prison cell exists in everybody’s inner

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world, if he hasn’t repented and invited Jesus to his life. Jesus knocks at everyone’s heart door, and people seem to be hidden from Him, they went into prison by their will and closed the door in front of Jesus. I read on the videotape that the preacher is pastor Arthur Simonyan, in Word of Life Church. I phoned by given telephone number and church ministers began to visit me. By communicating with them my faith got stronger and my steps became certain in that unknown and new world. Till now I don’t stop thanking God for those people who

put their lives and time to preach the Gospel to the prisoners living in the hopeless darkness.

The prisoners saw me changed, but couldn’t believe it. First, they thought it was impossible then they thought I was pretending for some reason. But today, most of them ask me to pray for them and I can’t stop preaching the Gospel in prison. Many prisoners have already repented and given their lives to Jesus Christ. Wherever I be, now in prison, later in freedom, I wish to do God’s will. Nothing will make me forget God’s unlimited love

and His light which has warmed my life lightening every dark corner of my life.

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“You created every part of me, you put me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because you are to be feared; all you do is strange and wonderful. I know it with all my heart“

Psalm 139:13-14

God’s scripture says.: “The same God who created me and my servants also”. (Job 31:15)

Mother’s womb, which is the birth place of life, becomes a grave because of abortion. Mother, who has a calling to protect and take care of her child, kills him. Isn’t it a severe picture to see couples, who

dream to have a child for many years and beside them to see women who, without any pangs of conscience can kill their baby.

“Don’t hesitate to rescue someone who is about to be executed unjustly”. (Proverb 24:11)

THE PREVENTIONOF ABORTIONS

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What are we doing today and what is necessary to do to help the babies not to be killed? As to many people it’s necessary to take the rule about the prevention of abortions. Yes, to take such rule is a really serious step, which will express the state’s attitude towards the problem of abortion, but the most important thing is still reconstruction of people’s minds. It’s necessary to struggle for human life, trying to use each opportunity to highlight people that abortion is a sin and it’s a murder. The parents have a moral right to do their choice if there are some problems which can damage mother’s

life, otherwise abortion is the infringement of the commandment “Don’t kill” .

“Speak up for people, who cannot speak for themselves”. (Proverb 31:8)

The churches must speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves and protect life of not-born child. This is the reason that we have service of prevention of abortions in our church for many years. During the prolonged work lots of mothers changed their minds to do abortions, and lots of babies were born. The service shows material aid to mothers to take care of children’s needs in the fi rst period.

ONE LIFE STORYI was 41 and had 3

children, when I recognized that I was going to have a baby again. I was in a hopeless situation. I knew that it was a sin, but, anyway, I decided to do abortion. I went to the hospital with the tears in my eyes. The doctor accepted me and did his work. The days passed and my situation became heavier more and more. The feeling of guilt was torturing me. I couldn’t forgive myself. I was in depression.

3 months later, one day I felt that something was moving in my womb. I went to the same doctor who had

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done the abortion. It turned out that I was pregnant, and I was on my 5th month. The doctor couldn’t believe how the child could be alive, as he himself, with his own hands, had done the abortion. He said that the child would be born with problems and advised me to do abortion. I didn’t know what to do. The only comfort for me was the church. The workers of Abortion Prevention Service were with me, praying for me. They advised me not to hurry, but trust God at this time, as God’s mercy was great and He would take care of that child. I believed that everything would be all right. I decided to give analyses

once more, after which it became true that I was going to have a normal and healthy son. I asked the doctor whether the children were twins and the one of them stood alive, he answered that it was impossible.

After several months my son was born. His birth day was one of my happiest days in my life. My son, blond, with blue eyes, was looking at me and smiling. He was born healthy. If those kind people wouldn’t be with me, I would be deprived of my happiness.

Susanna Eghiazaryan50 years old

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“To recognize wisdom and good advice, and understand sayings with deep meaning”

Proverb 1:2

The school is not a building only, but a place of education and upbringing. The history of the creation of school comes from the antique period, which changed its meaning and form today.

The aim of education is to arm people with knowledge, that they can be many-sided developed

people and be ready for the battles of life. Education also brings up and formulates the person’s world outlook, which protects the person’s healthy development and decides the further process of his life.

Armenia was in a diffi cult situation during 90s and it refl ected on the education as well.

Word of LifeSECONDARYSCHOOL

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At the same time, when there were comfortable conditions for the education and upbringing abroad, our children studied in dark and cold classes. There was a need to open a school, which could give quality education and could satisfy the elementary needs of our children. And God gave a revelation that we were responsible for our children and we could create better conditions for our children education. For that reason in 1996 the secondary school Word of Life was founded.

