AMYRIGA#I HA# AVYDARAN{AGAN UNGYRAGXOV:IVN ARMENIAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA AMAA Together we shall overcome trials and tribulations and raise LIIILIV 3 July-Aug-Sept the glowing torch of His light 2020 high and embrace peace in Him. CONTENTS JULY • AUG • SEPT 2020 /// LIV3 3 Editorial - Trials and Tribulations By Zaven Khanjian 5 LEBANON: A Cry for Peace and Resuscitation By Zaven Khanjian 6 The AMAA in Tavush by Harout Nercessian 9 Just a Glimmer of Light - Lebanon’s Struggle to Move Forward AMAA NEWS By Rev. L. Nishan Bakalian is a publication of The Armenian Missionary Association of America 14 Syria - Torn Between War and Love of Life By Maria Kaprielian 31 West Century Road, Paramus, NJ 07652 Tel: (201) 265-2607; Fax: (201) 265-6015 17 A Letter of Appreciation to AMAA Staff By Nazareth E. Darakjian, MD E-mail: [email protected] 18 Inspirational Corner - Jesus Christ: The Face of the Father’s Mercy Website: www.amaa.org (ISSN 1097-0924) By Rev. Michel Aghamalian, Ph.D. 19 Virtual Meetings - AMAA Near East Committee/UAECNE and The AMAA is a tax-exempt, not for profit Haigazian University Board of Trustees organization under IRS Code Section 501(c)(3) T 20 The Treaty of Sèvres - A Historic Event By Rev. Dr. Vahan H. Tootikian Zaven Khanjian, Executive Director/CEO 21 AMAA Awards Scholarships to 85 Needy and Deserving Students OFFICERS Nazareth Darakjian, M.D., President 22 Around the Globe - Pilgrim Armenian Congregational Church, Fresno, CA Michael Voskian, D.M.D., Vice President 24 An American Intern In Armenia Part 2 By William Denk Mark Kassabian, Esq., Co-Recording Secretary Thomas Momjian, Esq., Co-Recording Secretary 26 AMAA Empowers Armenia’s Navur School in Tavush Region with Nurhan Helvacian, Ph.D., Treasurer New Physics Lab EDITORIAL BOARD 26 Meet Our Staff - Aren Deyirmenjian, Deputy Armenia Representative Zaven Khanjian, Editor in Chief Louisa Janbazian, Associate Editor, Art Director 27 Meet Our Veteran Pastors - Rev. George Kevork Terian Magda Poulos, Contributor Jane Wenning, Contributor 28 Merdinian School Holds Commencement Despite COVID-19 Pandemic CHANGE OF ADDRESS 29 Child & Orphan Care Program - Escape to Our Secret Garden In order to keep our mailing list up to date, please Donations Received with Thanks send all corrections, along with the old address, to: AMAA NEWS 30 A People Rooted in God’s Word By Talia Kassabian 31 West Century Road Paramus, NJ 07652 31 ԼԻԲԱՆԱՆ. Աղերս խաղաղութեան եւ վերակենդանացման - E-mail: [email protected] Զաւէն Խանճեան DESIGN 32 Հայ Աւետարանչական Ընկերակցութեան Խօսքը Հայ Աւետարանական Caspianseal.com Եկեղեցիի Հիմնադրութեան 174-ամեակին առիթով NAMEPLATE AMAA’s Message on the 174th Anniversary of the Evangelical Church of Armenia Yearbook, Inc. 33 ԳՐԱԽՕՍԱԿԱՆ - «Աւետախօս Քարոզագիրք» Հեղինակ՝ Վեր. Յարութիւն PRINTING: Սելիմեան - Կը ներկայացնէ Տիկին Լալա Միսկարեան-Մինասեան Printsolutions.info Englewood, NJ 35 Լուսավորչի Կանթեղը - Հովհաննես Թումանյան Tel: (201) 567-9622 36-37 In Memoriam: Raffy Hovanessian, M.D. and Rev. Hovhanes M. Sarmazian The Editorial Board of the AMAA News reserves 38 Obituaries the right to edit or abridge articles submitted for publication in accordance with publication 42 Official Callo t the 101st Annual Meeting of the AMAA policies. Join us on Facebook (AMAAInc) Follow us on Instagram (@AMAAInc) Cover Photo: A view of Berd, a border village in Tavush Region of Armenia (Photo taken by Follow us on Twitter (@AMAAInc) Arman Sargsyan of AMAA-Armenia and designed by Vahak Janbazian - Caspianseal.com). Editorial Trials and Tribulations 3 Editorial - Trials and Tribulations By Zaven Khanjian I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. 5 LEBANON: A Cry for Peace and Resuscitation By Zaven Khanjian But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 6 The AMAA in Tavush by Harout Nercessian 9 Just a Glimmer of Light - Lebanon’s Struggle to Move Forward By Rev. L. Nishan Bakalian By Zaven Khanjian, AMAA Executive Director/CEO 14 Syria - Torn Between War and Love of Life By Maria Kaprielian 17 A Letter of Appreciation to AMAA Staff By Nazareth E. Darakjian, MD The internet is a depository for a wealth of information and knowledge on a vast spectrum of subjects, available 24/7 to a rainbow of people around the planet. 18 Inspirational Corner - Jesus Christ: The Face of the Father’s Mercy The internet has also grown to become a depository of half-truths, false news, and an abundant By Rev. Michel Aghamalian, Ph.D. storage of hatred, lies and immorality. 