Seeing Waterfalls for the First Time

Armenia Ministry, Part 3

More updates from our time in Armenia! One particularly enjoyable thing about our time here was the orphanage staff’s eagerness to show us around the country. They not only welcomed us as we served them, but we also got to hang out with them outside of ministry hours and go to many different places throughout Armenia. In a dramatic reversal from Georgia (https://bretthaas.theworldrace.org/post/walking-through-the-wilderness), the Lord opened multiple doors this month to walk out my calling and also for our team to get to explore the country of Armenia. While we were there, some of the notable sites that we toured included the Khor Virap monastery (where St. Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned), Garni (which has a historical pagan temple and crazy rock formations), and Lake Sevan (with amazing views and was also the place where we picnicked just before a thunderstorm rolled in). These were all special places where we were able to minister to different staff and carry out spiritual conversations. However, this blog will focus on two events that happened during the last weekend of our time in Armenia. On both days- people got to experience their first waterfall ever in their life. As someone who loves the outdoors and desires to share it with others, this brought me so much joy.

On Saturday, May 7, the orphanage staff and I took a trip to Savosavanq monastery. This beautiful place is located roughly an hour north of Yerevan. The church has a jagged canyon that cuts right beside it, making the scenery that much epic. We frolicked around on the rocks and ate a nice picnic lunch together. Many of these staff were people who work at a disability center in the town of Masis. As a result, this was my first time meeting them. However, Guyane (our main host) was with us, and it presented an opportunity to get to know her better. We talked about what the church as presented in Acts 2 is like. Inside the monastery, I sang “Waymaker”. The song echoed through the church as I remembered God’s goodness. The day after I pushed back my launch (https://bretthaas.theworldrace.org/post/decision-2020-waiting-on-the-lord), I sang that song as I drove deep into Pisgah National Forest.

Yet off in the distance, I saw a waterfall plunging into the side of the canyon. Even though my group and I were heading back to Yerevan, we made a last minute attempt to reach it. Because of prior research, I knew roughly where it was at. The van rumbled along the narrow roads as I cried out “Left! Right! Straight!” to navigate us to the falls. Just before a rainstorm hit, we parked the car at Hovhannavank monastery. And there, on the other side of the canyon, was the waterfall. Shouts of joy took place as the staff saw the falls for the first time. Moments like these are priceless, and they took as many pictures as they could before the storm set in. Once it hit, some of us ran into the monastery for shelter. Through openings near the top of the building, rain drifted inside making for a pretty scene.

We then went back to Yerevan, where I stayed for the rest of the day. Yet the next day, I woke up early to hike with Kaitlynn (https://kaitlynnlittle.theworldrace.org/), Arthur, George, and other friends. It turns out that Armenia has a well-established hiking community, and many different hiking clubs meet at Yerevan for weekend adventures. The sport is very popular and also gaining traction as a way for Armenians to explore their country. There are at least 5 groups that regularly post their trips on Facebook for people to get involved with. Originally, we planned to hike at Dilijan National Park in the north. Yet bad weather challenged us to think on our feet, and we rerouted ourselves to a different hike in southern Armenia instead.

We set out to a place called Herher. The drive to get there was nothing short of spectacular. The road goes through mountain range after mountain range, opening up to wide, sweeping views. I was floored by God’s creation. The road to get to Herher went along the side of the mountain, creating a dramatic scene as we climbed the valley. At last, we unloaded our stuff and began to hike. The mountains undulated as we trekked along in the shadow of an extinct volcano that was in the distance. The outing involved fording multiple creeks that had swelled due to recent rains. Because they were rendered impassible, we took very sketchy bridges across them. One bridge was us just walking across metal beams with gaping holes below us that led to the churning water. Yet it added to the excitement. Seeing another monastery and getting to share more about Jesus made the day even more amazing.

After crossing that super sketchy bridge mentioned above, our group scrambled down to the bottom of a powerful waterfall in the middle of a canyon. The group unfurled an Armenian flag as we took photos. Yet to Arthur and George, it was their first waterfall in their lives. The priceless moments of joy reverberated across our group as this came to pass. Furthermore, George is a friend in Armenia who fled his country in the Middle East due to war. He has become a very close friend to us over the month, and we hope to keep in touch. Arthur helps with pottery and ceramics at the orphanage, and we worked with him extensively over the month. Hiking is amazing. But hiking with close friends makes it that much more special. We ended up visiting a 2nd waterfall that was nestled inside a giant cliff complex. With the falls in front of me and the mountain views behind, the scene was like that out of a movie. But it was no fairy tale- in fact a day well spent with friends.

These times in Armenia will not be forgotten, and they are a testimony to God moving in unexpected ways (more on that next time!). Thank you for continuing to lift me up in prayer as we serve on the Race. The Armenian people are very special, and they certainly have a rich story / culture to tell.

If you are interested in trekking in Armenia, here are 5 recommended groups.

Hike Armenia (the person who manages this is part of Young Life in Yerevan):

https://www.facebook.com/Hiking.am/

Armenian Geographic:

https://www.facebook.com/armgeo.project/

Sarudzor Hiking Project (My hike was with these people):

https://www.facebook.com/sarudzor/

TRICHQ Hiking Club:

https://www.facebook.com/trichqhikingclub/

Hatis Tours:

https://www.hatis.am/en

Bonus groups!

Armenian Speleo Club: Black Bat (Caving):

https://www.facebook.com/Caving.in.Armenia.with.Black.Bat.Club/

Overz Club (Rock Climbing):

https://www.facebook.com/OverzClub/

Photo: Arthur, George, Kaitlynn, and myself at the falls near Herher! (For more photos, please check out my Instagram and Facebook for updates!).