The aim of our school is to give a pupil proper

knowledge, taking account his character and abilities. The relationship between teacher and pupil is based on mutual respect and equality. The pupils are fed by healthy meal, and classes are rather clean. To give bribe, to hit pupils, to say bad words, to smoke, to scold and so on are not allowed. There is a mutual respect and trust between teachers and parents. The aim of school ‘’Word of life” is to be one of the best education centers of the republic.

There is a distorted opinion, that the pupils of our school get spiritual

education as to become clergymen, but school “Word of Life” is a secondary school, which is being run by the programs of Ministry of Education and Knowledge. We give pupils certifi cate. During 4 years there are 43 school graduates, the 98% of which study in different universities of Armenia. Among them we can see future lawyers, historians, artists, teachers, doctors, linguists, economists, mathematics, engineers and so on.

The future of our school is full of success as we are sure that our pupils will fi nd their own place and will

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become useful people for our country.

A LIFE STORYSchool… a simple word,

but it contains a history of the days passed in a very interesting age. It’s a place which has become a second home for us, where our thoughts are taken account and the base of which is love and unanimity. When speaking of school we cannot forget to remember our teachers. They are like our careful parents, who gave their good advice to us and promoted us in any

situation.

The aim of each school is to educate pupils, as the most important weapon is the knowledge that gives wings to fl y higher and higher. You’re measured by knowledge, but judged by behavior. We realize that having these 2 qualities, we can be successful. Besides giving knowledge, there is another important thing in our school as well – to bring up pupils as individuals, who can be people of decision and will be honest. We realize that nothing is permanent in this life and the end of these unforgettable school years

is not behind mountains. But we know for sure that each end is an opportunity for a new beginning.

Our past is sweat, present is fi rm, and future is hopeful. During these 10 years we understood that everything is possible if there is application to work.

Whoever goes until the end he can reach his goal. Thank you our school!

Ani Petrosyan, Marianna Virabyan,

Anna Simonyan, Izabella Zohrabyan, the pupilsof

11th grade of school “Word of life”.

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Man has energy and zeal during his youth and knows how to dream. He persistently strives to fulfi ll his decisions. He is sure that the whole world is his and he will succeed in everything. The energy of youth and positive attitude towards future can make miracles.

But, unfortunately, some young people, facing obs-tacles, get disappointed and the future appears to them in dull colors. As a result they loose their principals and values, become powerless and weak, follow others’ destructive examples, and some even choose the criminal life. Bible has priceless,

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to thy word“

Psalm 119:9

YOUTH

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precious scriptures about young people, which can give them new breath and strengthen their hands. Lord says that young people are powerful as they can strike the evil, they can straighten their ways according to His Word; as the one who loves wisdom also loves life.

The Bible is a guide for young people to become successful. It is God’s will for a person to have right goals since the youth, to be fi rm in his decisions, to love people, to be obedient to his parents, not to walk through immoral ways, but to be compassionate, to have wisdom and knowledge. It is in his youth that a person

motivated by wrong values can make fatal decisions and destroy his and his relatives’ lives.

For this reason our church shows compassion for our young people by arranging dif ferent interesting mee tings, conferences, youth camps to give them God’s love and to challenge them to dream of greater things, to convince them that they can reach their dreams. Thus let’s support our young people, let’s be a good example for them and secure a great future for them.

ONE LIFE STORYI am brought up in

a Christian family, but the life style that I had chosen was far away from a Christian one. All day long I was in fi ghts and revenges. Though I said that I believed in God, my life was on the verge of disaster. I was already tired of my friends who always provoke d fi ghts. My mother was praying for me day and night, but she could only see irony and mockery from my side.

Every night I woke up with disturbing feeling, as if the whole hell was attacking me. I wanted to isolate myself from my

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surroundings, otherwise one day I would appear in jail. But I didn’t know where to go.

One day my mother suggested me to go to the youth camp of the church. It was probably her last attempt to help me. I laughed at that suggestion but then I thought that it was really a great opportunity to hide and have a good time.

I left for camp. At fi rst I didn’t adapt and was behaving the way I pleased. But one day, without any reason, I felt bad. Only then I realized that I was surrounded with considerate people who

regardless of my behavior continued taking care of me with unselfi sh love and that attitude melted my heart. While recovering step by step I felt that I had changed. I started to think of my life and that the power of a human being is nothing as within a minute life can end, but question was where then the man would appear?

