June 29 - Dr. Veggie

Knarik regularly greeted
her neighbor Anahit

in the mornings on her way to work.

They would often stop to talk,
and their friendship grew.

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

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

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

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

So every day I had lunch there.

This café in the center
of Yerevan, Armenia,

was run by Adventists
as an urban center of influence.

Knarik knew that her neighbor
was a Seventh-day Adventist,

but she didn't really understand
what that meant.

Knarik believed in Jesus,

but had no interest
in attending any churches.

I remember clearly
the first time I went there.

There was something good
inside these people.

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

Knarik started participating

in the various activities
the center offered.

One of them was a trivia night
about Bible topics.

After the first night,

she realized there were so many things
she didn't understand about the Bible,

so she started reading more.

Knarik decided it would be best
to visit the Adventist church

to get some of her questions answered.

After attending church for about a year,

I was invited to a healthy lifestyle camp.

I decided to be baptized there,

and it was the happiest day of my life!

Knarik is so grateful
for her neighbor Anahit

and for the people in the Dr. Veggie café.

Urban centers of influence
such as Dr. Veggie

can be a crucial bridge between
the Adventist church and its community.

Yerevan is Armenia’s largest
city and capital,

with more than a million people.

One third of the country's
population lives here.

As cities like Yerevan increasingly become
one of the biggest mission challenges,

Adventists have the opportunity

to create meaningful connections
with those around them.

Unfortunately, it's expensive
to do mission work in cities.

The Dr. Veggie café
had to close its doors suddenly

due to the high cost of rent.

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.

Dr. Veggie has an opportunity to reopen,
but they need your help!

This quarter, a portion
of your 13th Sabbath Offering

will help reestablish Dr. Veggie
in a new, improved building.

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.

Please pray for the future of Dr. Veggie
and the Adventists in Yerevan

who have a passion for mission.

Thank you for supporting
this 13th Sabbath Offering!