Armenia: When following Jesus leads to suspicion
Eight students from the IFES movement in Armenia attended the IFES Formación training event for student leaders in Ukraine last week. There should have been nine, but Hayk* couldn’t make it. His father said yes at first, but later changed his mind. Like Hayk, many students in Armenia experience opposition from their family and friends when they start getting involved with IFES activities. One student leader explained:
“As a Christian at university, everyone considers you strange, old-fashioned, and someone who doesn’t want to enjoy life. It’s hard to share the gospel because if they find out you’re a Christian or if they hear the word ‘Jesus’ or ‘church’, they’ll think you’re a member of a sect. For them, the only true church is the national church.”
- Pray that the eight students who attended Formación would be catalysts for revival on their campuses, living holy lives and boldly sharing the gospel with their friends and family. In a culture where it’s rare to see students take leadership initiative, pray that these Christian students would feel equipped and motivated to help lead their groups.
- Pray that the new building the movement has just bought would be a place where misconceptions and suspicion about following Jesus are broken down, where strong friendships are formed and where many encounter the God of grace.
- In a country where inter-denominational collaboration is rare, pray for a willingness among local churches to partner with the IFES movement.
name changed*
Thanks for praying with us!