I decided to change my life radically. I managed to get out of the devil’s chains with the help of my friends. My heart softened and fi lled with God’s hope. I am grateful to my friends, as well as all those who were always next to me with

their prayers and precious advice at that crucial period of my life. Now I am also eager to help young people know God and His good will.

Andranik Hayrapetyan25 year old

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“Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is thekingdom of heaven“

Matthew 19:14

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Children’s Ministry operates since the church was founded. The goal is to introduce God to children by entertaining them with Bible stories, heroes in a simple way to implant hope, faith, respect for their parents and friends in their hearts.

The volunteers of this ministry periodically participate in the professional seminars, where they learn how to teach children by simple and easy techniques. We

are planning to involve more parents and organize seminars for them. In these diffi cult times it is important for them to have a wisdom of God to raise their children according to Christian values.

ONE LIFE STORYChildhood is a stage of

life that can leave its trace and memories and have an infl uence on the person’s life. I praise God that I had a good childhood. My parents took care of it. But, besides the care of my parents, I recall the time spent in the church. And thanks to Children’s Ministry, I know God’s Word since I was a child.

I remember how the ministers didn’t spare

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any efforts to teach us Bible verses which I still remember and which guide me in my life. Verses like: “Treat other people the way you want to be treated”. This can be a pledge of success for everyone. I think the knowledge of God’s Word in my childhood made me to choose to live according to it in my teens. And when I grew up I decided to work with kids.

The inner world of each child is very rich.

And working with them brings joy and happiness. I remember two funny things that happened with my brother: Little Vahram was going to sleep. My mother was telling that we must always wait and be ready for Jesus’ advent, because neither the day nor the hour of His advent is known.

After thinking a little while my brother said: “Mother, bring my beautiful clothes and put them next to my bed, please”

“But why?”asked my mother.

“If Jesus comes tonight I can’t go heaven in my pajamas“.

And once, after watching a program about the capital of France, Paris, he asked my mother:

“Mommy, shall we become Pharisees if we go to Paris?”

Lilit Ghazanchyan23 year old

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“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy Ghost“

Matthew 28:19

In spite of the variety of today’s means of communication on the earth, book remains the only classical way of passing the important events, ideas, history of nations and countries to the generations. God chose the written language as a means of telling people about Himself and His plan of salvation. It is the Bible that is the most famous book in the world and is the biggest in edition.

After Soviet Union collapsed, there was a hunger of spiritual literature. The rare books that could be found only in Russian were being passed from hand to hand after reading. There was a great need of Armenian Christian literature.

PUBLISHING

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Starting 1999, by our own initiative, we begun publishing. Before, there was nearly no modern spiritual literature in Armenian. It was then we had a revelation from God that the 39 letters of Armenian alphabet are soldiers to ruin the bonds of darkness and to bring fruit for the kingdom of God only if we order them right. Overcoming the fi nancial and technical diffi culties, the publishing team started translating and publishing the books in Armenian. The work accomplished - is impressive. Till now more than 100 titled books are translated in 7 languages,

which are published in more than 2 mln. edition.

Our goal is to bring the Gospel and biblical studies to the people who need God in Armenia and other countries as well. For many people the book happened to be a real change of their lives to repentance, healing and reunion of the families.

ONE LIFE STORYMy father accepted

Jesus in diffi cult times of communists. He was a spiritual leader and a preacher of an underground church. National security

services were watching him and our apartment.

Some time later some church members gave up, unable to overcome the pressure. They hardened their hearts causing disruption in the church.

At the end my father and some others were hurt and left the church. They stopped attending any services. Actually our fl at was deprived of many spiritual blessings and the name of Jesus Christ became an abstract name for us.

My father’s attitude towards our relatives and neighbors was also

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changed. Many of them were offended of his attitude and broke the relationship with us. My father was telling about his “enemies” actions towards him all year long. Of course it had its negative consequences: My mother left home for some time, and my brother left our family forever.

We saw how my father suffering with wounded heart. On one occasion we gave him a book published by the church. The book was revealing one of the most dangerous traps for men set by devil- unforgivness. My father read it sincerely and examined it for about a year.

After reading it he visited all his relatives and conciliated with them. He also conciliated with those neighbors whom he was treating like enemies for 20 years.

After several days he visited one of the members of the church who had left the church more than 30 years ago, hurt more than my father was, had built high walls around him and didn’t want to communicate with anybody, but opened his doors for my father. My father told him passages from the book he read: that brother cried and said to my father: “It is what I needed to hear. Yes, I want to be

indulgent, I want to forgive and be forgiven…”.

He started to attend the church services. He met and conciliated with the man, who was the main reason of his offence. He wanted to meet also others, but they were already dead.

