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Hope For Armenia and AMAA

A 30 Year Partnership

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.

Ecclesiastes 4:9

By Rev. Gilbert Léonian*
here are divine appointments communicated their vision to those around addition to meals, cultural activities, games,
and human encounters in life them: "You have to take action quickly crafts and walks, we proclaimed the message
which guide the entire history without wasting time." of the Gospel to them every day. Using the
Tof God’s work. This is what we In May 1989, under the initiative flannelgraph illustrations from the Child
experienced in our partnership between of Rev. Sahagian, the Hope for Armenia Evangelization Fellowship, we introduced
the Armenian Missionary Association of Association was born with dual objectives: the campers to the life of Christ and taught
America (AMAA) and Hope for Armenia Provide this suffering people with material them their first children’s Christian songs
(Espoire pour l’Armenie) of the Union of the bread and spiritual bread. Both organizations and prayers.
Armenian Evangelical Churches of France. laid the solid foundation of this collaboration Our team was composed of 12 French
Newly appointed in June 1987, Rev. Dr. which continues to this day more than 30 people led by Boghos Haladjian and me, and
Movses Janbazian visited the Synod of the years later. The AMAA had much experience four Americans sent by the AMAA and led
Armenian Evangelical Churches of France as it had already been engaged in Christian by Rev. Daniel Albarian.
in Valence in May 1988. Bonds of friendship humanitarian work in many countries around One of the first fruits of this blessed
and trust were formed between him and the world since 1918. stay was Andranik Mardoyan and his wife
members of our Union. On December 7 of One of our first experiences of common Melanya who accepted Jesus Christ as
the same year the devastating earthquake ministry was in August 1990 when we their Savior. Both are engaged today in the
occurred in Armenia. In April 1989, a organized day camps and summer camps educational and communication programs
delegation from the Armenian Evangelical in Dzaghgadzor for Armenian children. We of the AMAA in Armenia and are valuable
World Council visited the devastated areas were in the Soviet era and the proclamation collaborators.
in Armenia. Among the delegation were of the Gospel was watched. Thanks to In 1992, we continued our collaboration
Servants of God, two of whom left us too some Communist friends who helped us with the AMAA by way of the Arzni summer
soon: Rev. Daniel Sahagian, President of the with the organization, we experienced our camp. This time we collaborated with a team
Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches first Christian summer camp during the led by Harout Nercessian from Canada.
of France, and Rev. Janbazian, Executive Soviet era. Our partner in Armenia was Levon
Director of the AMAA. In the Dzaghgadzor Camp called Bardakdjian, who had just been appointed
Revs. Sahagian and Janbazian came "Parvana," we welcomed 150 children. In AMAA’s Representative in Armenia. In
back from their May visit traumatized
by what they saw and experienced. They

Spitak Camp counselors organized by Hope for Armenia. L to R: Leah and Rev.
Gilbert Léonian, Melanya Geghamyan, Boghos and Maryse Haladjian and
Andranik Mardoyan pictured in the early 1990s.
Camp in Spitak organized by Hope for Armenia in the early 1990s.

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