1 00:00:05,686 --> 00:00:08,729 Knarik regularly greeted her neighbor Anahit 2 00:00:08,729 --> 00:00:10,853 in the mornings on her way to work. 3 00:00:11,241 --> 00:00:14,394 They would often stop to talk, and their friendship grew. 4 00:00:16,561 --> 00:00:19,828 One day, my neighbor told me that a new cafe was opening. 5 00:00:20,858 --> 00:00:24,813 It was a healthy, vegan cafe called Dr. Veggie. 6 00:00:26,133 --> 00:00:30,391 I was interested in it because I love living a healthy lifestyle. 7 00:00:31,749 --> 00:00:35,090 I work at a bank and it was near the cafe. 8 00:00:35,090 --> 00:00:37,410 So every day I had lunch there. 9 00:00:43,312 --> 00:00:47,115 This cafe in the center of Yerevan, Armenia, 10 00:00:47,115 --> 00:00:50,989 was run by Adventists as an urban center of influence. 11 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,389 Knarik knew that her neighbor was a Seventh-day Adventist, 12 00:00:54,389 --> 00:00:56,938 but she didn’t really understand what that meant. 13 00:00:57,056 --> 00:00:58,962 Knarik believed in Jesus, 14 00:00:58,962 --> 00:01:01,940 but had no interest in attending any churches. 15 00:01:04,685 --> 00:01:07,723 I remember clearly the first time I went there. 16 00:01:08,321 --> 00:01:11,479 There was something good inside these people. 17 00:01:12,493 --> 00:01:16,847 A spiritual peace and calmness that I had never met in anyone else. 18 00:01:17,578 --> 00:01:19,714 Knarik started participating 19 00:01:19,714 --> 00:01:21,850 in the various activities the center offered. 20 00:01:22,297 --> 00:01:25,307 One of them was a trivia night about Bible topics. 21 00:01:25,788 --> 00:01:29,593 After the first night, 22 00:01:29,593 --> 00:01:31,496 she realized there were so many things she didn’t understand about the Bible, 23 00:01:31,496 --> 00:01:33,399 so she started reading more. 24 00:01:33,748 --> 00:01:39,847 Knarik decided it would be best to visit the Adventist church to get some of her questions answered. 25 00:01:40,229 --> 00:01:45,282 After attending church for about a year, I was invited to a healthy lifestyle camp. 26 00:01:45,597 --> 00:01:49,570 I decided to be baptized there and it was the happiest day of my life! 27 00:01:49,935 --> 00:01:55,736 Knarik is so grateful for her neighbor Anahit and for the people in the Dr. Veggie cafe. 28 00:01:56,100 --> 00:02:04,111 Urban centers of influence such as Dr Veggie can be a crucial bridge between the Adventist church and its community. 29 00:02:04,781 --> 00:02:10,459 Yerevan is Armenia’s largest city and capital, with more than a million people. 30 00:02:10,841 --> 00:02:14,032 One third of the country’s population lives here. 31 00:02:14,032 --> 00:02:19,816 As cities like Yerevan increasingly become one of the biggest mission challenges, 32 00:02:19,816 --> 00:02:25,450 Adventists have the opportunity to create meaningful connections with those around them. 33 00:02:25,450 --> 00:02:30,568 Unfortunately, it’s expensive to do mission work in cities. 34 00:02:30,568 --> 00:02:37,189 The Dr. Veggie cafe had to close its doors suddenly due to the high cost of rent. 35 00:02:37,189 --> 00:02:47,555 This loss is felt by the Adventists who run it, but even more so by the community members who have found it to be a fun, safe space to spend their time. 36 00:02:48,068 --> 00:02:53,320 Dr. Veggie has an opportunity to reopen, but they need your help! 37 00:02:53,320 --> 00:03:01,396 This quarter a portion of your 13th Sabbath Offering will help reestablish Dr. Veggie in a new, improved building. 38 00:03:01,879 --> 00:03:11,700 This will give them the opportunity to own the space and provide stability, so they can focus on building relationships, such as the one they built with Knarik. 39 00:03:12,232 --> 00:03:18,846 Please pray for the future of Dr. Veggie and the Adventists in Yerevan who have a passion for mission. 40 00:03:19,379 --> 00:03:23,632 Thank you for supporting this 13th Sabbath Offering!