Chuck Waterman
How to start a mission project in a foreign country: arrive, have a delicious Armenian breakfast, then learn that the playground equipment you’ve come to install is still in customs – and that there is a 14-day process for shipped items to clear!
We began our work in Vanadzor, the 3rd largest city in Armenia, without our equipment and being advised of a 1 in 100 chance that it would be released in time for us to build. But we could dig holes! 23 of them! And we could pray that God would take the process that normally takes weeks and do it in days.
About 2/3 of the way through the day, we found out that God made the impossible happen, that His fingers had touched all involved in releasing the container. It took one man from ARDA Armenia to go from ministry official to ministry official to get their signatures. Now the fun began.
Due to the delay, our schedule was now very tight. When the shipping container arrived on Wednesday in Vanadzor, we had to unload and sort five different playgrounds (one was to stay in Vanadzor, one to be shipped to our next building site and 3 to be in storage in Gyumri for future playground builds). It was quite a sight to see the big truck come to this small village and then watch the unloading of the playgrounds. We had one day to build and pour concrete at the ARDA Village, but through much hard work and God's provision, we did it.
Our next stop was in the Tavush border region of Armenia, a 3-hour drive. This mostly rural region is a tough place to exist, with the raising of livestock and agriculture being the main sources of income for families. The playground build went without a hitch. Even though it was cold and rainy, the team worked hard, and we were done quickly.
As a team, we had an amazing time. We saw how God was working in the lives of Armenians. We saw how our partners were trusting God and impacting Armenia for Christ. We also brought 80 hand-knit hats that were created by women at Regent’s Point, a perfect item for the temperatures that will dip below freezing in the coming months.
But the question that needs to be asked is, “Why would a group of 10 Americans travel half-way around the world to build a playground?” We could have shipped the playground and raised money to employ locals to install the playground. But as the Bishop Bagrat of the Tavush region had to say, “What the people of Armenia need is not aid, but participation. They want people to come, to work side-by-side with them as they work to make a better Armenia.” Praise God for that opportunity and for his intervention and provision. And thank you for all your prayers!