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PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.armenianchurch.org
August 31, 2005
___________________
ACYOA MEMBERS HELP YOUNG KIDS, STRENGTHEN THEIR CONNECTION TO HOMELAND
By Christine Williames, age 18
Parishioner of the Holy Trinity Church of Cheltenham, PA
Twenty-six young adults gathered on June 21, 2005, for a pilgrimage that
would last three and a-half weeks and change their lives forever. We
were taking part in the Armenian Service Project (ASP), a program run by
the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA).
Through the trip, we young Armenian Americans would discover what it was
like to walk in the footsteps of our grandparents, great-grandparents,
and figures from the Bible as we journeyed, many for the first time,
into the historic land of our ancestors.
LANDING HOME
Having traveled 11 hours on the plane from New York to Yerevan, via
Prague, yawns and murmurs filled the cabin of the plane as we arrived.
Looking out the window from far above in the vast, ashen sky, the lights
of the capital city illuminated the ground like a thousand shimmering
stars. We were wide awake now, filled with wonder, fascination,
excitement, and fear of the unexpected.
Once all the bags were claimed, we traveled to the hotel, where we were
greeted with a warming sight. "Our rooms were assigned, and we went up
to settle in. My room has a beautiful view of Mount Ararat," said
Adrienne Ashbahian from the St. Leon Church of Fair Lawn, NJ.
The next morning, flinging open the curtains, we saw the sun's rosy
fingers stretched over the mountain peaks, birds in flight singing in
ageless voices, and an ancient town nestled in the emerald mountains.
We realized we were far away from home.
TRAVELING TO THE PAST
After breakfast on our first day, the "Great Green Machine" -- a.k.a.
our green tour bus -- arrived to carry us to one of the most
heartbreaking sites in Armenia: the Genocide Memorial. As we entered
its underground museum, it felt as though we were entering a tomb. We,
children of the diaspora, learned important lessons that day. We
grasped the reasons, and methods of the Genocide, and learned how our
grandparents and great-grandparents managed to escape. We are indeed
the greatest survivors on earth; and that we should be proud of who we
are.
Outside the museum, at the eternal flame, prayers were said to comfort
the souls of the fallen, and to let them know that even though they are
with our Almighty Father, their efforts and lives have not been wasted,
and that we are the product of their sacrifices.
SEEING TODAY'S ARMENIA
Along such reminders of the past, we also witnessed Armenia's present
during a stop to Yerevan's Children's Reception and Orientation Center,
run by the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR). At the center, we were hit
by the harsh reality of life in a developing nation like Armenia.
We met children who lived on the streets with no family or friends and
very little money. One 9-year-old boy touched the heartstrings of our
group. His named is Yoni. Every few days we would run into him and buy
the items he was selling then buy him treats. In his shimmering,
youthful eyes we saw ourselves at that age and thought: "What is it like
to go hungry at night? To have nothing of what we have? What is it like
to be in his shoes?" We could only imagine the answers.
SPENDING TIME AT CAMP
After touring many of Armenia's historic sites, we traveled to Camp
Siranoosh, where we met dozens of Armenian children from various parts
of the country. Our time serving as counselors there gave us a chance
to learn Armenian, the way they lived, and how they played. In turn, we
taught them how to play hopscotch and American football, American hand
games, and some English. All of us came out of camp with a deeper
appreciation for the shower, the washing machine, and beds without bugs.
After days working at the camp, our final four days in Armenia seemed
incredibly sad. We knew we would miss being together as a group. But
we were able to smile with the knowledge that we all had grown closer
together in such a short time. We had experienced something incredible
and knowing that we hugged and said our goodbyes. But they were more
like "see you laters," for this group will never be able to truly say
goodbye. Not after what we've seen together.
-- 8/31/05
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese's website,
www.armenianchurch.org.
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Participants in the Armenian Service Project (ASP)
2005 look out across their Armenian homeland.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): Members of the ASP trip, organized by the Armenian
Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA), with some of the campers
at Camp Siranoosh.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): Karinne Hovnanian, a participant in the 2005 ACYOA
ASP trip, is greeted by a young Armenian.
