It looks good for its age.Wednesday, August 12, 2009
My Brother's Family
Left to Right is Noonie, Sedrak, Olga, Marine, Me, Galina and My Brother Averkdik. Olga is my sister in law. Sedrak is my nephew. Marine, who interpreted between me and this family is my great (or is it grand?) neice, is a now qualified to be a customs officer.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
A New Grace
I'm so moved by my experience in Armenia. My world has shifted. My perspective on myself is totally different. I'm a priest. I wasn't lying to my mom.
My father told me he went to the church on Lake Sevan maybe ten times with his grandfather. He said hundreds of sick or lame people would huddle at the church and within a few days walk home healthy. He's telling me this story from when he was five. I guess you had to take a boat to the island where the church is then, but the water has since receded so you can drive there now. What an honor to have seen it.
My father's grandfather was a high priest, and the last in about a 1000 year line of priests, finally ended by the Bolsheviks from whom my father hid our family bible. You can't believe how beautiful this book is. I feel blessed by holding it.
I've been in a haze since Sunday night. These people who were nothing but vague fantasies before are actual flesh and blood. My blood. And such nice people. I've been getting though work with a new grace and resignation. Just be as nice to people as you can. And don't say more than is necessary.
My father told me he went to the church on Lake Sevan maybe ten times with his grandfather. He said hundreds of sick or lame people would huddle at the church and within a few days walk home healthy. He's telling me this story from when he was five. I guess you had to take a boat to the island where the church is then, but the water has since receded so you can drive there now. What an honor to have seen it.
My father's grandfather was a high priest, and the last in about a 1000 year line of priests, finally ended by the Bolsheviks from whom my father hid our family bible. You can't believe how beautiful this book is. I feel blessed by holding it.
I've been in a haze since Sunday night. These people who were nothing but vague fantasies before are actual flesh and blood. My blood. And such nice people. I've been getting though work with a new grace and resignation. Just be as nice to people as you can. And don't say more than is necessary.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Priest Church Well Pit Bible
Click the links to see the pictures...
My great great grandfather.
His church.
The well my father dug in 1925 still works.
Into Saint Gregory's pit of imprisonment.
My family's bible from 860 AD
I'm still extremely exhausted even after calling out sick from work Monday. All I can give you for now are these few pictures. I will publish many more later. On Sunday the plane from Yerevan to Paris had to pull up suddenly just before landing because another plane was in its way on the ground. Then after the long flight from Paris to Detroit the same thing happened, this time because the pilot decided at the last moment it was too turbulent to land. You know how I love to fly. Luckily the last leg of the journey was a smooth little hop from Detroit to Burlington that landed on the first attempt. It's nice to be home.
My great great grandfather.
His church.
The well my father dug in 1925 still works.
Into Saint Gregory's pit of imprisonment.
My family's bible from 860 AD
I'm still extremely exhausted even after calling out sick from work Monday. All I can give you for now are these few pictures. I will publish many more later. On Sunday the plane from Yerevan to Paris had to pull up suddenly just before landing because another plane was in its way on the ground. Then after the long flight from Paris to Detroit the same thing happened, this time because the pilot decided at the last moment it was too turbulent to land. You know how I love to fly. Luckily the last leg of the journey was a smooth little hop from Detroit to Burlington that landed on the first attempt. It's nice to be home.
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