Memories and Witnessings
Zabel Vasslian: I saw her about four years ago. She still remembered who I was (from 5th grade Sunday school). She remembered who was in my Sunday school class - I thought hard to remember, and she was right!. She remembered my mom from their early twenties... She gave me a quick two minute education on stroke signs, and told how she felt she was having a stroke, and called the first aid, and how she recovered so quickly because she took early action.
Hratch Svajian: I Have fond memories of Rev Manasseh and Alice Yeretsgin. My first memory of the reverend was when he came to Tripoli to deliver a sermon at the church . and we gave him a ride with our car. I was a little kid at the time but was somehow inspired by him and can’t even put it into words in what way. Then when we moved to Beirut, I always enjoyed hearing him when he visited AEC for chapel service, or reading his articles in Chanaser. Later, on during the war, they lived close to us in Marmekhael and we developed a special friendship with badveli and had many informal visits. During those times I was studying in Armenia and he was working on a book about the origin of the Armenian evangelical movement in Armenia which he strongly believed had started from within the Orthodox church and much before the western missionary influence in the diaspora. He wanted me to interview people in Armenia and get him additional information about the movement so he could include in his book . I enjoyed discussing various topics with him and have been inspired by him in ways that I can remember with fondness. After my mother died in 1979 and my sister Hasmig delivered her baby two days later, the yeretsgin often came to help out with various things and was very helpful having been a nurse. It’s nice to see that at that age she is still alert and intelligent.