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<i>Knarik regularly greeted 
her neighbor Anahit</i>

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<i>in the mornings on her way to work.</i>

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<i>They would often stop to talk, 
and their friendship grew.</i>

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One day, my neighbor told me
that a new café was opening.

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It was a healthy, vegan café 
called Dr. Veggie.

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I was interested in it
because I love living a healthy lifestyle.

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I work at a bank, 
and it was near the café.

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So every day I had lunch there.

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<i>This café in the center 
of Yerevan, Armenia,</i>

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<i>was run by Adventists 
as an urban center of influence.</i>

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<i>Knarik knew that her neighbor 
was a Seventh-day Adventist,</i>

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<i>but she didn't really understand 
what that meant.</i>

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<i>Knarik believed in Jesus,</i>

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<i>but had no interest 
in attending any churches.</i>

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I remember clearly 
the first time I went there.

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There was something good
inside these people.

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A spiritual peace and calmness 
that I had never met in anyone else.

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<i>Knarik started participating</i>

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<i>in the various activities
the center offered.</i>

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<i>One of them was a trivia night
about Bible topics.</i>

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<i>After the first night,</i>

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<i>she realized there were so many things 
she didn't understand about the Bible,</i>

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<i>so she started reading more.</i>

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<i>Knarik decided it would be best 
to visit the Adventist church</i>

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<i>to get some of her questions answered.</i>

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After attending church for about a year,

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I was invited to a healthy lifestyle camp.

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I decided to be baptized there,

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and it was the happiest day of my life!

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<i>Knarik is so grateful
for her neighbor Anahit</i>

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<i>and for the people in the Dr. Veggie café.</i>

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<i>Urban centers of influence 
such as Dr. Veggie</i>

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<i>can be a crucial bridge between 
the Adventist church and its community.</i>

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<i>Yerevan is Armenia’s largest 
city and capital,</i>

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<i>with more than a million people.</i>

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<i>One third of the country's 
population lives here.</i>

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<i>As cities like Yerevan increasingly become
one of the biggest mission challenges,</i>

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<i>Adventists have the opportunity</i>

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<i>to create meaningful connections 
with those around them.</i>

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<i>Unfortunately, it's expensive
to do mission work in cities.</i>

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<i>The Dr. Veggie café
had to close its doors suddenly</i>

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<i>due to the high cost of rent.</i>

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<i>This loss is felt 
by the Adventists who run it,</i>

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<i>but even more so by the community members</i>

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<i>who have found it to be a fun, 
safe space to spend their time.</i>

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<i>Dr. Veggie has an opportunity to reopen,
but they need your help!</i>

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<i>This quarter, a portion
of your 13th Sabbath Offering</i>

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<i>will help reestablish Dr. Veggie 
in a new, improved building.</i>

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<i>This will give them the opportunity 
to own the space and provide stability,</i>

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<i>so they can focus 
on building relationships,</i>

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<i>such as the one they built with Knarik.</i>

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<i>Please pray for the future of Dr. Veggie
and the Adventists in Yerevan</i>

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<i>who have a passion for mission.</i>

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<i>Thank you for supporting
this 13th Sabbath Offering!</i>