# # #
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.armenianchurch.org
August 31, 2005
___________________
ACYOA MEMBERS HELP YOUNG KIDS, STRENGTHEN THEIR CONNECTION TO HOMELAND
By Christine Williames, age 18
Parishioner of the Holy Trinity Church of Cheltenham, PA
Twenty-six young adults gathered on June 21, 2005, for a pilgrimage that
would last three and a-half weeks and change their lives forever. We
were taking part in the Armenian Service Project (ASP), a program run by
the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA).
Through the trip, we young Armenian Americans would discover what it was
like to walk in the footsteps of our grandparents, great-grandparents,
and figures from the Bible as we journeyed, many for the first time,
into the historic land of our ancestors.
LANDING HOME
Having traveled 11 hours on the plane from New York to Yerevan, via
Prague, yawns and murmurs filled the cabin of the plane as we arrived.
Looking out the window from far above in the vast, ashen sky, the lights
of the capital city illuminated the ground like a thousand shimmering
stars. We were wide awake now, filled with wonder, fascination,
excitement, and fear of the unexpected.
Once all the bags were claimed, we traveled to the hotel, where we were
greeted with a warming sight. "Our rooms were assigned, and we went up
to settle in. My room has a beautiful view of Mount Ararat," said
Adrienne Ashbahian from the St. Leon Church of Fair Lawn, NJ.
The next morning, flinging open the curtains, we saw the sun's rosy
fingers stretched over the mountain peaks, birds in flight singing in
ageless voices, and an ancient town nestled in the emerald mountains.
We realized we were far away from home.
TRAVELING TO THE PAST
After breakfast on our first day, the "Great Green Machine" -- a.k.a.
our green tour bus -- arrived to carry us to one of the most
heartbreaking sites in Armenia: the Genocide Memorial. As we entered
its underground museum, it felt as though we were entering a tomb. We,
children of the diaspora, learned important lessons that day. We
grasped the reasons, and methods of the Genocide, and learned how our
grandparents and great-grandparents managed to escape. We are indeed
the greatest survivors on earth; and that we should be proud of who we
are.
Outside the museum, at the eternal flame, prayers were said to comfort
the souls of the fallen, and to let them know that even though they are
with our Almighty Father, their efforts and lives have not been wasted,
and that we are the product of their sacrifices.
SEEING TODAY'S ARMENIA
Along such reminders of the past, we also witnessed Armenia's present
during a stop to Yerevan's Children's Reception and Orientation Center,
run by the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR). At the center, we were hit
by the harsh reality of life in a developing nation like Armenia.
We met children who lived on the streets with no family or friends and
very little money. One 9-year-old boy touched the heartstrings of our
group. His named is Yoni. Every few days we would run into him and buy
the items he was selling then buy him treats. In his shimmering,
youthful eyes we saw ourselves at that age and thought: "What is it like
to go hungry at night? To have nothing of what we have? What is it like
to be in his shoes?" We could only imagine the answers.
SPENDING TIME AT CAMP
After touring many of Armenia's historic sites, we traveled to Camp
Siranoosh, where we met dozens of Armenian children from various parts
of the country. Our time serving as counselors there gave us a chance
to learn Armenian, the way they lived, and how they played. In turn, we
taught them how to play hopscotch and American football, American hand
games, and some English. All of us came out of camp with a deeper
appreciation for the shower, the washing machine, and beds without bugs.
After days working at the camp, our final four days in Armenia seemed
incredibly sad. We knew we would miss being together as a group. But
we were able to smile with the knowledge that we all had grown closer
together in such a short time. We had experienced something incredible
and knowing that we hugged and said our goodbyes. But they were more
like "see you laters," for this group will never be able to truly say
goodbye. Not after what we've seen together.
-- 8/31/05
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese's website,
www.armenianchurch.org.
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Participants in the Armenian Service Project (ASP)
2005 look out across their Armenian homeland.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): Members of the ASP trip, organized by the Armenian
Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA), with some of the campers
at Camp Siranoosh.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): Karinne Hovnanian, a participant in the 2005 ACYOA
ASP trip, is greeted by a young Armenian.
# # #