Gayane grew up practicing the religious traditions of the Orthodox Church, a common practice for many families in Armenia. Though she practiced the rituals, she knew nothing about the Bible.

One day when she was young, Gayane’s parents had a terrible fight. Her father was furious, shouting at her mother about stupid religious nonsense. Gayane realized that her mother had started attending a local Christian church. “I remained silent, not able to do or say anything out of fear of my father. However, I didn’t understand why he was so mad,” she remembers. “I asked my mom to stop visiting the Baptist Church to avoid tension in our family. Although my mother was sad and cried, she didn’t go to that church again. The tension in our family was gone, but my mother remained sad.”

Years later, Gayane’s mother was diagnosed with cancer. In shock, Gayane remembered the local church her mother had loved so much. She ran to the church and walked into a prayer meeting where she begged for prayer for her mother. The women immediately started praying, and after the meeting, they went to Gayane’s home. Though he hated the believers, her father was desperate and welcomed them inside. They prayed and prayed. “After a while, my mother opened her eyes, looked at me and smiled. I was so happy,” she says. “The Lord healed my mother; it was a miracle! Because of that, my father allowed my mother to go to the Baptist Church.”

Gayane went off to college and almost forgot about that beautiful miracle from Jesus. Then she was married but still felt a void in her life. Her mother encouraged her to go to church, but she never found time. When her parents moved to Spain for work, Gayane fell into a deep depression. “Missing my parents depressed me so much that my husband and children started to notice it,” she says. “The void inside was growing.”

Her husband encouraged her to return to her mother’s church. “At first, I felt guilty for all those years I hadn’t been to church, but when the worship started, my mood changed. An incredible peace and joy entered my heart,” she says.

Gayane’s peace continued to grow as she went to church. She joined a Project Philip Bible study and as she studied God’s Word, she dedicated her life to following Him. “I finished the course and felt how God used the lessons from Project Philip to deepen my faith,” she says. “The Holy Bible I received from Bible League Armenia upon completion was a wonderful present. It’s great to have a Bible of my own!”

Gayane was baptized and now continues to study the Word of God. “Before, any futile thing would make me angry, but when I realized that God had brought peace and joy in my life, I didn’t want to be angry anymore,” she says. “I used to feel lonely and afraid of the future. I feared I would become ill like my mother. God took away these feelings and helped me to be strong and brave.”

She is grateful for Bible League supporters who have helped her grow in her faith. “With all my heart, I thank them for their support. The Christian lessons they provided are a huge blessing and help us come nearer to God,” she says. “May God bless all the donors and supporters! The Word of God changed my life and brought me peace, joy, and encouragement.”

Gayane pictured third from right.