I can surely say that, divine literature has changed many lives. And I am grateful to God for that with all of my heart.

Anna Buynatyan31 year old

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Every person is God’s creation who is alike his Creator and in whom His creativethinking lives. The creative groups working in “Word of Life” have changed manypeople’s lives thanks to their performances, songs and dancing.

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord“

Psalm 150:6

CULTURE

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When the Word of God is presented through the theatre, songs and dancing using the exact moment ofthe performance and the burst of emotions, the melody and the emotional state ofthe characters, the emotional word and the motion, even the decoration, it cantouch upon callous hearts. The volunteers of the creative group have always visited nursing homes, orphanages with great love and pleasure, performed for the disabled, the mute and the deaf, evangelized in Armenia and abroad. And every time the main goal

is the same: to carry the light of the Gospel to each person, to help them to get salvation and to come to the true knowledge of God.

ONE LIFE STORY

We had been married for ten years and like others we had lived good and bad days, got through victories, luck and diffi culties, but at this time we came across with such a problem that had no solution. During this period Armenia that had just got its independence was in

a heavy economic state and my husband could hardly make both ends meet for our large family. We had four children and when I announced my husband with joy that we were going to have our fi fth child he got upset. I couldn’t imagine that the news of a new member of a family could become the reason of quarreling. My poor baby, he was already a sinner in the instability of our family though he had not sinned yet.

But the real sinner was the fear of unsteadiness of the coming day. My husband insisted on getting

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rid of the undesirable baby for the sake of the family. He was not persuaded by me, my parents and by the ministers of the church. He was inviolable saying that he himself was responsible for the child.

We were quarrelling all day long and I had to face and cope with his demand. I was troubled and worried by the simple persuasion that I had no right of killing my own baby because of fear.

My husband loved God and never missed church services. One day the theatrical group was going to play. On the contrary just

at that day my husband had an important business, so I went to church alone. A play was dramatized which involved the monologue of a newborn baby that was addressed to its mother. It had left a deep impression on me. I was weeping hopelessly and feeling sorry that my husband was not there. When the play was over, I was really touched by the performance. The moment I wanted to leave the hall I came across with my husband. He was also weeping and looking at me he said, “Let it be born, the Lord will care for it. Who am I to resist God? You’re

good for keeping strong and not harming the baby. I just don’t know how I am going to look into its eyes.”

Three months before the child’s birth a new double-paid job was suggested to my husband. We had a healthy and beautiful girl. Her birth fi lled our home with joy and warmth. Now I am bursting out of joy seeing how tenderly my husband treats the child and loves her in a particular manner. Praise God for granting me a wonderful child.

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“And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come”

Matthew 24:14

TV has no territorial limits. It enters each house and leaves its positive or negative impact on each person. Today we have an exceptional opportunity of using the latest means of the modern technology to carry the light of the Gospel to each house.

The TV programs of “Word of Life” have been broadcasted since 2003 and today they are transmitted by 7 satellites, as well as various cable TV channels in Europe, Asia and

America. So, the good news of the Gospel reaches millions of families.

Our programs are diverse and they are provided for television viewers of different age and interests, e.g. sermons of well-known ministers, interesting meetings, answers which are troubling television viewers, youth programs, testimonies of God’s miracles and healings, as well as reports and short-cut movies. Now we are working and praying for

TV

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creating Armenian Christian TV programs which will soon be broadcasted by the Internet.

Our goal is to preach the Gospel through TV programs for 24 hours and to carry the good news of Salvation and Peace to every house, family and throughout the whole world.

ONE LIFE STORYAfter getting married we

hadn’t have a child for 11 years. We turned to different doctors. The diagnoses were increasing whileour hope and patience were decreasing.

At last, my husband

suggested adopting a child as we had already lost our not born yet children. The nervous and worried state brought me to thinking over a divorce. My husband said, “God is faithful, He will give us our Isaac.” We fasted and began to pray.

One day when I was watching the channel 7x70, Pastor Arthur Simonyan was online.

God spoke to us through the Pastor’s lips. We got a word from God that we would have a child, so we accepted that word with faith.

Some time later I turned to the doctor again. I had a bad feeling and I wanted to fi nd out what the reason was. That very

day I had X-ray done for three times and I was taken aback by the unexpected news that I was pregnant. The doctor told us to lose hope of that child because it would have died as a result of radiation. This time again my husband clang to the word of God. He said, “It is written that even if you drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt you.”

The child remained alive. Besides, eight months later we heard the crying voice of our little Isaac. A healthy baby was born who fi lled our family with joy. God is faithful to His Word.

AnoushMartirosyan31 years old