19 Virtual Meetings - AMAA Near East Committee/UAECNE and The key to its value lies in the careful scrutiny of what a researcher is seeking. Haigazian University Board of Trustees T A treasure that I recently came across on the internet is the authoritative 1611 King James Bible (the picture illustrates a copy of the special edition 20 The Treaty of Sèvres - A Historic Event By Rev. Dr. Vahan H. Tootikian marking the 400th anniversary of the translation and publication in 2011), the 21 AMAA Awards Scholarships to 85 Needy and Deserving Students first Bible printed by the prestigious Oxford University Press in the year 1611. The 400th anniversary 22 Around the Globe - Pilgrim Armenian Congregational Church, Fresno, CA volume reprinted the large body of preliminary matter, which includes genealogies, maps, and lists of readings, as well as the translator's preface to the reader; content removed from later editions. 24 An American Intern In Armenia Part 2 By William Denk What attracted me to this first Oxford University Press edition of the Bible is where the editors and 26 AMAA Empowers Armenia’s Navur School in Tavush Region with authoritative scholars placed Armenia in the genealogy of civilizations. This group of learned scholars New Physics Lab seal their knowledge of man, religion and humanity in the opening pages of the first edition of the Bible in print, asserting that ARMENIA is the Cradle of Civilization. 26 Meet Our Staff - Aren Deyirmenjian, Deputy Armenia Representative This knowledge is certainly not alien to historians. The renowned British political leader and Prime 27 Meet Our Veteran Pastors - Rev. George Kevork Terian Minister William E. Gladstone is credited with echoing that common knowledge of history quoting, 28 Merdinian School Holds Commencement Despite COVID-19 Pandemic "Armenia is the cradle of civilization." However, seeing the illustration in a print of the Bible places the truth on an even higher plateau. 29 Child & Orphan Care Program - Escape to Our Secret Garden This statement is not to boast about ourselves but rather in the grace of the Lord whose light we have reflected through Donations Received with Thanks centuries. 30 A People Rooted in God’s Word By Talia Kassabian This cradle of civilization, the first Christian nation in the world, having ‘set the light on the hill,’ having ‘raised it on a candlestick,’ has broadly contributed to the illumination of the world. This martyred nation, witnessing for Christ the Lord, 31 ԼԻԲԱՆԱՆ. Աղերս խաղաղութեան եւ վերակենդանացման - once again and in different parts of the world, is on a rendezvous with a myriad of trials and tribulations. Զաւէն Խանճեան From the threat of hunger and famine in Lebanon to an economic and commercial siege in Syria. From an existential 32 Հայ Աւետարանչական Ընկերակցութեան Խօսքը Հայ Աւետարանական threat to Artsakh to unprovoked military aggression on the peaceful border population in Armenia. Add an unprecedented Եկեղեցիի Հիմնադրութեան 174-ամեակին առիթով assault of a vile pandemic called COVID-19, and you can imagine the magnitude and severity of the trials and tribulations AMAA’s Message on the 174th Anniversary of the Evangelical Church of Armenia our people are undergoing today. "In the world you will have tribulation" said our Lord and added, "But take heart; I have overcome the world." Faith will 33 ԳՐԱԽՕՍԱԿԱՆ - «Աւետախօս Քարոզագիրք» Հեղինակ՝ Վեր. Յարութիւն sustain us, and with faith, we have the victory in sight and ‘eyes set on the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ Սելիմեան - Կը ներկայացնէ Տիկին Լալա Միսկարեան-Մինասեան On the path toward the high calling lies the mission of the AMAA. 35 Լուսավորչի Կանթեղը - Հովհաննես Թումանյան A century after the Genocide, our Homeland and surviving communities in the Near East, among other threats, remain 36-37 In Memoriam: Raffy Hovanessian, M.D. and Rev. Hovhanes M. Sarmazian under the direct and declared threat of the perpetrator. With your generous support, we feed the hungry and quench the thirsty; secure our border population; support education 38 Obituaries and create opportunities for learning. We sponsor children, including those of martyred conscripts, until they are ready 42 Official Call to the 101st Annual Meeting of the AMAA and strong to defend the land. We care for orphaned parents and the elderly and help them sustain a decent living. We help move our people from war zones in the world to the security and peace of a Homeland. With indefatigable zeal and determination, we raise the burning torch high on the hill and illuminate the ends of the world. AMAA NEWS, July-Aug-Sept 2020 | 3 The Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." Trials and tribulations, we will have. Together we shall alleviate the consequences, lift up the victims, instill hope, raise the glowing torch of His light high and embrace peace in Him. Together, we shall overcome the trials and tribulations and let Armenia, the Cradle of Civilization, forever glow, for His light is everlasting.